By Fr Yon Wiryono SVD
Introduction
SVD-ness. This sounds familiar to us, especially when we think of our identity which uniquely differentiates us from other religious congregations. As we have recently inaugurated the Jubilee Year of the 150th anniversary of our beloved SVD, we, SVDs are all invited to celebrate this special milestone with much more awareness of strengthening and deepening our core identity as SVD religious missionaries. This reflection is centred on a few essential aspects of living out our SVD-ness in the light of the Jubilee theme “Witnessing to the Light, from Everywhere for Everyone”.
Witnessing to the Light: Through Us, with Us, and in Us
To me, the theme of witnessing to the Light is so profound. If we are to summarise our vision as SVD, the theme puts it very well: to witness to the Light. Our SVD-ness is well expressed in allowing the Light to shine before others, as reflected in the theme of the 19th General Chapter. As our name is our mission, so to witness to the Light means to witness to the Word. The ‘Word’ and the ‘Light’ are two interchangeable words with the same meaning pointing us to Christ as the Light. For me, as a Divine Word Missionary, I am convinced that the Light is witnessed through me, with me, and in me.
First of all, ‘through us.’ Yes, we all know that we are not the Light, but the Light must shine through us. Just like the Word made flesh in Jesus, and so the Light made its way shining through us. Therefore, we are but the mediator of the Light, which also means that we are the collaborator to enable the Light shine in the world.
Our SVD-ness is expressed in being the collaborator of God’s mission. Collaboration is a way of understanding and living our SVD identity. In collaborating with our mission partners, we need to know that, we all are first and foremost, the collaborators of God. Our collaboration with God impels us to collaborate with others. Here is the truth, we are encouraged to being truly “God’s faithful and creative collaborator”. Through us, as God’s first collaborator, the Light finds its way to be in the world. Therefore, SVD-ness is characterised by our collaborative spirit that flows from our collaboration with God, empowering us to collaborate with others.
Secondly, ‘with us.’ The word with seems simple but very significant. The Light shines with us means that witnessing to the Light can only be done with the Light himself. I am a witness of the Light; however, I am not on my own, but with the Light. This means that we are not alone and we don’t have to do it alone. It is us with the Light. In doing mission, it is an important awareness that it is not about me, or solely my work, but it is about I with God for God’s mission.
When we take part in God’s mission, His mission becomes our mission, and therefore we can say that our mission is His mission. John reminds us to let Jesus increase, and us decrease, to let His mission increase, and ourselves (small-self) decrease. It is all about God’s agenda, and not our own agenda. It is not all about us and our name, but it is about God and God’s name. Because it is God’s, therefore we can only do it with God, and God with us. The moment we claim it as our work or our business, we lose the sight of the mission.
In doing God’s mission, we tend to be unaware of ‘with’ but instead to claim it as mine or ours. Witnessing to the Light means that the Light is with us, and therefore we can only depend on the Light to reflect the Light. In other words, it is a call to participation. In fact, all that we do is to participate in God’s mission, shining the Light to the world. Our SVD-ness is grounded on ‘participation in’ God’s mission and on giving oneself to God’s purpose and mission.
Thirdly, ‘in us.’ The term that can explain this way of witnessing to the Light is ‘in communion’. In communion with Jesus the Light, we witness to the Light. This is very fundamental because the Light is in us. It is an acknowledgment of our unique union with the Light. Saint Pauls puts it this way: It’s not I, but Christ who lives in me. And so, it is not I, but the Light shines in me; in us.
Christ who is already in and within us. We witness to the Light, because the Light is already there within us. Our oneness with Christ, the Light, enables us to effectively witness to the Light, realising that we can only witness to the Light if we ourselves have been illumined and transformed by the Light in us. Otherwise, the Light is only a label that is temporarily placed on us without being one with the Light. Therefore, our SVD-ness is well lived through our communion and oneness with the Word. Our SVD-ness is born through our intimate relationship with the Light.
From Everywhere for Everyone
Our SVD-ness is expressed through embracing the SVD culture. Our SVD culture is our SVD heritage, SVD Spirituality, SVD way of life and doing mission, or our SVD way of being religious missionaries. Our SVD way differentiates us from other religious congregations. Perhaps, the invitation for us today is to go back to the basics of being SVD; the foundation of our identity.
We acknowledge that we are an international congregation. This 150th Jubilee celebration is a special time to acknowledge and celebrate our roots and the gift of our uniqueness and differences: we come from everywhere. We recognise the value and the beauty of both our differences and oneness; sharing the same identity as SVD.
We also acknowledge that the greatest gift of our congregation is ‘us’: almost 6000 confreres from everywhere. We need to have a strong sense of belongingness, that God’s loving grace has called and gathered us from everywhere, dedicating ourselves for everyone; to serve and reach out to everyone regardless of cultures, ethnics, religions, or any differences. As Pope Francis promotes, the Church is for everyone, everyone and everyone, and we SVDs have been outstanding on committing ourselves working and reaching out to everyone, all people.
In our Australia Province context, in the light of our mission statement, we are reminded of reaching out to everyone, and at the same time giving priority to indigenous peoples, migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, the poor, the marginalised, faith seekers and people of good will from various spiritualities and cultures. That’s our mission. Our name is our mission; from everywhere for everyone we are sent. Rooted in the Word; witnessing to the Light, in a wounded world.
PHOTOS
TOP RIGHT: The Australia Province launched the 150th anniversary celebrations of the SVD during the Ordination Mass of Fr Cuong Dang SVD.
BOTTOM LEFT: Fr Yon Wiryono SVD is presented with the globe representing the anniversary theme 'From Everywhere for Everyone', while Fr Elmer Ibarra SVD is presented with the anniversary logo during the Mass.