The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything
“IGNATIUS WAS CRYSTAL clear about the place of obedience in the life of a Jesuit. Here’s how he began his discussion of the vow in the Constitutions, in a section called “What Pertains to Obedience.”
All should strongly dispose themselves to observe obedience and to distinguish themselves in it, not only in the matters of obligation but also in the others, even though nothing else be perceived except an indication of the superior’s will without an expressed command.
In other words, we Jesuits sh...ould be distinguished by our obedience so that even the indication of a superior’s intention should be enough reason to act. What’s more, we should receive the command from the superior “as if it were coming from Christ,” since we are practicing obedience out of love of God. We should be ready to set aside anything we are doing—even being “ready to leave unfinished any letter”—once we know what the superior wants.
Most people find that impossible to fathom. To quote the writer Kathleen Norris again, most people see obedience as “desirable in dogs but suspect in people.”MoreLess
All should strongly dispose themselves to observe obedience and to distinguish themselves in it, not only in the matters of obligation but also in the others, even though nothing else be perceived except an indication of the superior’s will without an expressed command.
In other words, we Jesuits sh...ould be distinguished by our obedience so that even the indication of a superior’s intention should be enough reason to act. What’s more, we should receive the command from the superior “as if it were coming from Christ,” since we are practicing obedience out of love of God. We should be ready to set aside anything we are doing—even being “ready to leave unfinished any letter”—once we know what the superior wants.
Most people find that impossible to fathom. To quote the writer Kathleen Norris again, most people see obedience as “desirable in dogs but suspect in people.”MoreLess
Read book The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything for free
You can download books for free in various formats, such as epub, pdf, azw, mobi, txt and others on book networks site. Additionally, the entire text is available for online reading through our e-reader. Our site is not responsible for the performance of third-party products (sites).
Write Review:
Guest
Read Also
9 / 10
User Reviews: