As we celebrate the feast of St Ignatius today, we would do well to remember that Ignatius never used words like “great”, “strong” and “powerful” to describe the Society of Jesus. Instead he characterised the Society as “least” (minima). He used the word “great” in reference to God, for instance, “for the greater glory of God” (ad majorem Dei gloriam).
Ignatius had no illusions about the Society. He knew how fragile he and his companions were. He knew that the growth and increasing influence of the Society was due not so much to the work of the Jesuits, but to the graciousness of God. The Society was merely an instrument for God’s mission, and Ignatius made this clear in its Constitutions. The last part of the Constitutions begins with these words: “The Society was not instituted by human means; and it is not through them that it can be preserved and increased, but through the grace of the omnipotent hand of Christ our God and Lord. Therefore in him alone must be placed the hope that he will preserve and carry forward what he deigned to begin for his service and praise and for the aid of souls.”
So, in these days, it is fitting to enter into the mind and heart of Ignatius. The central reality of our lives is not our work, not our mission, not ourselves. This is not about us, but about God. God entrusted the mission to us but, at the end of the day, what we accomplish is by the grace of God.
In our recently concluded assembly of the major superiors in the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific in Nagasaki, we deliberated and reflected on some of our concerns: our apostolic plan and governance structure; the common missions of Cambodia, Timor-Leste and Myanmar, all three small and struggling units; and China. The religious, social, political, economic and ecological issues in Asia Pacific are many and complex.
We also took stock of where we are with the discernment process we began in January of the universal apostolic preferences that will guide our way over the next 10 years. Fr General is scheduled to announce the apostolic preferences early next year, and then it will be up to us to act on them, together with our mission partners. Doing so may well be daunting. However, we can draw comfort and courage knowing that we are the least Society of Jesus, and that what we do we do by God’s grace and for his ever greater glory.
Like Ignatius, the Jesuits and our mission partners of today are called to collaborate with the Lord in his mission. May Ignatius’ spirit of magnanimity of heart, humility and familiarity with God inspire us in everything we do to love and serve – en todo amar y servir – the Lord and his people especially the poor and vulnerable.
Happy feast of St Ignatius!
