Robert Francis Prevost

In 2008, the Augustinians celebrated the 500th anniversary of the birth of Andrés de Urdaneta at this site. A renowned and highly skilled navigator, Urdaneta, after years of combat, discovered in the teachings of St. Augustine an invitation to a life of transformation. He learned that the only true answer to the desires of the human heart can be found in God and His love. This truth changed his life: from a successful sailor and navigator, he became a member of the Order of St. Augustine. Urdaneta became famous for discovering what is known as the  tornaviaje , a safe and rapid return sea route from the Philippines to Mexico. This tornaviaje became a vital trade and transportation route between Asia and the Americas. But Urdaneta experienced a far more significant tornaviaje in his own life. His conversion and entry into religious life symbolize a very different kind of return: the return to, or conversion from, God.

The image of the return journey, or “journey back,” can be very fitting for us Augustinians gathered here at the beginning of our midterm General Chapter. We too are called to undertake a journey and to discover that the only true and meaningful journey is the one that leads us to Christ. We have all embarked on this journey, which naturally begins with birth and, for those who are Christian, with the first encounter with Christ in baptism. For some, however, this occurs at the moment they hear the Word, as happened, for example, to Augustine, whose journey to Christ took place during the years of his long conversion experience, long before his decision to receive baptism. And it continued afterward, in various ways, after his baptism, in his search for God as a monk, priest, and bishop.

For us consecrated religious, the journey is a life lived in service to Christ, especially as a community of disciples. As Augustinians, it is a journey lived in and through our common life and apostolic services. But we can, at some point along the way, slow down, becoming complacent and distracted, or even stagnating in our spiritual life and pastoral work. The same can happen to us in community, and the life of our local communities and our circumscriptions can lose its power to inspire and attract others. The energetic enthusiasm typical of youth can gradually fade, and we can easily slip into the same old daily routine, always the same, never changing.

The courage and adventurous spirit of Urdaneta, who discovered the return voyage, can be rediscovered here, in this historic place where we have come to celebrate the opening liturgy of our Chapter. Perhaps the change, or the new path we are seeking, can arise from some questions: Do we want to hold on to what we have, to remain where we are, or do we wish to listen to the restless heart, to listen in prayer, to be attentive to the Word of God, and also to those among us who seek and interpret the signs of the times? Are we open to the possibility of choosing something different, for a new and renewed sense of mission in our lives?

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Lk 16:13). It strikes me that the phrase we read in today’s Gospel could be translated in these terms: Are we torn between our desire to follow Christ, whatever the cost, and our desire to remain where we are, content and with little desire or ability to change the path we are on? Here, in this place, it is fitting to ask ourselves if we too need to discover a new direction, a return journey, a new conversion.

There has been extensive reflection, in various contexts of religious life, on the question “preservation or mission?” I want to share it with you all this morning, convinced that it can also help us during the next two weeks. Are we simply maintaining the status quo, or is the missionary spirit alive in our hearts? To help us reflect on these questions, I propose a few comparisons.

• When thinking about the understanding of ministry, the group that only wants  to preserve  will affirm: “We must remain faithful to our past”; whereas a  missionary-minded community  will say: “We must be faithful to our future.”
• When measuring its effectiveness, the community interested in  preserving  will ask itself: “How is this apostolate financially sustainable?”; while the community committed to the  mission  will ask itself a different question: “How to create many disciples?”.
• When we think about change, and whether we want or can do something different, those interested in  maintaining  the status quo argue, “If this creates problems for any of us, we don’t want it.” The primary question, however, for those committed to the  mission  will be, “If this helps us reach some of those who are far away, we accept the risk of doing it.”
• The leadership style, in the mindset of those who prefer  preservation , is primarily managerial, well-organized, and efficient: in this case, leaders seek to keep everything in order and ensure that everything flows smoothly. A community, on the other hand, endowed with a  prophetic vision  and a life dedicated to its mission, will seek a different type of leadership: the style of the leader will be primarily transformative, capable of offering a vision of what can be, with the willingness to go far and face many risks so that the vision becomes reality.

The community intent on maintaining itself will think first and foremost about how to save its own Congregation. The community dedicated to mission will think, first and foremost, about how to reach the world. “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Lk 16:13). In his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Book II, Augustine, explaining the impossibility of serving two masters, emphasizes that one does not end up “hating God” when one becomes a servant to another master. Rather, indifference or complacency sets in, taking God and his grace for granted. This could very well be our situation: having lost our initial enthusiasm, we are satisfied with what we are already doing. Today’s Gospel reminds us all of the need to make a radical choice, a total surrender of our lives to God and to the mission of the Gospel. Today we are once again confronted with the choice we have made and invited to renew our commitment to living the evangelizing mission. May the Holy Spirit guide and enlighten us!

© Order of Saint Augustine

© Dicastery for Communication – Libreria Editrice Vaticana