of myself, and place all that belongs to me at the disposal of thy most holy will, protesting before thy infinite goodness, and in presence of thy august mother Mary, and the entire heavenly court, that it is my intention, my desire, and my unalterable resolution (for thy greater glory and the good of souls) to follow Thee as closely as I can, and to imitate Thee in bearing injuries and adversity of all kinds, in true poverty, both of will and in act, if it be pleasing to your Divine majesty that I should adopt this kind of life" (a). And, in truth, what is more just than that I should serve you to whom I entirely belong; to whom I owe, and from whom I hope for, everything; whom alone I ought to fear; without whose assistance I can do nothing? And what more glorious or happy state can there be than to serve you, whose service is a duty, whose yoke surpasses all sweetness? And, nevertheless, oh! how many times, have I said, "I will not serve"! How often have I, a contumacious rebel, shaken off this most sweet yoke? Ah, I confess it, I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost" (b). But now I present my hands again to receive the manacles, and I bow my neck to receive the yoke: "I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou shalt go" (c). I will renounce the works of darkness, and will follow Thee, the light of life. Ah, only do Thou teach me to do thy will; that is, the manner in which you wish me to imitate Thee, and behold me ready to follow Thee-ready, and indifferent to everything. (a) De Regno Christi, Part ii. punct. 3. COMPENDIUM. I. It is just that we follow Jesus Christ-1. Because of the dominion which He has over us by right of conquest, by right of purchase, by right of donation and inheritance, and finally by right of election both on his part towards us, and on our part towards Him: since this obligation towards our Lord arises out of our baptism. 2. Because of the conditions which He puts before us: for He shall share with us all the advantages and the disadvantages of the war alike: that is, not only the coarse food, the clothing, the labours, the battles, and the wounds, but also the victories, the triumph, and the glory. 3. Because of the end at which He aims. This end is twofold-the first is the greater glory of God, to be promoted by the extirpation of vice, and the practice of virtue; the second is the happiness of man: "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (a). II. To follow Christ is honourable-1. Because of the excellence of the Captain, who is "the Lord of lords; " before whom heaven, and earth, and hell bow down in reverence. 2. Because of the excellence of the service; for, to serve Him is to reign; and his servants become his children, his friends, and his heirs: "It is great glory to follow the Lord" (b). III. To follow Jesus Christ is easy and pleasant. 1. By reason of the way, for He himself goes before us-smoothing down every difficulty by His grace, (b) Eccles. xxiii, 38. (a) Luke xix. 10. making sweet all that is bitter. 2. Because of the assistance which He renders to us. 3. Because of the companions whom He gives us to accompany us on our road. Were an earthly monarch to invite us to accompany him to battle on the like generous conditions, who would be so cowardly as to decline the offer? And will we refuse to follow God, who holds out to us conditions infinitely more liberal? LECTURE. On the Imitation of Christ. Having already detested our sins, we have proposed to God to follow Jesus Christ in whatsoever manner shall be pleasing to Him. This manner, however, is no other than the Imitation of Christ; "for unto this are you called," says the Apostle S. Peter, "that you should follow his steps" (a). And with reason: "for He is the exemplar proposed to us by the Father, that by imitating Him we may amend and regulate our corrupt manners, and direct our footsteps into the paths of peace" (b). And, therefore, that special, peculiar manner in which our Lord desires to be served by us consists in the imitation of Christ. In fact, God wishes to be served in that manner which is proper to everyone's condition, and necessary for salvation; and this for Christians is no other than the imitation of Christ. For, as to serve his Creator is the proper and essential end of Man, so, to imitate Jesus Christ is the proper and essential end (a) 1 Peter ii. 21. (b) Directory, c. xviii. n. 2. of a Christian; and for this reason S. Gregory Nissenus says that "a Christian is another Christ;" that is to say, one who in his life and manners represents Christ Himself—and this cannot be accomplished without imitating Him. Therefore, to imitate Jesus Christ is the duty and essential characteristic of every Christian. Nay more, this imitation of Christ is in the very first degree necessary in order to attain our last end. For, as he shall not enjoy the kingdom of heaven who has not properly served God, neither shall he enjoy it who has not imitated Jesus Christ. He Himself has taught this doctrine, saying: "No man cometh to the Father but by me" (a); that is, as Cornelius a Lapíde interprets the passage, "by imitating me". Since He alone is the way that leads to life, whosoever wishes to reach that goal "ought himself also to walk even as he walked” (b). Moreover, "whom God foreknew, he also predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his Son" (c). Therefore, no one will be numbered among the elect unless he is found conformable to Jesus Christ; and no one can be found comformable to Him who does not walk in his footsteps. Behold, then, the manner in which God wishes to be served by us. II. This second week corresponds to the illuminative way; for, as the Directory remarks, " its end is to propose to ourselves Christ our Lord as the true way; for Christ is the Sun of Justice which illumines every man that cometh into this world" (d); and He Himself says of Himself, "I am the way" (e); “I (a) John xiv. 6. (b) 1 John ii. 6. (d) Directory, ch. xviii. n. 2. (c) Rom. viii. 29. (e) John xiv. 6. am the light of the world; he that followeth me walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (a). In the preceding meditation, S. Ignatius has led us to the resolution of following this way and this light; but, for the present, however, he merely puts before us, in a general way, the imitation of Christ, reserving the more special application of it for the meditations which are yet to come on. § II. The preceding meditation is called "The contemplation of the kingdom of Christ," because in it Jesus Christ is represented to us as the restorer of his Father's kingdom, now for many ages devastated by Adam and his descendants; and as the meditation on the End of Man is the foundation and cornerstone of the exercises, taken as a whole, so this one may be regarded as the foundation of all the meditations that follow during the remaining weeks, for it is interwoven with and influences them all, and particularly that which regards the choice of the method by which we follow Christ, or, in other words, imitate Him in forming for ourselves a more perfect rule of life. From this we may perceive the necessity of the present meditation, and with what fervour we ought to apply ourselves to it, since from it depends the fruit of all the other meditations. II. Add to this, that the meditation is excellent and sublime in itself, for three reasons: 1, because of the matter of which it treats; 2, because of the (a) John viii. 12. |