“We must always let ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit”

With this message, Fr. General set the tone for a gathering of Jesuits at the General Curia on Saturday, May 25. At the invitation of Father General’s Delegate for the Roman Houses and Institutions, Fr. Juan Antonio Guerrero, Jesuits from the Gregorian, Biblical Institute, Oriental Institute, Russicum College, Gesù, Bellarmino, Vatican Observatory, Aletti Center, Civilta Cattolica, and from the Canisio residence joined the members of the General Curia for a celebration of the Eucharist and a brotherly gathering. All these institutions are united under the DIR: the Domus Interprovinciales Romanae. The program was very simple, the Eucharist followed by a time of fraternal sharing in the garden, but the bi-annual gathering is more than a social event: it’s an opportunity to strengthen each other’s vocations with news of the works of the Society across the great city of Rome.

The liturgical reading from the Acts of the Apostles clearly inspired Father Sosa’s reflection. In the reading, Paul and Barnabas allowed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to help them discern the direction of their mission: how to reach people according to their specific cultural and religious backgrounds, how to choose where time and resources could best be spent. In the same vein, Fr. General asked the assembly of Jesuits to be attentive to the signs of the Spirit in order to better respond to the call of Jesus. Fr. General asked his companions to continue on the path of conversion, change, adaptation: all to more faithfully serve the needs of the new world in which they find themselves.

Recalling some of the milestones that have been reached by the Society of Jesus over the past few years, from the reconfiguration of our province and leadership to release of the Universal Apostolic Preferences, Fr. General asked the Jesuits assembly to reflect on how that has changed the universal character of the Society. He highlighted the diversity of the assembly itself, comprised of Jesuits from all the apostolic institutions in Rome, containing so many different cultures and subcultures, but all called to be part of “Jesus’ group” and asked to bear witness to the universal dimension of our ministry. Jesuits from all over the world contributed to the preparation of the 36th General Congregation, and to the process of discernment that led to the identification of the Universal Apostolic Preferences that currently hold the attention and energies of the Society all over the world.

He left the assembly with a simple message: “listen, follow, and be bold.”

See some pictures of this meeting.