(58) S. Ignatius does not speak here of angels as being sent forth by our Lord, though if he had done so this point would have answered more completely to the corresponding point in the first part of the meditation. The reason, of course, is that our Lord has chosen, not angels, but men to be His Apostles and Evangelists; and in this Exercise S. Ignatius desires to turn our thoughts to the possibility that we may be called, not only to the life of evangelical perfection, but also to the Apostolic life and ministry. There is, however, no reason why we should not, if we please, add the thought of the holy angels as sent forth by our Lord for our succour and defence, as they assuredly are; and in like manner when we think of Lucifer sending forth his emissaries, we may include among them evil men, whom as well as evil angels he uses as his agents in the work of tempting and destroying souls. If, however, we should add this thought of the holy angels to our meditation, let us not forget that they, too, are sent into every province and city and place, and to all sorts and conditions of persons, not one single individual being left by our Lord without their succour and defence. We must not allow ourselves to think of Lucifer as more eager and active to destroy men than our Lord is to help and save them. (Cf. the Collect for S. Michael and All Angels.)

The third, to consider the address which Christ our Lord makes to all His servants and friends, whom He sends on this expedition, charging them that they should desire to help all, by drawing (59) them first to most perfect spiritual poverty (60), and (if it should please His divine Majesty (61) and He should will to choose them) not less to actual poverty; secondly, to a desire of reproaches and contempt; because from these two things results humility. So that there are three steps: the first, poverty, opposed to riches; the second, shame or contempt, opposed to worldly honour; the third, humility, opposed to pride; and from these three steps let them lead them on to all the other virtues.

(59) Drawing them, i.e. not forcing them, but attracting and persuading. The satellites of Lucifer seek to allure men with their snares and then to bind them with chains; the Apostles and Ministers of Christ, to draw them sweetly and persuasively from worldly and carnal to spiritual things, by the attractive power of the Gospel which they preach.

The retreatant will do well to consider in all their contrasted details these portraits of Jesus Christ and of Lucifer which S. Ignatius draws. They will help him to realize the cruel tyranny of Satan on the one hand, and the gentleness and love of Christ our Saviour on the other.

(60) Most perfect spiritual poverty. See Note 9, p. 83. This perfect spirit of poverty is, according to S. Ignatius, to be urged upon all, and all are to ask earnestly for it in the colloquy of this Exercise. Compare our Lord's teaching: 'Whosoever he be of you that renounceth not,' at least in spirit and affection, 'all that he hath,' everything without exception and reserve to which his heart may cling, or on which he may rely, 'he cannot be My disciple' (S. Luke xiv. 33).

This complete detachment of heart and poverty in spirit is the only thing which can secure us against the dangerous fascination of riches, by means of which Satan seeks to ensnare so many, and to hold them in his grasp. It is not enough that we are not avaricious; we must ask earnestly for the spirit and love of poverty, if we would not be caught in his snares.

And since

this meditation is intended to be in some sort an introduction to the Apostolic life, it is very necessary that all who feel themselves called to such a life should thoroughly understand this teaching of our Lord, and be fully convinced that if a complete poverty in spirit is necessary for all, there are none for whom it is more necessary than themselves. If without it no one can be Christ's disciple, much less can he hope to be an Apostle. For the danger and deceitfulness of riches see S. Mark x. 23–27; S. Luke viii. 14; xviii. 22–27; 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10.

It was in this meditation that God revealed to S. Ignatius the idea and plan of his Society, and also the name by which it was to be called.

(61) If it should please His divine Majesty, etc. This condition, which is repeated in the colloquy, is necessary, because the exercitant is not yet supposed to know whether God calls him to actual poverty or not.

A colloquy addressed to our Lady to obtain for me grace from her Son and Lord, that I may be received under His Standard; first, in most perfect spiritual poverty, and (if it should please His divine Majesty, and He should will to elect and receive me) not less in actual poverty; secondly, in bearing reproaches and

injuries (62), the better to imitate Him in these, provided only I can suffer them without sin on the part of any person, or displeasure of His divine Majesty; and after this a Hail Mary.

(62) In the Kingdom of Christ we offered ourselves to bear poverty and reproach, if it should be God's will; here we go a step farther, and ask that we may be received, if it be God's will, under our Lord's Standard in the actual practice of these things, and in the highest and most perfect degree of them. This marks great progress in our attachment to the cause of Christ. For it is much more to pray that we may be actually called to such a state of perfection, than merely to profess ourselves ready to obey the call if it should be given.

But why are we instructed in this colloquy to ask only for the first two steps, viz. poverty and contempt, and not also for the third and crowning step, which is humility? The answer is that humility is the fruit which grows out of the other two, and will be sure to follow in their train.

Moreover, the attainment of humility brings with it much sweetness and peace, but the means by which it is to be obtained, viz. the endurance of poverty, shame and injuries, are difficult and painful to nature. Therefore it is these latter virtues that we need most of all to pray for and strive after. For it is always more needful to pray for and to practise the means than to ask for the end, which will come of itself if we use the means. Nor is there anything which will more help us to attain the perfection of any virtue than that we should value, and desire, and even ask of God, the combats by which it is to be won, rather than the virtue itself. The desire of virtue may often be subject to illusion; not so the desire of the conflicts by which it is to be achieved.

If we have already embraced actual poverty in the Religious state, then we ought to pray in this colloquy for grace to bear patiently and gladly the hardships and inconveniences of poverty so far as God may call us to endure them. For there are various degrees of poverty to which a man may be called: (1) poverty in spirit; (2) actual poverty, yet without indigence, i.e. without its painful and humiliating effects; (3) the poverty of real indigence with all its hardships and privations. The first of these is necessary at least in some degree for all who would be Christ's disciples. The second is practised by all who are in Religion. The third comes upon a large portion of mankind by the provi

dence of God, and is voluntarily embraced by others who have a special call from God to live in such a state.

To ask the same of the Son, that He may obtain it for me from the Father; and then to say an Anima Christi.

To ask the same of the Father, that He may grant it me; and to say an Our Father.

Let this Exercise be made at midnight, and afterwards a second time (63) in the morning; and let two repetitions of the same be made about the hours of Mass and Vespers, always ending with the three colloquies, with our Lady, with the Son, and with the Father; and let the meditation on the Three Classes which follows be made during the hour before supper.

(63) A second time. S. Ignatius distinguishes here and elsewhere between repeating a meditation and making it a second time. In the former case we are to make a selection and dwell only on those points in which we have felt greater consolation or desolation, etc. (see First Week, third Exercise); in the latter we are to make the meditation the second time as fully and completely as if we had never made it before. This meditation is to be made four times in all. We may judge by this of the importance which S. Ignatius attaches to it.

As, however, the matter of this Exercise is so ample and so important, it may sometimes be useful to divide it into two meditations, considering first the Standard of Lucifer, and then the Standard of Christ, and afterwards making the two repetitions on both parts taken together.

For a fuller exposition of this Exercise, see Additional Note L, P. 237.

[THREE CLASSES]

On the same fourth day let there be made a meditation on three classes of men, in order that we may embrace the best (64). (64) The object of this meditation, following immediately upon the Two Standards, is to help us to test ourselves whether we are really ready to follow the call of Christ, whatever it may cost us. In the first point we are shown that good desires and good intentions are of no avail if we are not willing to take the necessary means to put them into practice. In the second, that no half-measures, no attempt to serve both God and mammon, will be sufficient. In the third, that we must have no

reserves with God, but be ready to part with everything if He should call us to do so. The first point is directed against turning a deaf ear to conscience and the call of God. The second, against compromise and insincerity. The third substitutes in place of these a generous devotion, which desires only to know and do the will of God. Therefore we must never be content to remain in the first, or even in the second class, but must endeavour with all our might to attain to the dispositions of the third, which are the only ones which will fit us to make a good and sound Election. See also Additional Note M, p. 243.

The usual preparatory prayer.

The first prelude is the history, which is concerning three classes (65) of men, each of which has acquired ten thousand ducats (66), not purely or duly for the love of God. They all desire to save their souls, and to find in peace God our Lord, by ridding themselves of the weight and impediment to this end which they find in their affection to the thing acquired.

(65) Three classes of men-literally three pairs of men (tres binarios de hombres). Why does S. Ignatius speak of pairs rather than individuals? The answer seems to be that the three closely related meditations on the Kingdom of Christ, the Two Standards, and the Three Classes, all have reference to a possible vocation of the exercitant to the Apostolic life, and are intended to be a preparation for meditating upon those Mysteries in which we contemplate our Lord calling His Apostles, and training them for their work. Now when we turn to the accounts of the vocation of the Apostles in the Gospels we find that among the earliest called were two pairs of brothers, S. Andrew and S. Peter, and the two sons of Zebedee; and again when our Lord sent out the Twelve to preach it was in pairs, two and two. It seems therefore not unlikely that S. Ignatius, having these facts more or less in his mind, was led to speak in this Exercise of pairs rather than of individuals. Others suppose that he may have been thinking of partners in business. The point is a curious one, but not of much practical importance. I have substituted the word classes in the translation as being the one generally used in speaking of this Exercise.

(66) Has acquired ten thousand ducats-honestly and legitimately, as the Directory points out (Chapter xxix. 4), otherwise no question about keeping the money could be entertained.

J.L.