Jesuit spiritual writer Fr George Aschenbrenner wrote, “We become whom we contemplate.” Surely, Fr Ignatius would readily agree. Indeed, when we contemplate Christ or Mary or other biblical characters, especially in an Ignatian Retreat, we cannot but be radically transformed through grace, by our prayers and contemplations, enabling us to experience different consolations, enlightening our minds and touching our hearts.
On this Solemnity of Our Lady’s Assumption and the special occasion of Fr Pat’s final vows, I propose another Ignatian truth similar to that of Fr Aschenbrenner. “We become the story we tell ourselves.”
Behind every person is a story. People do not just emerge or come out of the blue. From birth, we go through different chapters and seasons of our lives, which precisely constitute our personal story. This is certainly true with our Lady and Mother, Mary. In fact, we see her entire story summarized in one prayer-song: the Magnificat of Mary, today’s gospel. One line is so rich, pregnant and oozing with meaning, that we need to pause and pray over it again and again, to grasp and appreciate its true meaning more deeply: “The Lord, the Almighty One, has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.” In a nutshell, Mary’s graced life story is all about God gracing and blessing her so generously, not holding back, instead of about Mary doing great things for the Lord. Baliktad!
One of the greatest things the Lord has done for Mary is what we celebrate today: Mary’s Assumption. We need to keep praying and even singing Mary’s Magnificat constantly, not so much to remember our Lady and her role in salvation history, but more to see our own story in Mary’s. For the core essential promises given to Mary—except her being, of course, the Mother of God, Theotokos—are the very same fundamental promises given to each and every one of us here.
Because of this, we pray in the Hail Holy Queen: “Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.” We can assert in all truthfulness that Mary’s ultimate destiny, via her Assumption, will be our ultimate destiny as well. Her end will be our end. Her fate will be our fate. In God’s time, her sharing of eternal life will be our sharing of eternal life. Thus our stories, both personal and communal, are all intertwined with Mary’s Magnificat story, such that in all truthfulness, we can also declare, just like her: “The Lord, the Almighty Lord, has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
Pat, is this not the story of your life, especially as a Jesuit? Is this not what the Lord has been doing to you all along, especially since you joined the Jesuits? The first time I heard your graced story was when we were together in Sacred Heart Novitiate (2005-2007), through our many sharings, spiritual direction sessions, and of course your 30-day retreat as a young novice (you were only 23 then!). After Novitiate, you had Juniorate, Philosophy, Regency in Zamboanga, and Theology. Then after ordination, it was Miarayon, Bukidnon, as an assistant parish priest. Then London, UK (2017-2023), for six years of studying Political Philosophy. Then of course came your Tertianship (2023-2024), when we crossed paths again.
After 18 long years, I heard your graced life story once again, at our second 30-day retreat together. While guiding you, I told myself: “Wow, Pat’s story has radically changed. Pat himself has radically changed.” One small detail that I could not forget was how you shared that you did not want to study Philosophy as much as Theology. But eventually, you agreed to study Philosophy. Initially, when you agreed to study Philosophy, you wanted to go into Phenomenology. But then your superiors told you to go into Political Philosophy, which was not at all attractive to you then. Nevertheless, in the end, like a true, faithful son of Ignatius, you humbly obeyed.
In short, Pat, you did not choose what you studied. Holy obedience chose it for you. Jesuit availability chose it for you. That radical obedience and availability, that daring yet humble “YES” straight from your heart, eventually became your Magnificat moment: that grand opening for God to do more great things for you. That is why, when we started the Long Retreat, I could not resist giving you right away as prayer material Mary’s Magnificat: “The Lord, the Almighty Lord, has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
Pat, your final vows this evening is another marvelous, beautiful Magnificat moment that will enrich your story all the more: the story that you have been telling yourself with your God. Just like Mary, after her Magnificat moment with Elizabeth, all culminating in her Assumption, this is only the beginning—the beginning of the Lord doing more and more great things for you.
Partly because your mission continues. As Jesuits, whenever and wherever our mission continues, there God and his overflowing blessing, gracing, and consoling continue. Because more often than not, it is in and through our mission that God graces us and blesses us in our lives. Again, baliktad!
Indeed, we do not do great things for the Lord; it is the Lord who does great things for us. In the end, this becomes the very story we Jesuits tell ourselves, with the story itself radically transforming us into who we are and what we are—why we do what we do, why we pursue what we pursue—all in the name of love for our God.
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Preached on 15 Aug, in the Oratory of St Ignatius, Loyola House of Studies, Loyola Heights, Q.C.