Saint Talk: St. Ignatius of Loyola

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, best known as the Jesuits. St. Ignatius, born in 1491, belonged to a Spanish noble family. In fact, he actually served as a court page during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella.

Later in life, St. Ignatius joined the military. In 1521 he was injured in the Battle of Pamplona when a cannon ball crashed into his leg, causing severe fracture in which the bone protruded from his skin. Consistent with his vane nature, Ignatius underwent several painful surgeries without the benefit of modern anaesthesia to shave the bone down so he could look good in his stockings.

During one of the recoveries he was laid up in bed and asked for books to read. He had wanted to read some of the popular books on the adventures of knights, but instead he was stuck reading the lives of saints. At first, he examined their lives and thought he could do better. Ultimately, God used  his reading to as vehicle for his conversion. After recovering from his surgery, Ignatius went to Montserrat and went into seclusion for a year. Then he returned to Spain where he completed his formation by studying Theology. Later he would establish his Spiritual Exercises and form the Society of Jesus.

Lessons
St. Ignatius' life is one that portrays the importance of seeing the "before and after" pictures of the saints. Most didn't live their entire lives as saintly people. Like us most of them, had shortcomings that they had to overcome through the grace of God. Ignatius' story also demonstrates the importance of reading the lives of saints as part of our daily spiritual plans. In examining his life, we also see that even the saints needed to undergo periods of formation after experiencing conversion. Finally, we learn from Ignatius that just because we may begin to live our lives in concert with Christ, doesn't mean we won't encounter suffering. Instead, we are reminded that "each must take up their cross." (Mark 8:34-35)
Who Cares About the Saints?...Ignatius from Loyola Productions on Vimeo.

More on St. Ignatius:
Four Essays from Ignatius Press
Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius (free ebook)

Why is May a Marian Month?

Traditionally, May is the "month which the piety of the faithful has especially dedicated to Our Blessed Lady." (Paul VI: Encyclical on the Month of May, no. 1). This practice began in the 13th Century and was particularly popular with the Jesuits. Because of the far reach of the order’s schools, the devotion spread and by the 1700’s it began to spread throughout the Church.

We are not required by Church teaching to maintain any particular devotion to Mary, but we would be remiss not to. As Christ was dying on the cross He shared His mother with us - "behold your mother" (John 19:27). I figure if she was good enough for Jesus, she's good enough for us.

Mini-Marian Pilgrimage
As the month of May comes to a close, consider taking a mini-Marian pilgrimage. St. Josemaria would gather a group and walk to a another town that had a Marian shrine. Today, we could carpool with a group, pray the rosary on the trip and spend some time praying at the chapel locally at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Downtown Dallas or go out to Denton and pray in the Marian garden at Immaculate Conception.

Books to Read
Hail, Holy Queen, Scott Hahn 

 St. Louis De Montfort's True Devotion to Mary