No matter what...

I happily receive the monthly newsletter of the Jesuits, in Myanmar, which always impresses me by how much they do in the midst of a frightful revolution.  They are amazing agents for good in the midst of darkness, true builders of the Kingdom.  Two stories in the last newsletter stay with me.  

One shared the reflections of their novices, on completeing an intensive, five day spiritual exercise, named the Sadhana experience. One reflection was:

Fasting and hunger made us mindful and aware of our fragility and imperfections. 

Another was: 

A weak body makes my soul strong. ...  All of us have learned that the soul or the inner self is the core of mind, emotion and body.  

Here, they are getting to the heart of what really matters in life, namely spirituality, which is at the heart of who we are, generating energy, purpose and direction for our lives.  

The other story was a reflection of a Jesuit, on his new parish assignment, within his war torn country.  

On Trinity Sunday, I reached my new mission. ... For two years, the two catechists and the three Sisters of St Theresa have walked with the faithful of St St Francis Xavier's parish, on their journey of life and death.  So far, 38 missiles have been fired upon the village, destroying houses, but killing no one.  I stay alone at the clergy house.  My early guests are centipedes, cockroaches, mice, spiders, snakes and scoripons. 

On reading this, I was aghast, sitting in awe of such a man, a true man of God, dedicated to building God's Kingdom here and now, no matter what.  The spirituality, previously expressed by the novices, is at the heart of their fellow Jesuit's dedication to mission.  It is nourishing his faith, feeding his courage.  

This mission to build the Kingdom does not just belong to brave Jesuits in Myanmar; it is entrusted to all people of faith and continues through us.  As Church, together we are builders of the Kingdom.  This is the continuation of Jesus' mission, aimed at realizing God's vision for all humanity and fulfilling the purpose of God's creation.  This mission is the lived expression of love who is God.  This mission drives us and gives us hope for the better world, willed by God.  No matter what, we are Church.  

The truth is God's love is unconquerable, his Kingdom is here, it cannot be stopped.