“Show us the Father, and it is enough for us!” – a quote from today’s Gospel, spoken by Philip. Such an honest and human quote. We want to see, understand, and be certain. We want to know who God is, not just to believe, but to know. Jesus answers us with surprising clarity: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” In Him, in Jesus, it becomes visible what God is like – in His care, His mercy, His life – with people. God is not a distant idea. This presence of God is very well demonstrated to us by the life of Eduard Profittlich. God was at the center of his life. For Profittlich, faith was not mere theory; it was life in Christ – a life lived in closeness to Christ in words, deeds, and daily life, as a priest, a Jesuit, a bishop – lived in Christ even during the most difficult moments of life. He came from Germany, became an Estonian, and lived among the people. Profittlich’s ministry did not mean importing anything from the West, but rather responding to the local people through their language, culture, history, and dreams. And he remained when many fled. He remained and became a light to many.
Even today’s reading’s word echoes his life: “I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” Even Paul and Barnabas face rejection, like many people who live according to the Gospel. But they do not give up. They remain brave and do not lose heart. Perhaps our pilgrimage this year is a new path. Not the planned pilgrimage it was initially, with no beatification or great celebration, yet we have received a special grace. Today, here in Tallinn, we are permitted to celebrate Mass with Bishop Philippe Jourdan, the shepherd of this church, and with so many people who welcome us these days with warmth and hospitality. Our heartfelt thanks to you, Monsignor Jourdan, for your solidarity, for your readiness to celebrate Mass with us in German, and for everything that you and your church do to preserve the memory of Eduard Profittlich in Estonia. Your ministry makes Christ present not loudly, but profoundly. And we feel – even today God says His “Yes” to people – through quiet witness, open doors, common prayer. And we also thank all those who pray for us, organize everything, open spaces and hearts for us these days.
Tallinn is more than just a travel destination for us. It is a spiritual place. Perhaps, dear brothers and sisters, this is the deeper meaning of our journey, that we learn to seek God not only in the grand – in official celebrations, solemn acts – but also to find Him in the small: through the bishop’s faithful witness; in a simple Mass in a foreign city; in an encounter that will always remain with us.
Archbishop Eduard Profittlich once wrote: “The more we pay attention to God’s voice within us, the more frequently God’s peace will be with us.” God’s peace – it is not merely the end of all conflicts. It is a quiet certainty: God is already here, He is not far, He is here – in Christ and through Christ – within us if we dare to live all this with an open heart. Here I would also like to recall Pope Leo XIV, whose first words after his election as Pope on May 8, 2025 were: “Peace be with you!” These words, spoken on the 80th anniversary of the end of the terrible Second World War, remind us all that true peace is found in Christ, not merely as an end to external conflicts, but as a deep inner certainty that God is always with us.
Amen.
Father Alexander Burg, Parish Priest of Leimersdorf
Tallinn, May 17, 2025