7. Ignatius at Manresa.

          Manresa is a little town not far from Montserrat. It is situated on the banks of Cardoner, a small river. Ignatius intended to stay there for few days but he ended up staying there over ten months. He received extraordinary graces at Manresa. He stayed often in a cave there and begged for his food. He used to spend much time in prayer and penance. He experienced tremendous joy as he came closer to God and wanted to do great things for Him. 

    As the days passed by he experienced great difficulties in his prayer. At times God would seem to be very far from him and at other times he experienced God’s closeness. The more he examined his past life, the less peace he experienced. He took some advice from the confessor but it did not help him much. He took up to fasting for weeks and that too did not give him peace. So he cried out to God in great agony. Finally, he received peace as he learnt to accept God’s mercy and decided to leave his past in the hands of God.

    Through these trials God was purifying him for great graces. He received a tremendous insight into the mystery of the Trinity and then an understanding of the mystery of creation. God also revealed to Ignatius the mystery of the Incarnation and of Our Lord’s presence in the Eucharist. God taught him all aspects of faith. Then God gave him a great illumination or light on the banks of the Cardoner. He was now a new man in a new world. He noted this experience in his diary as “everything seemed new”. He wrote in 1553, when he looked back to this event in 1522, “I penetrated all the mysteries of the Christian faith”. He saw everything as coming from God in Christ and everything as going back to God in Christ. The small book that he wrote at Manresa is known as “The Spiritual Exercises”.

( to be continued Chapter 8. Pilgrimage to Jerusalem)

 

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

(From the personal study notes under the guidance of late Fr.Maurice Dullard s.j)

 

6. Ignatius at Montserrat.

         After his convalescence Ignatius left Loyola as a pilgrim. He planned to go to the Holy Land but later on he changed his plan and decided to visit a Benedictine monastery at Montserrat. (Montserrat means “the saw mountain” – as the big rocks on the top of the mountain looked like teeth of a big saw.). He bought some old clothes for himself and gave away his costly ones to beggars. He spent some days in the monastery preparing for a general confession. After three days of preparation he made his general confession. Before leaving the monastery, he gave away his mule to the monastery. On 24^th March 1522, Ignatius spent the whole night in vigil at the Shrine of Our Lady at Montserrat. He placed his sword on the altar and prayed the entire night. 

    Ignatius made three important external changes as a result of the interior changes that were taking place in him. Firstly, he gave away his expensive clothes to beggars and put on the clothes of the poor in order to identify himself with Christ, the Poor. Secondly, he was sorry for his past sins and expressed his sorrow by making a general confession to purify himself. Thirdly, he looked to the future and placed his life under Our Lady’s care through the all-night vigil at Montserrat. The sword on the altar signified that he was now the knight of Jesus. He would defend Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and would live and work for Jesus alone. The following morning on the feast of the Incarnation, he attended Mass, received Holy Communion and resolved to live forever as a knight of Jesus.

( to be continued Chapter 7. Ignatius at Manresa)

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

(From the personal study notes under the guidance of late Fr.Maurice Dullard s.j)

 

5. Learning initial lessons in Discernment.

          We can notice different stages of growth in Ignatius while at Loyola after the battle of Pamplona. His leg had to be broken and reset by the surgeons. In those days there were no drugs to kill pain so Ignatius had to endure excruciating pain during surgery. At one stage the doctors thought that he would die. But on the feast of St. Peter he began to recover. 

    Ignatius’ early days of convalescence at Loyola were filled with illusions. He used to spend much time dreaming of the exploits he would perform. Then, there followed a time of boredom. In order to do away with the boredom he asked for novels. There were no novels in the house and so he was forced to read the life of Christ (Vita Christi) and the Lives of Saints (Flos Sanctorum). These books challenged him deeply and opened up a whole new world. 

    At first he kept dreaming of life at the king’s palace and what he would do for his lady friend. Then he would switch over and dream of living as Christ and His saints did. He was able to watch his own reactions and analyse them. He noticed that while he thought about of his lady he had some happiness but afterwards he felt empty, weary and disgusted with himself. But when he thought of Christ and his saints, he felt happiness at that time, and that happiness continued afterwards too. He examined these different forces that were at work in him. One he called the good spirit as it led him towards God; the other he called the evil spirit as it pulled him away from God. Soon he became skilled in recognizing these different inner movements and noticed the direction they led him. He saw that one was taking him God-wards and that the other made him more self-centred. 

    His convalescence at Loyola went on for some months. One night Our Lady appeared to him holding the Child Jesus. He was filled with joy. Eventually he decided to devote his life to Christ and to do great things for Him, as the saints had done. He was by nature a generous person and so, once he had made up his mind to serve God, he would do so fully. With Ignatius there were no half measures.

( to be continued chapter 6. Ignatius at Montserrat.)

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

(From the personal study notes under the guidance of late Fr.Maurice Dullard s.j)

 

4  Ignatius at Pamplona.

          In the year 1521, the French attacked the Province of Navarre in an effort to take it away from the Spanish. The Duke of Navarre sent 1000 troops to defend the town of Pamplona, including Ignatius of Loyola, to fight against 12000 men. The Spanish were outnumbered and many of their officers wanted to surrender. For Ignatius it was a chance to distinguish himself in war and, moreover, it would be shameful for a knight to give up fighting for his king. Ignatius organized a defence attack. The French used cannons to break down the city walls. It was one of those cannon balls that hit Ignatius and shattered his leg.

    Who fired that cannon? Two brothers of Francis Xavier were fighting for the French against Ignatius in that battle. Did they fire the shot that was to change the life of Ignatius? We do not know, but what we do know is that that injury was the turning point in his life. It was on Monday, May 20, 1521.

    This incident portrays two things about Ignatius. First of all, Ignatius comes across to us as a born leader; a man of courage and will-power; ambitious and competitive; a man with a resolute will. Secondly, Ignatius had a deep sense of knightly honour so for him to surrender in a battle was a betrayal of his king. Due to these two strong qualities, Ignatius risked his life as well as those of his companions.

(to be continued chapter 5. Learning initial lessons in discernment.)

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

(From the personal study notes under the guidance of late Fr.Maurice Dullard s.j)

 

3 Ignatius the youth.

          At the age of 16 Ignatius left Loyola and went to live in the household of Juan Velazquez de Cuellar in the town of Arevalo near Avila. Juan was the treasurer of Spain and in his large house Ignatius learnt to live the life of a knight, i.e. a soldier who would be in the service of a Prince. He had to learn the skills of using personal weapons such as the sword and the dagger. He had to learn the practice of chivalry, good behaviour and care of others, especially women and children. He learnt also how to defend the honour of his Prince. He was trained in correct speech, good manners, proper bearing (proper way of dressing and walking). He developed love for music, song and dance. He was trained to write poetry and to prepare legal documents. Above all else, he was trained to be loyal to his master. Much of this training was done by watching and imitating others. These years at Arevalo had a very deep effect on Ignatius and moulded his character. 

    In 1516 Ignatius went into the service of the Duke (a local king) of Navarre. It was similar to life at Arevalo. But at Navarre he had more responsibilities and he even had to take part in some battles. Ignatius was there till 1521. 

    Both the households (Arevalo and Navarre) were deeply Catholic. However, not everyone lived up to the faith they professed. During these years Ignatius was trained in courtesy and in diplomacy (art of dealing with men). At times Ignatius too did not live up to his faith. When summing up this period of his life in 1553, he said, “Up to this 26^th year (it was actually up to his 31^st year) he was a man given over to the vanities of the world and took a special delight in the exercise of weapons, with a great and vain desire of winning glory (to earn a big name on earth)”.

(to be continued chapter 4. Ignatius at Pamlona)

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

(From the personal study notes under the guidance of late Fr.Maurice Dullard s.j)

 

2. The childhood of Ignatius.

    Ignatius lived in Loyola till the age of sixteen. Life in a quiet mountain valley isolated him from the outside world. However, in the castle itself he had all that he needed. He was well provided with good food and he also received good education at home. He was taught in his own Basque, and in Spanish. As the castle was close to the French border, he would have gradually learnt some French as well.

    We have no record of his early years at school. But we do know that as Ignatius grew up, he had difficulty in mastering languages. He mixed up Basque and Spanish in his conversations, and in his writings. In fact, all his life he had difficulties in mastering languages.

    The family was deeply Catholic and that part of Spain was known for its strong loyalty to the Pope. So Ignatius grew up with a devout grasp of the Catholic faith that would influence every aspect of his life till his death.

    Despite the early demise of his parents (his mother died when he was very small and his father died while he was at Loyola) Ignatius had a happy childhood. His childhood was filled with joy and peace.

                  (to be continued chapter  3. Ignatius the Youth)

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

(From the personal study notes under the guidance of late Fr.Maurice Dullard s.j)

         

" Placed with the Son"- A short biography of St.Ignatius. -- Fr.Lawrence Dharmaraj s.j

(From the personal study notes under the guidance of late Fr.Maurice Dullard s.j)

1.   Saint Ignatius’ Family

Iñigo Lopez de Loyola was born in 1491. He later changed his name to Ignatius. He was the youngest of thirteen children. His mother died when he was a baby and was brought up by a foster mother, Maria Garin, in the farm house of Egubar, near the castle of Loyola. Iñigo lived at the farm house in his early years. When his eldest brother Martin Garcia married his wife became the lady of Loyola. She and his foster mother treated Ignatius very kindly and he was always very deeply attached to both women who had taken the place of his mother. His father died when Iñigo was about sixteen just before, or after, he left Loyola for Arevalo.

    The family lived in Loyola Castle, Azpeitia, in North-West Spain, in the Pyrenees Mountains close to the border between Spain and France. They were Basque and spoke the Basque language. They were and are a happy, musical people, fond of dancing. Yet they can be quiet, deeply reflective and strong willed. Loyola Castle is in a very beautiful valley with woods and orchards, especially apple and chestnut trees. It was a part of Spain where the Catholic faith was deeply accepted and lived out in ordinary life. So Iñigo grew up in a very catholic setting.

    One of the Iñigo’s brothers was a priest, and his father and many of his brothers were soldiers. They had all fought for the honour of their king. In fact, two of his brothers died fighting in the Naples campaign in 1498. One died fighting in South America and another died fighting the Turks in Hungary in 1542. Indeed Iñigo’s family members were deeply loyal to their king. In those days, one’s own religious loyalty and political loyalty went in hand in hand. In fact Iñigo grew up with these two great loyalties - loyalty to the Church and loyalty to his king. Moreover he had acquired from his family a great sense of doing what is noble and good.

 (to be continued chapter  2. The childhood of Ignatius)