St. Ignatius of Loyola
One
The life of St. Ignatius of Loyola illustrates well St. Paul’s teaching offered in Romans, “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him.” (Romans 8:28) Ignatius was a soldier of fortune, and his fortune radically changed when his leg was shattered by a cannonball in Pamplona, Spain in 1521 during a battle with the French. His long and difficult healing process included much suffering. His legs had to be set and rebroken many times to try to straighten them. It was during this excruciating process, however, that God spoke to him while reading the Bible and the Lives of the Saints. In his heart he discovered a longing he never noticed: a longing that only God could satisfy. Adventure, fortune, damsels in distress and the like could not compare with the adventure awaiting him in his journey towards intimacy with God. He later composed this prayer as an ode to the experience that changed his life: “O my God, teach me to be generous to serve you as you deserve to be served, to give without counting the cost, to fight without fear of being wounded, to work without seeking rest, and to spend myself without expecting any reward but the knowledge that I am doing your holy will. Amen.
Two
St. Ignatius became a great saint and founded of the order known as the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits. He chose to do something great for God with his life, and the Lord blessed him because of it. During his long recovery coupled with the training in prayer and penance he realized some thoughts left him feeling inspired and fulfilled while others left him saddened and dissatisfied. When he considered the differences between these thoughts, he recognized that two powerful forces were acting upon him. When he prioritized serving God, the devil attempted to incite his worldly desires which made him agitated and restless. This is how the devil seeks to turn all of us off the path to holiness and to get us to act out of weakness. On the other hand, the Lord offered him great consolations when he chose to fight weakness and serve Jesus. This discovery formed the basis of his method of discernment. Indeed, to follow the path the Lord sets for us is to follow the path of true joy, peace, and fulfillment.
Three
He began his service to our Lord by laying down his sword and uniform before an image of Our Lady. He gave his other clothes away to a poor man. He begged for his food. When he was not working or begging, he would go into a cave and practice spiritual penances and periods of long prayer, begging God to show him how to overcome his weak will. This taught him that to be a great spiritual warrior he needed to train and develop a routine which allowed him to constantly identify and overcome weaknesses, and, as he put it, “order one's life, without being influenced in one's decision by any inordinate affection.” Ignatius knew that avoiding all forms of temptation were not possible in this life but as we grow close to Jesus in prayer and sacraments, we have the means to overcome temptation and avoid sin. May we follow the example of this great saint so that we can avoid sin and grow in Christ’s virtues with the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We’re not perfect, but with Our Lady’s help, the closer we get to God the closer we get to perfection.
Four
Ignatius knew how tempting the pleasures of life are. He knew how easy it is to say you will live better, and even mean it, and then to forget your resolutions and remain mediocre. The only way to avoid a life of sloth is a daily examination. Here is a simple method called 3-2-1:
a. Begin by finding 3 ways your day went well. These should include ways you resisted temptation. Thank God for his blessings and graces of the day.
b. Next, review 2 problematic ways you could have done better that day. If you have failed to complete any resolutions, wasted too much time entertaining yourself, done something you shouldn’t have, failed to do something you should. The point is not to beat yourself up, but to find what weaknesses the enemy is exploiting in you.
c. Finally make 1 resolution for the following day that will help to counteract weaknesses by practicing the opposite virtue.
Practicing this plan everyday will help us create a simple way of life in holiness!
Five
The Jesuits achieved incredible works of missionary evangelization. Ignatius lead his army to liberate many souls from the prison of sin and join the victorious and joyful work of Christ. Ignatius’s desire for bravery, courage, and sacrifice on the field of battle was purified and transformed into leading others to friendship with Jesus. He envisioned creating a whole society of people doing just that. He called it the Society of Jesus, his religious order. Let us follow his example and form our own movement of our family and friends to lead others to friendship with Jesus. With Our Lady’s help, we can overcome the wickedness of this world and create a new society of friends of Jesus.