Of Perseverance Miracles and Dreams

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Of Perseverance, Miracles, and Dreams

It was 1941 when our jubilarians entered Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches.Bishop Freddie Escaler was newly 19. Father Roque Ferriols was close to 17. Father CatalinoArévalo had just turned from 15 to sweet 16. Father Jess Diaz was 18. On the US side, FatherBob Cunningham was 19, and Father Vic Helly was 17. Their other companions, all of about thesame age, included those who who have gone on ahead – Fathers Eddie Hontiveros, RudyMalasmas, Amancio Borja, Santi Gaa, Johnny Montenegro, Gus Natividad, Vinny San Juan.From the US were the late Fathers Jim Donelan, Jim McKeough, Francis Elsinghorst, and VinnyTowers. Young men all, in their teenage years, seeking to serve our Lord in the Company ofLoyola. Much has happened in 70 years. Our jubilarians have seen thestart and end of a world war, the stability and growth of the 50s, the revolutionary shifts ofVatican II, the height of activism and Filipinization, the imposition of martial law and the rise andfall of a dictator, the rebirth of democracy, the turn of a new century, the devastation of theenvironment, the phenomenon called globalization, the birth of the internet, Google, Youtube,and social networking, the changes from snail mail to e-mail and texting, from modernism topost-modernism. Astounding, to think how these, our brothers, have watched and witnessed allthese movements in history. As all this was happening,the constant in the lives of Fathers Roque, Revs, Jess, Vic, and Bob, and Bishop Freddie werethe vows, the call to mission, to teach and preach in a world that was harsh at times, to leadGod’s people, to share the sacraments, to accompany the many who were given them, to speaka word of life and encouragement. Today, as we celebrate this jubilee, our hearts are filled withthanksgiving – for perseverance, for miracles, and for dreams.

First, we thank God for the gift of perseverance, of somehow managing to hang on through allthe challenges of religious life, and remain faithful. The words of St. Paul remind us of the call tofinish the race and keep the faith, strengthened by a God who stands by us, rescuing us attimes and bringing us to safety.

These days, Father Ben Nebres is walking as a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago. I amprivileged enough to be on his mailing list, receiving daily updates of his travels. He started fromthe French side of the Pyrenees last June 1, and he hopes to end inSantiago de Compostela , close to 800 kilometers away. Last June 20, he crossed the halfway mark. The last time Ichecked, he was on his 28th day of walking.

In Father Ben’s reports, he tells us of the towns he passes through, the distances he walks,

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the weather, the terrain, the people he meets on the way, the food he eats, the Jesuitcommunities he visits. He narrates how his toes hurt at times, how water got into his cameraand cell phone, how the onion soup in one inn would taste terrible and the trout in the nextterrific, how he was surprised by a drinking fountain that gave wine rather than water, how he

ended a day’s journey with Mass.

A few days ago, he reflected that the first two weeks were an adjustment period. After that, hesays, the walking becomes regular. One might notice and be bothered by heat or cold, by roughterrain or steep climbs, but “… walking itself is pretty automatic. You just put one foot in front ofthe other! So long as you can keep doing that, and you know where you are going, you will getto your destination!”

You run the race, St. Paul says. You take it one step at the time, and just keep your eyes onthe finish line. And by the grace of God, you will get there – perseverance, 70 years, your hearton what is ahead. For this gift to our jubilarians, we thank the Lord.

Second, we thank God for miracles.

Last week, I was invited to Arvisu House, to speak to a group of young men consideringJesuit life. At the open forum, I entertained all sorts of questions, from the important and

insightful, to the inconsequential, and of course, every now and then, the Miss-Universequestions, like: What is it you like most about the Jesuits?

My answer to that question came quickly, surprisingly, supplied by the Holy Spirit. I said that

what I liked most about Jesuits was their capacity to find their way through, in whatever taskthey are given. Even with a minimum of instructions, a meagerness of resources, amuddledness of objectives, and a maximum of obstacles, a Jesuit on mission is driven to find away. He makes mistakes. He gets confused. His impatience can be intimidating. But in the end,he gets things done – able to set his own goals, discover good strategies, and inflame his workwith passion – whether that’s Father Revs delivering a scholarly theological paper or FatherJess checking on finances, Father Roque explaining philosophical terms in Filipino to histerrified students or Bishop Freddie advising the priests of Ipil. The Jesuit miracle is that despitehis many imperfections, a job is done and some good actually comes out of it.

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And then, a second look reveals the real miracle – not that the Jesuit finds a way to get a jobdone, but that it is God who finds a way to work through what they do and wonderfully bringslight and life and love. In the first reading, we read about what seems to be a miracle. St. Peteris in jail, with double chains, sleeping between two soldiers, guarded by four squads of four

soldiers each. In the middle of the night, an angel wakes him, and bids him to just go, and hedoes. A miracle has happened. But the miracle here is not so much about chains that fall fromthe wrists or the iron gate that opens by itself, or guards that fail to notice an escape. Themiracle is about a God who finds a way to bring grace into a messy world, and good news to thebroken-hearted.

Lord, we thank you for the many miracles you have worked through the lives of our Jesuit jubilarians.

Finally, we thank God for dreams.

Father Timothy Radcliffe, former Master General of the Dominicans, tells us about a homilydelivered at a profession of vows. The preacher looks back at his many years of religious life ashe gives advice to the

vovendi . He recalls all his labors to build and construct, to leave some good behind, to implement someplan, to satisfy some social need. And then he said that in the end, he also saw how, inevitably,some idiot came along after him, and tore down all he built, and called it progress. “So,” hesays, “I want to give you this piece of counsel, whatever schemes you may hatch, whateverplans you may formulate be sure of one thing, God will frustrate them!” Father Radcliffe thenpoints out that this is true because often our dreams are too small, and that if God demolishesthem, it is so that we may venture out into the larger space ofhis life. “God,” he says, “liberates us from small ambitions so that we may learn to hope more

extravagantly.” After all, we are destined for “what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor thehuman heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2: 9). In themeantime, we humbly accept the gift of dreams, the extravagant ambitions of a liberating God.

In the Gospel, after Jesus hears about what people say of him, he turns to his disciples oncemore and says, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter gives the true answer, “You are theChrist, the Son of the Living God.” And then the Lord gifts Peter with a dream, “You are Peter,and upon this rock I will build my Church.” It was not Peter’s dream. It was the Lord’s dream for

Peter, which he must have barely understood at that time, but which came to be, far bigger thananything Peter could have imagined.

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God dreams for each of us, as he has been dreaming for Bishop Freddie and Father Revs

and Father Roque and Father Jess. And even now, as they look forward to life after their 70years as Jesuits, we are sure that bigger dreams are forthcoming, and they can only entrusttheir lives once more unto his loving hands.

No one here is certain how far we will go – how many anniversaries we will be blessed tocelebrate, as Jesuits, or as lay Christians. Today, as we rejoice with Father Roque, BishopFreddie, Father Revs, Father Jess, Father Bob, and Father Vic, we recognize God’s gifts tothem of seventy years, in perseverance through the day-to-day struggles, with miracles that are

blessings woven into their lives, and towards dreams that are constantly unfolding, which arealways bigger than they have been able to see. We can only pray with our Blessed Mother, withsouls proclaiming the greatness of the Lord, with spirits rejoicing in God our Savior, for He haslooked with favor on his lowly servants. Amen.

- Fr. Jojo Magadia, SJ

Preached during the Mass celebrating the 70th year of Frs. Arevalo, Diaz, Ferriols, and Bishop Escaler in the Society of Jesus

Oratory of St. Ignatius, Loyola House of Studies

29 June 2011

Message given by Fr. Roque Ferriols at the end of the Mass:

I wish to thank you all who have come here to join in our thanksgiving, in spite of the bad

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weather. When we joined the Society on May 30 1941, the weather was also bad.

As my contribution to the celebration I wish to share a short meditation on two verses by theprophet Jeremiah, and some lines from a prayer much loved by Saint Ignatius.

In his Lamentations, Jeremiah says: "It is good for a man to carry the yoke of the Lordfrom his youth." He was an old man contemplating the ruins of Jerusalem when he wrotethat verse. He had spent a lifetime of trial and tribulation, carrying the yoke of the Lord, and hewas looking for a word to describe it all. And he found the word: Good. From the days of hisyouth he was carrying the yoke of the Lord, and it was very good.

Seventy years ago, I joined the Society of Jesus. I thought I was beginning a lifetime lookingfor God. But it was given me to know that throughout my lifetime, God has been looking for me.With infinite tenderness, patience, and with great humility, God has been looking for me. God ishumble. He waits for me to allow him to find me. Yet in the mystery of his grace, I need hisgrace to be able to allow him to find me. I have to pray: Lord, grant me the grace to allow you tofind me.

As a novice and later as a scholastic, when they sang the Office of Tenebrae during HolyWeek, I was always thrilled when they came to the verse: "Bonum est praestolare salutaredomini in silentio." "It is good to wait for the saving help of the Lord in silence."

If you are having difficulties with your vocation, wait in silence. Wait in silence, and the Lordwill come and save you.

And now we come to the lines form a prayer Saint Ignatius loved, the Anima Christi:

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Of Perseverance Miracles and Dreams

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