Windows unto God

WINDOWs

God unto

e are living in a globalized world. Everyday CNN advertises programs with the catchphrase: “go beyond borders�, inviting you and me not to limit our vision to what is happening in the small world around us. Computer technology in particular has greatly enlarged and multiplied our windows and outlooks unto the farthest corners of the world, and all that upon the click of a finger. It simply is the way to live up to our call as 21st century global citizens who no longer can afford to not care what is going on elsewhere on our planet Earth, since the local and the global have become so interconnected and interdependent as to directly affect our daily life and our common future.

More ‘windows’ – less light Indeed “windows” are a terrific invention!

Yet, obviously enough, daily experience tells us that not all is well in our global village. Despite increasing our power to be the first to know what is going on beyond our geographical borders, computer “windows” have not proven capable of providing the kind of light, vision, and empowerment needed to build a world of justice and peace, solidarity and hope.

A world in need of the window of faith Only faith in God’s self-revelation, and knowledge of the Divine Master Plan of creation in its entirety will be able to enlighten the human mind and empower human freedom to overcome the darkness of unbelief and to put aside narrow-minded personal and national self-interests in order to humbly and freely collaborate with super-human Wisdom, divinely written into the laws governing the universe and guiding the human conscience.

Jesus – Light of the World and Window unto God Fortunately, the Lord of the Universe and Alpha and Omega of human history has revealed Himself and His eternal plan to us in the person of Jesus Christ. He is God’s ‘Window’ unto the world as well as the world’s Window unto God. He made it clear to us how much his coming into the world matters in terms of our present and eternal welfare in announcing: “I am

the Light of the World; anyone who follows will no longer walk in darkness but enjoy the light of life.”

More than anyone else it is St. John the Evangelist - the beloved disciple of Jesus - who had the deepest insight into the person and divine mission of Jesus Christ. After decades of reflecting on the ‘Jesus Window’ with eagle eyes or comprehensive faith, this is what he saw and recorded for our benefit: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came to be…all that came to be had life in him and that life was the light of men, a light that shines in the dark, a light that darkness could not overpower…The Word was the true light that enlightens all men…the Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth… Indeed from his fullness we have, all of us, received –yes, grace upon grace. (Jn. 1)

Sharers in the ‘window vision of the ‘Beloved Disciple’ Saint Father Arnold Janssen – Founder of the Arnoldus Family: All saintly persons - men and women of deep faith in the Word of God made flesh in Jesus - are windows unto eternity. Each of them graces us with a unique glimpse into the heart of the Divine Mystery. One among those outstanding saintly believers is Father Arnold Janssen, founder of three religious missionary societies, the first of their kind in Germany, towards the latter half of the 19th century.

Father Arnold developed a faith vision and spirituality of his own, yet closely related to the vision of the Beloved Disciple which eventually became the priceless common heritage of all the members within the Arnoldus Family. The roots of this treasured heritage reached into his earliest childhood, marked by the example and influence of God-fearing parents whose concerns and life of prayer extended beyond their own needs to those of the universal Church. In particular it was the prologue of the gospel of St. John (cited above), which was read aloud evening after evening in the family circle that must have left a deep mark upon the mind and heart of young Arnold. As he grew older and eventually was ordained a priest, his fascination with the mystery of the Incarnate Word revealing the love of God for all his children on earth to the point of self-sacrifice on the cross, turned into a passionate desire

to ‘go beyond German borders’ and share this faith vision with as many as possible. Moved by the God’s love and compassion as revealed in the compassionate heart of Jesus, Father Arnold was utterly convinced that “The first and greatest act of charity is to share the ‘good news’. It was his own God-experience that inspired his soul to tirelessly promote the idea of the need for establishing mission houses in Germany to train missionaries for abroad.

Indeed, God blessed his servant Arnold’s passionate love and missionary zeal in ways beyond expectation, eventually leading to the birth of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) in 1875. Already in 1879 he was able to send his first missionaries to China; among them Father Josef Freinademetz, an exemplar missionary in Shantung. Meanwhile Father Arnold Janssen and Josef Freinademetz both together have been canonized

by Pope John Paul II in 2003. As a result the heritage of his spirituality and religious/missionary charism of the Arnoldus Family has been more intensely explored, its richness and centrality better understood and appreciated. Moreover, St. Joseph Freinademetz has become a favorite among many Chinese believers in Taiwan.

Blessed Mothers Maria Stollenwerk and Josefa Stenmanns – CoFoundresses Eager to learn from the experiences of his first missionaries abroad, Father Arnold realized the need for women collaborators who would work hand in hand with his society’s priest and brothers. They were to contribute their feminine gifts and qualities by means of all kinds of ministries to promote family life, local parishes, and social institutions and services reflecting

the community spirit of the Divine Trinity. Thus, after years of hesitation in discernment of God’s ways and plan, he finally decided to found the first branch of female collaborators on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary in 1889. He dedicated the new congregation of women disciples to the Holy Spirit, naming them ‘Servants of the Holy Spirit’ (SSpS).

The choice of this most beautiful name fitted in with Arnold’s increasing realization that ‘mission’ above all is the work of the Holy Spirit.

It also fitted in well with the fact that the two women, whom he later recognized as his cofoundresses, together with others, had been hardworking maid servants in Steyl, serving the daily needs of the fast-growing early SVD community of priests and brothers. With exemplary patience and unwavering love to serve the missionary cause, sustained by prayer, sacrifice, and the prevailing missionary enthusiasm surrounding them, they silently awaited the decision of Father Arnold for seven and more years while sanctifying themselves.

Deeply convinced that missionary vocations, the personal transformation of missionaries – and the fruitfulness of their hard work depend on one’s union with Christ through prayer, Father Arnold felt the need to found a second female missionary congregation, whom he named ‘Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration’ (SSpS/AP), also known as ‘pink sisters’ on account of their dress in contrast to the ‘blue sisters’ of the first SSpS foundation. Their contemplative life-style focused on day and night adoration of the Eucharistic Lord. By their incessant prayer, they draw God’s continuous blessing on the missionary endeavors of the entire Arnoldus Family and the worldwide missionary Church, the goal of which is communion of all believers in the adoration of the Father through the Son in the Spirit of Truth. Father Arnold expressed this central concern in the following prayer which in turn became the motto and heartbeat of all his spiritual sons and daughters worldwide: “May the Holy Triune God live in our hearts, and in the hearts of all people!”

The three original foundations, or Motherhouses of the Arnoldus Family, are located close to each other in the small Netherlands village of Steyl across the German border along the banks of the Maas river, because political restrictions at the time did not permit the establishment of mission houses on German soil.

SVD and SSpS Missionaries – windows revealing the Trinitarian Communion Today the Arnoldus Family comprises a total of nearly 9,500 priests, brothers and sisters serving in all five continents, comprising about 75 countries. In accordance with their missionary calling, they work hard, pray much, and net-work around the globe in the hope that “the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief may vanish before the Light of the Word and the Spirit of Grace�, as their Founder taught them to pray. Together they search for ways and means to carry out their common mission more effectively, complementing each other with their God-given talents while striving to become all to all people, as far as possible.

Their scope of missionary ministries is virtually unlimited, including pastoral, educational, social justice and health ministries in special commitment to frontier missions, understood not merely geographically but referring to all areas where human dignity and human rights, in particular basic spiritual needs are disregarded or not taken care of adequately. These include all ministries related to social justice, peace and integrity of Creation. Through their presence and active involvement with young and old, the privileged and underprivileged, the poor and not so poor, the hopeless and the helpless, they do their best in opening up windows revealing a God who cares. As missionaries they cannot solve all problems, but the outlook into a life beyond the here and now can provide believers with such light, strength and hope as to make it easier for

them to cope with the challenging, confusing, or harsh realities of the present world. Much as St. Paul, the great missionaries to the gentiles writes in his letter to the Romans: “I am firmly convinced that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us.” (Rom. 8, 18.)

In addition to being ‘window-openers’, religious missionaries have committed themselves to undergo a life-time process of transformation or sanctification aimed at becoming ‘windows unto God’ themselves in accordance with the example of their Master and the saints. By their life-long commitment to the three evangelical counsels or vows, religious missionaries imitate the life-style of Jesus, who lived a simple and celibate life (vow of celibacy), shared all he had with others (evangelical poverty), and was centered on discerning and carrying out the will of His heavenly Father (apostolic obedience). As life-long learning disciples, they are to become more and more transformed into the likeness of the divine Missionary Jesus: God’s Window to the world and the world’s window unto God. Like him, they themselves are to become windows of faith, embodying a vision and mission that makes sense only in view of a life beyond the here and now.

Moreover, in living out their religious vows, they become counter-cultural signs and eye-openers to those around them who have become blind, confused or misled by a world focused in on itself in feverish pursuit of the pseudo-values of materialism, individualism, and selfindulgent consumerism and pleasureseeking that neither can satisfy the human spirit nor bring peace and happiness to our world.

Moreover, by intentionally committing themselves to a simple life of sharing in international multi-cultural communities, they become windows of hope and promise to our world. They convincingly demonstrate to a globalizing world suffering from ethnic strife and inter-cultural tension, that faith in a God who invites us to share the everlasting Trinitarian Communion, makes living in solidarity and peace with one another not only possible but enriching and promising.

Finally, by their willingness to leave all behind - family and friends, language and culture - open to be sent anywhere into the world in order to serve the needs of others and to share the grace of faith freely with as many as possible, they become windows of divine love’. It is the love enkindled in their hearts by Him who commanded them: “Love one another as I have loved you!” Moreover, each in her/his own way experiences the truth of Jesus’ saying: “I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, wife, brothers, parents or children for the sake of the kingdom who will not be given repayment many times over in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.” (Lk. 18, 28-30)

Collaborators with the Arnoldus Family: the Holy Spirit Missionary Association ( HSMA) The HSMA is a worldwide organization of Catholic lay women and men aimed at promoting a better understanding of the central role of the Holy Spirit for personal sanctification and the realization of the missionary mandate of the Church. The Taiwan Holy Spirit Missionary Association had its origin at Fu Jen University in 1982. Through a year-long initiation program they come to share deeply in the spirituality of the Arnoldus family and make a personal consecration to the Holy Spirit and the mission of the Church. Thereupon, they continue to meet regularly to share their life of faith and to strengthen one another in their missionary commitment in close collaboration with the members of the Arnoldus family.

HSMA group photo after their Consecration Mass

Come and See: Jesus told his disciples: “You did not choose me, no, I chose you…” (Jn. 15, 16).

Yet he also said: Ask the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers.” (Lk. 10, 2) Moreover, he invited John and Andrew saying: Come and see!” (Jn 1, 39) Come share your faith following the example of Jesus as priest, sister, brother, or member of the Holy Spirit Missionary Association!

Come demonstrate your love living a simple life in multinational and multi-cultural communities!

Come know more about us SVD and SSpS missionaries in Taiwan and worldwide!

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Prayer for missionaries Holy Triune God, Origin and Goal of all missionary activities, we thank you for calling the Missionaries of the Divine Word and Servants of the Holy Spirit to continue your mission on earth. Keep them burning with the love of the missionary heart of Jesus, opening up ‘windows’ of faith beyond the preoccupation of our age with the here and now, so that the darkness of sin and unbelief may vanish before the Light of the Word and the Spirit of Grace. Saints Father Arnold and Josef Freinademetz, Blessed Maria and Josefa intercede for more missionary vocations, in particular for the Arnoldus Family, so that the love of the Holy Triune God may come to life in the hearts of all people.

Amen!