A cannonball to the leg is the best thing that ever happened to St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556).
Convalescing in a castle, he was bored. He asked for romance novels (tales of chivalry). There were none. The only books available were The Life of Christ and The Lives of the Saints. He read them. He noticed something:
- When he thought about romance and war, he felt excited but then empty.
- When he thought about serving God like St. Francis, he felt excited and then peaceful.
This was the beginning of Discernment of Spirits.
The Spiritual Exercises
He wrote a manual for spiritual warfare called the Spiritual Exercises. It is still the gold standard for retreats today. Key concepts:
- AMDG: Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam (For the Greater Glory of God). Do everything for Him.
- The Examen: A daily prayer to review where God was in your day.
- Indifference: Not "I don't care," but "I am unbiased." I am okay with health or sickness, wealth or poverty, as long as I do God's will.
The Jesuits
He founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) to be the Pope's "marines." They were missionaries, educators, and martyrs.
Find God in all things. Learn how to pray the Daily Examen on the MyPrayerTower app.