St. Ignatius and the Ascension

- the Ascension rock, inside the edicule, said to bear the imprint of Jesus' right foot

The Ascension .... Jesus going away. Again. As I thought of him floating up into the clouds like a helium balloon (thatks to James Alison for that mental image) I remembered Ignatius of Loyola being in Jerusalem, having to leave against his will, and stealing away a last couple of times to Mount Olivet to view again the footprint(s?) of Jesus left in stone when he ascended. Here's a bit from Saint Ignatius' Autobiography, part 30, courtesy of Mark Mossa SJ ....

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This done, he returned to where he had been before, and was seized with a great desire of again visiting Mount Olivet before leaving, since it was not our Lord’s will that he remain there in those holy places. On Mount Olivet there was a stone from which our Lord ascended into heaven and the print of his footstep is still to be seen. It was this he wished to see again. Without a word to anyone, therefore, or without taking a guide (for those who go without a Turk as a guide run great risk), he slipped away from the others and went alone to Mount Olivet. The guards did not want to let him in, but he gave them a desk-knife which he carried with him. After having prayed with deep devotion, he wanted to go to Bethpage, and while he was there, he recalled again that he had not noticed on Mount Olivet in what direction the right foot was turned, or in what direction the left. Returning, he gave his scissors, I think, to the guards for permission to enter.

When they learned at the monastery that he had left without a guide, the friars made every effort to find him. As he was coming down from Mount Olivet, he fell in with a Syrian Christian who worked at the monastery. The man had a large staff and showing signs of great annoyance made as though he were going to beat him with it, and when he came up with him, grabbed him roughly by the arm, and the pilgrim easily allowed himself to be led away. The good man never let go of him. Coming thus in the grasp of the Syrian Christian, he had great consolation from our Lord Who he thought he saw above him all along the way. This consolation lasted in great abundance till they reached the monastery.

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You can find the Autobiography of St. Ignatius online here at the Internet Archive.