During this time of digital technology, the worst nightmare for many of us is a power outage. Without electricity and the technology it enables, many of us feel disconnected from the world — no cell phones, no internet, no cable news, no text messages, and no social media. Without electricity, many of us feel afraid, lonely, and isolated. Without electricity, many of us feel alone in a vast and sometimes frightening universe.

More than five hundred years ago, the absence of technology did not discourage a young soldier called Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556). Ignatius was injured during the Battle of Pamplona in Spain. A cannonball ricocheted off a stone wall and shattered his right leg. Because Ignatius enjoyed the privileges of wealth, he was carried to his family home in Loyola where he underwent several surgeries (without anesthesia) to repair the leg. He was left permanently disabled. His military career was over. But a new life was about to begin.

During his long, painful, and solitary recover, Ignatius sought out books to pass the time. His favorite subjects were romance, heroism, and military strategy. The family library, however, did not contain any books to his liking. In his solitude, Ignatius settled for books about Jesus and the saints. Among them was a Life of Christ by Ludolph the Carthusian (1295-1378). This book was much more than a biography of the Lord. It was also an instruction manual on praying with the scriptures by using the imagination to place oneself into a biblical scene; by seeing and hearing what Jesus and the apostles saw and heard with the mind’s eye.

This book, along with biographies of the saints, prompted both a conversion and a vocation to the religious life. Above all else, Ignatius of Loyola now desired to imitate the saints in their devotion to Christ and the Catholic Church. Inspired by the example of Saint Francis of Assisi (among others), Ignatius made pilgrimages to the Marian Shrine at Montserrat (1522) and the Holy Land (1523). Along the way, he lived like a beggar, then as a hermit. In 1526, Ignatius returned to Spain and studied both theology and language. And by 1535, he had earned a graduate degree in theology from the University of Paris.

In 1539, Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) with his friends Peter Faber and Francis Xavier. The Jesuits, then and now, take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience (with a strong emphasis on obedience to the pope). They also place a high priority on a Daily Examination of Conscience (known as an Examen) and the Discernment of Spirits. Above all else, the so-called First Principle and Foundation of the Society of Jesus is the call and realization that “all things in this world are gifts from God, given to us so that we can know God better and return God’s love more readily.” In other words, Ignatius and his followers across the centuries seek to think, speak, and act for one purpose: “for the greater glory of God.”

In our time, Saint Ignatius of Loyola is venerated as a patron of soldiers, discernment, and all people recovering from traumas and injuries. As we celebrate his feast day on July 31st, we are mindful that we do not need high technology to maintain and strengthen the most im- portant connections of all — our relationships with Jesus and the Church. We only need the desire and openness of heart to listen for God’s voice, to recognize God’s work in the world, and to collaborate with God’s eternal desire to save our long suffering world.

Cliff Garvey
Associate Minister
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: cgarvey@ccgronline.com

CCGR Weekly Newsletter (7-30-23)
Bringing Home the Word (7-30-23)
The Kids Bulletin (7-30-23)

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Call to Prayer
A Daily Examen

Inspired by Saint Ignatius of Loyola