“No longer will your Teacher hide Himself, but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher… on the day the Lord (Teacher) binds up the wounds of His people, He will heal the bruises left by His blows” – Isaiah 30:19,21
Celebrating the feast of Saint Francis Xavier invites us to reflect on what is happening in the world today with the same reference point that Francis Xavier would have used in his day, namely, Christ the Teacher. We need to find our Teacher so that we may learn again and renew our understanding of the mission of the Church and our ministry to our neighbors and our world. As Francis Xavier developed a relationship with Christ the Teacher who taught him how to relate to other people and cultures, we are also invited to learn from the Master so that we may share what we learn with others.
I ask myself what do I have to give and to share with my sisters and brothers at this time? Many of us have so many questions of what is going on the world. The Covid-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine, climate change, political crises in Haiti, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, floods in Pakistan, and many other issues people of God are experiencing in daily life: injustice, poverty, sickness, etc.
Every one of us is wounded or has wounded others and the environment. None of us have the answers or solutions regarding what is happening in the world. Therefore, we need to find the Teacher to heal us and to teach us how to live as “Sequel Christi” in the world today. We need to practice justice and charity, so that we may be able to stop wounding others and the environment; we need to take care of our common good, to live and to move together as children of God. To favor open dialogue, to listen to and to support one another, to pray and to wait for the Lord.
God our Father, help us to continue learning from Your Son Jesus Christ, to be good Christians and missionaries of the good news of Your Kingdom. Send us Your Holy Spirit to heal our wounds and to enable us to take loving care of our common good and the environment. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Brother Dominique Olondo, C.F.X.
To view the full Advent 2022 booklet in English, click here.
For Spanish, click here.
For French, click here.