St Ignatius is one of the greatest of saints. So too St Francis of Assisi. They are founders of vowed religious order under vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. They are composed of consecrated men and women devoted entirely to the Lord, and concerned with spreading spiritualities of men and women in carrying out God’s will above all here on Earth.

They seek to live a life of uncompromising spirit which can lead to martyrdom or a life of service of Christ and His ways while here on Earth. They reject the pleasures of this world in preference of a life that spiritually gives witness to Jesus Christ the son of God.

St Ignatius lived a life of worldliness before his conversion. He grew up in a family of wealth in the 16th century. He sought to be a man famous as a soldier in gallantry and knighthood. He loved a life of wine, women, and song. He was proud and indulged in the best material things in life.

Ignatius was wounded in war, while being part of the army of Nabar, Spain. A member of a French army shattered his right leg with gun shots. He was so courageous in war that the French army took him to their hospital and laid him in an upper room. He was crippled for the rest of his life.

He spent time in bed and suffered from boredom. Then he read The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis. He was also absorbed by the scriptures and asked himself, as Kempis did, “Might I not do the same as Christ did?”

One night he had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus. He resolved he would go all the way to Jerusalem even if he had to limp.

As a knight in shining armour, he wore elegant clothes but as an invalid he was dressed in rags, begged for alms and lived with the poor.

Outside the nearby town of Manressa he found a cave, where he went to pray and meditate. He received an illumination now known as the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius. He realised how little he knew about the scriptures and Christ our Lord.

He attended lectures at University of Paris. There he met Francis Xavier and Peter Faber. His vision of what is the purpose of man is summarised in the following:

“Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God, our Lord, and by this means to save his soul. All other things on the face of the Earth are created for man to help him fulfil the end for which he is created…Man is to use these things to the extent they will help him to attain his end. Likewise, he must rid himself of them in so far as they prevent him from attaining it.”

All Jesuits and our students at St George’s College and Campion College and the thousands of students, retreatants and parishioners learn that all things are good but not all things are useful. We must discern what is the will of God, what builds the kingdom of God, what has been given to us as talents, goods and time; and to see how we can obtain salvation by the use of them for ourselves and others.

Like St Ignatius, we must recognise that there is a warfare between Christ and the devil. There are two standards — the flag of Satan and the flag of Christ. We must discern that. All of us follow one or the other. The purpose of life is for us to go to heaven and to win the victory for Christ by choosing His way of life.

Please come and visit with us, we need your help,

We are at 87-91 Hanover Street, Kingston, Jamaica

Phone us at 876 550 8987

We need cash or kind:

Food — rice, macaroni, noodles

Toiletries — toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soaps

Diapers — adult and children

You may also send donations to our account:

JN Bank

Premier Branch

Savings Acct: 209 477 2994

Father Ho Lung & Friends Foundation

— Father Richard Ho Lung is founder of Missionaries of the Poor