“Witnessing to the Light: from everywhere for everyone.”
By
Fr Elmer I. Ibarra, SVD
Biblical Apostolate Coordinator (AUS Province)
The first words of God in the book of Genesis were [Then God said:] Let there be LIGHT, and there was light. For me as I reflect on the theme of our 150th founding anniversary, as the biblical apostolate coordinator of the province, the Light is very powerful. In the first words of God in the book of Genesis, one can obviously see not only the importance of the light but in God’s infinite wisdom, he chose to create light first. For God, in order to bring order and harmony in a world that is without form and shape; and where there is just darkness, made light and called it day.
This theme of light was continued in the prologue of St John, one of the favourite bible passages of our founder, St Arnold Janssen. Where St John says that “through him [the Word] was life, and this life was the light of the human race, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:4-5). From this God sent a man named John to testify to the light. (John 1:6). That’s why I think we as Divine Word Missionaries are now tasked to continue like John the Baptist to testify to the light. While we believe that the task of becoming a missionary is a call for everyone, I believe that as Divine Word Missionaries priests and brothers, we are specially called to testify to the light in the best way we know how by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
In Mark 3:13-18, Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted and appointed twelve whom he named apostles. While all the twelve were Jews, they definitely came from different backgrounds. Some of them were fishermen like Peter, Andrew, James and John, some of them were zealots like Simon and Judas Iscariot, one of them, Matthew, was a tax collector, and the rest were from different backgrounds. We as a congregation of almost 6,000 members from more than 70 countries are definitely from EVERYWHERE. By the gift of God’s calling, we have responded like the disciples of Jesus who came from everywhere to do God’s mission to us to testify to the light.
This diversity which we all recognise as a gift is something that we celebrate in our congregation. From everywhere for us means that we bring in our mission the richness of each other’s culture, language, experience, gifts, and many others. Yet, despite this diversity, we are all united in the purpose of bringing the Divine Word to everyone we meet, in whatever circumstance that we are in, all in the purpose of bringing the Light for everyone.
Lastly, as we come from everywhere, we witness to the Light for EVERYONE. In the Great Commission of Jesus to his disciples in the conclusion of the Gospel of St Matthew (Matthew 28:16-20), part of Jesus’ mandate to his disciples is to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19). I remember that after years of formation in the seminary … our rector announced our mission assignments. In my batch, we were 13 seminarians and among the 13, nine of us got mission assignments outside of the Philippines, my home country. Some of us were sent to Congo, Madagascar, China (Taiwan), Argentina, Mexico, Portugal and I got assigned to Australia. In my experience here in the Australia province, I have tried to spread the Word of God in the suburbs of Wellington, New Zealand, in Western Sydney and in the remote aboriginal community of Santa Teresa, which is in the middle of the Simpson Desert in Central Australia. Now I’m here doing my ministry as rector of our formation house in Box Hill (Melbourne), Victoria. So, I recognise my role of being a witness to the Light for everyone. I believe that all of us have a similar experience in our missionary life.
In conclusion, I’ve always believed that as we celebrate our 150th founding anniversary, our theme is bringing us back to the purpose of why St Arnold founded our congregation and that is to be a witness to the light like St John the Baptist. Like St John, we’re never the light, we’re just witnesses who take delight in seeing the light, which is the Divine Word and, in our delight, we want to point out the light to everyone that we meet so that we can give God glory. We do this so that slowly but surely, the prayer of St Arnold Janssen will come to fulfillment which is: “May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of Word and spirit of Grace. And may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people. Amen.”
PHOTO: Fr Elmer Ibarra SVD celebrates Mass in Central Australia.