After the December 7, 1941, bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese security forces arrested Arrupe on suspicion of espionage. He was kept in solitary confinement. Arrupe described the privation and uncertainty he suffered as he waited for the disposition of his case. He missed celebrating the Eucharist most of all. In the midst of his suffering, Arrupe experienced a special moment of grace. On Christmas night, 1941, Arrupe heard a group of people gathering outside his cell door. He could not see them and wondered if the time of his execution had come.
Suddenly, above the murmur that was reaching me, there arose a soft, sweet, consoling Christmas carol, one of the songs which I had myself taught to my Christians. I was unable to contain myself. I burst into tears. They were my Christians who, heedless of the danger of being themselves imprisoned, had come to console me. (Pedro Arrupe: Essential Writings, Kevin Burke, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books 2004, p. 57)
After the few minutes of song, Arrupe reflected in the presence of Jesus, who would soon descend onto the altar during the Christmas celebration: "I felt that he also descended into my heart, and that night I made the best spiritual communion of all my life." (Ibid. p. 58)
When the security forces came after 33 days to release him from captivity, Arrupe was convinced that they were coming to execute him. The experience of captivity filled him with a deep inner calm founded on a radical trust in God.
Thank you for sharing this amazing experience of Pedro Arrupe. I appreciate his writing so much whenever I happen across it that I'm ordering this book today. May you have a very blessed weekend John.
ReplyDeleteBooks about Arrupe's life are good reads. He is quite an inspiration to us Jesuits and we consider him to be a founder of the contemporary Society.
DeleteThis is my most admired person ever. He is the personification of surrender, and should be the patron saint of people with control issues. I have this book but have not yet read it, but this makes me want to move it to the top of my list. Maybe I will suggest it to my book club.
ReplyDeleteI would like to suggest you give yourself a holiday retreat and read it during Advent. His life is like an Advent and he is a good friend of Our Savior.
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