In one of Fr. Gen. Arturo Sosa’s reflections of the Universal Apostolic Preference (UAPs) of the Society of Jesus, he begins by quoting the gospel of St John, where Jesus says: My Father is still working even now, and so I am working (John 5:17). I find this passage of the scripture appealing in the situation we find ourselves during this Covid 19 pandemic. God is a consistent worker; he is always on duty in the world. No matter the times, circumstances or situations. We also as collaborators in his mission are called to always be on alert and up and doing. We are called to be on duty no matter the time or situation we find ourselves. This also implies that despite the situation we are in this pandemic, we are expected to carry on with the activities of the UAPs.
The UAPs include: To show the way to God through the spiritual Exercises and discernment. To walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and Justice. To accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future. To collaborate in the care of our common Home. In the UAPs all our apostolates as Jesuits and collaborators of the Society of Jesus can be found. As Fr Sosa puts it “The four Universal Apostolic Preferences are meant to be constitutive and integral dimension of every apostolate of every Jesuit. Every apostolate that is done must have these four preferences embedded and integrated in them”. This means that the UAPs become part of our lives, it affects how we live and how we interact with our immediate environment and the world at large. They are a sort of incorporation found in the UAPs. An incorporation that avails everyone the opportunity to do something, no matter their areas of specializations in life. Both the healthy and weak can contribute in this mission; even if it is just a word of prayer, that is enough contribution.
The Covid 19 pandemic affected almost every activity that keeps the world moving. Looking at the Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus; one can see lots of activeness involved in them. Lots of movements involved and lots of organizing involved. The question becomes; how can we continue living the UAPs in a global pandemic? Or rather, is it possible to live the UAPs during a global pandemic? From a more personal perspective I will say, how is God calling us to live out the UAPs during this global pandemic? Should we go to sleep because there is a world global pandemic? As men and women who share the mission of an active God, we are called to be awake. We are called to keep working, we are called to be creative.
CREATIVITY is a key word in the context of this pandemic. The world has come to discover many other alternatives to life. Most importantly, the pandemic has opened our eyes to see how blessed technology has been to our world. Many activities have been moved to the online platform instead of having physical interactions. In many societies where people can afford; masses and Church services has been made available through online platforms. Many companies continued working online. All these and more are some of the creative ways which people have been living their lives during this pandemic.
Furthermore, how can we be creative in living out the UAPs? As difficult as this might be during this pandemic, we are called to be active. In the little ways we can, we can contribute to the UAPs. Taking the four UAPs one after another, I will give some insights on how we can still keep the spirit alive in living them out:
To show the way to God through the spiritual Exercises and discernment: I see this pandemic as a form of retreat in itself. It has been a moment of sound reflection for me and I hope for many others out there too. Many people have used this opportunity to reconcile with friends and family. Especially for families who hardly have time for each other. The spiritual exercises are a tool to help us get more insight on how to live our lives. During a pandemic, we can accompany many with the retreat in daily life. Helping them seek God and see God in this time of the pandemic.
To walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and Justice: In many countries in the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, the most affected people during this pandemic are the poor, the outcast and those whose dignity has been violated. How can these sorts of people be cared for at this time when everyone fears to contact the Covid 19 virus? In some societies, people survive on day-to-day hustle to make ends meet for their families. However, lockdown measures have made this category of people jobless and hungry. We ought to reflect on how God is calling us to assist these people. As a family of Christ, how extravagant have we been living our lives during this time of pandemic? What impacts have we made to share the little we have to those who have nothing? Many of us live in our comfort zones, eating and sleeping because we at least are opportune to have something to eat. Have we thought of how the common street vendor is surviving during this pandemic? Some students have the opportunity to continue their education online. Have we had some time to think of how to make those who can’t afford such opportunity to do so? These and many more are what I feel God is calling us to pay attention to during this pandemic. We are called to have a holistic view of our societies. To revitalize the spirit of sharing and caring. Looking out for one another. As Jesuits and Jesuit collaborators, we are called to be more active in this time of the pandemic in what pertains to the poor and less privileged persons in our societies.
To accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future: We are in aworld of many new ideas and a world rapidly being circularized. The most participants in all of these are the youths. In this time of the global pandemic, many youths have been bored due to lack of activities as they would usually have. What is God calling us to do in the lives of these youths. I feel we are called to engage the youths and speak to their moderate quiet hearts especially now that they are involved in minimal activeness. This is a time to give the youths more food for thoughts about life and wellbeing. To talk to them about God and give them reasons to hold fast on God. The Pandemic has led many to question the steadfastness of God. It has left many youths see a dark future; a future that is uncertain. Youths needs counselling and retreats. Organized discussions that can help them share their experiences and how they are coping with them.
To collaborate in the care of our common home: Research have shown that one of the positive impacts of the lockdown during the Covid pandemic is the reduction levels of CO2 emissions during 2020, which represents a crucial moment in terms of countermeasures that can mitigate climate change. The global population has directly experienced reduced CO2 emissions and improved air quality. This is a clear indication that we are able to tackle climate change. God keeps communicating to us to be responsible with the way we live our lives in this beautiful world that he made for us. Thus, this is a time for us to reflect more on how to take care of our environment and make it a better place to live.
As human beings, we may never understand the reason why the things that happen around us happen. We are called to utilize the opportunities we have in every situation we find ourselves. In living out the UAPs, we are called to make use of any opportunity we have to make sure we do the little we can. Just as our lord is active in working in our world, we are also called to collaborate with him and keep being active as he is. AMDG
Mukasa Community
By Anthony Otah Kalu SJ