The Washington herald., 1907-09-01
WORK OF ST. IGNATIUS.
Religious Communities Schools and Universities One Inception
TeachingS"Going Therefore, Nations"
Defined by FATHER MATTHEW L. FoRrIER, S. j.

What the life Of Ignatius of Loyola
meant to the world; what spiritual refec-
ton his works of devotion have afforded
the religious. and what his teachings have
been TO the young was beautifully told
on the Feast Of St. Ignatius, in ST. Alloy
sius Church. by Rev. Father Matthew L.
Fortier, s J., whose departure to-day for
st. Andrew on the Hudson occasions
widespread regret in educational. literary
and religious circles Of this city. where
his power as teacher, his ability as a
writer. and his qualifications IS priest
have made him a valuable member Of the
faculty of Gonzaga College.
The ceremonies bore an intense interest
that day from a religious. local. and per
sonal sense. The feast commemorated
was that OF the founder of the Society Of
Jesus; the celebrant Of the mass. Rev.
Robert J. Tracey. S. J., a newly ordained
priest and former professor OF classics in
.Gonzaga College. celebrated on that occa-
sion his first solemn high mass. while
Father Fortier (once mis- teacherl and
Father Henry A. Leary, S. J., the deacon
and subdeacon. respectively, Of the mass,
had been fellow-nOvices with Father
Tracey when at the Novitlate
These features were feelingly referred
to by Father Fortier az the opening of his
discourse when he declared the occasion
to be one that called for 'the expression
Of love and admiration for Ignatius, whose
feast we celebrate; Of congratulatiOn and
GOd-speed 10 that dear brother whose cele-
bration with US, his two feilow-novices, in
this initial solemn act Of sacrifice is the
first step on the threshold Of his sacred
ministry. where Holy Church repeats TO
him as the successor Of Ignatius. priest
and apostle, her message and commits
sion:
"'Going. therefore. teach We all nations
with these words, Christ our Lord, in
the fullness OF divine and human power.
commissioned His apostles to begin their
ministry and establish the infallible teach
ing church: with these words that same
church confirmed the secret promptings
Of the Holy Ghost. and commissioned Ig-
natius, by means Of the Exercises and the
Institute of the Society of Jesus, to lend
the church aid against ignorance. heresy,
and infdeIity; with these same words the
Society of Jesus hands down that com
ding him hearken to the message as
spoken to Ignatius. and hear the message
as spoken 10 himself
THAT message to Ignatius may be
learned from his deeds, for the glorifica-
ton of which we are gathered to-day in
yearly celebration of the feast Of the
founder Of the Society of Jesus. His deeds
are many, but they may be viewed for an
Instant summed up in his life Of model
priest and teacher. With the sacerdotal
virtues of holy zeal, consummate pru-
dence, and enlightened humility he offered
to God prayer and the clean oblation of
His only SON, the conquest Of self on the
altar Of love, the sacrifice of his spiritual
offspring in person and family. in life and
death on the cross Of obedience.
THAT method of mental prayer in
which he taught the soul to unite itself
to God by the application of all the nat
ural faculties to he consideration OF di-
vine truths, revealed and natural, and by
their combined energies stimulated and
strengthened by grace to raise itself TO
contemplation and loving alteration OF its
Creator, its Redeemer, its last end and
happiness.
Against the enemies of the soul he
taught the Christian thus to wage effec-
tive warfare by exacting from himself
the fullest exertion and highest develop
ment of its every power, as though all de-
pended upon himself. and yet by an abso-
lutte surrender TO grace in such wise as to
ascribe TO God alone the entire victory.
He began by making him discern the
end toward which he was tending-the
purpose, the sole purpose for which God
had created his immortal soul. making
him realize that In the attaining Of that
alone consisted his success, his perfection.
his happiness.
Next, his memory must present to him
the events Of the past. the experiences of
the present, the promises of the future:
the imagination must picture to the soul