10 reasons why I admire Ignatius of Loyola (1491 -1556)

1. Ignatius taught that we can find God in all things.

2. Ignatius was courageous – his leg was famously broken by a canon ball when French soldiers attacked the town of Pamplona, in 1521. When it did not set, Ignatius demanded it be re-broken (without anaesthetics) so that it could heal properly.

3. Ignatius gave up his ‘old plans of romance and worldly conquests’ to pursue without reservation what was more important (which for him meant taking vows of chastity and poverty and becoming a priest).

4. Ignatius’ ideas stood the test of time - he founded the Jesuit order which today has over 20,000 people serving communities in 112 nations

5. Ignatius said that the central ingredient for spiritual growth was gratitude

6. Ignatius combined intellectual integrity with a clarion call to serve the interests of the poor.

7. Ignatius believed that personal fulfillment was dependent upon reflection. He developed the Examen of consciousness – a call to discern God’s spirit by reflecting on our emotions, decisions and attitudes.

8. Ignatius harnessed the power of language. He used poetry as a medium for prayer.

9. Ignatius was a radical man whose convictions were strengthened not diminished with age. At the foundation of his spirituality was a continuous search for how best to love as an authentic human being before a loving God.

10. Ignatius was a natural born communicator - despite being twice jailed during the Inquisition, Ignatius kept teaching, discussing and sharing the ideas he valued.

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