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25th Anniversary Thanksgiving Mass
of JRS, 21st October 2005
Homily delivered by His Emminence, Cardinal Stephen Fumio Hamao
Church of the Gesu, Rome
Readings: Dt. 24: 17-22 Mt. 2: 13-15, 19-23
He was there and it changed his life. Father Arrupe,
1945. Hiroshima. People were suffering, and he showed
compassion,
solidarity. It had to be done, and action was needed. And he
transformed
the noviciate into a clinic, treating people on a table. This
apocalypse
opened his eyes. What he had seen, moved him, touched him
deeply, remained
with him, changed his life decisively and influenced his future
decisions. And perhaps it contributed to the definition of the
mission of
the Jesuits: faith that does justice, a commitment to enter into
effective
solidarity with the voiceless and the powerless. Indeed, he was
moved when
the boat people were fleeing from Vietnam and raised his voice.
What are
we going to do with these experiences? How will we respond? Thus
we had
the founding of the Jesuit Refugee Service.
Is that also not what we hear in the readings of today? Jesus
fleeing to
Egypt and returning to Nazareth. Matthew presents him as the new
Moses,
the Messiah. From Abraham, the father of faith, to David, the
king of
peace, to Jesus who represents the beginning of the restoration
of all
Israel. The story of salvation and liberation which originates
in Israel
is meant for all nations. A movement, in which Jesus has become
the
inspiration and guide for justice and peace, towards full life
for people,
towards the values of the Kingdom. Values which need to be
protected, and
each time anew requires an exodus. The message of the gospel
demands
decisions. It leads to a division between those who accept and
those who
reject that message.
Deuteronomy asks for the actualization of the words of God. It
has to be
done, with special attention for the socially weak, the
stranger, the
orphan and the widow. That responsibility is put on the whole
community. It is not just meant for the king, or the leaders.
Each one,
each individual, is responsible for the weak: strangers,
migrants, refugees
and displaced people. To be with those who are oppressed,
persecuted,
driven away. Those on the margins of society. That is what we
learn in
the readings of today.
People still follow Jesus the Messiah. They believe in the value
of
non-violence, instead of killing children. They accept
sacrifices instead
of giving in and watering down values of truth and love. They
are
convinced that Yahweh God will realize a full life for people,
through his
power, becoming visible in people and their attitudes; through
our hands
and the hands of those who will follow. And his word comes to
us: Today, I
call you, my daughter, my son, from Egypt.
We all are here because we responded to that call, in one way or
another. We remember with gratitude the twenty-five years of
service of
JRS. In perseverance and with faithfulness they remained in
difficult
situations. An organisation which is alive and present with so
many
displaced people. The Jesuit Refugee Service is a blessing for
them and an
enrichment for those who share in their experiences. Directly
engaged with
people at grass roots, being at their side, looking into their
eyes and
listening to their stories. In camps where food security is
threatened,
with youngsters in educational projects, in protective places
where women
at risk are counselled, in detention centres visiting innocent
people, with
Christian communities coming together to celebrate the hopes and
sorrows of
daily life. A future has to be realized. That same attitude
brings the
Jesuit Refugee Service also in the corridors of the United
Nations and the
European Union. To tackle the causes of the problems. To lobby,
to be
involved in advocacy and to persuade politicians or civil
servants so that
signs of hope are realized for those who do not have a voice.
Indeed, that
is the Jesuit Refugee Service at work. They are an example of
faith-centred action which is an inspiring example for many to
follow. Bringing individuals together, in dedicated service,
seemingly
powerless, but prepared to go his way, following Jesus the
Messiah. Believing that together with others it is possible to
realize
signs of that Kingdom. I hope and pray that we remain such
people. After
all "the joys and hopes, the sorrows and anxieties of the women
and men of
this age, especially those who are poor or in any way oppressed,
these are
the joys and hopes, the sorrows and anxieties, of the followers
of Jesus
Christ."
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