Each of our stories in this edition of Jesuits and Friends can be read through the lens of "Meeting Needs". In Father Tony Horan's article, Trust the love of the Trinity, for instance, we discover how each of us is invited by the Persons of the Trinity to adoption as children and heirs. When a child is adopted into a family it is clear that both the child's need for a family and the family's need to welcome a childinto their experience of love are important in a successful adoption.
But as St Ignatius describes in his conclusion to the Spiritual Exercises, in each situation needs are being met on each side. Love is experienced when each shares what they have, receives what they lack, and responds to the other person. This exchange of gifts is seen clearly in how the Gospel is proclaimed in Guyana where the Church receives the gift of indigenous Guyanese culture and brings the gift of the Word of Life; the Gospel cannot be received by the people of Guyana unless they also bring the gift of their own culture and understanding of how the Lord is transforming and healing us. It is seen equally in the discovery by young volunteers that through their service in JVC they receive a great gift from those they are sent to serve. Both encounter the Lord through the other.
Need was also on Pope Benedict's mind when he decided in February to resign as Pontiff: the need of the Church for a leader with more energy and vitality, a man with "strength in mind and body", as he put it. It is a sentiment that has solicited admiration from around the world and we in the Society of Jesus join with the worldwide Church in praying for Pope Benedict in his retirement and for his successor.
You may notice the new design of Jesuits and Friends which the editorial team hopes will help you read about the work of British Jesuits and their companions and find your own way of responding to the Lord's call through the gift of your prayer, money or time.
As we prepare to celebrate the Passion of our Lord and his glorious Resurrection, may God bless you.
God bless
Fr Dushan Croos SJ
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