Soon we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus, the end of Easter time. “Go, make disciples of all nations”, Jesus instructed after his resurrection, giving his followers a universal mission.
Inspired by that gospel mission Ignatius Loyola sent his own companions all over Europe, to Ethiopia, India, Japan and China. The great friend of Ignatius, Francis Xavier, made such a journey to Asia Pacific and many have followed him. They were big journeys in those days, with great risks. We Jesuits and companions are on mission today in Asia Pacific because of those journeys and choices.
Ignatius sent his followers out on a universal mission and he developed with them a way to make discerning choices. The Ignatian ‘way’ of choosing has three steps: start in the Spirit; give from the heart; and choose a practical path.
The starting point is to take our problem to the Spirit. Begin by calling on God’s spirit and giving thanks to our heavenly Father, as Jesus does.
Second, allow yourself to be moved from the heart. Jesus is moved with compassion for the crowd. He understood their hunger. Place your heart in the hands of God. Do not be afraid of the feelings of your heart, but test them. Which are the feelings that give a lasting sense of consolation?
Third, do what is practical. Ignatius’ models are the disciples of Jesus, constantly sent on the journey, going out to heal those who are in need, whether in body or in spirit. As the disciples distributed God’s goodness, so too in their day did Ignatius and his companions, Xavier and many others. And so do we today by our lives distribute God’s goodness to one another.
The longest journey ever, someone has said, is the journey from the head to the heart, the journey within. Once we make up our mind in our head, it is the heart that puts it into practice. Curiously, to make practical decisions, we have to have a heart. Convinced in our hearts, we can travel anywhere.
It may help to notice that, as Matthew tells the story, when the disciples went to that mountain in Galilee and saw Jesus for the last time before his Ascension, while they fell down before him, some hesitated. That hesitation is the normal doubt we feel about our own capacity.
That is why we need light to guide us, food to sustain us, and the solidarity of friends on the journey.
In Deuteronomy, we are told “the choice the Lord puts before us is life and prosperity, or death and disaster”. We are urged to choose between life and death. The choice is obvious, you might say. What silly person will choose death?
Ignatius our patron, a ‘can-do’ type of mystic, gives us a practical way to deal with choices in life, especially the ones we have to make when our resources are at their limit, or our path appears to be at its end. For a miner trapped in a dark cave, even a pinpoint of light is a source of immense hope. Ignatius’ lamp is the flame that burns in our hearts. Ignatius’ lamp helps us to identify a path forward both in dark moments and in good times. The longest journey is from the head to the heart. But when our head and our heart agree, no one can stop us. The longest journey begins with the first step, says Lao Tse, and when we take that step, we can go forth and set the world on fire.
Mark Raper SJ
President, Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific
May 7, 2013
