“It is the vocation of every Jesuit to live at the heart of the Church, but to evangelise those on the margins.” Perhaps, in one sentence, this is a summary of the spiritual insight of the recently concluded 35th General Congregation.
I feel that St Ignatius would recognise this call to minister where the need is greatest, where there are the fewest apostles already labouring and where the task is hardest. Of course, this is something many Jesuits have been doing instinctively already, but the General Congregation helps us to re-evaluate our current apostolates and refocus where necessary.
The Pope, too, in his meeting with the members of the General Congregation, reaffirmed this as our special mission. “The Church is in urgent need of people of solid and deep faith, of a serious culture and a genuine human and social sensitivity, of religious priests who devote their lives to stand on the frontiers in order to witness and help to understand that there is in fact a profound harmony between faith and reason, between evangelical spirit, thirst for justice and action for peace. Only thus will it be possible to make the face of the Lord known for so many for whom it remains hidden or unrecognisable. This must therefore be the preferential task of the Society of Jesus.”
Clearly Pope Benedict expects much of us, but already we see in the various articles of this current issue different ways in which Jesuits are making the face of Christ known in difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances. In this issue I have included a summary of each of the Decrees of the congregation (pages 12 and 13); the full texts are now available on www.sjweb.info
Finally, a million thanks to all of those who supported me for the London Marathon. Usually people ask “Oh, what was your time?” I prefer to reply: “Well, there were several thousands of people who finished after me”. The money raised will go a long way to helping us make Christ’s face known. Thank you for this vital support.
On 31 July we celebrate the feast of St Ignatius. Please pray that all Jesuits and all of those who work with us will have the energy we need to be faithful to his special calling.
Click here for the Summer edition no 70
Click here for the previous edition no 69
Click here for the previous edition no 68
Fr Tim Curtis SJ