We all know that Inigo de Loyola was born into a noble family and that he trained to become a highly esteemed soldier. We know that he met his misfortune in a battle against His leg was set but did not heal, so it was necessary to break it again and reset it, all without anesthesia. But then, a bone protruded below the knee, and one leg was shorter than the other. It was an ugly sight and was unacceptable to this vain soldier, who considered it a fate worse than death not to be able to wear a knight’s long, tight-fitting boots.
Ignatius ordered the doctors to saw off the offending knob of bone and lengthen the leg, again, without anesthesia. He bore that terrible pain for the sake of his appearance and his future.
Ignatius had to rest and let his wound heal for 7 months. Extremely bored, he checked out the library and found only a copy of the life of Christ and a book on the saints. The more he read, the more he was inspired by the exploits of the saints, which he found worth imitating.
At the same time, he continued to have daydreams of fame and glory, of street duels, of boasting and daring and the image of a perfect knight.
But something happened. Ignatius noticed that after reading and thinking of Christ and the saints, he was filled with peace and tranquility. And when he finished his long worldly daydreams of military service and exploits, he would feel unsatisfied and restless.
Ignatius found himself torn between two loves.
He weighed his two conflicting desires and through hours and hours of meditation. He realized that in his pursuit of honor and esteem by the world, he was hiding from God, fleeing from Him. Jesus touched him and set his heart on fire, inspiring him to turn to God and become a “pilgrim” to find his life.
This is where and how St. Ignatius’ conversion began – in pain and in silence.
Have we similarly experienced pain – the loss of a job, a loved one, physical injury or sickness, betrayal by a loved one, loneliness and desperation?
When we are stripped of things that we have become attached to, and seemingly alone, we are brought to an opportunity to be silent and hear the voice of God inside of us.
On September 26, last year, rains that poured continuously for hours caused floodwaters to rise close to the ceiling of our home. It took two days before the floodwaters of Ondoy receded and we were able to go to our house. I was not prepared for the damage that met my eyes. Everything – the house, the garden, furniture, clothes, appliances – everything was coated in foul-smelling mud. Three of our cars had been completely submerged in floodwaters. We felt we were stripped of our material things. It caused us all a lot of pain. But in silence and in prayer, we turned to God as the true and only source of security. The biggest lesson we learned was that material things come and go, but what matter most are family, our love for one another and the Sprit of God that gives us the strength to endure difficulties and continue to hope.
We have learned that the gifts that God has given to us are not to be kept but shared with others. Nothing is really ever ours.
Like St Ignatius, we learn to accept all that happen to us, to be humble, and to be obedient to God’s will.
St. Ignatius de Loyola, pray for us.
Mrs. Aida Santiago
Parent
