Pilgrims, Apostles, Souls And Salvation

From the very beginning Ignatius and his companions conceived of themselves as “pilgrims”, as “apostles,” who like the disciples in the Gospel moved from place to place under the urgency of announcing the Kingdom of God. “Their intention [was] to travel throughout the world and, when they could not find the desired spiritual fruit in one place, to pass on to another and another, ever seeking the greater glory of God our Lord and the greater aid of souls” (C 605). It is characteristic of Ignatius’ thinking that human “perfection” is not a theme in itself. He does not understand the sacrificial offering (the “holocaust”) as directed mainly to our own personal sanctification. He states, indeed: “The end of this Society is to devote itself with God’s grace not only to the salvation and perfection of the members’ own souls, but also with that same grace to labor strenuously in giving aid towards the salvation and perfection of the souls of others”

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Link (here) to the full essay by Fr. Jacques Servais, S.J. entitled, On the Apostolic Character of the Society Jesus. This and many more essays by Jesuits can be found at the New Jesuit Review.

Engraving (here)