In 1491, Ignatius of Loyola was born into a noble Basque family in Spain. In his youth he was a courtier, a swaggering “caballero,” and a soldier in the service of the Spanish king, Ferdinand.
While he was defending the fortress at Pamplona in 1521, his leg was shattered by a cannonball. During a prolonged convalescence, Ignatius sought diversion in the books available in the library of his family castle: the lives of Christ and the saints. These readings led Ignatius to experience an interior transformation that changed his whole life. A new desire to serve Jesus replaced his former hopes of knightly glory, and he eventually decided to study for the priesthood.
The once-proud courtier left Loyola and set out as a pilgrim to the Benedictine monastery at Montserrat. There, as a statue at the center of The University of Scranton campus depicts, he spent all night in vigil and offered his knight’s sword to Our Lady. Exchanging his rich garments for those of a beggar, he spent the next few months living in a cave in nearby Manresa. Testing himself through mortification and prayer, he reflected deeply on the life and teachings of Jesus. He kept careful notes of his experiences in prayer, notes that formed the basis of the Spiritual Exercises. This book, revised and adjusted throughout his life, was used by Ignatius to lead others to an experience of God by meditation on the life of Jesus.
While a student in Paris, the 38-year-old Ignatius drew together a small group of friends who gathered in extended prayer and meditation according to his Spiritual Exercises. His closest colleagues were Francis Xavier and Peter Faber, 23 year-old students and roommates. Over the next few years, they were joined by others who ultimately made vows of poverty and chastity on August 15, 1534, in a chapel near Paris.
The spring of 1539 found Ignatius and his companions in Rome where they engaged in serious discussions about how they might work together to serve God in the Church by helping souls. What emerged was a formula for their future. On September 27, 1540, Pope Paul III approved this formula and the Society of Jesus was born.
In 1556, Ignatius, who called himself “the pilgrim,” ended his journey to God. He died peacefully in the early morning of July 31.
Vanity of vanities, the Preacher says. Vanity of vanities. All is vanity! For so it is that a man who has laboured wisely, skilfully and successfully must leave what is his own to someone who has not toiled for it at all. This, too, is vanity and great injustice; for what does he gain for all the toil and strain that he has undergone under the sun? What of all his laborious days, his cares of office, his restless nights? This, too, is vanity.
Writings
(Year B).Standard of Lucifer:First, try to use your imagination to see the horrible and terrifying kingdom of the evil one. Imagine the place to be the vast and wide plain of Babylon (hell). Satan, in his pride, is seated on a high throne of fire and smoke to intimidate and impose his power. Using symbolic imagery, how does this place look, sound, smell and feel?
Imagine the evil one calling his numerous demons to his throne and sending them forth, throughout the whole world, to every person and place. Imagine this vast army of diabolical creatures going forth on their mission of death and destruction.
What is their mission? To set up snares for God’s people and to imprison them in their sins. These diabolical spirits are well organized and fully committed to the deception of the human race. They plan, plot, prepare, strategize and execute their plan. Saint Ignatius says that satan instructs his demons to tempt God’s people in three initial ways:
To first desire riches in their heart. To seek vainglory, honors and worldly recognition. To puff up their pride.
Ponder those three temptations in your life for a while. Have you bought into these lies?
Once the evil one has drawn a person into a love of riches, vainglory and self-centered pride, the person is disposed to be drawn into every other kind of evil deception. From those three initial temptations all other evils flow. Again, ponder these struggles in your own life.
The Standard of Christ:In contrast to the evil one, Christ is found in a humble and low plain near Jerusalem. He is standing there with crowds around Him. It is a beautiful and peaceful place. Imagine the scene of Him with a crowd of faithful followers around Him.
One by one, Jesus chooses person after person to share in His divine mission. He calls them to Himself with gentleness, interior strength and authority. And then He sends them forth on a mission. Each one of them has discovered the call of Christ, discovered the interior riches of His grace, and with hearts set ablaze with love they eagerly go forth to joyfully spread His mercy and truth. They go forth to every corner of the Earth to draw others to Christ.
As Jesus sends them forth, He spends much time teaching them and preparing them. He delivers His most heartfelt and powerful sermons, teaches parables and wins their hearts and minds. He then instructs them to go forth and to preach. They are to draw people by attracting them to the simplicity and power of His message. This is what they are to preach and to encounter. Ponder the scene and each of the following messages:
They are to preach about poverty. Interior spiritual poverty and even the value of leaving all for Christ.
If they are rejected by some, then they must rejoice and not lose heart, even if people hold them and their message in contempt.
They are to be humble and receive any humiliation in love.
By sending them forth this way, they are prepared to combat the lies of the evil one. They preach poverty to combat the love of money; they endure rejection to combat the desire for worldly status; and they preach and live humility so as to combat the evil of self-righteous pride.(Cf. Spiritual Exercises)
Musical Selection
Take and receive, O Lord, my liberty, Take all my will, my mind, my memory, All things I hold and all I own are Thine, Thine was the gift, to Thee I all resign, Do Thou direct and govern all and sway, Do what Thou wilt, command, and I obey, Only Thy grace, Thy love on me bestow, These make me rich, all else will I forego. Do Thou direct and govern all and sway, Do what Thou wilt, command, and I obey, Only Thy grace, Thy love on me bestow, These make me rich, all else will I forego.
Collect
Almighty Father, whose will it is that your Son should reign over all things, and who gave to the Church a mighty warrior in Ignatius of Loyola tofight in the name of Jesus: increase our faith so that we may trust in the power of Jesus to save us, for he, our Lord and our Redeemer, lives and reigns with you, in the unity or the Holy Spirit, God, now and for ever. Amen.(English Missal)
