Perhaps Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) is the best known figure in the world today in spite of him having lived during the reformation and counter-reformation of European history of 16th century. His little Catholic organisation which he founded the “Society of Jesus” in 1540 which, he often called the minima compagnia/societa (little society) has stood the test of time and history. St Ignatius is a towering figure today because he continues to inspire thousands of people to follow him and in the methods set by him. Every year more than 400 young men join his ideals to follow the Christ Crucified under the banner the Cross with a sole purpose to love God and serve His humanity leaving behind family and wealth of the secular world. In other words, in everything to love and serve for the greater glory of God - Ad maiorem Dei gloriam (AMDG). The Catholic Church and the Society of Jesuits/Jesuits celebrate his feast day on 31st of July every year, the day he left this world to be with his Master forever.
Three quick takeaways from his life.
Firstly, St Ignatius showed us that we could have direct and immediate experience of God. Thus grow in familiarity with God. St Ignatius' powerful but a thin book the “Spiritual Exercises” continues to play miracles in the lives of people especially in transforming them to be the citizens of God [15]! During Ignatius’ time people thought that we cannot go to God or experience God without some sort of agency or assistance from someone else. Moreover the so called the theology of the indulgences strengthened this conviction that God is unattainable individually or by one's sincere efforts. St Ignatius solved this mystery through his experiences which he would call in his “Autobiography” that God taught him as a schoolmaster teaches a child [27]. Jesuit Karl Rahner, the theologian of the 20th century drew heavily from St Ignatius in articulating his theological insights and coined a very fascinating phrase “Self-communication of God" in German Selbstmitteilung Gottes [cf. The Foundations of Christian Faith] to say that God continues to communicate himself freely and openly to each person.
Secondly, St Ignatius taught us that we could know the Will of God in our lives through a process of discernment which is also found in the “Spiritual Exercises” [169-189, 313-336]. God is ever present in our lives and His creation. Just like St Augustine who said that our hearts are made only for God and they rest solely in Him, so too, St Ignatius wrote very well in the "Principle and Foundation" [Sp Ex 23] that we are made for God and whole creation is a help in order to reach that God who created us to praise, reverence, and serve God and by means of doing this to save one's soul. In the Contemplation to Attain Love [Sp Ex 230-237] St Ignatius taught us to find God in all things and all things in Him. A truly inclusive idea he put forward much before the modern man could think of. All his attention was on humanity’s salvation and is possible if we know God’s will and see God present and active in the world and in our lives.
Thirdly, St Ignatius contributed a thought that is still applicable today, that is God/Christ centeredness and other centeredness which, should be the hallmark of our lives. St Ignatius is very clear that we are not permanent and eternal stakeholders of this world. As finite and unfinished realities, we will have to make sure that we are not the masters of this world but stewards of this universe. This means, we should have a heart for everyone and our hands should reach out to each person including the least and the lost in the world. St Ignatius himself started a house for destitute women of Rome - Casa Santa Martha and founded an orphanage in the Eternal City. He also set a few rules in the Spiritual Exercises on Almsgiving [337-344]. He sent his first compañero Francis Xavier to Asia in order to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ, Simon Rodrigues to Portugal, Peter Faber to the European countries where Catholic Church was disintegrating because of Martin Luther’s reformation stunt. St Ignatius wanted put Christ at the center of the Church and the world and not personal or national interests.
St Ignatius is still relevant to us to experience God directly in the world, to know God’s will in our lives and put God in the center of our lives. In other words, in everything to love and serve, en todo amar y servir.
Olvin Veigas
1 comment:
" You can make a difference." is the transformational message we get from our beloved St. Ignatius Loyola the Saint of all times. His life history speaks that he is an Angel in human form being everything to everyone; believing in others much more than they believe themselves, taking every opportunity to show to others that they are better than they think they are. He is the gentlest of all saints who is the source of inspiration to many. Like him, we can be a propelling force, if not to all,at least in a few lives that cross ours. Because today we have reached where we have reached because at some stage of our life, somebody believed in us much more than we believed in ourselves. Thank you Father for your wonderful thought about the life of your beloved Saint. St.Ignatius please pray for us.
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