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 The founder
of the Jesuits was on his way to military fame and fortune when a cannon
ball shattered his leg. Because there were no books of romance on hand
during his convalescence, he whiled away the time reading a life of Christ
and lives of the saints. His conscience was deeply touched, and a long,
painful turning to Christ began. Having seen the Mother of God in a vision,
he made a pilgrimage to her shrine at Montserrat (near Barcelona). He
remained for almost a year at nearby Manresa, sometimes with the Dominicans,
sometimes in a pauper’s hospice, often in a cave in the hills praying. After
a period of great peace of mind, he went through a harrowing trial of
scruples. There was no comfort in anything—prayer, fasting, sacraments,
penance. At length, his peace of mind returned.
It was during this year of conversion that he began to write down material
that later became his greatest work, the Spiritual Exercises.
He finally achieved his purpose of going to the Holy Land, but could not
remain, as he planned, because of the hostility of the Turks. He spent the
next 11 years in various European universities, studying with great
difficulty, beginning almost as a child. Like many others, he fell victim
twice to the suspicions of the time, and was twice jailed for brief periods.
In 1534, at the age of 43, he and six others (one of whom was St. Francis
Xavier) vowed to live in poverty and chastity and to go to the Holy Land. If
this became impossible, they vowed to offer themselves to the apostolic
service of the pope. The latter became the only choice. Four years later
Ignatius made the association permanent. The new Society of Jesus was
approved by Paul III, and Ignatius was elected to serve as the first
general.
When companions were sent on various missions by the pope, Ignatius remained
in Rome, consolidating the new venture, but still finding time to found
homes for orphans, catechumens and penitents. He founded the Roman College,
intended to be the model of all other colleges of the Society.
Ignatius was a true mystic. He centered his spiritual life on the essential
foundations of Christianity—the Trinity, Christ, the Eucharist. His
spirituality is expressed in the Jesuit motto, ad majorem Dei gloriam—“for
the greater glory of God.” In his concept, obedience was to be the prominent
virtue, to assure the effectiveness and mobility of his men. All activity
was to be guided by a true love of the Church and unconditional obedience to
the Holy Father, for which reason all professed members took a fourth vow to
go wherever the pope should send them for the salvation of souls.
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