Scripture Readings

• First Reading: Jer 20:7-9

• Second Reading: 1 Cor 10:31—11:1

• Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34 (33):2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11

• Alleluia Verse: Matt 5:3

• Gospel: Luke 14:25-33

Reflection on Today’s Feast

July 31, 2022 – by Fr. Joe Marina, SJ

No matter how many books you read about Ignatius of Loyola; no matter how many retreats you make in your lifetime; and regardless of the number of Jesuits you know and count as friends and mentors, nothing can quite prepare you fully for your first visit to Loyola, in the town of Azpeitia in northern Spain. At least that was true for me when I ventured to the birthplace of Ignatius, for the first time, in the summer of 2018.

A feeling of holiness and wonder hits you as soon as you walk through the door of our founder’s family home. And by the time you reach the higher floors and enter the room where Inigo recovered from that now infamous cannon ball wound, the experience has taken hold of your heart completely. I was there, in that room, with a number of Jesuit university presidents from all over the world, and every one of them fell silent at the sight of it. A sculpture where his bed once was. An altar in the middle of the room, around which countless masses have been celebrated. And the one thing that stood out for me more than anything else:  the window through which Ignatius peered at the night sky, from his bed, as he wondered how he might be of greater service to our Lord.

With the astounding images recently captured by the Webb Space Telescope, I can’t help but think about Ignatius and his love of the night sky. That beautiful image leads to fond memories of my dear friend Fr. George Coyne, former director of the Vatican Observatory and distinguished professor of physics at Le Moyne College. It also stirs up memories of Jesuit friends gathered at night, under the stars, on the rooftops of Ciszek Hall, Xavier Micronesia, the Rue de Grenelle, the Curia in Rome and, of course, the great retreat house at Manresa. All of those places, and so many more, exist because of Ignatius and the vision of mission and leadership that began to emerge as he admired the stars on his sick bed.

But as my novice director told us so emphatically during the first week of the Novitiate, the real gift of Ignatius to the world is not the Society of Jesus nor is it the vast number of Jesuit institutions operating around the globe. The most precious gift Ignatius gave to us is the Spiritual Exercises – a means for drawing closer to God, for clarifying the goals to which we are being called, and for celebrating the countless gifts of God with awesome gratitude.

Some of you who are reading this are aware that a critically important part of the Exercises involves “making an election.” When we, as novices, reached this point in the long retreat, our spiritual directors provided us with the question at hand: “do you want to continue the retreat and remain in the Society of Jesus?” That was our election. It was provided to us and it was a doozy! A choice to turn back or forge ahead. I’m so grateful I was given the grace to choose the latter.

Before the great feast of St. Ignatius comes around again this year, I want to spend some time stargazing and maybe even looking at more images from the Webb Telescope. After that, I will ask for the grace to remember that the student standing right in front of me is even more magnificent than anything the Webb can capture. And I will pray for the further grace that my election to remain a Jesuit may always stay fresh and open to forging ahead, to the place where Christ is waiting.

If you get the chance to visit Loyola sometime soon, be sure to take notice of the window in Ignatius’ bedroom. And remember what possibilities and wonders may be found in stargazing.

St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society and model of Jesuit life, pray for us!

Fr. Joe Marina, SJ, is the president of the University of Scranton.

Previous Reflections

July 31, 2021 – by Fr. Patrick Nolan, SJ

Five hundred years ago, St. Ignatius Loyola was struck by a cannonball at the Battle of Pamplona. This injury began his conversion from knight to pilgrim, which ultimately led to him founding the Society of Jesus along with his friends St. Francis Xavier and St. Peter Faber. This past May, to mark the 500th anniversary of this event and the beginning of the Ignatian Year, another teacher and I encouraged students at Boston College High School (where I currently serve in enrollment and as athletics chaplain) to participate in the “Journey with Ignatius” app. Subsequently, a group of around 10 students and faculty met each Tuesday after our 7:40 a.m. Mass. Each week one student would offer a personal reflection about a theme of the week that correlated to the story of Ignatius' conversion, and then the rest of us had some time to share a bit as well.

One week, we were talking about how, once St. Ignatius got back on his feet, he spent an all-night vigil in front of the statue of Our Lady of Montserrat. During the night, he removed his sword and armor (a hugely symbolic gesture for a 16th century Spanish knight!) and laid them at the feet of Our Lady. During our conversation about this moment, a rising senior, Ben, said, “When St. Ignatius stopped holding on to his sword and finally let go of it, his hands opened up to receive God’s grace.” I haven’t been able to let go of that beautiful image since. By his sharing, Ben offered me a new lens through which to see the life of St. Ignatius, which relates to the motto of the Ignatian Year: "to see all things new in Christ."

The story of Ignatius, in other words, is a story of letting go of one thing in favor of something better:

• He let go of his preferred reading during his recuperation and instead read about the Life of Christ and the Lives of the Saints.

• He let go of his desire for worldly glory and received a new vision of living as a companion of Jesus.

• He let go of the familiar Loyola castle and set out into the unknown on a pilgrim's journey.

• He let go of the desire to spend his life in the Holy Land and heard a call to serve the broader Church.

• He let go of his pride so he could study the fundamentals of Latin with young children and so begin his preparation for priesthood.

• He let go of his best friend, St. Francis Xavier, so that the people of the East could hear the Gospel proclaimed.

• He let go of his desire to be a minister, offering direct service to the people, so he could compose the Constitutions, complete the Spiritual Exercises, and dictate his Autobiography.

When I was in discernment with the Jesuits, I was holding on to something. Each year I would read the short bios of the men entering the novitiate, and I wanted to have the best 4-5 sentence bio under my picture, so that when I entered people would think, “Wow, he really gave up a lot to become a Jesuit.” Eventually (by the grace of God!) I let go of that as I drew closer to applying to and entering the novitiate. In letting go of what I wanted my bio to say, I came to realize how good it already was. I realized how much the gifts of my life before the Jesuits have helped me be a good Jesuit, just like St. Ignatius’ gifts for friendship, leadership, organization, and creativity were blessed by God and employed for God's greater glory.

It’s also on days like today, the great feast of our founder, when I look back and give thanks that I was able to let go of everything I was holding on to, in order to open my hands to receive God’s grace anew and serve under the banner of his Son.