Saints under the dome: St. Ignatius of Loyola
As St. Ann embarks on its campaign to transform and transcend our main church,
it’s helpful for us to learn about the meaning behind every aesthetic change. Saint Ignatius of Loyola is one of the saints that will appear under the dome of St. Ann’s. With his feast day coming up on July 31st, now is the perfect time to reflect on the significance of his life.
Ignatius was born in 1491 in northern Spain. At just 16 years old, he left home to work as a page for the treasurer of the Kingdom of Castile. While there, he was often in court and became attached to things of the world.
However, his life took a dramatic turn in 1521. While serving as an officer in the Spanish army, Ignatius suffered a broken leg from a cannonball and found himself bedridden for a year. He requested books about chivalry to pass the time, but none were available. Instead, Ignatius dove into books on the lives of Christ and the saints. Something stirred in his heart as he began to trade his worldly fantasies for those of spiritual heroism. He eventually made a full recovery and emerged from his bed afire with zeal for God.
Surrendering his old ways, Ignatius kept an all-night vigil at the shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat, left his sword on the altar, gave his elegant clothes to the poor, and moved into a cave on the outskirts of Manresa. There, he began to write his famed Spiritual Exercises - a collection of meditations and prayers designed to help all people deepen their relationship with God, see His grace daily, and discern His will. These exercises are widely used by spiritual directors today.
When he was in his thirties, Ignatius returned to school in response to a call to the priesthood since he did not have the education required for his vocation. To fulfill the will of God, he humbled himself and studied Latin and Grammar alongside children.
In 1534, Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus with Saints Peter Faber and Francis Xavier. In 1540, Pope Paul III declared the society an official religious order. Its members elected Ignatius as the first Father General. As of 2022, there are more than 14,000 Jesuits worldwide, including Pope Francis.
Saint Ignatius’s life serves as an inspiring reminder to turn away from vain worldly desires and instead seek God’s will, no matter the cost. We can find inspiration in his Suscipe, a prayer of complete and radical surrender to God:
Take Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. Thou hast given all to me. To Thee, O lord, I return it. All is Thine, dispose of it wholly according to Thy will. Give me Thy love and thy grace, for this is sufficient for me.
[Citations: Loyola Press ]
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