Fr. Ben Nebres, SJ, a former Provincial Superior of the Philippine Jesuits, welcomes Fr. Jojo Magadia, the new Provincial, to the mission he will have for the next six years...
The 35th General Congregation (GC 35) Document on Jesuit Identity “A Fire Kindling Other Fires” says: “What unites us as Jesuits is Christ and the desire to serve him . . . He is the unique image of the unseen God . . . Jesuits know who they are by looking at him.”
We can say that a Jesuit Provincial knows who he is and what his mission is by contemplating the scene between Jesus and Peter in our Gospel today (John 21: 15-19). In the midst of the great challenges that will face Fr. Jojo in the years to come, rising prices, political and economic turmoil, vocations and formation, leadership for our many and demanding institutions, it is consoling to know that the call is ultimately deeply personal – it is a call to keep his eyes on the Lord and answer his question, “Do you love me?” And respond to the Lord’s sending: “Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.”
I think for all of us former Provincials, Fr. Bernie Bernas, myself, Fr. Noel Vasquez, Fr. Archie Intengan, and soon to be former Provincial, Fr. Danny Huang, it is this deeply personal part that lingers most in our memories and our hearts.
One of the most enduring memories of my early weeks as Provincial was my first visitation to Bukidnon mission and having one of our veteran missionaries, Fr. Jim Cawley, a living legend by then, kneeling down to get my blessing. It was at the same time a very embarrassing and a very edifying experience. I think all of us former Provincials probably go back to our visits to the Mindanao missions as among our deepest and most moving experiences.
Being Provincial surely has its burdens. But among its great gifts is that of coming to know our brother Jesuits, their pains and struggles, yes, but their honesty, generosity and courage as well. It is like the image Fr. Danny painted of Fr. Ting Samson, the President of Ateneo de Davao, last June 4 in his homily for Fr. Ting’s Jesuit Golden Jubilee. He said that Fr. Ting and perhaps most Jesuits are like stained glass – we cannot see the beauty looking from the outside, we only see it looking from the inside. And to see from the inside, that is one of the great graces of being Provincial.
GC 35 asks us how we might recover our inspiration and energy, how we might rekindle the fire within us and thus kindle the fire in others. It asks us how we may become more deeply Friends with the Lord and Friends in the Lord with one another and with all with whom we share our mission and our life. I think of the many nights in Kabanglasan with Fr. Leoni, listening to his passionate dreams for his people. He had dreams of developing a large rubber plantation, dreams of all the children going to school and doing well – he continued to dream and to struggle up the hills to reach his people, love overcoming the pain of cancer eating into his bone. I remember arriving to see Fr. Leo Welch just when he was sitting down with his boys for their usual lunch – every possible thing thrown into a pot of boiling water. “Oh,” he says, “Fr. Provincial is here. We must have something special”, and so he opens a can of sardines.
Above all, I remember the nights of story telling during mission gatherings and rediscovering the wonder of story telling – with Fr. John Krebs and his stories of the interesting characters in his parish, Fr. Bob Walsh describing his adventures shuttling between MNLF and military lines in Jolo or tracking Bishop Escaler when he was kidnapped. Enchanted evenings and enchanted memories.
During Ateneo de Manila’s 10th anniversary Ignatian Spirituality in Education Workshop the other weekend, after the presentation by Fr. Danny, myself and Fr. Jojo on the themes of FIRE, FRONTIERS, FRIENDSHIP, I focused our discussion on FIRE and FRIENDSHIP since this year the focus in our Sesquicentennial preparation is “Deepening Spirituality.” I shared an article of Carlo Cardinal Martini on “Teaching the Faith in a Postmodern World” – about today’s youth that seeks not so much teachers, but witnesses.
I invited Dr. Marlu Vilches to share an experience with her Freshman class on “Introduction to Ateneo Culture and Traditions” (INTACT). Her session was on our image of God. She decided that the only way to do this was to take a risk and begin with her own experience of God: “I told them about how in a time of confusion in my life God seemed like a huge force that let go of me down down deep into the pit of the cold and dark earth. In that utter helplessness when I cried out 'enough!' I realized that God - calm and collected - was actually just looking at me, ready to lower a rope on which I could cling to help me up. The class was quiet when I shared my story, and then, one by one, each of the students joined in to tell theirs.”
After Marlu shared her story, our group in Antipolo was also silent and then one by one people began to share their stories.
We rekindle FIRE by telling our story, inviting others to tell their stories and in this shared story-telling retrace our journey. Just as Jesus rekindled FIRE in the disciples, who had given up and were walking away to EMMAUS, by walking with them and telling once more the story of God’s love affair with his people.
The other night, I was rereading my homily and Fr. Danny’s reflections for the 50th anniversary of the Philippine Province. I was struck again by our brother Jesuits from East Asia and Oceania wanting so much to hear more stories of the Philippine Province
So let me end with the stories we tell and re-tell of the Provincials who have gone ahead:
- Our first Provincial, Fr. Francis Clark, who had the vision and drive to build Loyola House of Studies, despite a lot of criticism (including from Ting Samson and myself, who were then philosophers in Cebu). The older ones among us here remember two Fr.Clarks, the Rector and Provincial who lived the ideals of the Society before Vatican II and the post-Vatican II Fr. Clark , who learned Tagalog and Cebuano and became an immensely loved teacher, pastor and friend in St. John Vianney and Cagayan de Oro Cathedral.
- Our first Filipino Provincial, Fr. Horacio de la Costa, in the turbulent period of nationalism of the late 60s, early 70s, meeting with Filipino Jesuits one night, American Jesuits another night, carrying within him our confusion and our pain. We owe it to his leadership and the greatness of his person that we came through a better and stronger Province.
- We remember Fr. Mayo, leading us to a deeper involvement with the poor, facing down the Marcos government in the raid on Novaliches and on many other occasions.
- I remember Fr. Bernie the year we had so many deaths, Fr. De la Costa, Fr. Flores, Fr. Giron, Fr. Magtoto, even a double funeral, Fr. Kieran Egan and Fr. Andy Bolinas, writing a letter to the Province that from now on, no one was to die without first getting permission.
- Fr. Bernie and I sometimes talk also about my not so liturgical missioning ceremony – our present format began after me with Fr. Rene Ocampo. When people ask me when was our turnover ceremony, I always say “I am not quite sure, but I guess it was when we met in the corridor after the New Year Province mass and he gave me the car keys.”
I will stop there and leave further story telling for all of us after the Mass. As this year is also the 50th anniversary of the Philippine Province, we thank the Lord for the graces given to our Province through all of us who have been called to lead in earlier years: Fr. Francis Clark, Fr. Horacio de la Costa, Fr. Benigno Mayo, Fr. Bernie Bernas, myself, Fr. Rene A. Ocampo, Fr. Noel Vasquez, Fr. Archie Intengan.
To our outgoing Provincial Fr. Danny, thank you for the FIRE and the FRIENDSHIP, the inspiration and the time with each one of us and with each of our communities and our works. We will miss your happy presence and your gift of eloquence and heart. But you can always send us a weekly message on youtube or on multiply. Thank you for confronting the FRONTIERS of your time: having the courage to challenge us to consolidate our works, guiding and supporting the rise of younger leadership, helping lead the Church in our time, bearing our weaknesses and helping to heal our wounds.
To Fr. Jojo, as Fr. Henri Madelin, the French Provincial. wrote to me in my time, “Welcome to the brotherhood, it is not so bad.” And, yes, fortunately in our tradition, it is simply one mission and there will be other missions. There is life after being Provincial – so when things get a bit heavy, you can always say, “This too shall pass.” But kidding aside, you will have many moments of fulfillment, in the deeper knowledge of our brothers, of their generosity and courage; in the times you will have of swapping stories. FRONTIERS may challenge us. But you will have times of FIRE and FRIENDSHIP to renew you.
And so as we leave this mass of thanksgiving and missioning and Danny passes on to you the car keys – or to be more scriptural, as he passes on to you his mantle, as it was passed on to him and to us here with you -- we pray that especially in times of uncertainty and challenge you may sense the Lord walking with you and your heart burning within you. May you then, as Jesus tells Peter in the Gospel of Luke, strengthen us, your brothers, so that together we may be “fire kindling other fires” in the often dark and confused world of today.
-Bienvenido F. Nebres, S.J.
Mass for the New Provincial, Fr. Jose Cecilio Magadia, S.J.
Loyola House of Studies
June 12, 2008
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