Saturday is a big day in the Ignatian calendar–it’s the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola. To mark the day, we’re giving away five copies of the book Compass Points by Margaret Silf. To have a chance to win, just leave a comment here on this post before midnight on Saturday, July 31. We’ll pick five winners with a random drawing.
You can say anything you want in your comment. But, if you would care to, you might say something about St. Ignatius. How has he inspired you? What is your favorite story about him?
You might know Margaret Silf as the author of Inner Compass, a fine introduction to Ignatian spirituality. She is a columnist for America magazine and a well-known spiritual director. Compass Points is her latest book.
You can increase your chances of winning a book by entering an identical contest at People for Others, our sister blog, maintained by Paul Campbell SJ.
Sign up for dotMagis updates in an RSS reader
Sign up for dotMagis updates by e-mail
{ 59 comments }
← Previous Comments
St. Ignatius teaches me everyday that the purpose of my life is to praise and glorify God. I try as best as I can to rid myself of intentions and objectives that contradict the purpose for which I am created. It is not easy, but with the daily examen I remind myself of this important perspective. O St. Ignatius, help me stay focused on God.
St Ignatius became better known to me the last two years, when I began visiting Jesuit church. I read his autobiografy which really impressed me. I am now practicing meditation and doing examines. Everything is of big help to me and am finding faith again. Barbara
I’ve just started on this journey. I am excited to have found your web site. I am looking forward to learning more about St. Ignatius and his teaching .
I have just recently discovered the Examen and St Ignatius. I would love to read and get more involved in my Catholic faith and grow in my relationship with God.
One incident that I find amusing about St Ignatius is the time he tried to discern God’s will by seeing which direction his donkey would take at a crossroads. Obviously, this is a far cry from Ignatian discernment but I find it consoling because it is in a way the way I sort of used to discern things too sometimes! The two things I like about Ignatius are the fact that he takes a psychological approach to discernment, and also the fact that he teaches to find God in all things. As a mother of four adult children, and a student of theology, I find it very optimistic to think that as a lay person, I too can aim at holiness, as I go about my daily duties.
Ignatius gives us hope that yes, we too can rise up in spite of ourselves, if only we let got God raise us up!
“Finding God in all things” is one of the many phrases commonly associated with Ignatian spirituality. With the help of the examen, we are able to discover the hand of God in the events of our lives and in what we see around us. Yes, the awareness examen helps us to become discerning people, enabling us to find God in all things!
I was undertaking an Ignation directed retreat a while ago. Being new to this experience I was asked to sit with a number of scripture passages. As I did the image of feet kept coming to mind. When I shared this with my spiritual director he said ask God what it means..(oh yeah that’s what I forgot to do). The answer came Like Mary who stood at the foot of the cross, like Mary in the Mary/Martha story who sat at my feet, Like Mary who wiped my feet with her hair, you too need to be present …sit at my feet for a while. The image helps me to pray, it helps me to be still…maybe one day I’ll see his face.
In many ways, St Ignatius is a true model for the Catholic men’s fellowship movement in which I am involved. He had the ability to attract young men as followers — would we ever like to know how he was able to accomplish that!. He patiently endured persecution from other Catholics. We have experienced unfair persecution by feminist Catholics who feel we are sexist or chauvinistic. St Ignatius was also a model of submission to the hierarchy/magisterium of the Church, a characteristic we strive to emulate. St Ignatius, pray for us!
A blessed feast day to all at IgnatianSpirituality.com!!
Thanks for the free book drawing!
← Previous Comments