Pedro Arrupe 2

Pedro Arrupe and the Eucharist

The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life. And this Sacrament is all about an expression of purest love, the highest characteristic of our Jesuit life as companion of Jesus. The spiritual exercise 289 states this “Eucharist” as the greatest sign of His love and urges us to live it out as our first companions. Peter Faber writes our Lord wishes to enter into us and lead us to a heart-felt conversation so that following him we should renew in us our very being our life and activity, thus changing me for the better everyday. He also highlight “If Christ communicates Himself to me in my daily celebrations and gives himself in every way I also should give myself and abandon myself to him in every possible way and not only to him but for him to every one ……”. This is what very well understood by Arrupe and he did practice it. It was the Eucharist that made Arrupe enter the society ;it was the Eucharist that sustained Arrupe in the society; it was the Eucharist that made him break himself and give himself to others.
Arrupe shares that Mass was the centre of his life and he could not think of a single day without celebrating or participating in the holy sacrifice. For him Jesus was everything mean to say the Eucharist was everything. Whatever circumstances he may be he never missed Eucharist. For instance- During the Second World War, when the atomic bomb explosion took place, next day Arrupe before he could go out and help others he first celebrated the holy mass, prayed to the lord to give the affected people the strength to bear the pain and then he gave himself to them. His sermon was more of a conversation simple but very profound and sublime. Arrupe realization on the divinity of the Eucharist was much more strengthened at the sight of a little whose skin burnt and sores all over her body was waiting for Arrupe to give her the holy communion. On receiving the communion she died a peaceful death. From the Eucharist he drew inspiration and strength to continue his jobs and tried to become another Christ. Eucharist, the centre of his life, illuminated the emptiness of his life and gave him strength.
The Eucharist for Arrupe was an intimate conversation and his personal colloquy with Christ who is truly present in the Eucharist. Arrupe always felt that the Lord has always been waiting for him in the Eucharist of inspiration and strength. Arrupe gives sole credit to the Eucharist for able to hold on and bear the burden of his responsibilities. He says without which “I would not be able to hold on and much less to bear the burden of my responsibilities” (Lewis sj, 142).

What make Arrupe’s life centered around the Eucharist are his experiences and his personal encounter with Christ in the Eucharist - for example the miracle at Lourdes. As in Arrupe’s words, “One day, before my entrance into the society, I was in the front area of basilica with my sisters. A few minutes before the procession of the Blessed Sacrament was to be held.
Just before the procession, when a middle-aged lady passed in front of us, pushing a wheelchair one of my sisters noticed and remarked “Look at the poor boy in the wheelchair!” He was a young man about 20 whose body had been deformed by polio. His mother was reciting the rosary aloud, and from time to time she would sigh and say “Holy virgin, come to our aid”.
It was a truly moving sight which called to mind the sick begging Jesus: “Lord, cleanse me of this leprosy.” She took no time in reaching her place among those who were waiting for the bishop carrying the Blessed Sacrament to pass. Then the moment came when the Bishop was about to bless the young invalid with the Blessed Sacrament. The boy looked at the monstrance with the same faith that the young paralytic, the gospels speaks of must had had. When the Bishop made the large sign of the cross with the Blessed Sacrament, the boy got up from his chair, completely cured, while the crowd shouted with joy: “It’s a miracle, it’s a miracle” (Jean-Cloude, 31). They embraced challenges just like Jesus kissed and embraced his redemptive and sublime cross. They all owned Jesus who is personally present in the Eucharist for each one of them. “I find that all of them have looked upon the Eucharist as the sacrament par excellence, the source of inspiration, comfort and energy for the carrying out of so many enterprises all over the world”. (Lewis sj, 142).
Arrupe confesses that many things he learnt from the Eucharist. It is the Eucharist that made him come out of himself and reach out to the needy. I think today Arrupe invites us to perceive and encounter Jesus in the Eucharist and draw strength and inspiration from it. In the words of Peter faber “if Christ gives himself fully to me in the Eucharist I also should give myself and abandon myself to him and not only to him but for him to everyone.











Bibliography

2. 1. Lewis Hedwig, sj, “Pedro ArrupeTreasury-Notes, Quotes, Anecdotes”, pub- Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, 2007

Dietsch Jean-Cloude, sj, “One Jesuit’s Spiritual Journey, pub- Gujarat Sahitya Prakash Anand India, 1986