SVD
Generalate

Mysticism may sound like a difficult word. But in simple terms it means being attentive to God’s presence in everyday life. It is the ability to see that God is at work in history, in people, and in creation. It is trusting more in God than in our own plans, and letting that trust guide our lives.
This way of seeing was vital for Saint Arnold Janssen, our Founder. During the Kulturkampf, when religious life was suppressed in Germany, Arnold trusted that God was opening a new path. With little certainty and many obstacles, he founded the first mission house in Steyl. He believed that if the work grew, it would be God’s grace; if it failed, it would mean he was not worthy to collaborate. His humility and trust in God became the foundation of the SVD.

From this same spirit, our Jubilee today invites us to walk as mystics of mission. It shines light on five spiritual axes that guide us into the future. ¹

The Holy Spirit must always remain at the center of our mission.

The Jubilee reminds us that the Holy Spirit is the real leader of the mission. As Fr. Anselmo said: “The protagonist of this celebration of the opening of the Jubilee Year is the Holy Spirit… What is the Spirit creating in me and in our Society at this time?” ²

Later he repeated this truth with great simplicity: “Our future, as well as our past, is in the hands of God.” ³

Mission is not our own project. It is God’s mission — Missio Dei. The first step of mysticism is to let the Spirit be at the center of everything we do.

We are called to conversion and to let God heal our wounds.

A Jubilee is also a time for truth. Fr. Anselmo reminded us: “This Jubilee must be a sacred time of conversion and healing, which includes asking pardon, restoring dignity, and repairing unjust relationships.” ⁴

This spirit of repentance was voiced in the Jubilee prayer: “We have not heard the cry of the poor and of the earth… forgive us, Lord, for not recognizing you in creation vulnerable.”  ⁵

He also said it clearly: “We are missionaries wounded who care for other wounded.” ⁶

Mysticism here means daring to confess our failures — abuses of authority, neglect of the poor, harm to creation — and allowing God’s mercy to heal and renew us.

Communion in diversity is a true treasure of mission.

Mission is not measured by numbers or works but by relationships. At the Mission Display, Fr. Anselmo said: “The true treasure of the mission… are the people who have evangelized us.” ⁷

This spirit of communion was expressed again in prayer: “This Mission Display speaks of our society’s intercultural, global identity, where faith embraces dialogue, education, and service.”  ⁸ And at the Bishops’ Forum he explained: “This meeting is more than a celebration; it is a gift of communion.” ⁹

Even the lives of our elderly confreres remind us of this truth: their sacrifices and fidelity show that mission is carried by community, generosity, and prayer. ¹⁰ Communion in diversity is mystical because it reveals God’s presence in the “we.”

God speaks to us through memory, symbols, and witnesses of faith.
The Jubilee has also shown us that mission is not only in words but also in symbols, memories, and bodies that carry God’s story. The artifacts of the Mission Display are “memory-holders that make our history tangible”. ¹¹ They remind us of real encounters with peoples and cultures who shaped us.

The oak saplings planted are not just decoration. They are signs of continuity: “a tree of faith with branches spreading across nations, offering shelter and hope.” ¹²

Their roots tell us where we come from; their growth points us to what God wants us to become.

The relics of St. Arnold and the lives of elderly missionaries carry the same lesson. A lock of hair, a worn prayer book, a wrinkled face, a life spent in quiet service — all of these are signs of God’s fidelity and grace. ¹³

The mysticism here is to read God’s presence in symbols, gestures, and bodies that connect past, present, and future. In them, history becomes sacrament, and memory becomes a call to live the mission with fresh energy today.

Gratitude and hope must always sustain our mission.

Finally, the Jubilee teaches us that mission grows out of gratitude and is sustained by hope. “Gratitude cannot be lacking in our mission,” Fr. Anselmo insisted. ¹⁴ We give thanks for confreres, collaborators, benefactors, and the peoples who have walked with us. ¹⁵

Gratitude opens the door to hope. “Perhaps we need to talk more about hope than vision… The future is in God’s hands.” ¹⁶

In a world wounded by conflict, injustice, and fear, hope is our most powerful testimony. It is not control or a perfect plan, but trust in God’s fidelity that makes us light for others.

The five spiritual axes of the Jubilee are the Spirit at the center, conversion and healing, communion in diversity, embodied memory as symbolic witness, and mission as gratitude and hope. They call us to enter the next chapter of our history with renewed courage. The Jubilee does not end with ceremonies; it opens a path into a rapidly changing world. In an age shaped by artificial intelligence, digital culture, and new forms of communication, we are invited to carry our missionary spirit into these new frontiers with discernment and creativity. Guided by the Spirit, healed of our wounds, rooted in communion, strengthened by memory, and sustained by gratitude and hope, we step forward boldly. In doing so, we honor the vision of Saint Arnold Janssen: to give everything so that the Divine Word may continue to be heard, welcomed, and lived in every land, in every culture, and now also in the digital continent of our time.

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