Homily for the Feast of St Ignatius
Homily delivered by Fr Ladislav Sulik SJ
Scripture readings: Jer 20:7-9; Psalm 33; 1 Cor 10:31-11:1; Lk 14:25-33
What has Christ revealed about Himself to Ignatius?
Your guess is as good as mine, but, as I prepare for my tertianship—the last stage of Jesuit formation, sometimes colloquially known as the Jesuit novitiate number two or novitiate for mid-life crises—I more often find myself wondering about the Jesuit way of living from a different perspective, and, indeed, I think of the kind of life experience Ignatius shared with us through his Autobiography.
I am no longer someone who is curious and wants to know more about Jesuit vocation or about someone else who had the experience of Jesuit parish or Jesuit education. Perhaps we Jesuits know a few things and, even more importantly, we apply them in our daily living, such as the Examen prayer or discernment tools to make good choices and so on. We write with our own lives the lines we used to put down in our notebooks: Laus Deo semper—praise to God always— together with Ad maiorem Dei gloriam—for the greater glory of God.
I realize that, as young as I am and as I feel and that my first real anniversary in the Society is coming up, I ought to add the well-known Latin phrase to the above mentioned Ignatian mottos: “Tempus fugit” – Time flies. Twenty-five years in the Society of Jesus is no small thing, and such an anniversary brings you into reflection about where God has had the chance to manifest his ever greater glory. All we really have in this life is time.
As I look at the ideals of Ignatian formation being played out in the lives of so many Jesuits, as well as in the lives of wholeheartedly dedicated collaborators and partners in mission and in the lives of you, our Jesuit parishioners and alumni, all of us who live fed by the same spiritual tradition which has been handed down to us from Ignatius and his companions over the centuries, I wonder at how Christ binds us together, at what characterizes us or, even more, at what should be our aspiration today, having experienced, as each of us has, the Jesuit and Ignatian world.
Perhaps you are with me in watching, in observing, and in wondering about what all these years with the Jesuits has brought you and about how you, having received much, have given back through service and volunteering. What possible adventure comes next?
As we gather to celebrate the liturgical solemnity of Ignatius Loyola because we belong to the worldwide Ignatian family and mission, I wish to take you on a small trip to look at Ignatius’s life. We shall make three stops, each in a particular city, and each stop should teach us something about “another perspective” or about the idea of Ignatian progress. Instead of fading or stalling, we’re invited to discover a deeper insight into what Christ is like. If Ignatius desired so much to encounter Christ, we shall not fall behind.
I shall avoid London on this trip, though all we know from his Autobiography that in 1531, Ignatius “Once… went to England and collected more alms than he usually did in other years.” AUTOBIOGRAPHY 76 Such praise for Londoners and, more likely, the Spanish community in London at the time, should get us off the hook this year. For all I know, many of you live the Ignatian ethos of generous giving. Perhaps it is most fitting on my part to complement another Ignatian ethos, saying “Thank you” for all that you are doing to make the lives of others more liveable and more joyful; “Thank you” for making Christ accessible to so many drowning in their own personal fear, sadness, or other negative reactions to hardships of life; and “Thank you” for being here with us Jesuits as our companions in our prayer, seeking to know, to love, and to serve Christ ever more (cf. SpEx 104) or, in the Latin some of us may still retain, in the “magis”.
So where are we travelling? The first stop is at Manresa (1522) with its challenges. Ignatius is determined to change his life, and he does everything he feels is right to meet his end. He is all too prayerful, and, looking back, we may say also all too concerned for himself.
“At that time, there was at Manresa woman of great age, with a long record also as a servant of God … One day this woman, speaking to the new soldier of Christ, said to him, ‘Oh! May my Lord Jesus Christ deign to appear to you some day?’ But he was startled at this, taking the matter quite literally, ‘How would Jesus Christ appear to me?’ He persevered steadily in his usual confession and Communion each Sunday. But here [in Manresa] he began to have much trouble from scruples.” ( Autobiography 21-22)
Unfortunately, the best of intentions is not enough to overcome every perturbance. Yet, what is positive that comes out of this scrupulous and suicidal time for Ignatius is the sheer authenticity of being able to acknowledge his shadow side before the Lord, and we can also know that we are not completely lost and left to our own devices. It is never a good idea to be left alone or to stay on our own when things show their complexities to the point of our being overwhelmed.
The next stop takes us to accompanying Ignatius on his pilgrimage to Jerusalem (1523).
“When [another] came up to the pilgrim, he grabbed him tightly by the arm, and the pilgrim readily let himself to be led. The good man, however, never let him go. As the pilgrim went along this way… he felt great consolation from our Lord, so that it seemed to him that he saw Christ over him continually. The consolation continued intensely…” ( Autobiography 48)
I chose this moment of, to put it mildly, misunderstanding between the Franciscan provincial (an authority in the Church) and Ignatius’ zealous approach to visiting those holy places that still bear some trace of the living God with us. The element of an unexpected surprise is resolved thanks to Ignatius’s progress in obeying not just in his way but in whatever way will bring him closer to Christ. So, it happened that an initial disobedience and stubbornness and insistence brought Ignatius to the great virtue of obedience, a consolation which he then could not stop himself from having. Obedience, defined more by being led, gave Ignatius an immense joy. Ignatius was making a slow progress, actively abandoning being fixated on how he wanted to obey. Perhaps, even if temporarily, we may suffer as a direct result of commands we receive. Though it can feel as though what is commanded is against one’s will, consolation can follow quite promptly, and we can discover a renewed trust in God’s providence.
And the last stop takes place in Paris (1535). Ignatius speaks of himself: “The pilgrim let himself be persuaded by his companions.” (Autobiography 85) For the determined Ignatius, who has changed from being overly undisciplined into being a more responsible adult, this statement is an acknowledgement of how Christ has operated in his life and has begun to change him. The honesty of someone who allows us to be close to and intimate with him leads us to recognizing the immense progress of his long-term approach to life, including in his spiritual life, a life in which the difficulties of daily living do not escape us. Rather, we are invited to recognize how the forces of spiritual living take over in Ignatius and to see the wonderful grace that each one of us is able to make such progress.
Paris, just like Manresa and Jerusalem, is only a step on Ignatius’s long journey. We know that now. What we may need to remember is our own spiritual living. At each step of his way, Ignatius met Jesus, the humble servant. If we go back and read the Jesuit Constitutions or the book of the Spiritual Exercises or the Autobiography, the key to the experiences contained in each of these books is a simple humility. Christ must have showed Himself as humble to Ignatius, and humility must become the relevant feature of our Ignatian way of living. We should be content and grateful when we are more challenged or when others humiliate us without a cause, because these experiences allow us to imitate the Lord.
May the faith, fellowship, and fun that you enjoy in one anothers’ company be a source of inspiration to aspire for more. And, for all the little or big fundraising you do or the other ways you contribute to the work of the Society of Jesus, “thank you” for giving glory to God. The servant leadership that we practice will almost certainly bring us humiliation, but it will definitely school us in humility and will, therefore, more effectively prepare us to receive Christ.
May Christ move us through His humility, born out of all humiliations, and may He give us the strength to remain near to Him. He is our sure hope and the sure sign of our growth.