From the category archives:
Today is the anniversary of the canonization of Ignatius Loyola and Francis Xavier in 1622. Teresa of Avila and Philip Neri were also canonized on that day, making March 12, 1622, possibly the greatest day in the history of canonizations.
The painting above by the Jesuit Andrea Pozzo depicts Ignatius sending Xavier to the missions in [...]
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Ignatius Loyola strides through the snow at the Jesuit Retreat House in Wernersville, Pennsylvania. Photo by the Law and Gospel blogger. Go here for more on Ignatian retreats.
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Consider this my “overthinking the Super Bowl” post. (Wait till I get to the Olympics!)
First things first: I’ve always loved sports, and I’ve always enjoyed the Super Bowl. I just love the pure fun of competition, and at least during my adult life I’ve thought that sport reveals something about the human condition and the [...]
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I’m three weeks into a new semester of teaching a course on Ignatian Spirituality at Boston College. It’s an absolute delight, both for the subject matter and the smart students with whom I share it. I’ll be posting some reflections on our conversations as time goes on.
This week, what sticks with me from last evening’s [...]
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After battle, vision, journey, and study experiences
Ignatius did God’s will in a heroic challenge:
He spent years doing administration duties.
Writing the Spiritual Exercises
Writing the Constitutions
Lobbying to get them approved
Organizing multiple ministries
Constantly writing letters of encouragement
Correction, advice to world-scattered Jesuits
And all the time united in prayer
Finding [...]
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Ignatius Loyola had a profound devotion to Mary. He loved her with the love of a soldier and leader of men. His connection to the Mother of God was was deep and fierce–a matter of life and death.
This piece by Barry Lopez describes a relationship with Mary that resembles the one I imagine [...]
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Ignatian spirituality owes a great debt to Aristotle. Not a surprise, really–Ignatius absorbed the theology of Thomas Aquinas, who imbibed the philosophy of Aristotle (by way of his teacher, Albert the Great, and in conversation with Muslim and Jewish philosophers, who had been using Aristotle for centuries). Here’s my thumbnail sketch; it’s on [...]
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It’s a common misconception that Ignatius Loyola set up the Jesuits along military lines, with a warlike outlook, a rigid chain of command, and unthinking obedience. Wrong, as Nathan O’Halloran explains in this post. Ignatius may have used military language, but it meant something far different than it means today. The knights [...]
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Anthony Vanarsdale did this portrait of St. Ignatius to mark his feast day last week. It looks like an oil painting but it’s all digital. He painted the image in Photoshop.
The image is displayed on the sketchblog of the Catholic Illustrator’s Guild.
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Today we celebrate the feast of St. Ignatius Loyola. This is a big day for Jesuits and others in the Ignatian sphere of influence. Here are a couple of my thoughts on his feast.
Name a saint. Chances are one idea pops into your mind: Francis (poverty), Vincent de Paul (charity), Therese (simplicity in love). This [...]
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