Ignatius practised self-examination as strictly as he enjoined it. He once asked a Father, how often he had examined himself that day? The Father answered ' seven times.' 'Only seven times !' said Ignatius, and yet it was not much past noon. At mid-day and at night he made what he called 'particular examination,' which referred to some besetting fault. He kept a string, on which he tied a knot as often as he fell into this fault; it is said that he did this up to a few hours before his death.
A Father asked him how to obtain perfect humility. 'This is the way,' said Ignatius; 'do exactly the opposite of what is done by men of the world—hate what they seek, and seek what they avoid.' Ignatius gave large instructions on this subject to novices; he impressed on them that 'humility is truth.'
He had absorbed this, so to speak, so thoroughly into his mind, that he said he feared vainglory less than any other sin. But charity, the love of God, and of man, for God's sake, was his passion, that which engrossed his whole soul atid stamped his character. All his instructions ended with these words, many times repeated—' Love God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your will.' He said if he could go to hell without a sin of his own, he should suffer more from the evil tongues of the damned, blaspheming God, than from the torments of hell fires. And he thought that to endure affliction for Christ's sake was the greatest safety and the highest privilege that a Christian could desire.
He said, 'If God sends you great sufferings, it is a sign He will make you a great saint; and if you wish Him to make you a great saint, pray that He may send you great sufferings.' 'All the honey which can be extracted from worldly pleasures is not so sweet as the gall and vinegar of Christ.'
And he told Ribadeneira one day, with joy, that our Saviour had granted him a favour long asked, that the heritage of the Passion should never fail the Society.
Link (here) to read the original passage in the book, Ignatius Loyola and the early Jesuits
9 comments:
St Ignatius, My Father and Guide
There is a passage in the writings of St. Ignatius that I almost hesitate quoting for fear of having him misunderstood. The saints sometimes said strange things. But it is worth the risk in order to make clearer what I think is so much needed today to protect people from what I consider the heresy of instant mysticism. When all sorts of fads and gimmicks are being sold to the faithful as means of becoming "their oneness with the Absolute." I quote St. Ignatius:
"If God gives you an abundant harvest of trials, it is a sign of great holiness which He desires you to attain. Do you want to become a great saint? Ask God to send you many sufferings. The flame of Divine Love never rises higher than when fed with the wood of the Cross, which the infinite charity of the Savior used to finish His sacrifice. All the pleasures of the world are nothing compared with the sweetness found in the gall and vinegar offered to Jesus Christ. That is, hard and painful things endured for Jesus Christ and with Jesus Christ."
We may object that these are the sentiments of a great mystic who, as all mystics, spoke in symbolic terms and are not to be taken literally. Not so. They are the prosaic words of all those who believe that the most pleasing prayer to God is one that proceeds not only from the lips or even from the heart indeed, but one that is suffering in union with the heart of the innocent Lamb of God. Not all the faithful are called to the heights of this kind of prayer, although no Christian is exempt from his share in the life of the Master whose prayer to His Father was so elevated by the Cross".
John Hardon SJ
Unremarkable thoughts of His Worship, Fr. Hardon
I wonder, Mr. Anonymous, if your have considered that you needn't subject yourself to reading anything by Fr. Hardon. Just think, if you were to absent yourself from this painful exercise, you could also free yourself of the time it takes to pen insults!
:)
"Reading anything from Fr. Hardon"? Are you kidding?! You've hijacked this and other websites with long excerpts from the good father.
The insights he provides aren't very original, e.g., "Do you want to become a great saint? Ask God to send you many sufferings." So many have made this point countless other times before in word & deed.
It's funny that Maria would chastise others for penning insults, when she has been exposed elsewhere for posting insulting comments on other sites.
I am puzzled. Why bother reading and the commenting if you know how readily you are offended. It is a perplexing, indeed...
Not offended, Maria, just disheartened by your hypocrisy.
So, by the vituperative tone, I could make certain assumptions about your priestly status or affiliation. Why not man up, tell us who you are and how I might help you lay down your arms? I can take it like man and all but this approavh seems so much more grown up , don't you think?
Who is "Maria" anyways?
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