Saint Ignatius Of Loyola

The stories and history of the saints always lead to the path of Christ.

When our daughter Sonja was planning her wedding, I wanted to be sure that our friend, Fr. Pat  from Ohio, would celebrate the Mass. Fr. Pat was a Jesuit priest. When he signed the marriage certificate, he wrote that he was from “The Society of Jesus” as his order. There was conflict with this information because it would  not be the acceptable name for this religious order. Sonja had to go through some red tape to get this cleared up before her marriage certificate was released.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

If you are not already aware, all universities with the name Loyola are rooted in the foundation of this Jesuit order. Ignatius of Loyola was born in Azpeitia, Spain in 1491. He came from a noble background, was the youngest of thirteen, and all he wanted in life was to be a knight. He was a womanizer and brave soldier looking for fame.

In the battle of Pamplona against the French army he was severely injured. A cannon ball ricocheted, shattering one leg and causing injury to his other leg. He returned to the family castle for his recovery.

The shattered bone on his leg was protruding so badly that he requested the bone be cut in order for him to walk without a limp. Without anesthesia, that part of the bone was removed. This surgery caused him to undergo a longer convalescent period.

This was the beginning of his spiritual journey. Ignatius requested reading material about knights but instead received books about the life of Christ. Through these readings he developed a love for Christ. He decided that as soon as he recovered he would travel to the Holy Land to kiss the ground where Jesus walked.

God’s Calling

Sometimes we must go through drastic measures in order for God to get our attention. Many saints walked this fine line with one foot in the world and the other on spiritual ground. As we all know we can’t do both because the foot in the world will always draw us back to our old sinful ways. When we surrender to the Lord, there should be no turning back. This was the case for Ignatius of Loyola. Though he went through great hardships and a painful spiritual journey, he persevered.

As soon as St. Ignatius’ health improved, he headed to the Holy Land, but first he visited the altar of Our Lady of  Montserrat. In an all night-vigil, he prayed while standing or kneeling before Our Lady and resolved to leave his clothing and to dressed himself in the humble armor of Christ. He made a general confession in writing which lasted three days. St. Ignatius placed his sword and dagger on the church altar of Our Lady.

Manresa, Spain

In 1522 he entered into a period of ascetic, profound practices of prayer and fasting. He abstained from eating meat or drinking wine. St. Ignatius decided to let his hair grow without combing or cutting it; he also let his fingernails and toenails go unattended. It was Ignatius’ practice to beg for alms and pray in a nearby cave for seven hours a day. During this time of deep prayer he was  tormented by his past sins. The torment was so bad that he wanted to throw himself into a large hole near his room. Realizing that it was a sin to kill oneself, he shouted to the Lord, “Lord, I will do nothing to offend You!” Finally after forgoing eating or drinking for an entire week, he received communion. The following week after confession he returned to grooming himself.

The Holy Encounter

Once as St. Ignatius was walking and praying along a river bed, he sat for a while and experienced something  profoundly deep. His eyes were opened to the supernatural. He began to understand both spiritual things and matters of faith. This was not a vision but an insight to greater clarity of his understanding. This was greater than an epiphany because it remained with him his entire life.

Education

Ignatius studied  Latin in Alcala, Spain. In 1534 he enrolled at the University of Paris, where he met Francis Xavier and Peter Faber. They, along with four other men, were part of Ignatius’ great fruit. In 1534  St. Ignatius formed a new order “The Society of Jesus, ” also known as the Jesuits.

I’m amazed that today, in order to become a Jesuit priest, it could take as long as 12 years! This brings to my mind all the loonies getting their degrees online to become a pastor. The priesthood takes a lot of discernment and cannot be taken lightly. All religious leaders must be accountable to a higher authority or they will lead their sheep astray.

Born In Such a Time As This

Ignatius’ role in life came at the time of  the Counter-reformation. This was part of God’s plan for Ignatius’ life. He was a disciplined man who wanted nothing more than to understand the spiritual matters of God. During this time many religious orders were influenced by political gain and corruption. St. Ignatius’ dedication to the strict teaching of Catholic principles would pave the way back to Christ’s teachings. The Society of Jesus was under the covering of the Pope, not a local bishop. In order to avoid any outside influences, St. Ignatius made sure that his order and direction came from the Pope.

We, too, are born in such a time as this. God strategically put us on earth at this time to  make a difference. He knew how evil the world would become and filled it with Christians who are trained in battle attire. We are the modern-day warriors, who quietly bombard heaven on behalf of lost souls. We are a powerful army who go into the battlefield to get rid of all demonic forces on earth. Just as St. Ignatius, God surrounds us with like soldiers to conquer and reclaim our righteous, hallowed ground.

I leave you with two powerful prayers of St. Ignatius of Loyola:

Suscipe, the Radical Prayer

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
My memory, my understanding
And my entire will,
All I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace.
That is enough for me.

Amen.

Prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds hide me.
Permit me not to be separated from you.
From the wicked foe, defend me.
At the hour of my death, call me
and bid me come to you.
That with your saints I may praise you.

For ever and ever.

Amen.