Class Discussion for Ignatius Chapters 1-2

context

• Well-to-do family

• “Up to his twenty-sixth year the heart of Ignatius was enthralled by the vanities of the
world (20)”

• Military life: strong desire to gain a great name

• Cannon ball hit to the legs, long recovery

o “uttered no word and gave no sign of suffering save that of tightly clenching his
fists (21)”
o Asked for reading material, was given "The Life of Christ," by Rudolph, the
Carthusian, and the "Flowers of the Saints": only books available
conversion

• Reflection time: "What if I should do what St. Francis did?" "What if I should act like St.
Dominic? (26)"

• Worldly thought only gave him temporary pleasure, thought of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem
gave him lasting pleasure

• Wanted to imitate saintly men, started to do Spiritual Exercises

• “…one night he plainly saw the image of the Blessed Mother of God with the Infant
Jesus, at the sight of which, for a considerable time, he received abundant consolation,
and felt such contrition for his past life that he thought of nothing else (28)”
o Possible hallucination/delusion or true inspiration from God?

action- pilgrimage

• Starts his pilgrimage, leaves behind all his companions by the time he reaches Navarre

• “filled with the liveliest abhorrence of his past sins (32)”

• Subjects himself to harsh penances

• Encounters Saracen that doubts Mary’s virginity

o “He consequently felt impelled by a strong impulse to hasten after him and slay
the miscreant for the insulting language he had used (33)”
 o Allows direction of the horse to decide if he should kill the man- indicates he
should not kill him

• Gives up possessions and lives off of begging

• Encounters and resists temptation

o “How can you keep up for seventy years of your life these practices which you
have begun? (42)"