Today's devotion: Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits
31 JULY
SANT 'IGNAZIO DI LOYOLA
Azpeitia, Spain, c. 1491 - Rome, July 31, 1556
The great protagonist of the Catholic Reformation in the sixteenth century, was born in Azpeitia, a Basque country, in 1491. He was initiated into the life of a knight, the conversion took place during a convalescence, when he found himself reading Christian books. At the Benedictine abbey of Monserrat he made a general confession, took off his knightly clothes and took a vow of perpetual chastity. In the town of Manresa for more than a year he led a life of prayer and penance; it was here that living near the Cardoner river he decided to found a company of consecrated persons. Alone in a cave he began to write a series of meditations and norms, which later reworked formed the famous Spiritual Exercises. The activity of the pilgrim priests, those who would later be the Jesuits, develops a little all over the world. On September 27, 1540, Pope Paul III approved the Society of Jesus. On July 31, 1556, Ignatius of Loyola died. He was proclaimed a saint on 12 March 1622 by Pope Gregory XV. (Avvenire)
PRAYER TO SANT 'IGNAZIO DI LOYOLA
O God, who for the glory of your name you raised up in your Church Saint Ignatius of Loyola, grant us too, with his help and example, to fight the good fight of the gospel, to receive the crown of saints in heaven. .
PRAYERS OF SAINT IGNAZIO DI LOYOLA
«Take, Lord, and receive all my freedom, my memory, my intelligence and all my will, all I have and possess; you gave it to me, Lord, they laugh it; everything is yours, you dispose of everything according to your will: give me only your love and your grace; and this is enough for me ».
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
Passion of Christ, comfort me
O good Jesus, listen to me
Hide me inside your wounds
Don't let me separate you from you.
Defend me from the evil enemy.
At the hour of my death, call me.
Arrange for me to come to you to praise you with all the saints for ever and ever.
Try the spirits if they are from God
Having been a passionate devourer of novels and other imaginative books on the amazing feats of famous characters, when he began to feel on the mend, Ignatius asked that some be given to him just to pass the time. But in the house, where he was hospitalized, no such book was found, so he was given two entitled "Life of Christ" and "Florilege of Saints", both in the mother tongue.
He began to read and reread them, and as he assimilated their content, he felt a certain interest in the topics dealt with there. But often his mind went back to all that imaginative world described by previous readings. The action of the merciful God was inserted in this complex game of solicitations.
In fact, while he was reading the life of Christ our Lord and of the saints, he thought within himself and thus asked himself: «And if I too did what St. Francis did; and if I imitated the example of Saint Dominic? ». These considerations also lasted long enough, alternating with those of a worldly nature. Such a succession of moods occupied him for a long time. But there was a difference between the former and the latter. When he thought of the things of the world he was taken with great pleasure; then immediately afterwards when, tired, he abandoned them, he found himself sad and withered. Instead, when he imagined he had to share the austerities he had seen put into practice by the saints, then not only did he feel pleasure while thinking about it, but the joy continued even after.
However, he did not perceive or give weight to this difference until, one day the eyes of the mind opened, he began to reflect carefully on the inner experiences that caused him sadness and on the others that brought him joy.
It was the first meditation on spiritual things. Later, having now entered the spiritual exercises, he found that it was from here that he had begun to understand what he taught his people about the diversity of spirits.