First Spiritual Exercises – Building Respect

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"Encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. We appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labour among you, esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them.
See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit."

1 Thess 5:11-22

Thank you God for the strength of individuals living with a disability who inspire us daily. We ask for your comfort for those facing discrimination in rural communities. May your love break down barriers and foster understanding in families. Help us embrace the unique gifts of each person, and may all find dignity and joy in their lives. Amen.

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1. Desire...

I desire the gift of Respect.

I take my shoes off, placing them front of me, a sign of my respect for the sacred ground of this prayer. As I do this, I enter the presence of the Spirit of Respect.

Alternatively, I find a photo of someone who has really respected me, faults and all, and spend time recalling that event to immerse myself in the feeling of disrespect … With either symbol or friend, I consider how important this is in these belittling times.

I ask the Spirit for the gift of respect, to feel respected and to respect others, especially when my resources are stretched, challenges great, and I begin to put myself down.

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2. Rest...

Today I rest in the Respectful Trinity.

I read the prayer text. Now I imagine I am encircled by the Respectful Trinity, Father, Jesus and Spirit. Each addresses me by name, saying, ‘You are precious, I honour you.'
Without knowing how to give and receive in the chaos of an health epidemic, I rest humbly now, and reflectively throughout the whole day, in the Respectful Trinity.

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3. Respect...

I breathe in the Spirit of Respect

Then I imagine and feel the Spirit breathing the gift of Respect into me.

I breathe it in deep, then breathe it out into my bruised but loving heart, into health and emergency workers, and into places of care and refuge.
I repeat as desired – breathing, respected, renewed.

I conclude in thanks, considering two things. First, if possible, can I get in touch with the one who respected me so deeply, to reconnect. Second, to decide who I might pass this exercise on to, and how. Urgently, who needs healing respect now?

PRAYER TIME: 15 minutes.

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Click here to download the Prayer - Building Respect.

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Ni Ni : Sewing a Brighter Future

"My name is Ni Ni (31) and I work as a seamstress while my husband is in construction. Together, we support our two children: four-year-old and five-month-old. Our family’s daily livelihood costs include essentials like food and electricity.” - Ni Ni.

"I dream of expanding my sewing business and selling clothes, but I lack the funds for investment. With a microcredit loan from the Urban Poverty Alleviation Project, I can now buy quality linen and improve the quality of my work. Through your support I aim to expand my business to turn my aspirations into reality and create a better future for my family.”

This year 500 people have benefitted from microcredit loans.

This year 14 houses were built for 14 families, benefitting a total of 55 people.

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In rural Cambodia, individuals with intellectual disabilities often face significant discrimination and stigma. Shrey, a 17-year-old from a small village in Kampong Chhnang province, embodies the resilience of those impacted by this societal challenge.

As hard-working subsistence farmers, Shrey’s parents still struggled to make ends meet, frequently having insufficient food for her and her twin sister. While her sister flourished, Shrey faced severe developmental delays, both physically and intellectually, her struggles evident from just 15 months old.

"By age three, she couldn't roll, crawl, or walk and was often confined to bed. We didn’t know what to do,” said Shrey's mother.

Everything changed when, at five, she began receiving targeted support from our project partner Karuna Battambang Organisation (KBO).

Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, Jesuit Mission Australia has funded the ‘Enhancing the Lives of People Living with a Disability’ program since 2020.

The program operates across several provinces, providing vital services like vocational training, housing improvements, healthcare, and educational support.

With KBO’s assistance, Shrey learned to develop self-care skills and engage socially, gradually gaining the confidence to participate in her community. School, initially however, was a challenging environment where her classmates initially labelled Shrey by her disability rather than her name. Through education and awareness programs, attitudes in the classroom and community shifted, allowing Shrey to be included and respected, significantly boosting her confidence.

"Now with proper care and rehabilitation both at home and at school, Shrey is enjoying studying in Grade 10,” says her mother.

In 2024 alone, over 2,800 individuals benefited from the program, including 478 people living with disabilities. The program staff create and deliver  Individual Development Plans for each participant and their families, focusing on their unique needs, which has resulted in significant achievements.

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Thank you to all of our amazing supporters and volunteers for your support this year!

Here are some photos from our Thanksgiving Mass and Supper in Sydney, held at St Aloysius' College on 24 October, thank you for joining.

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Thanks to your generosity, we have activated the Emergency Action Fund to assist our local partner Jesuit Refugee Service Middle East & North Africa (JRS MENA) provide urgent relief efforts across the region.

The humanitarian situation in Lebanon is dire. Since 23 September 2024, Lebanon has faced widescale devastation following intensified bombings that have displaced over 1.2 million people. With over 10,000 attacks on Lebanon since the conflict began, over 2,400 lives have been lost, uprooting entire communities. Families are seeking shelter in temporary facilities, including Jesuit schools and Jesuit-run centres. The country’s ongoing economic crisis, combined with escalating violence, is severely affecting the lives of vulnerable families, especially women and children. 

JRS continues to scale up its humanitarian response in Lebanon to address the urgent needs of those affected by the escalating conflict. Our teams are working tirelessly to provide essential services, including shelter, food, hygiene essentials and psycho-social support activities to vulnerable populations, particularly displaced persons.

Prices for essential goods and supplies have soared, increasing by more than 50% in some regions. Winter is fast approaching, and many displaced families are living in inadequate conditions, heightening the urgency for winter supplies.

JRS MENA, which has its head office in Beirut, mobilised emergency relief rapidly.

"Immediately in response to the escalation of violence here in Lebanon, JRS was in the shelters all throughout the country, assisting the displaced. It is with your support, your encouragement and, your solidarity that we are able to provide the essential services that are needed in the midst of a war,” said Fr Daniel Corrou SJ, Regional Director of JRS MENA.

Already over 10,700 displaced people have been reached with shelter, food baskets, hygiene kits, bedding materials, and providing essential winter kits to prepare displaced families living in shelters and on the streets for the harsh months ahead.

Additionally, JRS MENA is offering protection services, prioritising vulnerable individuals, and delivering psychosocial support for children and families dealing with the trauma of conflict and displacement.

"The Jesuit Church here in Downtown Beirut, was built 150 years ago and has always been a refuge, a place of welcome. We have 60 people here now. Whatever their background, whatever their nationality or religion, it is their home,” said Fr Daniel.

You can support the Jesuit network’s response in Lebanon by donating to our Emergency Action Fund to provide life-saving support to those affected by this crisis.

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Some men came, carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus.

When he saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” So that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins —“I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.” Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”

Luke 5:18-20, 24-26

We pray for farmers in Cambodia, that they may continue to work together in unity, uplifting one another as they nurture both their land and their communities. May they find strength in their shared efforts, and may their hands be blessed as they care for God's creation with hope and love.

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1. Desire...

I desire to help carry a friend.

I hold two cups, one full of water, one empty. Each cup is a friend. I pour water, life, from one cup into the other. When I pour it back again, the cups become a symbol of friendship. Each gives to the other. I repeat this as desired.

Alternatively, I find a photo of someone who was a friend to me in desperate times, and I spend a few minutes recalling that time to immerse myself in the feeling of true friendship… Whether symbol or friend, I consider how friendship can sustain life in the darkest places, on frightening journeys. Jesus poured out his life for his friends.

I ask the Spirit of Friendship to help me be a carry a friend. It may be at distance, by phone, giving what ever is needed. If needs are critical I need to act quickly.

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2. Rest...

Today I rest in the Trinity of Friends.

I read the prayer text. I imagine I am encircled by the Trinity of Friends, Father, Jesus and Spirit. Each addresses me by name, saying, ‘Rejoice, our friend who was lost is now found'.

When life threatening illness strips ordinary life away, friendship is life saving. But how can I befriend those who need to be carried a while? To discover the best way forward, I rest now, and reflectively throughout the whole day, in the Welcoming Trinity…

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3. Befriend...

I breathe in the Spirit of Friendship

I imagine and feel the Spirit of Friendship unfurling in me, releasing the love and practical help that reaches out in friendship. I breathe it in deep, wait, then breathe it out those who need a friend to carry them, one way or another, to urgent healing.

I repeat as desired – breathing, befriending, helping quickly …

I conclude in thanks, considering two things. First, if possible, can I get in touch with the one who befriended me so well, to reconnect.

Second, to decide who I might pass this exercise on to, and how. Who urgently needs to a friend now?

PRAYER TIME: 15 minutes.

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Click here to download the Prayer - Carried by Friends.

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During this Season of Creation (1 September - 4 October), we are reminded of our shared responsibility to care for our common home and nurture the earth’s gifts. The Community Development program in rural Cambodia, run by our project partner, Karuna Battambang Organisation, is a perfect example of how sustainable farming practices can heal and sustain our planet and its people.

With your generous support, over 600 rural farmers and 100 children have been empowered through sustainable training and support networks in the last six months. The program works by establishing self-help cooperatives, or community groups, focused on long-term, eco-friendly farming methods.

As Pope Francis says in Laudato Si',"The environment is a collective good, the patrimony of all humanity and the responsibility of everyone. If we make something our own, it is only to administer it for the good of all." – Laudato Si' 95.

Each co-op receives training in the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), a farming technique, developed by a French Jesuit, that uses fewer seeds, less water, and no chemicals. This method reduces the strain on natural resources while allowing farmers to grow more food with a lower environmental footprint. Additionally, farmers receive $250 to start sustainable farming activities and establish a savings plan, supporting a circular economy within their villages.

The impact is not just on the farmers but also on the environment. By promoting sustainable agriculture, these communities are restoring the land, protecting biodiversity, and making better use of water resources. During this Season of Creation, their work is a beautiful reflection of what it means to care for our common home.

"We have to realise that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor." – Laudato Si'

This Season of Creation, let us celebrate these efforts in Cambodia and across the world, where communities are working hand-in-hand with nature to build a sustainable future.

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One of the strongest storms to hit South East Asia in recent decades, Typhoon Yagi, has brought widespread devastation from severe flooding and landslides, especially to Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos. In response, Jesuit Mission Australia has activated the Emergency Action Fund to assist its project partners’ enormous relief efforts for flood-affected areas.

In Myanmar, the situation is dire. The country has seen its worst flooding in recent history, with over 420 deaths reported, the destruction of hundreds and thousands of homes and more than 630,000 people affected.

It’s a crushing setback to a nation with one third of its population already living in extreme need. More than 2.8 million have been forced to flee their homes since 2021, due to political insecurity, while access to basics like education, healthcare and employment is severely limited.

Our project partner and Regional Superior of Myanmar, Fr Girish Santiago SJ, recently visited severe flood-affected areas in Taungoo, Bago State, collaborating with leaders from different religious congregations and individuals committed to the common good to assist people in need.

"With help from the Australian community, we aim to reach 1,000 families in need with essential food supplies and assist in repairing at least four schools in affected areas, to restore children’s access to education,” said Fr Hoàng Thanh Phong SJ.

To support Jesuit Mission’s Emergency Action Fund donate at the link below.

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Over 13,000 “de facto” refugees in Indonesia, not recognised under UN Law, who have been surviving in the most desperate circumstances and meagre existence, have been dealt a massive blow.

The United Nations is cutting funding for some of the most vulnerable refugees in Indonesia, due to a severe shortage of funds and the need to prioritise other global crises.

Ahead of World Day of Migrants & Refugees on 29 September, Jesuit Mission Australia is appealing for help for de facto refugees in Indonesia. UN law only recognises refugees as those who are ‘persecuted because of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.’ It does not recognise women, men and children who have involuntarily fled their home countries to escape armed conflicts, poor economic policies or natural disasters.

Denied refugee status and the opportunity for permanent residency or citizenship, denied permission to work and denied access to education, de facto refugees in Indonesia face the most extreme and challenging lives. Jesuit Mission Australia in collaboration with Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Indonesia, is supporting individuals like Sophie (30), who along with her family, is not granted refugee status and is trapped in limbo.

On arriving in Indonesia recently, Pope Francis immediately met with a group of refugees hosted by Jesuit Mission's project partner JRS Indonesia and other extremely vulnerable women, men and children.

"They are close to my heart," said Pope Francis - a consistent advocate on behalf of migrants and refugees.

Recently Sophie's family received news that they may have the opportunity to resettle in Canada. Jesuit Mission and JRS Indonesia are working tirelessly to Improve quality of life, give hope and advocate for the rights of de facto refugees.

With UN funding cuts and demands increasing, Jesuit Mission Australia is appealing to Australians to make a tax-deductible donation to help support de facto refugees in Indonesia.

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In an incredible show of community spirit and generosity, 10,000 guests flocked to our annual Jesuit Mission Bazaar on Saturday, 14 September, at Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview in Sydney.

"The deeper meaning of your work on the Bazaar, is the fact that you have touched the lives of people far away, people you’ve never seen before, people whose results of your efforts you will not know," said Fr Tony.

The Bazaar began in 1952, to support the works of the early Australian Jesuit missionaries, like Fr Tony, who were sent to Hazaribag, India, to uplift the outcast through education and social activism, with the expectation that they would never return home to Australia.

"We had a sense that we were on mission with them (as co-missionaries in Australia), by doing things like the Bazaar, by praying for them, by walking with them," said Fr Tom Renshaw SJ, Rector of Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview. 

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Now over 70 years later, Jesuit Mission has expanded its reach, to empower marginalised communities in over 10 countries around the world.

The success of the Bazaar is a beautiful testament to the wider Jesuit community committing to putting their faith into action, not only bringing joy to many here, but also touching the lives of those far beyond our immediate reach.

We are very grateful at Jesuit Mission for the wonderful support received by you all at this year’s Bazaar and we invite you all to get involved in next year’s event.

You can view more photos from the day at the link below.

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