More and More!

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola

Jer 15:10,16-21; Mt 13: 44-46

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola. 

As we remember him, we know that it is hard to capture his legacy in several paragraphs. 

St. Ignatius, the founder of the Society of Jesus (SJ), was both a visionary and mystic. Considering the universal mission, he instituted a fourth vow of obedience to the Pope so Jesuits could engage in mission projects ordained by the pontiff. 

For this reason, St. Ignatius, who took up a life of generous service ‘for the greater glory of God,’ envisioned missionary work and teaching as distinctive of Jesuit life. 

Of all his spiritual principles, I am inspired more by the concept of ‘Magis’ (More). The idea of Magis is present in the unofficial Jesuit motto Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (For the greater glory of God). 

The fundamental idea is that we try to do the more, the better, and the greater for God. Not for ourselves! 

Further, if we observe closely, there is a profound meaning behind St. Ignatius’ use of comparative tense in his unofficial motto. In opting for a comparative tense, he has carefully avoided the use of superlatives like ‘the greatest,’ ‘the best,’ or ‘the most.’ In his view, not only might such superlatives be inadequate in determining the ‘greatest, best, or most’ for God, but we might also be lulled into complacency. Instead, the use of comparative tense requires us to go beyond limiting beliefs like ‘enough,’ ‘adequate,’ or ‘sufficient.’ It compels us to overcome lethargy and transcend minimalistic tendencies whenever it concerns God’s mission. Since Magis broadens our missionary horizons, there is always ‘greater than the greatest,’ ‘better than the best,’ and ‘more than the most.’ For St. Ignatius, we have to be maximalists for God. 

Going by this spiritual principle, there is always something more that we can do for God. Hence, if we are not bothered by a ‘permanent feeling of inadequacy,’ we haven’t served God enough. 

With its persistent call to strive to excel, Magis inspires us to be a cut above the rest. 

As such, there is never a task that is complete for a Jesuit.

Following St. Ignatius means envisioning a mission that gets ever wider, a commitment that gets ever stronger and a love that gets ever deeper. 

Let us ask God for the grace to define our mission through the lens of Magis!

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar