June 08: "Jesuit Education: Context, Charism, Collaboration (Partnership) - A few Insights from the Letters of Superior General of the Jesuits Worldwide Fr Arturo Sosa, SJ" talk for the faculty members of St Joseph's Institute of Management, Bangalore - A part of faculty Orientation

The sense of unworthiness before the immensity of God's providence is natural if we look at it with a sense of awe, faith and reverence. The abundance of the mighty creation in which we live is absolutely stunning. When we stand on the seashore and just gaze at the miles and miles of water or raise our eyes to the sky in the night with a bright moon and glittering stars, we quickly realize our smallness and imperfection. What we have around us is nature, forests, waters, rivers, seas, birds, animals, plants and trees, and so many other uncountable things, always enabling us to see the immensity and largeness of God the Creator. In this context, the sense of sin and sinfulness comes into the picture as we begin 40 days of Lenten journey. God continues to shower us with His mercy and compassion, love and forgiveness.

Can we solve the problems of this world by rules and regulations, laws and judiciary, police or army? Absolutely not. We can solve the problems in our society through good, value based educaton. Even the value-based education might not be the perfect answer. Probably, having the right mind and good value-based nurturing of men and women of this world might, to a great extent, help to take evil out of this world. There are so many men and women of great integrity who have shown the path of righteousness, truth, equality and justice. Jesus, being one of them, confronts his Jewish community to follow the right path. So that peace and harmony are established.  

What is it that makes us needed in this world? It is when we feel loved, cared for, and sought after. However, to have such an aspiration, we too must be men and women of compassion, love, joy and peace. It means that we must be of some use to others. We must be men and women of such a nature that we have something to contribute to the lives of others, or have the capacity to do something for the welfare of people. This makes our lives meaningful, purposeful and joyful. The liturgical readings on this 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time invite us to make our lives purposeful, meaningful and useful just as the salt of the earth and lamp on a lampstand, as Jesus narrates the metaphors that could be applied very well to our lives as well.

We do desire to make a mark here on this earth. We wish to distinguish ourselves from others. We want to be differentiators. God has blessed us not only in his own image and likeness, but also endowed us with a gift of uniqueness. Two people are not the same. Everyone has something different from the other. However, this uniqueness does not stop us from doing something together for the welfare of others. Whatever we do should be good, beautiful, and useful. It must bring a smile on the faces, joy to their lives. It is not that SMART concept that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound that we are talking about. It is simply about being good, having the best attitudes and being generous in our thoughts and actions. In this context, we have the beautiful readings on the fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Jesus speaks about the beatitudes, in other words, cultivating certain values, attitudes, virtues, which are higher and are close to the heart of God.

Whom do we follow today? The person of integrity, sincerity and of trust? We live in a trust-deficient world. Often, those whom we believe are trustworthy, people of integrity and sincerity, let us down with their hidden agendas, wicked deeds and unconcealed evil ideas. There is a scarcity of people whom we consider as generous, people of others and people of God. There are also people with no selfishness and don't accumulate wealth in this world for themselves. They are joyful and find meaning in doing good, letting themselves go so that others are happy. They are content in the company of others. Their benevolence is noticed by their life. In this context, we have beautiful readings on the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Even without knowing Jesus, people trusted him when he called them. He invited them to join his company. The overflowing goodness and other-centredness marked their lives. 

The world in which we live is quite big, and so are the complexities that affect our lives. Navigating and finding the right solutions and the right people to guide us is often difficult and challenging. People often point out at others as the right gurus or leaders, but unfortunately, they are not. The wickedness and evil are everywhere, and these people confirm that they are the ones. Even believing someone has become very tough today. Trust is the problem. There is no clarity, credibility, courage, or straightforwardness among these people. In this context, often we are left alone to find our way or marga. As we reflect on this dimension of right people and right time, the liturgical reading on this 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time is not only marvellous, but also we find Jesus, even John the Baptist, pointing at him as Messiah, the Saviour whom the Israelites waited for so long. In fact, he is the greatest prophet of all time, John the Baptist, who points at Jesus and says that he is the right one.

The greatness of the great people is known more by their deeds than their words. They embody a sense of humility and kindness. They are ready to become low in order to make others great. They are always at work with people, bringing mercy and compassion. They are a beacon of hope to the hopeless, courage to the fearful, and consolation to those inconsolable. They nurture a sense of Godliness and holiness. They are those whom we like them to be around. Their presence itself is grace. They bring so much joy and peace. Without them, we feel empty, or something is missing. They lead people to God. They are fearless and ready to die for the cause they hold so dear. Words like "lies" or "laziness" are not in their dictionaries. They speak for God and offer their lives to God and God alone. They speak the truth and work towards justice. As we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have beautiful liturgical readings. We see John the Baptist and Jesus, the men of God, ready to be embraced by the Spirit of God at a very important moment of their lives. The courage and humility that we see in both of them are truly inspiring as we still feel the warmth of the New Year 2026. 

As we start the new year 2026, we are very much in the Season of Christmas. The joy of this season still permeates around us. We are also joyful as we say goodbye to the year 2025 and welcome the year 2026. We are hopeful that this new year brings us glad tidings and beautiful things in our lives. With such hope and earnestness, we begin our journey of life this year. Liturgically, we are celebrating today the feast of the Epiphany, which is also called the manifestation of the Lord to others. It is celebrated as the visit of the three Kings or Magi to the baby Jesus. The liturgical readings of today invite us look at the simplicity and trust of these three kings or representatives of the wider world and embrace the Son of God wholeheartedly. 

The sermon was preached in Gonibeedu Parish of Chikmagalur Diocese on the 24th December 2025