Ignatius of Loyola

1) Earlier this summer I participated in a retreat that was unexpectedly spiritually affirming. Part of what made it so awesome was being introduced to some methods of prayer and meditative/contemplative practices meant to deepen one's relationship with God. They were developed by a 16th century former soldier-turned-monk named Ignatius of Loyola.


And here he is now.


2) I just came back from a humbling, challenging, and incredibly spiritually formative mission trip (see here) to a place called San Ignacio. I'd been thinking about this trip, talking about this trip, and planning this trip for months. I said the name over and over. I even went on the trip and came back, but it wasn't until a couple of days ago that it hit me that San Ignacio = Saint Ignatius. I checked-- it is, in fact, Ignatius of Loyola for whom the town is named.

3) Friday during soup kitchen (what is it about soup kitchen?) I wandered into the church library and browsed my way to a copy of Lesser Feasts and Fasts. Though I'd heard of it before I'd never actually picked it up, and it's this fascinating little side-dish of a liturgical book commemorating saints as well as less major Holy Days in the Episcopal church. I brought it back with me to the clothing tables and flipped through it between guests, reading about people like Dunstan and David Pendleton Oakerhater and Hilda...and, as it turned out, this guy.

Then I had a really wonderful talk with Mr. Milkweed yesterday about building some time into our schedule this fall for me to do some of the prayer and reflection that I would very much like to do. We decided we'd figure the details out tomorrow, which is today, and I suddenly remembered something else about today that I'd read at soup kitchen.

Oh, look!

Coincidence or cosmic stage direction? It's like swimming anonymously through some crowd only to be tapped on the shoulder and realizing that it's the guy who checked out your groceries, sat across from you in the restaurant that time, and just started delivering your paper, and there you are, unsure of how to begin but certain that you must. Except it's me and this 16th century monk, and we're just shifting our weight making small talk by the punch bowl before the real work starts.

I'm not exactly flush with alternative methods for walking this kind of walk, so it looks like it's you and me, Iggy baby.

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Almighty God, from whom all good things come: You called Ignatius of Loyola to the service of your Divine Majesty and to find you in all things. Inspired by his example and strengthened by his companionship, may we labor without counting the cost and seek no reward other than knowing that we do your will; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.