Author: 爵醒
Learning to become schools of discernment
From April 26 to May 1, a diverse group of educators from Jesuit schools in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau and the Philippines met at the Seven Fountains Retreat Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand for a workshop on “Apostolic Planning and Decision Making through Communal Discernment”. The title is a mouthful; after all, discernment in common is a complex and difficult, albeit worthwhile process.
The participants had a first-hand experience of discernment in common, one of the identified Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus. There was emphasis on listening to others as well as listening to one’s interior movements. The spiritual conversations were conducted in mixed groups to allow the participants to learn from one another’s contexts and cultures. There were moments of personal prayer and reflection in preparation for the spiritual conversations.
“It was important for the participants to listen attentively not only to members of their own groups, but also to the plenary reports from the small groups. It is counter to what educators are accustomed to, given their workload and busy lives”, said Fr Johnny Go SJ, Education Secretary for the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP).
Fr Go facilitated the workshop together with Jennie Hickey, Executive Officer of Jesuit Education Australia, Fr Roy Ragas SJ of Emmaus Center for Psycho-spiritual Formation and Jeraldine Ching from Xavier School in the Philippines.
The JCAP Ignatian leadership workshops have become known for their socials. Delegates from Ateneo de Cebu / Sacred Heart Jesuit School in the Philippines organised an evening of games to break the ice and build a sense of community. Consequently, one of the best parts of the workshop was the friendships formed. “These personal relationships are the crucial ingredient to the networking that we hope to strengthen among our schools in Asia Pacific”, said Fr Go.
The participants were most grateful for the actual experience of spiritual conversations. “We ended the workshop with the optimistic resolve to find ways of incorporating some of the elements of communal discernment in selected decision-making processes in our schools”, said Fr Go. “As Jennie put it at the end of the workshop, we hope that our schools will truly become schools of discernment.”
The risen Lord lives in our hearts
Easter is a moment of unparalleled rejoicing. The Lord is risen from the dead. He triumphs over sin and death. He is truly alive and his Spirit lives in our hearts.
It is rather striking that the apparitions of the risen Jesus happened to the lowly people who had pinned their hopes on him or to people who had some faith or even to those whose faith had wavered. He appeared to the women who were the first to visit his burial site, to the fearful disciples, to people who doubted him like Thomas and to many others. He did not appear to the strong and mighty, those who clearly had no space for him. It would have been quite dramatic if the risen Lord had appeared to people like the members of the Sanhedrin who tried and convicted him, High Priest Caiaphas, King Herod and Pilate, the governor of Judea, and all those who plotted his death in order to shame and humiliate them all. Perhaps it would have been pointless.
Easter is for all of us, especially for people who long for Jesus even if our faith is not strong enough. It is for the weak and the lowly, the broken and the impoverished. It is for people who thirst and work for reconciliation and justice. It is for people who continually discern the mission of God and try to accomplish it despite the complexities and challenges. It is for people who seek personal, communal and institutional conversion even if they may not always succeed.
Fr General Arturo Sosa released the Universal Apostolic Preferences on February 19 this year after getting the approval and blessing of Pope Francis. The preferences are a product of prayerful discernment of Jesuits and companions over 16 months. They serve as an apostolic compass of the Jesuits and companions in the next 10 years. These four preferences are the following: to show the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment; to walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated in a mission of reconciliation and justice; to accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future; and to collaborate in the care of our Common Home. These preferences are in sync with the priorities of the Church according to Pope Francis. After his approval and blessing, these preferences in some sense are no longer ours. They are no longer ourmission, but more precisely the mission entrusted to us by the Church through Pope Francis. They could be daunting and overwhelming for Jesuits and companions given the many challenges that can be complex and seemingly insurmountable. But with Easter, our fears and anxieties take a backseat. Even if our faith is wavering and weak, the risen Lord could appear to us to breathe new life and inspire us. Even if our resolve is weak and we are tempted to despair, the God of life could manifest to us to give us renewed hope and inspiration. May we open our hearts to God’s enduring presence in our lives.
Happy Easter to one and all!
Tony Moreno SJ
JCAP President
Easter 2019
A leadership rooted in discernment
I am grateful to have been a part of the Ignatian leadership and discernment meeting in Rome. The combination of community prayer, personal reflection, group sharing and discussions gave a balance to how we as participants explored our mind, heart and will. Our diversity, coming from the six Jesuit conferences, only served to enrich our experience.
The Constitutions of the Society of Jesus offer very rich elements of leadership that can be applied not only by Jesuits but also by anyone who wants to learn about Ignatian leadership. Ignatian leadership is deeply rooted in discernment and the Spiritual Exercises. As a Jesuit, I can share this rich Ignatian spirituality with my co-workers, partners and anybody who is interested to learn.
Although I have read the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) several times, I was moved by Father General’s address that the UAPs should be approached from a spiritual perspective. They are inspirations rooted in the discernment of the Spirit and spiritual motivations that can move people to implement them. They are also universal in the sense that they are not only for Jesuits and our lay collaborators but can be offered to others as an inspiration in responding to and addressing the problems within and outside the Church.
Ignatian leadership is deeply rooted in discernment and the Spiritual Exercises. As a Jesuit, I can share this rich Ignatian spirituality with my co-workers, partners and anybody who is interested to learn.
The abuse crisis offers lessons in leadership and discernment. A lack of both has kept sexual abuses in the Church “hidden” for a long time. Policies, systems, procedures and codes of conduct for handling sexual abuse are sadly not in place. I was shocked and sad to hear Sr Pat Murray IBVM share not only about cases of sexual abuse experienced by women religious but also other forms of non-sexual abuse, such as bishops or priests who employ sisters as unpaid domestic workers and treat them like “servants”.
Victims of abuse and indeed the larger society are now questioning the integrity of the clergy who violate the law of love and human rights to which they should proclaim and give witness. In a way, this painful experience puts the Church in the First Week of the Spiritual Exercises. We are sinners, but we are called to be His companion for His mission in spreading the Good News. The courageous leadership of Pope Francis in this very difficult time brings hope that the Church will move forward to the Second Week of the Spiritual Exercises: meditating on the life of Jesus and conforming our life to that of His. Ultimately, these abuse cases remind me to continuously reflect on my religious life as a Jesuit.
Those of us who were chosen to attend the meeting constitute a community of practice for communication and collaboration in the implementation of the UAPs. Matthieu Daum introduced to us the U theory, a tool to help us carry out the UAPs. It offers an integrated process of sensing, presencing and realising – a very Ignatian way of implementing a cycle of action and reflection. My hope is that we can use the UAPs as points of personal prayer and reflection, truly guiding us in our exercise of leadership in our networks, communities and ministries.
- Fr Adrianus Suyadi SJ is the Secretary for Social Ministries of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific. He was one of six delegates from the conference who participated in the Ignatian leadership and discernment meeting in Rome from April 1 to 5, 2019.
Watch this video summary of the five-day meeting in Rome:
Ignatian leadership and discernment in light of the Universal Apostolic Preferences
Over 50 Jesuits and lay collaborators gathered at Monte Cucco, just outside of Rome, to reflect on how Ignatian leadership and discernment can help realise the newly identified Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs), a mission from the Holy Father released to the Society of Jesus.
The participants composed of leadership development practitioners coming from a range of ministries – from parishes to retreat centres, high schools to universities, outreach centres to refugee services to province offices – included six from the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP): Fr Jojo Magadia SJ, Regional Assistant for Asia Pacific; Fr Adrianus Suyadi SJ, JCAP Secretary for Social Ministries; Fr Non Yamauchi SJ of the Japanese Province; Fr Benny Juliawan SJ of Sanata Dharma University in Indonesia; Dr Edna Franco of Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines; and Fr Karel San Juan SJ, President of Ateneo de Zamboanga University also in the Philippines.
Fr General Arturo Sosa SJ told all those gathered that the UAPs are “a call to conversion” and not merely a strategic plan or a checklist of ministries and activities. He also underlined the use of the term “preferences” rather than “priorities”. Whereas priorities emphasise the primacy of certain apostolates, probably establishing new ones and relegating some old ones, preferences should be understood more as “orientations” for focusing all Jesuit apostolates in the next 10 years.
“‘Orientations’ primarily are about giving direction which helps us reconsider and recalibrate our life and mission. UAPs are not about what to do, rather they are an inspiration about how to do, as Fr General put it”, shared Fr Juliawan.
“Working in institutions that are heritages of Jesuit legends and having very limited number of Jesuits and lay collaborators, I used to feel very lonely and powerless to respond to our mission. The conference gave me a new inspiration”, said Fr Yamauchi.
The meeting held from April 1 to 5 emphasised discernment as essential in leadership. Fr John Dardis SJ, General Counsellor for Discernment and Apostolic Planning, asked the participants to be open to a “prayer for leadership” that promotes spiritual conversion. The participants engaged in spiritual conversations in voicing their hopes and fears for the future of the Society of Jesus.
“Ignatian leadership centres around the formation of spiritual persons who are united with God in all their deeds. These persons build trust and inspire people around them to grow and work collaboratively for a mission. The mission in question is the mission of the Society”, said Fr Juliawan.
About half of the participants were lay people, evincing the move towards greater collaboration.
“They are really committed people who consider themselves Ignatian and even members of the Jesuit family”, said Fr Juliawan.
Dr Franco, a lay participant, serves as executive director of Ateneo de Manila’s Center for Organization Research and Development. “It was a priceless gift to be in the same room with Fr General and 49 other individuals from 23 coutries working as a community on the desire of the Society of Jesus ‘to find the best way to collaborate in the Lord’s mission, the best way to serve the Church at this time, the best contribution we can make with what we are and have, seeking to do what is for the greater divine service and the more universal good’”, she shared, quoting a letter of Fr General introducing the UAPs.
For Fr San Juan: “The meeting is an example of networking and collaboration of Jesuits and lay colleagues across cultures, to facilitate sharing of resources and expertise, and to foster friendship and community.”
The meeting reminded me of the proverb ,“More haste, less speed”, said Fr Yamauchi. “In order to implement the UAPs, we should not rush to conclusions. Instead we should start a pilgrimage of discernment with our collaborators. Although the process may take time, it is our way of proceeding. It is how we can implement the preferences in our life and mission.”
In his address Fr General used the term the “Collaborative Society” (Minima Compania Collaboradora) and encouraged the participants to promote lay vocations to be partners or collaborators in the mission.
“The call for collaboration is certainly growing louder”, said Fr Juliawan, “and if the Jesuits are serious about this, some changes to the way the Society is governed must be introduced in the future to reflect their significance.”
Journeying with the youth a step further
To strengthen the network of youth ministers and better serve the needs of young Catholics in the region, the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP) Youth Ministry organised its first meeting for youth ministers in Colégio Mateus Ricci, Macau from March 18 to 22.
More than 30 Jesuits and young people from Australia, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Timor-Leste participated in the meeting.
“For the past five years since the establishment of the JCAP Youth Ministry, we have been focusing on the Magis Formation programme as a way of accompanying young people in our Asia Pacific conference”, said Youth Ministry Coordinator Fr John Nugroho SJ. “This year, we would like to share with the youth ministers another Ignatian method of training young people to be servant leaders.”
The core team plans to hold the youth ministers meeting every two years. For this first gathering, the participants were provided with practical ways they can “journey with the youth”, one of the four Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus.
“We hope to encourage those who have already graduated from the Magis Formation programme to take part in the Church’s work, give back to the community and serve as animators in accompanying their younger friends”, said Fr Nugroho.
He opened the meeting with an update of the projects of the JCAP Youth Ministry. One of these is a manual on how to organise and implement youth ministry programmes in the conference level. Another document underway is a youth volunteer manual that will help connect Asia Pacific youth with Jesuit missions in need of volunteers in the region.
The participants had the opportunity to share how they carry out their youth ministry programmes in their own countries, including their challenges and strengths. Many of them said they were inspired and happy to learn from the experience of their fellow youth ministers.
To deepen their sharing, the participants assembled into small groups of three to four people for Contemplative Dialogue. During the first round of sharing, they each expressed what inspired them from the day’s sessions and where they found God. In the second round, they expressed what touched them from their friends’ sharing in the first round of the dialogue. Then they concluded with conveying a phrase that expressed God’s message for them during the sharing.
The meeting was also a chance to learn about the work of the Chinese Province, which encompasses four places: Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Fr Vincentius Haryanto SJ from Macau gave a talk on Ignatian Pedagogy and how it can be applied in the youth ministry beyond the school setting.
Nineteen-year-old Renata Tania, who is part of the JCAP Youth Ministry core team, shared about her experience as a trained JCAP youth minister, how it has changed her life and help her to grow in Ignatian Spirituality.
JCAP President Fr Tony Moreno SJ reflected on how young people have a passion for the common good.
“We want to listen to the voice of the youth. God’s voice can be heard through them”, he said. “Sometimes we say we accompany the youth. But actually, it could also be the other way around, that we are accompanied by the youth.”
Connecting the Universal Apostolic Preferences with the mission of the Development Office
Development Officers of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific are meeting this week, from March 11 to 14, in Manila. A key thrust of the meeting is to help align JCAP units’ development work to the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) of the Society of Jesus. Continue reading “Connecting the Universal Apostolic Preferences with the mission of the Development Office”
Lent 2019: Praying with Jesuit Fr. Pedro Arrupe
“Grant me, O Lord, to see everything now with new eyes…”
So begins a personal prayer of Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, who served as the Jesuit superior general from 1965 to 1983 and whose cause for sainthood was opened earlier this year.
It’s a perfect prayer for Lent, this time of spiritual renewal and preparation for Easter. How easy it is to forget that God is always with us, here and now, reaching out with love and inviting us to grow closer to him. How often we put our own selves at the center of the universe, failing to respond to or even notice the needs of the human family. How natural to get burnt-out, cynical or just plain tired.
We need a new way of seeing.
What if we could see other people, the planet and ourselves the way God does? How much more joy and peace would there be on earth?
Holy men and women like Pedro Arrupe are essential guides for us disciples, pointing the way to Jesus and encouraging us to come along. This Lenten season, as the Jesuit community continues to pray for the canonization of Pedro Arrupe, we invite you to spend some prayerful time with the words and prayers of this revered Servant of God.
Each Sunday of Lent, we will use a line or two from the day’s Scripture passages to uncover a theme, and then connect that theme to words of Arrupe’s. We’ll use videos, images and written reflections to enter into just a bit into his deep spiritual life. Because while you can learn plenty of facts about Pedro Arrupe by readings biographies or scholarly articles, you can learn something else entirely by praying with him.
Read more at http://jesuits.org/lent.
“To serve, not to be served”
Seven Jesuits of the Vietnamese Province were ordained as deacons on March 2 by Most Rev Luis Nguyen Anh Tuan, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Saigon. Relatives and friends of the ordinands, and Jesuits from nearby communities gathered bright and early for the solemn ordination Mass at the Oratory of Saint Joseph Jesuit Scholasticate in Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The newly ordained deacons are Rev Paul Trương Minh Cao SJ, Rev Paul Nguyễn Văn Chí SJ, Rev Vincent Nguyễn Văn Công SJ, Rev Joseph Vương Văn Đỉnh SJ, Rev Joseph Trương Đình Sáng SJ, Rev Joseph Mary Trương Hoàng Sơn SJ and Rev Peter Nguyễn Bá Tinh SJ.
Reflecting on the Gospel of Mathew 20: 25-28, Bishop Tuan invited the congregation to contemplate and mirror Jesus as a model of love and generosity. He urged the deacons to imitate Jesus Christ in serving humanity, saying they should strive “to serve, not to be served” and to follow his way of life by living their vows of chastity, poverty and obedience.
The Bishop also called on them to live faithfully their Jesuit vocation by relying upon the charism of spiritual discernment in realising God’s will for them and in fulfilling it. Lastly, he invited the new deacons to be men of God and men for others by internalising a prayerful life and living a spirit of service.
The newly ordained deacons have responded promptly to the call of service. Ordination to the diaconate is the final step in preparation for priestly ordination in the Society of Jesus. As Roman Catholic deacons, they are ordained to assist the Bishop and his Presbyterate as ministers of the Word, of the altar and of charity. They proclaim the Gospel, preach and teach in the name of the church. From now on, as ministers of the sacraments, they are authorised to baptise, witness marriages and conduct wake and funeral services.
May the Lord bless our new deacons and grant them His grace in order that they may live faithfully their Jesuit vocation. [Vietnam Jesuits]
Pope commends Jesuits for being in tune with Church priorities
By Amedeo Lomonaco, Vatican news
The universal apostolic preferences of the Jesuits “are in harmony with the current apostolic priorities of the Church expressed through the ordinary magisterium of the Pope, the synods, the episcopal conferences, especially in the Apostolic Exhortation ‘Evangelii Gaudium’”. This is what Pope Francis emphasized in a letter addressed to the Jesuit General, Father Arturo Sosa.
What has been undertaken, the Pontiff said, is a “dynamic discernment”, not a “library or labour” process. According to the Pope, the first preference is fundamental because it presupposes as a “primary condition the relationship of the Jesuit with the Lord, the personal and community life of prayer and discernment”.
Apostolic preferences
The apostolic preferences are the result of a process of discernment that lasted almost two years. They represent “four vital areas” for today’s world. Father Sosa recently said they inspire Jesuits “in their discernment and in apostolic planning”.
They are the points of reference, horizons and orientations for the entire Society of Jesus. They emphasize how Jesuits can “make better use of the means at their disposal to serve Christ’s reconciling mission in the world.” They are the Jesuits’ response to the needs of the Church. In a society marked by profound change, preferences are established “through socio-political analysis, theological and pastoral reflection and discernment”. For the next 10 years, the 4 preferences set by the Jesuits, have been confirmed by Pope Francis.
Promoting discernment, spiritual exercises
Illustrating the 4 apostolic preferences, Fr. Sosa told Vatican News that discernment is a necessity for the Church. The spiritual exercises, he added, are a preferential path for the Jesuits. It is also fundamental, as far as the exercises are concerned, to take the path of creativity. According to the Jesuit General, new forms must be found so that the exercises adapt to different groups, realities and contexts.
Walking with the excluded
Walking with those who are discarded, said Father Sosa, means approaching the world of the poor and going to the suburbs to meet the people. “We want to take a path, he added, to promote social justice. “We want to promote a change in the economic, political and social structures that cause injustice. “We want to eliminate the scourge of abuse from the life of the Church and society,” a drama that the Jesuit General said is manifest out in various forms, including in sexual abuse and abuse of power.
Accompanying young people
According to Fr. Sosa, walking with young people also means looking at the world from their perspective. Young people, he explained, can help understand the changes in society, to grasp the sense of a new culture. We must therefore “open up spaces for young people, for their creativity”, he said, adding they must also learn from the young.
Caring for the common home
The fourth preference concerns our common home – the created world. Father Sosa said we must try to participate in urgent actions that can help curb and stem the deterioration of the environment. Alternative formulas must also be sought. To respond to these preferences, said the head of the Jesuits, a great challenge is that of collaboration which he considered a strong point of their action.
Engaging with Taiwan Aborigines and the Chinese Jesuit mission
Community-building, immersion, daily Masses, city tour, academic lectures, periods of reflection, food expeditions, museum visits, efficient train rides, Christmas festivities and lasting friendships – these are just some of the tags that can summarise the 10-day Scholastics and Brothers Circle (SBC) workshop in Taiwan from December 15 to 25.
A total of 37 formands of 15 nationalities (six Vietnamese, five Burmese, four Filipinos, four Indonesians, three Koreans, three Australians, two Thais, two Timorese, two Chinese, an Italian, a Singaporean, a Malaysian, an Indian, a Polish, and a Japanese) participated in the workshop that centred on “Indigenous Ministry and the Mission of the Jesuits in China”. Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific Socius Fr Eric Velandria SJ and Formation Delegate Fr Riyo Mursanto SJ accompanied the participants.
Fr Olivier Lardinois SJ, who combines pastoral work with indigenous peoples and doctoral studies in anthropology, facilitated the meeting. Most of the activities, including residences of the participants, were held in Fu Jen Faculty of Theology of St Robert Bellarmine Community in New Taipei City. Fr David Yen SJ, the Jesuit Delegate to Fu Jen, provided a hands-on tour of the campus and explained the philosophical meanings of the designs and locations of the buildings.
In the morning of December 17, the participants had their team building activities despite the 13°C temperature outside. In the afternoon, at Tien Center at Sacred Heart Parish, Guting, Fr Emmanuel Lim SJ, Delegate for China of the Chinese Provincial, talked about the mission of the Chinese Province. Part of the talk was the introduction to the staff of Magis Center. Chinese Provincial Fr Stephen Chow SJ celebrated the Mass followed by a sumptuous Chinese dinner with the lay and Jesuit community of Sacred Heart. There they met the lively Fr Andres Diaz de Rabago SJ, the oldest member of the Chinese Province at 102 years old! After dinner, Fr Lardinois brought the group to Longshan Temple to witness the faith of many Taiwanese Buddhists. The Temple also serves as refuge for many homeless at night.
December 19 to 21 were days dedicated to living with indigenous peoples, mostly of the Atayal Tribe of Central Taiwan. A day prior, Fr Lardinois oriented the participants about Taiwan Aborigines and the Jesuit indigenous ministry, and took them to Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines.
A two-hour bus ride took the participants from Fu Jen University to the Jesuit Parish in Zhudong, Hsinchu Hsien. They were welcomed by very engaging lay persons who shared about the parish’s pastoral services, particularly the intensive catechetical programmes to young and old.
The formands were divided into four groups for their immersion: one group went with Fr Yves Nalet SJ to Shilei, another to Xinguang with Parish Priest Fr Corneille Heynanns SJ, group three to Qunqquan where Fr Barry Martinson SJ was waiting and group four to Nalou with Fr Lardinois. It took three hours of navigating the zigzag road before they reached their mission stations.
The participants gained plenty of memorable experiences from the immersion, such as the meaningful conversations with indigenous peoples and experiencing their warm hospitality, bathing in hot springs in 10°C weather, tasting sautéed and stewed flying squirrels and house-to-house Christmas carolling.
Italian Scholastic Cesare Gabriele Sposetti SJ, shared: “As a ‘westerner’, I never before had the opportunity to meet indigenous cultures. This kind of encounter helped me to have a wider picture of the cultural and human variety of this part of the world.”
On the way back to Taipei, the participants stopped by St Aloysius Technical School at Hsinpu, Hsinchu Hsien. This Jesuit educational institution has produced several quality technocrats in Taiwan. Many were astonished to realise that behind the school’s success are laypersons led by Principal Jerry Jyh-Lung Tang.
On December 22, Fr Lardinois provided a synthesis of the immersion experience by placing his expertise in anthropology side by side the Ignatian paradigm. This was supplemented by the brief sharing of each group of the fruits of their structured reflections and spiritual conversations. Then it was the participants’ turn to present. Each country reported about their respective province’s or region’s effort in serving indigenous peoples. In the evening, the group held a Christmas party.
The remaining days were devoted to excursions around Taipei. The formands made sure not to miss the National Palace Museum to see the paintings of Br Giuseppe Castiglione SJ, imperial painter to Emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong in the mid-18th century.
Although only 10 days, the SBC workshop in Taiwan fortified the formands’ appreciation of the Chinese Jesuit Province and the ministry to the indigenous peoples.