Pious Practices in Honor of St. Ignatius of Loyola: Founder of the Society of Jesus (in English)
Synopsis "Pious Practices in Honor of St. Ignatius of Loyola: Founder of the Society of Jesus (in English)"
ST. IGNATIUS of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, should be ranked among those apostolic men who have exercised the ministry of salvation and taught the principles of holiness. Truly he-was born to help men. God taught him much, and from these heavenly communications Ignatius composed his admirable book of Exercises. This work is exceedingly well fitted to direct souls in the paths of salvation and perfection. The clients of this great Saint then look upon him as a mediator and a patron in the important matter of eternal salvation, and as a guide and pattern in the dangerous paths of the spiritual life. The virtues of Ignatius, therefore, which are here proposed for meditation, will be arranged in accordance with the three degrees of the spiritual life. Hence, the Saint will be presented as a bright model-first, in the purgative way; next, in the illuminative; and finally, in the unitive. At the end some considerations will be added on the Saint's most precious death. Each meditation will be accompanied by a prayer to St. Ignatius, three of his practical sayings, an example, a practice, and an aspiration to be made frequently during the day The meditations will be ten in number, in memory of the ten months which St. Ignatius spent at Manresa, amid great bodily sufferings and heavenly joys of soul. These meditations can be used for the ten Sundays, or for the nine days preceeding the Saint's feast; and for the feast itself, in order to secure his powerful protection and obtain the grace to imitate, in some degree, his wonderful virtues. The meditations will also serve to gain more Jargely and surely the plenary indulgences, which two Popes granted for the purpose of promoting and spreading devotion to St. Ignatius. By the brief "Splendor Paternae Gloriae" our most holy Lord, Gregory XV., granted a plenary indulgence to all the faithful, who, on the feast of St. Ignatius, after confession and communion, shall pray for the Pope's intention in a church of the Society.
