St. Ignatius of Loyola

Early Life

Ignatius was born in Spain in 1491, a year before the discovery of America. He was the youngest of 13 children and was known as Inigo. His parents died before he was sixteen, at which point he went to live with a family friend. There, he was frequently at court and became addicted to gambling, dueling, and women. Eventually, he became a Spanish soldier. During a battle against the French, a cannon ball wounded one of his legs and broke the other. He returned home to heal from his injury.

Dreamer

During the long months of his recuperation, Ignatius asked for romance novels and chivalry books to pass time, but there were none available. His home had only a copy of the

life of Christ and a collection of saints’ lives. Desperately, he began to read them. The more he read, the more he daydreamed of being like them, which made him feel peaceful and satisfied. At the same time, he continued daydreaming about winning a noble lady’s heart in court, which

left him restless and unsatisfied. This experience was not only the beginning of his conversion but also the beginning of his “discernment of spirits,” a prayerful decision-making process that he began to develop.

Seeker

After regaining his health, Ignatius decided to go on a journey for his spiritual growth and explore his dream. He left Loyola and went to Montserrat, where he spent three days writing down all his sins and went to confession. He knelt praying all night in vigil, left his sword and knife at the altar to symbolize giving up his old life, gave away his fine clothes to a poor man, and dressed himself in rough clothes with sandals and a staff. At daybreak, he continued his journey towards Barcelona but stopped along the river Cardoner at a town called Manresa. There he spent the next ten months.

Tortured Soul

After months of consolation, Ignatius began to experience desolation. He felt that God was totally absent from his life. The whole idea of conversion and the desire to turn his life over to God seemed impossible. Ignatius tried to pray and fast more in order to regain the joy and consolation that he once had experienced, but it was all in vain! He was on the brink of desperation and suicide. Fortunately, he did not give in to this dark period. Slowly, he again began to experience the comfort of grace.

Mystic

When peace returned to his tortured soul, Ignatius had some mystical experiences. When the church bells rang, he felt his soul soar skyward like an eagle. Everyday objects and experiences became images and symbols of God’s presence for him. On one occasion, he clearly saw how Jesus Christ was present in the Eucharist. Once during prayer, he had a powerful vision of the humanity of Christ. These experiences strengthened his faith so much that he said that if there were no Bible, he would still be convinced of God’s existence and love for him.

Transformed Person

One September afternoon, while he was walking along the Cardoner River, Ignatius had an extremely enlightening experience that forever impacted him. The experience helped him to understand many things, spiritually as well as intellectually, about God and life. Later, he mentioned that all the enlightenments of his life combined “would not, in his judgment, be as great as what he experienced on that occasion.”

Spiritual Guide

Ignatius was overwhelmed by his enlightenment at Cardoner. He saw clearly how the risen Jesus and his kingdom were truly real and active among us. He also saw how we all struggle to experience God in our lives and to fight the battle between good and evil in the world. Thus, he wanted to share his own experiences of God and ways we can “find God in all things.” This is one of the central characteristics of Ignatian spirituality. It is especially evident in his prayer of the Awareness Examen. He also wrote a book that helps others to discover their personal vocations. It is called “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.” It is upon these exercises that CLC is based.