5 November 2018
Feast of all Jesuit Saints
I love the image of the “long black line”—that path of Jesuits who have gone before me for centuries. Today is the first of two days when Jesuits celebrate the deceased Jesuits in that line—the feast of all Jesuit saints, and then tomorrow the feast of all Jesuit souls. For nearly 500 years, Jesuits have gone out and preached the Gospel. They have travelled to unknown lands, they have founded schools, they have embarked on scientific research. They have gone great lengths and done great things.
But why? As a friend once put it, “St. Ignatius didn’t have Jesuits cross an ocean for schools with great basketball.” The Jesuit saints (canonized and anonymous) who have done these things did them mindful of the words of Paul we hear today: “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3). Jesuits crossed oceans to preach a Gospel because they knew others needed to hear it. They founded schools because they knew others needed to learn. They engaged in research to glorify God and enlighten others. These saints have given us a great example. The long black line can teach us many things, chief among them how to do great things without seeking greatness for oneself.