We are grateful to be able to celebrate, together with the worldwide community of Jesuit schools, the 500th anniversary of the conversion of Saint Ignatius. The 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th graders, accompanied by their religion teacher Sr. Gražina Dapšauskytė and art teachers Ieva Šidlauskienė and Rasa Aitmanienė, here at Kaunas Jesuit High School in Lithuania, «reflected on the moment of Ignatius’ conversion and the change of worldview he experienced. Inspired by Saint Ignatius of Loyola desire of to be like Christ, the students tried to imagine and portray in their creative works the world that Christ desires to see now and in the future in the next 500 years.

After the presentation and personal reflection, students were first invited to share their thoughts in writing. Here are some short stories about imaginary world, which were later translated into drawings:

«I go outside. Immediately I feel that something has changed. Hey, where’s that homeless guy who used to sit on the side of the road? I walk down the street and see a big house in the distance. I go in. It’s him! The homeless man is dressed in good, sturdy clothes and eating bread. I see more poor people, whom I used to see sitting in the doorway of the church or in the pew. They are all dressed in warm, good clothes, and they are all extremely happy. I leave the house and walk away. The world has changed! Here’s a rich man giving a poor man a bundle of money and helping him to get up. Here is a woman walking around the city and giving flowers to passers-by. She gave me some flowers too. I take a deep breath of the fragrance of a lovely rose and look around. This is not the world I used to live in. This is a world where the rich have compassion on the poor, where those who have more give to those who have less. Everything has changed. Everything has changed in an amazing way.»

«In my view, Jesus wants to see the world 500 years from now as a place where people help others without benefiting themselves, give the poor a chance to express themselves or get a job, feed them, and provide them with essential medical care.»

«I would like to see the world 500 years from now as a place where there are plenty of free educational institutions so that all children can be educated. Also places where the homeless can live and be fed.»

«I think Jesus would like to see a world in 500 years that is really progressing, but He would like to see people stop making weapons and other things that create strife and anger among us. I think Jesus would like us to live without anger and to do what we want others to do to us. He certainly wants us to live and act as he has acted towards us.»

«I also would like to see a world at peace 500 years from now. I would like people not to build lots of different machines to ‘help us live’, because in reality they only pollute nature and make us unsporting and inactive. I would like to see different countries not fighting each other but living in friendship and helping each other.»

«I think Jesus would like to see a world without anger, where there is only kindness, help, friendship and love. He would like to see a world with people who help as much as they can and people who are not angry about the smallest thing.»

«I would like to see the world like that. I would like it not to have anger, but to have all kinds of innovations such as flying cars, hologram phones, TVs that appear on the walls when you press a button, but most of all I would like everybody to be together, to have a good time, to take care of everything that is happening around them, because I would like them to realize that God is there.»

«Jesus wants to see the world 500 years from now as paradise on Earth. A place where there is no war, no injustice and no anger, where everyone loves each other, is always helpful, encouraging, accepting of their own and others’ differences, and sacrificing their lives for others. I think He would like to see a peaceful and tranquil world where big and small are equally respected and where the lion plays with the lamb.»

«I would like to see a world without weapons and wars, with peace and tranquillity. I would also like to see the problem of climate change solved and the planet not polluted or poisoned. Of course, technology will also advance, with hundreds of new iPhones, more sophisticated artificial intelligence, flying machines, teleportation and many new great things.»

«Jesus, let the world be what you want it to be. Strengthen, empower, and guide us, make us instruments of your love and peace, so that we can transform our world according to your divine will.»

Visit «The World that Christ Desires» art gallery here