[B.] St. IGNATIUS of LOYOLA Presentation: The ... - St. Gaspar Bertoni
[B.] St. IGNATIUS of LOYOLA Presentation: The ... - St. Gaspar Bertoni
[B.] St. IGNATIUS of LOYOLA Presentation: The ... - St. Gaspar Bertoni
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INTEGRE;SJ-OFM<br />
= 33 =<br />
He then commends another three values as to be desired, as complementary to the<br />
above three: Let the Friars that above all, that they ought to desire to have the Spirit <strong>of</strong> the Lord<br />
and His holy activity; that they pray always to God out <strong>of</strong> a pure heart; and to have humility, and<br />
patience under persecution and in sickness, and to love those who persecute, reprehend or<br />
argue with you.<br />
1826: And surely, wherever these three are lived, there is first <strong>of</strong> all the direction <strong>of</strong> one’s<br />
activity in God - there is added to this then the condescension toward one’s neighbor, and there<br />
is placed in the center, the tolerance for adversaries. <strong>The</strong>refore, in the first three the perfect man<br />
is crucified to the world: in the following three, one is rendered conform to God, and as though on<br />
the six seraphic wings one is elevated from worldly concerns and borne toward the heavenly<br />
rewards.<br />
As a result, on this poor man, <strong>St</strong>. Francis, who perfectly observed and taught the<br />
perfection <strong>of</strong> the Gospel, in a seraphic apparition, Jesus impressed His own <strong>St</strong>igmata as a sign<br />
<strong>of</strong> His greatest approval. He did this that He might show to us that on this way <strong>of</strong> perfection by<br />
which we would be led back to Christ, the exemplar and end <strong>of</strong> perfect virtue, against the very<br />
dangerous darkness <strong>of</strong> the final times.<br />
[c.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Third Gospel Perfection:]<br />
1827: <strong>The</strong> third evangelical perfection consists in the supererogatory acceptance <strong>of</strong> all that is<br />
adverse 18 . This is attended not only in this sense, that one might patiently endure adversities<br />
that might come upon one, which according to the Law <strong>of</strong> God cannot be declined, since each is<br />
held to this. But, further, that each one should out <strong>of</strong> the fervor <strong>of</strong> the divine love yearn for<br />
adversities with a great desire, and with a great desire sustain these. Jas 1:2, ff.: Count it all<br />
joy, my brethren, when you shall fall into divers temptations…And patience has a perfect<br />
work that you may be perfect and entire, falling in nothing … [v.4].<br />
For this is indeed the consummation <strong>of</strong> perfection and charity Jn 1 [1 Jn 4:18]: Fear is<br />
not in charity - but perfect charity casts out fear from the ark <strong>of</strong> spiritual perfection.<br />
According to this, therefore, the ark <strong>of</strong> spiritual perfection since it is within triple arched<br />
and double vaulted, is consumed on two elbows<br />
1828: To sustain patiently - freely - joyfully.<br />
All joy: i.e., all good.<br />
- <strong>The</strong> honest, because the adversities make us to become conform to the image <strong>of</strong> Jesus<br />
Christ, Rm 8:29. <strong>The</strong>y raise us up from the ‘common’: for I bear the stigmata <strong>of</strong> the Lord<br />
Jesus in my body … Ga 6:17; we are raised up over the Angels, who cannot suffer for God.<br />
<strong>St</strong>rength and beauty are her clothing... Pr 31:25.<br />
1829: From adversities there comes to us a real good, utility, because they take evil away, that<br />
is, they remove imperfections: I will purge away your dross... [Is 1:25]; they do these because<br />
they eradicate their very roots, which is self-love. <strong>St</strong>upidity assembles in the heart <strong>of</strong> youth, and<br />
the rod <strong>of</strong> discipline will put it to flight.<br />
Adversities bring good to us: they expel us from this world and urge us onward toward<br />
God. And the Egyptians pressed the people to go forth out <strong>of</strong> the land speedily. Ex 12:33. -<br />
Adversities perfect the spirit in us: the intellect. So it was always: by day, the cloud covered it,<br />
and by night as it were, the appearance <strong>of</strong> fire. Nb 9:16. Adversities also perfect the will.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is brought to us a delightful good, because adversities are the sign <strong>of</strong><br />
predestination <strong>of</strong> the love <strong>of</strong> God and <strong>of</strong> love for God; the reason is that God sweetens these.<br />
18 Is this Holy Abandonment to the Divine Will <strong>of</strong> Good Pleasure