Jesuit mission is simple: Follow Jesus more closely

Of course, I do not do this alone, and there are many other talented men and women who help me in this task, but, ultimately, I am entrusted with making decisions that affect the mission and my brother Jesuits. 
    

It is a task that I do not take lightly. 
    

So, what exactly is that mission? It can be briefly summarized from the words of our governance documents as “the service of faith and the promotion of justice.”
 

Serve faith, promote justice
    

Accordingly, all Jesuit ministries – high schools, universities, parishes, retreat houses, social centers – are tasked with carrying out this mission of serving the faith and promoting justice.
    

One lurking danger is that our mission can come to be viewed as twofold wherein some focus on faith and others on justice. Because of this temptation, I prefer to envision the Jesuit mission simply as “following Jesus” because his life as depicted in the Gospels is evidence that faith and justice (being in “right relationship” with God, neighbor and creation) are inseparably linked.
 

Enter into world 
    

Following Jesus, as British Jesuit James Hanvey puts it, means “not to leave the world, but to enter more completely and intensely into its life, its woundedness (and) its struggle against emptiness, falsehood and death.”

Consequently, I see my provincial task as ensuring that all of the province apostolic works are following Jesus by exploring, teaching and learning about the richness and beauty of our Catholic faith, while also in some way confronting, denouncing and healing the wounds of our world, such as the scars of racism or the scourge of domestic violence or degrading poverty. 
    

It is important to note that these are complementary tasks as well. It is my experience that when I enter the brokenness of our world, it reveals the beauty and richness of our faith, and I feel the power of God’s love revealed in the lives of the broken-hearted and those on the margins of society.
 

Those on margins reveal God 
    

The people that Jesus cared for, the outcasts, the lepers and the mentally ill, have a way of evangelizing us and restoring our humanity. Perhaps this is why Jesus gave us the beatitudes, not as obligations of our faith to be peacemakers or justice advocates, but rather as opportunities to experience him and his love and to deepen our faith. 
    

Learning to follow Jesus is a lifelong task, and at times I find myself watching him through binoculars rather than walking with him. However, I have had great role models, mentors and teachers showing me how to follow closely. 
    

I am particularly indebted to my family, friends and the priests at Jesuit High School in New Orleans, who taught me what it means to be a Christian. They gave me a great foundation on which to build my faith. Years later, when I was somewhat of a lost sheep, the children of Boys Hope Girls Hope in St. Louis found me and helped me have confidence in God’s mercy.
 

Blessed by charity of poor 
    

During my Jesuit years, I have been blessed to work with the materially poor whose welcome and hospitality are evidence of Christ’s love and generosity. In particular I am thinking of the refugees and immigrants I have encountered in various parts of the world whose generosity and kindness make the scriptures come alive as they bear witness to the widow with two coins in the Gospel when they offer me a meal from their monthly food ration at the refugee camp. 
    

I have come to know prisoners who, like Dismas on the cross beside Jesus, have an authentic experience of forgiveness and redemption as they recognize both the damage caused by their crime and the overpowering love of God. Through these people I have learned to put down the binoculars and follow Jesus more closely. 
    

Leading and governing a religious order is an increasingly complex task, yet as Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once remarked, “There is simplicity on the other side of complexity.”
    

It is that simplicity I seek, which is the simplicity of following Jesus by entering completely and intensely into the beauty and woundedness of our world. That is also the simplicity I desire for my province and the people we serve. 
    

I pray that God grants me and the province the grace to follow Jesus more closely. 
    

Father Thomas P. Greene was named provincial superior of the Jesuits USA Central and Southern (UCS) Province by Jesuit Father Arturo Sosa, the superior general of the worldwide Society of Jesus. Father Greene most recently served as provincial assistant for international ministries and as Jesuit superior of the Jesuit Community of Belize, Central America. He previously served as the rector (superior) of Bellarmine House of First Studies at Saint Louis University, from 2014-17.  From 2010-14, he was secretary for social and international ministries at the Jesuit Conference of the U.S. in Washington, D.C.