Saint Ignatius Loyola, Priest
(1491 – 1556)
White
Ignatius was born in Loyola in the Spanish Basque country. Initially a soldier, he was wounded in the battle of Pamplona. With his companions, in 1540, they formed the Society of Jesus. Ignatius wrote the Spiritual Exercises, a systematic step-by-step retreat that can be followed by anyone – and has been followed by many, not all of them Catholics, ever since.
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Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Phil 2: 10-11
At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Collect
O God, who raised up Saint Ignatius of Loyola in your Church to further the greater glory of your name, grant that by his help we may imitate him in fighting the good fight on earth and merit to receive with him a crown in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Jeremiah 15:10,16-21
‘Woe is me, my mother, for you have borne me to be a man of strife and of dissension for all the land. I neither lend nor borrow, yet all of them curse me. ‘When your words came, I devoured them: your word was my delight and the joy of my heart; for I was called by your name, the Lord, God of Hosts. I never took pleasure in sitting in scoffers’ company; with your hand on me I held myself aloof, since you had filled me with indignation. Why is my suffering continual, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Do you mean to be for me a deceptive stream with inconstant waters?’ To which the Lord replied, ‘If you come back, I will take you back into my service; and if you utter noble, not despicable, thoughts, you shall be as my own mouth. They will come back to you, but you must not go back to them. I will make you a bronze wall fortified against this people. They will fight against you but they will not overcome you, because I am with you to save you and to deliver you – it is the Lord who speaks. I mean to deliver you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the clutches of the violent. ’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 58:2-5,10-11,17-18
R/ O God, you have been a refuge in the day of my distress.
Rescue me, God, from my foes; protect me from those who attack me. O rescue me from those who do evil and save me from blood-thirsty men.
See, they lie in wait for my life; powerful men band together against me. For no offence, no sin of mine, Lord, for no guilt of mine they rush to take their stand.
O my Strength, it is you to whom I turn, for you, O God, are my stronghold, the God who shows me love.
As for me, I will sing of your strength and each morning acclaim your love for you have been my stronghold, a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my Strength, it is you to whom I turn, for you, O God, are my stronghold, the God who shows me love.
Gospel Acclamation : Ps118:105
Alleluia, alleluia! Your word is a lamp for my steps and a light for my path. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 13:44-46
Jesus said to the crowds, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field. ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May these offerings we make to you as we celebrate Saint Ignatius be pleasing, Lord God, and grant that the sacred mysteries, which you have made the fount of all holiness, may sanctify us, too, in the truth. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Lk 12: 49
Thus says the Lord: I have come to cast fire on the earth, and how I wish that it were kindled!
Prayer after Communion
May the sacrifice of praise that we have offered with thanksgiving in honour of Saint Ignatius, O Lord, bring us to exalt your majesty without end. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The parable of the hidden treasure and the parable of the pearl speak of the same ideas. Firstly, the kingdom proclaimed by Jesus has great value. Only when someone becomes aware of the great value present in the kingdom he/she could give priority to the kingdom. Secondly, there is an urgency to respond to the kingdom’s good news. The persons in the parables make great sacrifices to obtain the hidden treasure and the pearl. They joyfully abandon everything they treasured in the past to obtain the field and the pearl, respectively. The kingdom of heaven completely alters one’s priorities in life. Many disciples who followed Jesus left everything, but now they should prioritize the kingdom above everything else. Are we ready to give up everything and give priority to the kingdom?