Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola_2026

  

Feast of St. Ignatius

31 July 2026

 

AMDG.  Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam, To the Greater Glory of God. These four words comprise the Jesuit motto.  We frequently use AMDG at the beginning or end of a letter.  My vow ring is engraved with it. 

 

Ignatius of Loyola was a complex man.  Born in 1491or 1492, his youth was spent learning to be a soldier and a member of the royal court.  He admits to being very vain regarding his appearance in his younger years, preferring the 16^th century equivalent of skinny jeans so as to look good. Though mostly uneducated, he could read and had very fine penmanship.  At twenty-two years of age the hot-headed Basque was injured while leading his overmatched men in the Battle of Pamplona.  It was one of the most blessed injuries in the history of war. 

 

While convalescing in the castle of Loyola he was gradually drawn to the desire to follow in the footsteps of Christ, he discerned a call to do great things for the Greater Glory of God.  It is a fascinating story. 

 

Because he had not had an adequate education he went back to the equivalent of junior high school in his twenties to learn the Latin and Greek he needed to go to University.

 

Ignatius was charismatic.  A group of men gathered around him at university to do the Spiritual Exercises that he composed while in Manresa following his conversion.  Some of these men, including Sts. Francis Xavier and Peter Faber, were among the original nine companions when the Society of Jesus was established in 1540. 

 

Two days ago we heard the well known Gospel narrative of Martha and Mary.  Mary at prayer as she sat at Jesus' feet, Martha grumbling and whining as she did the work of preparing the meal.  In St. Ignatius we see a combination of Mary's contemplation of Jesus' word and Martha's busy-ness in response to demands of work without the complaining. 

 

The totality of Ignatius’ presence to Jesus word was like Mary’s.  Like Martha he had many distractions. He wrote 7000 letters, was composing the Jesuit Constitutions, missioning men throughout the world, and answering hundreds of questions as the Society grew.  At times he had to put his foot down.  All novices read his famous letter on obedience, a 4000 word missive that he wrote to young Jesuits in Portugal who were in a rebellious mood. But it was the fruit of his prayer that influenced world history in ways that can never be overestimated. 

 

Despite the enormous demands of the rapidly growing Society, establishing schools, dealing with hostility from other orders and the occasional pope, missioning men throughout the world, and writing the constitutions for the Society, he was disposed to hear and contemplate the word of God in the midst of and despite many distractions,

 

His health was not good.  Yet, he continued to pray and work without grumbling, always to the Greater Glory of God. Ignatius died in 1556, age 65.  He had been named the first general of the Society in 1541 and was still holding that office at the time of his death.  Jesuits pray a number of prayers written by Holy Father Ignatius. One of these is the Prayer for Generosity that outlines how to live AMDG.

 

"O Lord, teach me to be generous

To serve you as you deserve

To give and not to count the cost

To fight and not to heed the wounds

To toil and not to seek for rest

To labor and not to ask for reward

Save that of knowing I do your holy will."

 

 __________________________________________

 

 

 

The injured Ignatius at Pamplona.  The French were so impressed with his tenacity that they helped transport him back to the castle of Loyola.

Parts of the castle and the dome of the basilica.  Took this because of the trees.  Ya' don't see these in Northern New England

Sometimes I get distracted by something small, like a flower. 

Statue of Ignatius situated way above the main altar.  Could only get this with a 150 mm lens and standing almost directly below it. 

The castle and the dome of the basilica.  Loyola was a photo bonanza both in the basilica as well as the landsccape.  

 Happy Feast!

 

 Fr. Jack, SJ, MD

 

Going to try this again

I don't know what the problem is with this web site The print doesn't show up normally. But am going to try yet again. This is the homily from this past Sunday. Will also give a shot at the photos. 

 

That was one serious find:  Homily for the 17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12

Ps 119: 57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130

Rom 8:28-30

Mt 13:44-52

 

We make most daily decisions, without much effort: do I cross now or wait until that car passes?  Orange or apple juice?  Take a nap or exercise?  Other choices however, require discernment and thought.  We have all made life changing choices and will do so in the future.  Among the most important of those choices is the choice for or against Jesus.

 

The first reading and gospel both involve life-changing choices. 

 

God asked Solomon what he desired.  He was young, nothing more than a kid.  Despite that he did not ask for things most of us would want: a long healthy life, riches, or a great car.  Solomon asked for understanding,  he asked for the wisdom to discern between good and evil, and the ability to be a good leader.   His request pleased God.  It was granted.  We can only pray that our national leaders--BOTH parties--desire the same as opposed to the ugly and uncivil power struggles characterizing life in the U S of A.  Imagine legislatures praying for the wisdom to be good leaders rather than legalizing human sacrifice on the altar of abortion rights, the killing of the sick and elderly, rather than worshipping power, and encouraging the perverse and bizarre.

 

Every choice we make involves a cost.  Sometimes we anticipate that cost while other times it comes as a surprise.  When we make a particular choice other options  are closed off.   Sure we can change our minds about orange vs. apple  juice, or even have both, but the most important choices close off the other possibilities.  Choosing to marry a particular person closes off the choices among all others. Choosing to enter religious life closes off the option to marry and have a family,

 

The three short gospel parables are about choices. While they are related each has a unique message.  Unlike their usual response the apostles replied 'yes'

when Jesus asked if they understood. Repetition seems to have had an effect. 

They finally got it,  just as we get it and begin to understand what Jesus is telling us the more we listen to His word.

 

The first two parables bring to mind an event that blew the art world and the  Society of Jesus out of the water in 1990 when Dublin's Leeson Street Jesuit Community sent a painting that had been hanging in the dining room for sixty years to be cleaned.  It was thought to be a copy of a long-missing Carravagio painting called "The Taking of Christ." 

 

But one of the art restorers noticed something.  It WAS the missing painting worth tens of millions of pounds.  It was both the treasure discovered accidentally in a field and the pearl of great price noticed by an expert. 

 

What about buried treasures?

 

At the time the gospel was written invasions were a regular threat.  One way to keep a treasure safe was to bury it in a field.  Of course before selling the field it was important to remember that and where it was buried. Today we hear stories of very valuable objects found at flea markets, in attics, and at estate sales.

Indeed, Antiques Road Show is premised on this gospel passage.  

 

When the man realized what he had found buried he went away happy, chose to sell everything he had, and purchased the field so as obtain the treasure.  When we realize the value of the Kingdom of Heaven, when we truly understand and commit ourselves to following Jesus, we too can go off happy, knowing that we have found the most valuable of treasures.  

 

The man’s discovery in the field was an accident.   Not so for the merchant. He was an expert on a quest to find pearls. He found an exceptional one  and realized, on the basis of his expertise and knowledge, that this was the real thing.

He had found the pearl for which he was searching.   He too chose to act and commit to a course of action so as to obtain it.

 

The merchant’s excitement mirrors that of the one who discovers Christ later in life or the one who, having been baptized rediscovers what he or she had given up during that spiritual chaos known as young adulthood.  As a result he returns

to active participation in the sacraments.   Both of these figures made irrevocable choices.  Neither could have repurchased what he had sold. Neither could ever go back to the time before the decision.

 

The final parable is a bit different.  All of us can identify with fishing though few have experienced fishing with a drag net.   A drag net picks up everything: 

fish, plant life, and all kinds of inanimate objects.  After the net is hauled ashore

the fishermen go through the contents, keep the good fish, discard those that are not good, and dispose of the garbage. This parable recalls last week's gospel

about the weeds and the wheat. When the field was harvested the weeds were thrown into the fire and the wheat bundled into barns.

 

Politics, good, and evil, virtue and sin, have coexisted since the beginning of time. That will never change.  Our dilemma is whether or not we choose to trust

in the promises of Christ as described by Paul, “We know that by turning everything to their good God cooperates with all those who love him,

with all those that he has called . . .”  

 

Accepting or refusing God’s grace is our free choice.  We can never be forced

to accept or cooperate with that grace.  However, all the other important choices in our lives depend on that decision. 

 

___________________________________________________________

 

 

The photos are all from sv. Višarje, a three-country pilgrimage site in Italy just across the borders of both Austria and Slovenia.  Extremely beautiful place where I spent ten days doing some work with kids learning ENglish.  I was the only native speaker.  It was photo heaven.