By Father Alan Wong SJ
Have you ever failed to gain entrance into a university, a job that you wanted? Or maybe a relationship failed that you thought would last forever? Or maybe a word or phrase from someone struck you deeply? Turning points can be dramatic, painful, sudden, but can also come in gentler forms. Nevertheless, they are opportunities for grace to reveal deeper dimensions of ourselves and even be a moment for us to realise that God is accompanying us through this journey.
This year, we celebrate St. Ignatius of Loyola’s turning point, a cannonball moment that occurred 500 years ago. Previously, he had been a man of the world, wanting fame and honour, and he attempted to attain this through military valour. Unfortunately for him—and fortunately for the rest of the world—a cannonball struck him during battle. While convalescing, he began to realise that his deepest desire was actually to serve God.
It took St. Ignatius a few more turning points and years before he formed the Society of Jesus [Jesuits]. The Jesuits are known for many things, mainly education, but in Hong Kong, are probably most famous for the two Wah Yan high schools and Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan SJ.
Recently, the Jesuits released a comic to help younger members of the Church think about their deepest desires, and realise that what they really want is really what God wants from them. In other words, to let God into their lives, to enable them to discover their true desires and become what they are truly meant to be. If we can only discover our deepest desires then we will truly live the lives that God wants for us and actualise St. Irenaeus’ saying: “The glory of God is humans truly alive.”
The comic is titled, Turning Point, and is released each week Chinese [Monday] and English [Thursday] and drawn by an artist deeply immersed in Ignatian Spirituality, Nelson Dai Lai Sang. The initiative is a Jesuit project celebrating that cannonball incident of 500 years ago to attract new younger members to Ignatian Spirituality. Ignatian Spirituality is premised on the fact that God can be found in all things and is actually talking to us each day through our experiences, our feelings and through others. Our job is to sit down and just reflect on our day and then we can find God in our lives.
Please join our Facebook page or Instagram, listed under Be a Jesuit HK. Apart from the comic, the sites have other interesting details on the Jesuits. We are also inviting young men to consider joining us and have events planned to come and meet other Jesuits. Please contact us at: https://forms.gle/8J9ZwemWJYmgcbKp6
