When Ignatius of Loyola and his companions decided that they would dedicate their lives to an unrelenting commitment to “the greater glory of God”, they knew exactly what that commitment would entail: falling into the disfavour of all sorts of establishments, i.e. the church, governments, and families.

The rest was history. In countless national contexts, the religious of the Society of Jesus have been the catalysts for major societal revolutions as they staked their lives and reputations for justice and peace. These revolutions often caused them to have been regarded with disfavour and suspicion by secular and ecclesiastical authorities.

The point is this: when a man is so dedicated to the greater glory of God, no establishment - not even the church - can contain the magnitude of his vision. A man who is sold out to the greater glory of God becomes a threat to governments, to the church establishment, and even to his own family. A commitment to the greater glory of God compromises the political stability and the self-serving motives of such establishments.

Can one truly serve the greater glory of God without provoking the disfavour of earthly establishments? Ask Jesus. Ask history. Try as we may to shield ourselves against the wounding accuracy of this reality, it remains true that being subservient to the greater glory of God makes one an enemy to the illusions of these establishments.

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."

I wouldn’t kid myself.