NOVEMBER 5th - ALL SAINTS AND BLESSED OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS

It is a meaningful tradition of the Jesuits when they spend November 5th every year celebrating the feast of all saints and blessed of the Society of Jesus. 

To be honest, Jesuits are not very proud of the visible victories of all our brothers who have gone before us. However, we are excited for each Jesuit, in a variety of missions of the Church, who has been devoting their life and mission to the Ignatian spirituality and the Society of Jesus. We, not different from other congregations and multiple movements of the church, have been contributing the church according to our charism, spirituality, and specific ministries. 

Currently, there are 53 saints (34 of them martyrs) and 158 blessed ones (149 of them martyrs) among the Jesuits. In addition, there are 15 venerable servants of God on the path to sainthood. All of them, and numerous of our brothers who preceded us, in nations, cultures, circumstances, and individual contexts, become evidence for the promise of Jesuits to the Church, especially for the fourth vow- to obey the Pope in every ministry. 

Their living evidence becomes a strong encouragement to all Jesuits who would like to engage in the mission of the church, not for being beatified, but for showing faithfulness to God and His church in the world. 

Just remembering my brothers in my province and other provinces, whom I have met, and who died while exercising the ministries. They may not be famous men, and their missions were just confined within a small circle and remained localized. There were brothers who spent their time as missionaries in a small corner of challenging places, another hardly worked with educational ministry, one still collaborated with parishioners in parishes and served the marginalized people, and there were some who chose humble missions, just silently serving in Jesuit houses, and very few people knew them. 

Actually, they are Jesuits, not what they were, but they are what they are. In my mind, they become precious lessons for my Jesuit vocation. I do not call them "saints" for their sinful dignity as humans, but they are a crucial factor in my life. 

All saints and blessed of the Society of Jesus, pray for us, your brothers! 

Author: Little Stream

Image Source: Collected from the Internet