Saint Ignatius of Loyola: "For the greater glory of God"

Summary:

 Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola was born in Azpeitia, at Loyola Castle in the Basque region of Spain, in 1491, the youngest of thirteen children in a family of knights. He spent time at the court of Castile and indulged in the vanities of the world. An officer in the army of the King of Navarre, he was wounded in the leg during the siege of Pamplona in 1521, and spent a year convalescing in his native castle. Not being able to find chivalric romances, his favorite readings, he read two books that were brought to him: The Life of Jesus Christ, by the Carthusian Ludolph of Saxony, and The Golden Legend, by Jacobus de Voragine, a collection of 153 hagiographies. Touched by grace, he underwent a spiritual conversion and discerned a call to the religious life. From then on, he decided to no longer serve earthly kings, but to defend the Church and work for the glory of God. At the same time, in another castle - at Wartburg, in Germany - the monk Martin Luther was taking a different path.

In 1522,  at age 29, Íñigo donned beggar's clothing, went to the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat, in Catalonia. Joyfully, he walked up to this famous place of pilgrimage to the Black Madonna set on top of a mountain, confessed his sins, knelt before the image of the Virgin and spent the whole night in prayer like the knights of old. During that overnight vigil he hung his sword and dagger at the Virgin's altar. His soul was so enflammed by God that spent 11 months living in a cave at the nearby town of Manresa, practicing severe penances and praying for seven hours a day. There, he underwent great spiritual trials and received the gift of discernment, which inspired him to write the Spiritual Exercises (constantly revised until the end of 1540). But Ignatius remained a knight at heart. In March 1523, he set off on foot for Jerusalem, with the aim of converting the infidels.

In his autobiography, he wrote:

"When I thought about what was in the world, I enjoyed it; but when afterwards, feeling tired, I left it, I found myself dry and discontented. When I thought of going barefoot to Jerusalem, eating nothing but herbs, and doing all the other austerities I saw the saints do, not only was I consoled when I found myself in such thoughts, but also, after leaving them, I remained content and cheerful. But I did not pay attention to this and did not stop to weigh up this difference until, once, my eyes opened a little: I began to be surprised by this diversity and to reflect on it; understanding by experience that after certain thoughts I remained sad and, after others, cheerful, I came little by little to know the diversity of the spirits that agitated me, one of the devil, the other of God."

We already recognize the Ignatian attention to inner movements, the dynamics of desire, the interplay of passions such as joy and sadness, which would be at the heart of the Spiritual Exercises and the discernment of spirits, lying at the core of Ignatian spirituality.

From 1526 to 1528, Ignatius studied at a free public grammar school in Barcelona (the only adult among children!), then continued his studies at the universities of Alcalá and Salamanca. One day, he caused a commotion as he was preaching the street and since he didn't yet have a degree in theology he was interrogated by the Inquisition and later released. Following many unpleasant experiences, he moved to France to study at the University of Paris from 1528 to 1535, where he obtained the degree of Master of Arts. It was in Paris that he recruited a number of students who shared his ideals: Francis Xavier, Peter Favre, James Lainez, Alfonso Salmerón... In 1534, the group took the vows of poverty and chastity at Montmartre (in a chapel dedicated to the martyrdom of Saint Denis), and a third vow to go defend the faith in Jerusalem when their studies were finished - but if that were not possible, they would perform whatever good they could for the pope and Church. The foundations of the congregation of clerics of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, were laid. Ignatius, the future Superior General of the order, was ordained in Venice in 1537. He wrote to his first brothers: "Go and set the world on fire". Pope Paul III approved the Society of Jesus in 1540, and its members were bound by a special vow of obedience to the Pope, making them available for all kinds of missions around the world.

Ignatius is best known for his Spiritual Exercises, a book to be lived rather than read. Spiritual exercises are a discipline for the soul, just as physical exercises are for the body. Saint Paul depicted the Christian as an athlete running in the stadium. Ignatius wrote at the beginning of the Exercises: "By these words 'spiritual exercises', we mean any way of examining one's conscience, of meditating, of contemplating, of praying vocally or mentally."

For centuries the Exercises were most commonly given as a “long retreat” of about 30 days in solitude and silence to help people deepen their relationship with God. They are a compilation of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices.  In recent years, there has been a renewed emphasis on the Spiritual Exercises as a program for laypeople.  The most common way of going through the Exercises now is a “retreat in daily life,” which involves a monthslong program of daily prayer and meetings with a spiritual director. The aim is to find God's will in the way you live your life, by focusing your mind and heart. The first week focuses on conversion and discipleship; the second week on contemplation of Jesus and choosing to follow him; the third week focuses on the contemplation of Christ's passion. The fourth week is centered on loving prayer and union.

Ignatian spirituality leads to a personal relationship with Christ. The Jesuit order also has played a significant role in the Catholic Church’s history, particularly during the Counter-Reformation. Jesuits became renowned as missionaries, educators, and scholars, spreading Catholic teachings worldwide and establishing schools and universities across the globe, in India, Latin America, Canada... Ignatius never saw the fruits of this apostolate. He died in Rome on July 31, 1556, at the age of 65, leaving more than a thousand disciples and hundreds of colleges and foundations. He was canonized in 1622.

Beyond reasons to believe:

The legacy of St Ignatius of Loyola is immense: The Jesuits were central to the efforts of the Catholic Counter-Reformation in producing highly-trained, multilingual priests who could teach in schools, seminaries and universities, and preach in very diverse countries. He also invented spiritual exercises to help the faithful serve God according to their own vocation.

Going further:

A Pilgrim's Journey, by St. Ignatius of Loyola,  Ignatius Press; Revised edition (September 3, 2009)

More information:

• The Pilgrim's Story: The Life and Spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola, by Brendan Comerford SJ, Loyola Press (February 1, 2021)
• Comic book: Ignatius: The Life of a Saint by Brian Edwards, ATF Press (January 1, 2016)

• The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, translated by Father Elder Mullan, Digireads.com Publishing (February 17, 2019)