Alonso Rodríguez: The Practice of Christian and Religious Perfection, Vol. 3

Chapter I

Of the end and Institution of the Society of Jesus .

“ Attend to thyself and doctrine”, says St. Paul to Timothy; 66 be earnest in them. For in doing this thou shalt save both thyself and them that hear thee” — I. Tim., iv. 16. The end and institution of the society consist in these two things, of which the apostle speaks. Our constitutions and the apostolical bulls expressly declare, “that the end of this society, is that all those who compose it may, with the grace of God, labour not only for their own salvation and perfection, but also seriously apply themselves to the salvation and perfection of their neighbour”— Cap. i. Exam. §. 1. It is not sufficient to apply ourselves after an ordinary manner, but we must, according to the Latin words, impenso tncumbere, “ earnestly apply ourselves”, that is, we must apply ourselves with zeal and ardour to attain this end. Now it is to be observed, that as our constitutions oblige us to labour not only for our own salvation, but for our perfection; even so they will have us labour not only for the salvation of others, but also for their greater perfection and greater advancement in virtue. Hence, Father Aquaviva, in his instructions to confessors, counsels them to be less zealous in attracting a greater number of penitents, than in perfecting their present number vol. in.

daily more and more. In a word, the same care we have for our own advancement and perfection, we ought also to have for the advancement and perfection of our neighbour.

In effect, it is particularly for this that we have been instituted. For St. Ignatius, on the one hand, perceiving that the Church was furnished with many religious orders, which continually applied themselves to the divine worship and their own spiritual advancement; and considering, on the other, that it was afflicted with an infinity of heresies, disorders, and scandals, “that the harvest was great, and that the workmen were but few”— Mat ., ix. 37, — was inspired by God to institute our society, to be, as he himself said, like a kind of flying-camp, that should be ready at the least alarm, and always be in a condition to fight the enemy, and to afford help and succour wherever it should be wanting. And for this reason he would not have us subject to the keeping of choir, or to other spiritual practices, which might interfere with our giving succour to souls. If you should see, says…