I’ve always had mixed feelings about the movie “Forrest Gump.” I always thought it was the third best movie of 1994 behind “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Pulp Fiction”, yet it got all the accolades. Nevertheless, there are several powerful quotes in the film that resonate today and have nothing to do with chocolate. My favorite line comes after Lt. Dan sarcastically asks Gump if he has “found Jesus yet?” Without missing a beat, Forrest replies, “I didn’t know I was supposed to be looking for him, sir.”
In this third week of Ordinary Time, the readings continue to reflect the themes of encouragement to faith communities and challenges to embrace what is new so that we may maintain what is sacred. Please consider writing your own responses to the readings or reflection questions below, or to reply to other peoples’ contributions. Also, if you know of a person, either religious or lay person, who has modeled the Xaverian way, and wish to share their story, please feel free to add to the comments section. (Painting below “Jesus Preaching from a Boat” by Jorge Cocco)
Next, consider the advice of Anthony de Mello:
“Don’t ask the world to change….you change first. People who want a cure, provided they can have it without pain, are like those who favor progress, provided they can have it without change. The one who would be constant in happiness must frequently change.” -Anthony de Mello, SJ
(Above photo of Tim Coppejans, head of school at Des Freres in Bruges, Belgium, and Br. Dan Skala, CFX, General Superior)
- What does de Mello insist is necessary for spiritual growth as well as tangible change for the better in our world?
- In Mark, Jesus suggests that we are actually standing on fertile ground, we do not have to search for it. What daily reflective practices can help remind us of where we actually are and break the illusion that we are far away from God?
- The Xaverian Brothers began in Belgium, and the Charism is still alive and well there, led by committed lay people and the Xaverian Brothers. Consider the story of Des Freres as an example of how the Charism continues to inspire people to recognize the fertile ground underneath their feet.
Ordinary and Unspectacular in the Liturgical Year 
On the home page of Des Freres, the school’s Xaverian values shine through. As translated by Google: “Respect, care and connection. You will also find the core values in our saying ‘concordia res parvae crescunt’. You can translate it as ‘what is small grows where unity blooms’. It is that spirit of concordia, of working together and working together in a positive atmosphere, that is the most elusive and at the same time the most characteristic of De Frères.”
Change seems to go down easiest when we have someone to go through it with and when there’s a process to it. When we include all types of people in the Mount community in the decision-making process, the final change tends to be more palatable because we’ve been a part of making it happen.
The changes that are hardest come out of nowhere: the sudden death of a loved one, being laid off from a job, having something thrust upon us with no communication or input.
But Fr. de Mello suggests that while change can be painful, it is necessary for “happiness”. I find this interesting because sometimes I think being comfortable and in the same place equals happiness. This gets me to think about whether change needs to happen in various areas of my own life and then out into the rest of the world.