Saint Ignatius of Loyola - 1
Dear Friends,
Some of us have been educated at Jesuit universities, and probably many more of us have encountered Jesuit priests when attending Mass or on other occasions.
This religious community of priests, formally titled the Society of Jesus, was founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
Ignatius was born in 1491 in an area called Loyola, located in the Basque country of northern Spain.
Through family connections, Ignatius secured a position in a royal court and soon also became a soldier in the military.
He sought distinction and honor as a soldier and, in these young years, he was also what we would call a lady’s man.
Ignatius was seriously injured in a battle in 1521 and it took him a full year to recover.
During this time, he read a life of Christ and a book on the saints – not because he wanted to read them, but because they were the only books available where we was convalescing.
Ignatius realized that a change, a conversion was taking place within him.
He was finding a joy and comfort in the thought of giving his life to God that he had not found anywhere else in his thirty years of life.
When his recovery was more or less complete, Ignatius laid down his armor and sword and made a lengthy retreat.
During this, he began keeping notes which would eventually lead to his masterful work, The Spiritual Exercises.
Eventually, he began his studies for the priesthood – in Barcelona and then in Paris.
Others, like Saint Francis Xavier, were attracted to Ignatius’ vision and joined him in forming the Society of Jesus.
The eleven of them were ordained to the priesthood in 1537.
They took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and eventually a fourth vow that is distinct to the Jesuits, the vow of obedience to the Pope in matters related to their mission.
Ignatius was chosen as the superior of the Society and led them until his death in 1556.
More on Ignatius of Loyola next week, in the Inbox Inspirations of June 2.
Father Michael Schleupner
Saint Ignatius of Loyola - 2
Dear Friends,
Toward the end of his life, Ignatius wrote an autobiography and wrote it as if he were writing about someone else.
In other words, he spoke of “he” instead of “I.”
He reflected in this work on his conversion which started during his long convalescence from a battlefield injury.
Ignatius writes this:
“When he thought of worldly matters, he found much delight; but after growing weary and dismissing them, he found that he was dry and unhappy. But when he thought of…imitating the saints in all the austerities they practiced, he not only found consolation in these thoughts, but even after they had left him, he remained happy and joyful.”
This experience began a journey that led to a deep relationship with Christ.
It also led Ignatius to write the Spiritual Exercises.
The Exercises are not so much a book of prayers as they are a guide for a thorough inventory of one’s life and one’s relationship with Christ.
Ignatius intended that the Spiritual Exercises could be done in various ways, with two being primary: over a lengthy, usually thirty-day silent retreat, or over a span of many months, both ways under the guidance of a spiritual director.
The Spiritual Exercises are also the source for what has become a rather popular form of prayer, the Ignatian Examen.
The Examen is not just an examination of conscience for purposes of contrition.
Rather, it is more of a method of daily prayer that is very inclusive or comprehensive and includes a step of contrition.
I myself have done an Ignatian thirty-day retreat and have also been using the Examen as an integral part of my daily prayer for over twenty years.
Beginning with the Inbox Inspirations of June 16, I will try to explain and reflect on the five steps of the Examen.
However, before doing that, next week, I want to highlight some of the basic themes of Ignatian spirituality.
Father Michael Schleupner
Quotation above from the A Pilgrim’s Journey: The Autobiography of Ignatius of Loyola.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola - 3
Dear Friends,
One of the major features of Ignatian spirituality is discernment.
For Ignatius, discernment of what God wants us to do is more than decision-making.
It is that, but it is making the decision by looking within, at our inner selves, and looking outside, at relationships and experiences in life.
Discernment is looking at all of this prayerfully and with the intention of learning God’s will for us.
Ignatius believed that we could hear God by being attentive to our inner life.
So, he first trusted his deeper feelings.
He believed that the joy and fullness that he felt from even just thinking of giving his life to Christ was God speaking to him about what to do.
Likewise, he believed that the emptiness that he felt from just daydreaming about a life of honor and romance was also God speaking to him about what not to do.
So, Ignatius says: trust your deeper feelings.
Something is going on especially in strong positive and strong negative feelings.
There is some message here from God.
Ignatius was confident that God speaks to each of us directly.
God loves us personally, and we have a relationship with God.
Another theme that is central to Ignatius is journey.
He saw himself as on a journey, always delving deeper into his relationship with God and always seeking what God wants of him at any given moment.
As I noted in last week’s Inbox, Ignatius spoke of himself as a pilgrim, always on the move until we finish our journey on earth and meet God face to face.
Ignatius intended that the daily prayer of the Examen would help to keep us fresh and active on our journey and be a way of extending the Spiritual Exercises into daily life.
Next week I will begin looking directly at the Ignatian Examen and its five steps.
Father Michael Schleupner
Some of the above thoughts developed from A Simple Life-Changing Prayer by Jim Manney and from What Do You Really Want? By Jim Manney.
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