Every July 31, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Company of Jesus, a religious order that played a decisive role in the Catholic Reformation – also called Counter-Reformation – of the 16th and 17th centuries.
The members of the Company – whose first general (superior) was Ignatius – are known as “Jesuits”, and today they continue to work at the service of the Church, linked to the world of education and culture.
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Saint Ignatius of Loyola exercises many patronages, of various kinds. He is considered, for example, patron of spiritual exercises, retreats and days of conversion or meditation; and, at the same time, he is the patron of those who make up the army or the Armed Forces.
Master of discernment
This great saint is one of the masters of “discerning of spirits” (the ability to find the voice of the Spirit of God in the details or situations of everyday life). Likewise, he gave a renewing character to the “spiritual exercises”, a characteristic practice of the Christian tradition that consists of silencing the exterior (the noise of the world) to enter the interiority of the soul, a sanctuary in which the voice of the Creator resonates.
In the effort to follow Christ, Ignatius developed a characteristic spirituality that has inspired the genesis and growth of numerous spiritual families within the Church, as well as the most diverse initiatives and pastoral works.
The Society of Jesus, the order founded by Ignatius, has provided the Church with missionaries, educators and evangelizers for centuries, throughout the world. Its most noble fruit has been the hundreds of saints and martyrs who gave their lives for ‘the greater glory of God’. Pope Francis is counted among the children of Saint Ignatius.
“Take up the armor of God” (Eph 6, 11)
Íñigo (Ignacio) López de Loyola was born in Azpeitia, Basque Country (Spain), in 1491. From a young age he wanted to be a soldier and, as such, he participated in the Battle of Pamplona (1521), where he was wounded.
Later he abandoned his weapons to become a servant of the Church. His conversion occurred after reading The life of Christby the Carthusian Ludolf of Saxony, as well as the The flower of the saints (compilation of the lives of the saints written by the Dominican Jacobo de Vorágine). Both readings left him shocked and, in a special way, the second focused him on the legendary life of those who lived and died for Christ, who calls everyone to achieve holiness.
Ignatius questioned himself like this: “What if I did the same as Saint Francis or Saint Dominic?” About his conversion process, Saint John Paul II would say: “Ignatius knew how to obey when, in the midst of recovering from his wounds, the voice of God resonated strongly in his heart. He was sensitive to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.”
For the only glory
To the greater glory of God -in Latin, “for the greater glory of God”- is, perhaps, the motto with which the founder of the Jesuits is best identified. However, many other treasures can be extracted from his texts or sayings. The words of this great saint always have a special force that ignites minds and hearts: “Pray to God for all of us who, like you, wish to extend the Kingdom of Christ, and make our Divine Savior loved more.”
Spiritual exercises
Among his most important writings, the “Spiritual exercises”, a set of meditations deployed in an orderly manner so that the person can find themselves and God acting in their life. The Exercises They are a true pillar of modern Catholic spirituality.
On one occasion, Pope Pius divine love”.
The vocation of the Jesuit
Pope Francis, the first Jesuit Pontiff in the history of the Church, when celebrating the feast of his founder at the beginning of his pontificate (2013), reflected on the motto that identifies the Company: “Jesus Savior of Mankind” (Jesus, Savior of men). The Pope reminded his Jesuit brothers that they are called to always have Christ and the Church as their center, whom they have obliged themselves to serve.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola died in Rome on July 31, 1556. Pope Paul V beatified him in 1609, and he was canonized by Gregory XV in 1622. Today, his remains rest in the Church of Gesù in the Eternal City.
His legacy and testimony, always current, are a true gift from God for which every Catholic should be grateful.
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If you want to know more about Saint Ignatius of Loyola, you can read the following article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/San_Ignacio_de_Loyola.
You can also find information about Ignatian spirituality in the Catholic Encyclopedia (https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/Abandono_y_espiritualidad_ignaciana) or on the Spiritual exercises (https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/Ejercicios_Espirituales_de_San_Ignacio).
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