A word from the Superior General

In the course of a meeting of Catholic teachers in Paraguay in which I was partaking, they read letter 258 of St Michael Garicoits; this passage drew my attention: “Unite yourself as much as possible to God and Our Lady either in prayer or in each of your actions to obtain from the source of all good, a large share in his gifts and graces for yourself and your community and much power and effectiveness for all the ways which you are using to help these poor, and good souls”.

With great prudence and wisdom St Michael talks about union with God and with Christ in prayer as in action. There is a widespread misunderstanding which is dangerous, that is separating times of prayer from the rest of life and so reducing our Christian life as a time of prayer only; consequently the activities of our everyday life are a parallel life, disconnected from prayer and only guided by the criteria of a practical relativism.

Christian life has its roots in the person of Jesus Christ, God made Man, who went through this world doing good; who gave up his life on the Cross; who was united in prayer and in the activities of his mission with the Father; and who was raised from the dead to save us and share with us a newness of life. No human reality is foreign for those who believe in Jesus; He took on our humanity, through which we enter into contact with Him and remain united to Him.

The adult Christian is someone who has begun to accept himself as a gift from God, with all the power needed to be of service to others but also with all his shortcomings and sin which prevent him from thinking that he is superior to others and make him aware that he too is in need of God’s forgiveness, that he needs others to become better.

The adult Christian is someone who accepts, with great realism, the individuals with whom he rubs shoulders in a given situation. He welcomes the influence of their qualities, accepts their faults as challenges welcoming him to give the best of himself, of withholding nothing – that’s what love means; with charity and courage he bears the cross and problems that have no solution.

The adult Christian is one who loves those with whom he is living, instead of wasting his time in whingeing over violence, the scourge of war, drugs or the breakup of families. He doesn’t think that today is any worse than the rest of human history. He is capable of reading the signs of the times, signs of a God who loves the men and women of today, men and women of flesh and blood and continues to work for their good. Thinking that at some other time in history, in another context, in another family, another community, another School, one would be better off is the height of illusions! Discerning God’s will for me is to be practised where I am now, in the middle of all the possibilities and in the midst of so many false hopes. Oh Holy Spirit, inspire me!

The adult Christian is someone who, knowing his limits commits himself totally to performing his work as best he can, with generosity. That’s where God is waiting for him, waiting for him to contribute to the good of individuals and the growth of a new world.

That’s how the missionary disciple does God’s will in this world as it is done in Heaven: “by offering boundless charity, in the limits of his present position because it is a God given gift.”

Thus, given these circumstances, this position, within his limits, the adult Christian will recognise the face of Christ in the face of any brother in need. (Matt 25) It is in this suffering body that the Lord is inviting him to touch wounded humanity in his brother and to care for him with the “oil of consolation and the wine of hope”.

Here is another quotation from St Michael Garicoits found on Diego Barbe’s Facebook (by the way there is a thought for every day from our saintly Founder): “Perfection consists in doing our ordinary actions well, in performing our duties well. Some often say, ‘If only I was in that position, in that house, with so and so for Superior, with such and such a class... then I would make progress and benefit and become a saint!’ Illusion! Perform well your everyday duties: sweeping, washing up, doing the lowliest jobs allotted to you. That is what God asks of you, the fulfilment of it will sanctify you!” (DS 271)

In the life of the missionary disciple prayer is very important. It should be the framework of your entire day: in the morning, meditation of the Word of God assigned by the Church to each day; at the end of the day Examen of Conscience so as to discover in the light of the Word of God the presence and actions of God in my life, then to thank Him, praise and bless Him for all the gifts received, finally to ask forgiveness for the lack of courage in putting certain aspects of the Word into practice. In between those two moments of prayer professional activities follow on; taken on their own these professional activities are an act of praise of God and a service of mankind; but it is so much better when one is aware of this when, at one moment or another, we turn our thoughts to God.

Gaspar Fernández Pérez, scj
Superior General