Canonball

Reposting this from Facebook as a commentary on the Final #Pabaon2021 Message from Fr. Adolfo Dacanay, SJ to the graduating class of 2021 of the Ateneo de Manila University. I wrote it one morning when I was feeling woozy thanks to Covid-19. 

Fr. Dacanay spoke of canon ball moments in relation to the pandemic and the conversion of St. Ignatius of Loyola who founded the Jesuit order. Here's an excerpt (original post appeared here).

This year we celebrate the 500th year of the arrival of Magellan in the Philippines, and the arrival too of Christianity. We also remember that 500 years ago, Ignatius Loyola’s right leg what shattered by a canon ball at the battle of Pamplona. This started his long process of conversion during his convalescence at the family castle in Loyola—when he was “quarantined”. And while in lockdown and for want of Netflix and UAAP recorded Ateneo games to watch, he was forced to examine his life and his values. And he came to the conclusion that the things that so mattered to him then—life in the royal court of the Spanish king, honors to be gained in his military exploits, the women and the wealth and the honor and the power that up until then were the driving force in his life—did not after all matter. That was his canon ball moment. The shattered right leg mended, and his life too and his values. This led to his conversion and to the founding of theSociety O Jesus. What Ignatius thought was the end of his life, led to the beginning of another life, a life where the values that really mattered mattered!!!!!

My comment when I shared the post:

I believe this message is not just for the seniors. I think this applies to every one of us who went through the pandemic and is individually yearning for a sense of better normal to be ushered in (or secretly wishing for things to come back to how it used to be).

It has been a much painful journey for the world. We have grieved for so much loss, silently mourning all the changes, and dreading the uncertain that will surely come. Could this be a huge cannonball moment for us?

To know that one disease can kill us faster than wars

That an unseen virus can change the way we work faster than we can pen labor policies

That adversity can bring out both the worst and the best of humanity

That the quarantine felt like an extended retreat to come face to face with ourselves as a society - what have we come to make important in our lives and do we want to continue living like this

That an invisible enemy can make us remember God (or even start to question him)

Praying that we all recognize our own cannonball moments and in recognizing so, we allow ourselves to be led into the light, no matter how scary it may be. So that we ourselves can be little lights to others.

Be blessed always.