Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus and inspiration of all we refer to as Ignatian spirituality.

A hallmark of his teaching and example is the encouragement to live as contemplatives in action. In our daily lives, we strive to maintain a rich and fruitful balance between conscious prayer and concrete service.

As we come to know God more deeply through prayer, we become more aware of God’s desires for us and for the world — to use our gifts to their fullest, to pursue justice for the poor and marginalized, to care for Creation. And the more we actively respond, the deeper we are led to union with God and solidarity with others.

Ignatius invites us to respond not necessarily by doing more and more things — merely adding items to our calendars— but by discerning the greater good, the “more,” and committing ourselves to carrying it out, with Christ ever at the center.

This message is as relevant and as needed today as it was in the sixteenth century! We are blessed to count ourselves among the heirs of St. Ignatius. So let us recommit ourselves today to living as contemplatives in action. And let us rejoice as we celebrate our teacher and inspiration.

Happy Feast Day!