Tony Moreno, SJ
We live in a time of great uncertainty and suffering. While we are in this pandemic, many of our plans have been disrupted. Covid-19 has claimed many lives. Many people suffer from hunger and sickness.
In one study made, there is a notable shift of emotion of people during the pandemic, that is, from being fearful in the beginning to becoming increasingly angry. This may not be true for all cases, but we realize our fragility more than ever. Many of us appear to be uncomfortable with the new normal. We somewhat accept this new reality but deep down, we long to return to the pre-pandemic period.
St. Ignatius had many experiences of uncertainty and suffering. When he decided to start a new life after recovering from the wound he endured at Pamplona’s battle in 1521, he did not know what was in store for him.
When St. Ignatius divested himself of his riches and started a life of begging, he was unsure about meeting his daily needs. His studies in Barcelona in his 30s, his imprisonment in Alcala, and his imprisonment again and trial in Salamanca were many uncertainties and difficulty experiences after his conversion.
In Paris, where St. Ignatius would meet his first companions, he did not know where the Lord was leading them. They wanted to go to Jerusalem and follow the footsteps of the Lord. But when it was clear they could not go there, they decided to form themselves as one body and present themselves to the Pope.
The establishment of the Society of Jesus as a religious order was met with tough oppositions. Despite all these, Ignatius and his companions persevered. In 1540, Pope Paul III confirmed the creation of the Society.
Lessons from the saint
We can learn a lot from Ignatius’s disposition in the face of uncertainty and suffering. He was so free from attachments and so free as well for the mission. His centeredness on God, his resolve to serve the mission, his sense of hope founded on deep faith, his willingness to be led by the Spirit, his humility before the greater scheme of God, and his flexibility enabled him to carry out the mission entrusted to him despite the challenges.
Ignatius gave himself totally in God’s hands while relentlessly discerning with others God’s will for him and the Society of Jesus. This gave him courage and peace to navigate in a time of uncertainty and pain.
May we grow in the mind and heart of Ignatius in this period of ambiguity.
*The Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific originally published this article at https://jcapsj.org/blog/2020/07/30/st-ignatius-in-a-time-of-great-uncertainty/.
Fr. Tony Moreno, President, wrote the article as his yearly message on the occasion of the Feast of St. Ignatius on July 31. He gave his permission to post his article on this blog.