Tản mạn: ROOTEDNESS & MISSION

The recent special meeting between Pope Leo XIV and the Jesuits' Major Superiors marked an important moment for Jesuits worldwide. In his address, Pope Leo highlighted the urgency of our times, noting: “Artificial intelligence and other innovations are reshaping our understanding of work and relationships, and even raising questions about human identity.” (1) Framing these challenges, he called for renewed commitment to the Jesuit mission. 

The word “mission” in the Church, derived from the Latin “mittere,” refers to the person sent, the purpose of being sent, the place to which one is sent, or the nature or result of being sent. Without acknowledging this meaning, Christians cannot fulfill their responsibility to the Church of Christ. According to Fr. Fabio Nardelli, O.F.M., in “Missionary Tutti”, understanding Pope Leo’s call depends on this definition. (2)

Building on this definition, Pope Leo re-emphasized the common mission of Jesuits, stating: “I repeat: the Church needs you at the frontiers, whether they be geographical, cultural, intellectual, or spiritual. These are places of risk, where familiar maps are no longer sufficient.” On those front lines, they become soldiers of the Church. 

Expanding on this shared mission, the Pope also re-declared four “Universal Apostolic Preferences” of the Society of Jesus, confirmed by Pope Francis: Promoting Discernment and the Spiritual Exercises; Walking with the Excluded; Caring for Our Common Home; and Journeying with Youth. (3) These preferences, he noted, have arisen from the technological changes shaping the present world. 

Most of all, the discernment, prayer, the Sacraments, and community life are the concrete missions, “rootedness”, in connection with Christ always. After that, the motivations from “those rootedness” make them brave and enthusiastic in the Church’s missions. “Remain in my love... so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” (Jn 15: 9-17)

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Photo: vaticannews.va

(1) Pope Leo to Jesuits: ‘Go to the frontiers with courage and discernment' - Vatican News

(2) TÀI LIỆU MISSIONARI TUTTI - CHÚNG TA LÀ NHỮNG NHÀ TRUYỀN GIÁO: MỘT HÀNH TRÌNH ĐI VÀO THẾ GIỚI KỸ THUẬT SỐ

(3) Universal Apostolic Preferences - Introduction | The Society of Jesus

Tản mạn: "WHERE THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAY"

Reminding us of the will and its importance to persons, Doctor Charles Richard "Rick" Snyder (1944–2006), an American psychologist who specialized in positive psychology, wrote that: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”.[1]  I absolutely agree with this claim about the will and the achievement of human beings because I think that the will can furnish people with spiritual strength, wisdom, and confidence.

First of all, I reckon Dr. Snyder’s thought, for I additionally accept that the will would make the human's spiritual strength. Spiritual strength, or spiritual motivation, plays a vital role in a person’s life. Accordingly, lives can be promoted without motivation because they do not have the suitable impulse to put forth their own efforts. For instance, some students go to school without spiritual strength and study in a tedious manner. When they bear up under onerous circumstances and cope with tragic illness, they may stop the "embryo process". Otherwise, if someone has positive views on the serious merits of parents, they would scrutinize hard with all their heart. Undoubtedly, they would reach the predictable effects. From the above case, it is clear that people in any condition still need goodwill to complete their work, given their families and expectations afterward. I think people should cultivate goodwill in their lives to attain victory.

Next, I concentrate especially on this point as the central point of this writing, for the will can lead human beings to wisdom. People can hold wisdom through other means, such as experiments or knowledge; nevertheless, they cannot lack the will to practice those experiments and knowledge. It is clear that many complex problems and fatal illnesses arise when they are applied to concrete lives. “No pain, no gain” – a special and meaningful proverb suggests that people should be conscious that they have to pay worthy prices for their ambitions. Hence, if they have a strong, stable will, they can weather the storms. That means they would have good discernment of their own opportunities, which can help them recognize good and bad, success and failure, benefits and disadvantages, and so forth. Consequently, if people try to train these perceptual skills, they will encounter difficulties and acquire information that strongly supports their beliefs.

Finally, confidence is also a fruit of the will. I chose this criterion because I saw many people change their lives in surprising ways. Nick Vujicic is a typical example I want to mention for this analysis. Nick was born without arms and legs, and he said he faced many barriers at the earliest stage of life. “Without hope, his feelings of helplessness and isolation led him to attempt suicide….”[2]. However, he rebuilt his life after those difficulties. He began to separate his toes, using them as fingers to grab things, and, little by little, his will recalled his confidence before the others. Nick graduated from Griffith University at the age of 21 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, and he went anywhere to share about the will, which built his confidence in his experiment. I think this case shows enough of the value of will in leading to confidence and success.

In summing up, I perfectly correspond with the idea “where there’s a will, there’s a way” of Doctor Charles Richard "Rick" Snyder. I think the will can change people's destinies and make them successful by giving them spiritual strength, wisdom, and confidence. 

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[1] https://www.nytimes.com/.../hope-emerges-as-key-to...

[2] https://nickvujicic.com/

Suy tư: TRIUMPHALISM

 

Triumphalism - a "special" word that I was stimulated in the class of previous day. Wondering about the meaning and try to find the definitions and information of its, it is suprised to discover an inssidious disease in the Church from the old days to nowadays. 

Vatican II Council declared in dogmatic constitution "Lumen Gentium", "All the faithful of Christ are invited to ... let neither the use of the things of this world nor attachment to riches, which is against the spirit of evangelical poverty, hinder them in their quest for perfect love. Let them heed the admonition of the Apostle to those who use this world; let them not come to terms with this world; for this world, as we see it, is passing away. (235)" (#42)

The deepest desire of the the Church in every age is that all Christians "offer an imitation of and a testimony to the charity and humility of Christ, Mother Church rejoices at finding within her bosom men and women who very closely follow their Saviour who debased Himself to our comprehension". (#42) All of these desires was the strongest counter-evidence to the triumphanism. 

Through these teaching, Christians acknowledge the attitude of self-righteousness, bravery, and excessive authorities on the edge of being a victorious, perfect, and sole possessor of truth, sometimes are phenomena of triumphanism, which may cause mediocre divine aspectes or lack of religious views about other friendly groups. It is evenly over-emphasizes the role of the Church's hierarches.

Francis Pope emphasized in his homily when he was alive that: "triumphalism tries to make it to the goal by shortcuts and false compromises… It lives off gestures and words that are not forged in the crucible of the cross; Jesus destroyed triumphalism by his Passion.”*

Leading to these phenomena may be the sources of over-emphasizing the Church's hierarches and sole theories instead of listening, companion Church. Thus, Francis pope called all Christians keep the consciousness that they are People of God through "Synodality Church" image. In particular, he clearly reminded in apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium" that: "Without detracting from the evangelical ideal, they need to accompany with mercy and patience the eventual stages of personal growth as these progressively occur." (#44)

Completing this short writing with an essential message of Vatican II Council in dogmatic constitution "Lumen Gentium" may be neccessary: "Thus, the Church, although it needs human resources to carry out its mission, is not set up to seek earthly glory, but to proclaim, even by its own example, humility and self-sacrifice." (#8)

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*https://www.vaticannews.va/.../palm-sunday-abandonment...