Ad majorem Dei gloriam

07-29-2018Weekly Reflection

My Dear Friends,

July 31st is the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He was a Spaniard and a soldier. It was while recuperating from an injury that St. Ignatius began reading the lives of the saints. The more he read of the saints, the more he fell in love with his Catholic faith and his desire to become a saint himself. The Jesuits were famous for missionary work and educational work throughout the centuries. Jesuit priests traveled to India, China, Japan, Africa, Mexico, South America, North America and even the Soviet Union. Many Jesuits have been declared saints.

One of the hallmarks of every Jesuit’s formation is a thirty day silent retreat. Many other people, priests, religious and laypersons, have also experienced this thirty day retreat. I had the privilege of attending a thirty day silent retreat in 2001 in Sedalia, Colorado. It was a truly amazing and spiritually rewarding experience. “The makeup of the Exercises is rather simple. There are four basic phases, called “weeks,” although there is no fixed number of days for any of these “weeks.” The first week is set in the context of God’s creative love, its rejection by each of us through sin and God’s reconciling mercy in Jesus. The second week centers on the life of Jesus, from its beginnings through his public ministry. The third week fixes upon that very special time in Jesus’ life his passion and death. The fourth week considers the risen Christ and the world which has been renewed in his victory.” Every Jesuit and every student taught at a Jesuit school would be familiar with the letters AMDG; Ad maiorem Dei gloriam. This is translated, “For the Greater Glory of God.”

St. Ignatius also had a strong devotion to our Blessed Mother. She was his Queen, and he was her knight. Let us pray for the Jesuits throughout the world, especially our Holy Father, Pope Francis, as they celebrate the feast day of their founder.

God bless.

Fr. John