SVD
Generalate

Throughout the festive weekend, there was a full program that included interviews with secular and Catholic media, workshops, a solemn Eucharistic celebration with various pastoral groups, and of course, sharing with the community about the SVD Pentecost in this jubilee year.

“Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews…” (John 3:1)

It could have been a moment to present the fruits that the Holy Spirit has brought forth over the 150 years of our Congregation’s history. It would have been the easiest way to share with that community experienced in missio ad gentes, academic formation, and the witness of consecrated life. However, it seems that the Spirit Himself led us down another path: the path of Nicodemus’ night.

About 50 confreres, SSpS sisters, and laypeople—men and women—gathered in the crypt beneath the main church to contemplate the elderly Pharisee from the Gospel of John. He is a figure of authority in Jerusalem who comes to meet Jesus. We saw a man with an exemplary story, a life built on many personal triumphs needed to attain a place in the Sanhedrin.

We compared this mature man with our beloved SVD which, after passing through various stages of transformation, has survived wars, totalitarian regimes, pandemics, and political, economic, and ecclesial crises. Today, in its maturity, the Society of the Divine Word sees its presence flourishing in the ASPAC and AFRAM Zones, while in Europe and PANAM, it seems to have entered a period of hibernation. Throughout its journey, the SVD has accumulated rich experience in many areas of knowledge, contributed to the development of peoples, and helped build up local churches. But like Nicodemus, the time has come to go out to meet Jesus—through the night.

“This man came to Jesus by night…” John 3:2

The night was, in fact, the second key figure in the reflection shared with confreres, sisters, and laypeople. We delved into the meaning of four nights, according to an ancient Jewish biblical commentary known as the Targum: Creation, Covenant, Liberation, and Parousia. In each of these events, God reveals Himself in a unique way. To truly encounter Him, it was necessary to pass through the night—and Nicodemus understood this. We too must understand that in each of these moments, it is the same God who leads His people. It is in the hours of darkness that we can hear the Lord say: Be born again, of water and the Spirit!

 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)

Here is the third figure in the reflection held in the crypt of St. Gabriel: the new birth!

When all was chaos and darkness in the beginning, the Spirit hovered over the waters. To be born of Water and the Spirit becomes an invitation to return to the beginning and allow ourselves to be recreated by the Word that brings forth light. (Gen 1:1–3)

The dove that descended from the opened heavens upon Jesus as He came up from the water after John’s baptism is the visible sign of the vocation of the beloved Son of the Father, anointed in the Spirit. To be born again should be, for us and for our Congregation, a return to the extraordinary moment of our religious and missionary calling. (Mk 1:9–11)

Even while He was still on the cross, from Jesus’ pierced side flowed water and blood—signs of a heart that loved to the end and gave itself completely. (Jn 3:16) This is the sacrament of the Church, the instrument of the Missio Dei. Therefore, to be born again becomes a personal commitment to sacrifice and missionary generosity for every Divine Word Missionary. (Jn 19:33–34)

“Truly, I tell you, unless one is born from above,
he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (Jn 3:3)

For us at St. Gabriel, gathered in the underground chapel in anticipation of Pentecost, this was the gift received: the reminder that we must be born again, from above—even in old age and full of experience. And that through the night, filled with the transforming presence of God, we can rekindle our story, our vocation, and our missionary commitment.

Anselmo R. Ribeiro, SVD
Father General

P.S.: At the end of the gathering in the crypt, an elderly brother called me up to the main church and led me to a forgotten corner of the sanctuary. Pointing to a mosaic high above, he said, “I want to show you the night of Arnold Janssen.” He continued, “Our founder, in his great humility, hid in this corner where few pay attention.” Next to the image—one of the earliest portrayals of him—is a phrase written in German, which the elder brother told me was St. Arnold’s spiritual testament: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption!” (Eph 4:30)