On the morning of 11 September, I woke up and instinctively opened Facebook. I regretted it almost immediately. I knew I should have begun with the Divine Office, grounding myself in prayer and the Word of God before anything else. I had come across research suggesting that scrolling through social media first thing in the morning can leave you feeling tired and scattered for the rest of the day. That rang true. During my moment of silent adoration, instead of entering into a personal relationship with Our Lord Jesus, my mind was already racing, thinking about what I needed to do next and mentally planning the day ahead. Perhaps too much scrolling in this internet era has made it harder to stay focused. Maybe I should consider a weekly fast from social media.
As I scrolled, a video caught my eye. It reported that a man named Charlie Kirk had been killed by a single bullet. I didn’t know him, but something about the moment drew me in. I searched his name and discovered he was a public figure who spoke boldly in the name of Jesus. My heart wrestled with the question: how could someone who had never met him harbour such hatred, enough to plan his death? Realising how distracted I had become, I gently returned to the Divine Office and resumed meditating on the Word.
Later that morning, sorrow returned in a deeper way when I learnt that Fr Alberto Irenus David SJ, my spiritual director from my early days, had passed away. Two deaths on the same day. One man I had never met, and one whose face and voice I remember vividly. I asked myself why I had spent time reading about Charlie, someone I didn’t know. I didn’t want to waste the day chasing headlines. Instead, I turned toward memory.
I remembered meeting Fr Alberto in 2011, on the day of his ordination. I revisited our email exchanges, letting his words speak again. One line lingered deeply:
“An attraction to priestly life but an unwillingness to pray and reflect on the words of Jesus is a contradiction.”
He had written that in response to my early stirrings towards priesthood, as I was just beginning to explore Jesuit life. I also remembered a moment from Fr Alberto’s Tertianship in Dublin, Ireland, when I had shared my interest in learning more about the Society. In response, he sent me a book titled Alone and on Foot by Brian Grogan. He wrote in his email, “Take it as a gift. At your own pace, read it leisurely. I know, besides teaching, I am sure you have other busyness that occupies your mind and attention. Take care.” His words were simple, yet they carried a quiet understanding and care. That memory, too, became part of my prayer.
Fr Francis Alberto Irenus David SJ, 24 January 1967 – 11 September 2025
Later that day, one of my companions in Arrupe International Residence sent me a photo that offered both imagination and consolation. It showed Jesus holding Fr Alberto’s hand, leading him to meet Mama Mary, St Ignatius Loyola, and Pope Francis.
I replied, “What a creative imagination! Thank you for this, my friend. I try to think of this as the fullness of reality, but I’m still learning. Will I meet Jesus after I die? So far, I haven’t met Jesus fully on earth. I only encounter him through Scripture, through the kindness of good people, and in all things. When I die someday, please create something like this for me, okay? I believe it will bring consolation to my family.”
I added, half-curious and half-playful, “By the way, which AI app did you use to create this?”
That image stirred something deeper. It helped me to reflect on the nature of death, the mystery of life beyond it, and my own readiness for diaconate ordination, still two years away. If I do not truly believe in life after death, how can I walk this path with integrity? I noticed a subtle temptation, a false spirit whispering that death is the end, that I will vanish like rubbish, and all that will remain are people speaking of my goodness and my shortcomings.
But I resist that voice. I hold instead the words of Pope Francis: “There is a powerful instinct within us that tells us that our lives do not end with death. This thirst for life finds its true and reliable answer in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This not only gives us the certainty of life after death; it also illuminates the very mystery of the death of each one of us.”
Fr Alberto Irenus David SJ served as the Asia Pacific Coordinator for the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network from 2023 until his death on 11 September 2025.
