Episode 12. La Storta.

While traveling to Rome, Saint Ignatius of Loyola stopped to pray in a small chapel called La Storta.

During this time of prayer, he had a very special spiritual experience that changed his life forever. He believed that God the Father showed him Jesus carrying the cross and invited him to serve Jesus in His mission. This experience filled Ignatius with peace, courage, and confidence that God was leading him.

This moment became a turning point not only for Ignatius but also for his companions. Until then, they were simply a group of friends who prayed, studied, and wanted to serve God. After the experience at La Storta, they understood more clearly that God was calling them to become a religious community. This group later became known as the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits.

The vision reminded Ignatius that following Jesus means being ready to serve wherever the need is greatest. It also taught him to look for God's presence in every person, every place, and every situation. This became one of the main values of Jesuit spirituality: to find God in all things.

Even today, Jesuits around the world look back to the experience at La Storta for inspiration. It reminds them to trust God's guidance, remain faithful to the Church, and generously dedicate their lives to serving others in the spirit of Christ.

Episode 11.  Ignatius and his  Companions

Ignatius was gathering companions who would share his vision and zeal for God’s work. At Alcala from 1525 to 1527, he gathered three companions: Calisto D’Sa, Juan De Arteaga and Lobe de Carcases. They went with him to Salamanca and were put in prison along with Ignatius there. In 1528 Ignatius went to Paris while these three remained in Spain. Eventually they lost contact with Ignatius.

    

In Paris Ignatius met Peter Favre. Peter Favre helped Ignatius in his studies and in return Ignatius helped Peter Favre in spiritual matters. Peter Favre went through the Spiritual Exercises and was so impressed with them that he brought his roommate Francis Xavier to Ignatius. At first Francis Xavier distrusted Ignatius but Ignatius gradually won him over. Three Spaniards - Diego Laynez, Alphonso Salmeron and Nicolas Bobadilla, and a Portuguese - Simon Rodrigues joined the group. Ignatius gave then all the Spiritual Exercises. This brought about a tremendous change in them. They were fired with zeal for God’s work and formed themselves into a group of ‘friends in the Lord’. 

    They were eager to go with Ignatius to work in the Holy Land. In fact, on 15^th August, 1534 at Our Lady’s Chapel in Montmartre, they all took the vows of poverty and chastity with a vow to go to the Holy Land. They decided that in case they did not succeed to go the Holy Land in a year’s time they would go to Rome and present themselves to the Pope and take up the task and go wherever the Pope would send them. In this way they would be more certain of doing God’s will. They had no superior but regarded Ignatius as their leader since he was the original inspiration in uniting them for God’s work.

 

    Ignatius fell sick in 1535 so his friends and the doctors advised him to go to Spain for some months. Peter Favre then became the natural leader of the group. The group was so strong that even during Ignatius’ absence they got three new members to join them: Claude Le Jay, Paschase Broet and Jean Codure. They all joined Ignatius in Venice on January 1537. Ignatius called them “My nine friends in the Lord".

    In Venice they began to think seriously about ordination and their pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Peter Favre and Claude Le Jay were priests before joining the group. The remaining seven were ordained in Venice on 24^th June 1537. Due to the Turkish war there was no ship going to the Holy Land. So, in September 1537 the companions set out for Rome to present themselves to the Pope.

( Coming up next.   Chapter 12.Ignatius and La Storta. )

"Placed with the Son"- A short biography of St. Ignatius

 

By Fr. Lawrence Dharmaraj, SJ

 

(From the personal study notes under the guidance of late Fr. Maurice Dullard, SJ. 

A special thanks to Fr.Vincent Saldanha s.j for doing the necessary corrections))

The Mirror That Does Not Lie

This episode explains how healthy self-esteem is an important part of becoming a mature and faithful priest. It combines insights from psychology and spirituality to show that true self-worth does not come from success, praise, or perfection, but from knowing that we are deeply loved by God.

This episode uses the story of a cracked pot to teach an important lesson. Although the pot had cracks and seemed imperfect, it watered flowers along the path and brought beauty to others. In the same way, our weaknesses and failures do not make us useless. When we place our lives in God's hands, even our brokenness can become a source of blessing and service.

This episode explains that healthy self-esteem is built on two foundations. The first is self-efficacy, which is the confidence that we can learn, grow, and face life's challenges. The second is self-respect, which means valuing ourselves because we are created in God's image and loved unconditionally. Together, these qualities help us live with confidence and humility.

This episode also encourages people to recognize unhealthy defense mechanisms, such as blaming others, denying mistakes, or seeking constant approval. Instead, it invites them to develop an internal locus of control, taking responsibility for their choices and trusting God's grace rather than depending on the opinions of others.

Finally, this episode calls for emotional and spiritual maturity. Rather than trying to imitate others or live to please everyone, each person is invited to become the unique individual God created them to be. True holiness is found not in being a copy of someone else but in becoming our authentic self, growing each day in faith, love, and service.

Psycho- Spiritual Formation

Human growth is a lifelong journey. Many different factors shape the kind of person we become. This episode explains human development by looking at it from three important perspectives: psychology, biology, and spirituality.

Our growth begins even before birth. Our genes influence many aspects of our physical and mental development. As we grow from infancy to childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, our experiences with family, friends, teachers, and society also help shape our personality. Psychologists explain that our thoughts, habits, emotions, and surroundings all work together to influence how we behave and make decisions.

This episode highlights the importance of personal guidance and mentoring, especially in Catholic seminary formation. Every person needs someone who can listen, encourage, and gently guide them through life's challenges. A good mentor helps a person grow not only in knowledge but also in emotional balance, spiritual depth, and healthy relationships. This kind of one-to-one accompaniment helps people discover their strengths, overcome weaknesses, and become mature and responsible individuals.

Overall, this episode teachs that human development is influenced by our natural abilities, life experiences, studies, ministries, relationships, and spiritual guidance. When these elements work together in a healthy way, they help people develop strong character, emotional maturity, and a deeper commitment to living a meaningful and responsible religious  life.

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