Cabahug, Raven Mikaela TH 1:30 PM- 3:30 PM

AB IS AMST 1

St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Life Reflection

The life of St. Ignatius of Loyola made me rekindle how amazing, full of tests in obeying but will
be miraculous and meaningful it is to live life with the presence and faith to our God. From his life’s journey
he taught us to see what is behind our failures. Our failures can be our instrument for new beginnings, for
new learnings. He reminded me of the quote “we don’t really fail; we just learn”. Failure in the battle
became the first inspiration of him to know God in a deep sense. An inspiration to live for the glory of god
from the glory of self. When he was injured from the war he spent most of his time in his family’s castle.
His bed became the chrysalis where inspiration was intense. He has the time to read books about Saints
and there gave birth of having the inspiration that took him to an evident metamorphosis.

When he decided to do the pilgrim this inspired saint was able to inspire men of good will and to
instill in them the apostleship. He was guarded, he knew that God is living in him and by that he was able
to guard others. He knew despite of his situation that his life has a purpose and so do us. He was
awakened. He knew to himself of the things he had done in the past. He knew that he was a sinner and
began questioning himself as to what have he done for Christ? What is he doing for Christ? What he ought
to do for Christ? He prepared himself to change for Christ. There was grace in his journey. To know oneself
as a sinner and be willing to change oneself for Christ.

He united to Christ and became an instrument for us to be inspired to unite with Christ too. God
died for us to live because of love and so what can we do for him? The revelation at river Cordoner united
St. Ignatius with the creator and with the creation. His disciples the Jesuits embodied this spirit as they
find their abode with the homeless, their hands rushes to the deliverance of the oppressed and their
voices advocate for the redemption of the refugees. This union will continue till there are injustices in the
world. He was sent to send others.

His acts were a combination of compulsion and freedom. We have the will of doing the necessary
choice to subordinate our choices with the Lord, to will willing the will of the Lord, and to lead only in
choosing to follow the Lord. Being aware to the will of God is discerning his will despite of our unconscious
wants as humans, it is the examination in freely deciding to do the Lord’s will.

The life of St. Ignatius was not easy. He was a soldier, knew he was a sinner, was attracted to the
glory of God, became a soldier of God and became a saint. Living in the will of the Lord in the road of
righteousness is not easy, many will test one’s beliefs but if we stay strong in faith and we let ourselves
be aware of God’s grace it is more than rewarding to know that we live for Christ. To have the feeling and
knowing that we have an intimate relationship with God by obeying his will is synonymous to living with
a purpose. If St. Ignatius can do it, why can’t we? But it will never be easy. A lot will test one’s discernment.
And as Fr. Joel Tabora said “As a lover sees all through the prism of one’s love, so to the disciple sees all
through the prism of God’s love. In the redeeming, forgiving, accepting, empowering love of the Lord, God
is in all, Love is in all, Hope is in all. I catch myself alive. I know myself loved. I need to respond. Not just in
words, but in deeds”, a significant realization of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s life.