Jesuits

Jesuits

• Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (AMDG) - For the Greater Glory of God

  • Giving back to got what God gave us

• Discernment - seeking Guidance from God for large decisions

• Consolation - feelings of fulfillment, peace, being close to God

• Desolation - result of distance from God

• 3 Different Names

  • Companions

  • Society Jesus

  • Jesuits

• Jesuit Work

  • Not limited by mandatory prayer time

    • their work is considered prayer time

• St. Ignatius opens up schools

  • Messina - first Jesuit school for non-Jesuits

• These become popular, people ask them to open more

• Ratio Studiorum - skeleton of Jesuit education

• Nativity School - middle school to help marginalized students get up to speed of a Jesuit high school

• Cristo Rey School - work-study programs (work 1 day a week) to help students pay for tuition

• JSN - Jesuit Schools Network, international program, share practices with other schools to help all benefit

• 2 Standards

  • Jesus (Jerusalem)

    • Poverty

    • Humility

    • Contempt

• Satan (Babylon)

  • Riches

  • Pride

  • Honor

• 4 Jesuit Priorities - apistolic plan for the Eastern Province

• 4 Jesuit Preferences

1. Helping People find God

• Caused by

  • Helping Others

  • Finding God in all things

  • Retreats

• Effects

  • Growth in True Self

  • Consolation Overflow

2. Reaching out to the Excluded

• Addressing all forms of Abuse

  • Child Abuse (Physical + Sexual + Emotional)

  • Elderly / Disabled

  • Human Trafficked

  • Addicted

3. Journeying with Youth

• Offering assistance grow to their True Self

• Forces against growth

  • False Message from society for Material wealth

  • Discrimination + Prejudice

  • Lack of Education / Opportunity

4. Caring for our Common Home (Earth)

• Shared Vocation to help limit waste

• The Suppression (1772-1813)

  • Jesuits came under fire

    • Enlightenment figures thought they were too religiously focused

    • Political leaders demand their disbandandment

• European countries began kicking them out of colonies, then countries

• Pope Clement XIV officially suppresses and disbands Jesuits (August 16, 1773)

• Pope Pius VII restores society (August 7, 1814)

St. Ignatius of Loyola

• Historical Context

  • Spanish inquisition began 1 year before his birth (Rid of Heretics + Muslims)

• Enduring conflict between French + Spanish over the region

• Protestant Reformation - New Ideas of practicing religion

• Early Life

  • Born in Azpeitia (Town), Navarre (Provence) in 1491

• Family was Nobility

  • Inigo Lopez de Loyola

    • Born in Northern Spain

    • Becames page to Royal Treasurer

    • Becomes Military Leader

• Ignatius is youngest of 13

• Very rambunctious

  • Drank + gambled often

  • Vainglory - having excess pride, being too in love with yourself

• Many different professions

  • Courtier, soldier, hermit, pilgrim, student, counselor, correspondent, administrator

• Conversion

  • Battle of Pamplona (May 21, 1521)

    • French tries to recapture Navarre from Spanish

    • Ignatius believes leading battle is the only way to success

    • Ignatius is hit with a Cannonball, legs are shattered

• The French help him because they are impressed of his bravery

• Recovery

  • Can only read 2 Books 

1. Life of Christ - Thomas Kempis

2. Lives of the Saints

• Feels 2 strong pulls to be heroic

1. Hero in serving King of Spain

2. Hero in serving King of Heaven

• Chooses to serve King of Heaven

• Schooling Journey

  • Attended Latin School in 30s

    • Had to learn Latin for college

• Attended 2 Universities in Spain

  • Arrested by Inquisition for teaching religion without schooling

• Attended University of Pairs

  • Roommates

    • Peter Faber

    • St. Francis Xavier

• Growth of the Religious Group

  • Composed of Peter Fabor, St. Francis Xavier, St. Ignatius Loyola

• 3 Vows

  • Poverty

  • Chastity

  • Obedience

• Taken in St. Paul Church, St. Denis Chapel

• Plan A

  • Go to Jerusalem

• Plan B

  • Go to Rome

  • Be at disposal of the Pope

• Journey to Jerusalem

  • Visits Montserrat

    • One of the first Abbeys

• Statue of Our Lady of Montserrat

  • Confesses his sins for 3 days

  • Gives fancy clothes away to beggar

  • Spends the night in prayer before Mary

  • Surrenders his sword

• Visits Manresa

  • Expected to stay for 3 day, 1 year in actuality

• Intense Prayer + Labor

  • Working at hospice, caring for dying

  • Intense ascetical practices

• Kicked out by the Franciscans

  • He becomes extreme in his practices

    • Grows suicidal

• He accepts this

• Aha moment at River Cardoner

  • God is in everything that has been created

• Writes a book about his experiences (Spiritual Exercises)

  • 30 day retreat

• Vision at La Storta

  • Small Chapel in outskirts of Rome

• First Jesuits wanted to get approval from Pope for community

• Vision in 1537

  • Jesus is carrying the cross

  • God says, “I will be favorable to you in Rome”, “I will unite you to the way of my Son”

• Reason to why Jesuits call themselves the Society of Jesus

• First Principle + Foundation

  • Goal of our lives is to move to God, as we came from Him

  • Indifferent / Detachment - separating from materialistic pleasures

• Turns to God

  • Works with (not against) others

  • Gift of Tears - intense feelings of consolation during prayer to the point of tears

• The Spiritual Fruits of Manresa - Ignatius realizes God is in + with everything

• Jesuits in Rome

  • Ignatius deals with 3 Popes

1. Pope Adrian

   • Gives permission to go to Holy Land

2. Pope Paul II

   • Allows the Jesuits to operate as an order (1540)

3. Pope Gregory XV

   • Canonizes St. Ignatius + St. Francis Xavier (March 12,1622)

   • St. Ignatius Feast day (March 12)

• Prayers / Books

  • The Constitutions

    • Rule Book for Jesuits

• The Pilgrim

  • Autobiography

  • Written by Palanco (Secretary)

• Spiritual Exercises

• Prayer for Generosity

• Suscipe Prayer

  • God gives everything

  • We should strive to give back

• Examen of Consciousness

  • Magis - doing more to help

St. Francis Xavier

• Early Life

  • Born into aristocrat family

• Father dies when he is 9

• Brother loses war with France

  • They lose their castle

• He feels inspired to become Bishop + regain power + wealth

• Studies at University of Paris

  • He gambles + has debt

  • Peter Faber helps him with rent

  • Ignatius lends him money, rescues him from bookies

• Conversion

  • Ignatius gives him Spiritual Exercises

    • ”What does it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

• Xavier + Ignatius + Peter Faber + 4 others start Society of Jesus

• Later Life

  • Put himself at  service of Pope

    • Pope needs him as missionary to go to Goa, India

• Missionary Work

  • Moves up and down Indian coast, preaching

    • 13 months long

• In Sri Lanka

  • Talks to fishermen

    • Hears of Japan

• In Japan

  • Very hierarchical society

    • He must present himself well

    • Inculturation - borrowing ideas from a culture to be accepted, to appeal

• Talks to lost sailor

  • Hears of China

• In China

  • Spent 3 months on island of Sancian

  • Dies December 3^rd 1552

• Feast day: December 3^rd

Pedro Arrupe

• Father General of Jesuits

• Came up with Phrase “Men and Women for Others”

• At Hiroshima during Atomic Bomb drop

  • Claimed being faithful of Ladyof Fatima for their survival

  • Set up Hospital afterwards

• JRS - Jesuit Refugee Service

  • Started in 1970s

  • Helped Vietnamese people escape communism