St Ignatius - One More Time
I want to finish off my thoughts about St Ignatius from my last two posts. Let's start with those of us who are unemployed.
If you're unemployed and looking for work, your goal is to get a job. You're in a similar spot to St Ignatius when he left his comfortable, mediocre life as a nobleman to work for the greater glory of God.
When he arrived at the University of Paris, he was like those of us who need to find work - even more, we who need to change careers to get work, or who need to develop new skills to find work.
St Ignatius was in his 30's - an "old man" at the University. He had to learn Latin from scratch - no small thing - just to pursue University studies. Everything was taught in Latin. The other students were younger, had already learned Latin.
On top of that, he arrived alone and without any means of support. So in addition to facing the challenge of taking on rigorous University studies, he was poor and had to beg for money just to eat.
I tried thinking about him the other day. I couldn't imagine myself facing what he faced and succeeding as he ultimately did. The obstacles of having no academic training, not knowing any Latin and being older than everyone else just seemed overwhelming.
I remember one time when I had to change careers and took a job in a new industry. I came into the industry at a relatively old age (my early 30's!). I had a family to support. I was self-conscious of having to "catch up." I must say it was a bit of a struggle, learning everything from scratch, having to prove myself (quickly), at times wondering whether I could get it all down fast enough. But nothing I faced then was like what St Ignatius faced.
What kept him going? It was something I wrote in my last post.
What sustained him was his spiritual life, his relationship to Jesus Christ. His drive and ambition sprung from his love for Christ.
So if you're unemployed, and the task of getting a job or changing careers seems daunting (and it probably is), you've got a friend, an advocate, an intercessor with St Ignatius.
As for those of us working now, this is no time to sit back and relax. Even if your job or career seems to be going well, you probably suspect you can do better: work more efficiently so you can spend more time with family, earn more (to help your family or give away to someone in need) by proving yourself to be more valuable to your company, or finding a new job that pays more...the list is endless.
Once St Ignatius had formed his Jesuits and got the ball rolling sending them around the world to rebuild a Church divided by the Reformation, teaching those in far-away places all about the Jesus Christ that he knew and loved - well, he worked just as hard as his days in University, if not harder.
And even as he was doing what must have seemed to be God's Will to him, even as he served as spiritual director to others, he never forgot his own spiritual life. He practiced exactly what he preached. He prayed constantly, relied on God in all things, meditated daily, read scripture, said Mass, spent time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
And all of this is possible for us. All of us can follow in his footsteps. All of us can turn from mediocrity to greatness - whether its finding a job, changing careers, getting better at our current job. We can all pray to great St Ignatius.
I had eight years of Jesuit education and I'm still just learning about how great a Saint he was. Do yourself a favor and read about him. Check the catalog of a good Catholic press and find a book about him, or get one from the library. We need him now, in this time of trouble, when so many of us are struggling or concerned about the future. We need examples like St Ignatius to carry us on their shoulders.
St Ignatius, pray for all us Catholic men at work.
If you're unemployed and looking for work, your goal is to get a job. You're in a similar spot to St Ignatius when he left his comfortable, mediocre life as a nobleman to work for the greater glory of God.
When he arrived at the University of Paris, he was like those of us who need to find work - even more, we who need to change careers to get work, or who need to develop new skills to find work.
St Ignatius was in his 30's - an "old man" at the University. He had to learn Latin from scratch - no small thing - just to pursue University studies. Everything was taught in Latin. The other students were younger, had already learned Latin.
On top of that, he arrived alone and without any means of support. So in addition to facing the challenge of taking on rigorous University studies, he was poor and had to beg for money just to eat.
I tried thinking about him the other day. I couldn't imagine myself facing what he faced and succeeding as he ultimately did. The obstacles of having no academic training, not knowing any Latin and being older than everyone else just seemed overwhelming.
I remember one time when I had to change careers and took a job in a new industry. I came into the industry at a relatively old age (my early 30's!). I had a family to support. I was self-conscious of having to "catch up." I must say it was a bit of a struggle, learning everything from scratch, having to prove myself (quickly), at times wondering whether I could get it all down fast enough. But nothing I faced then was like what St Ignatius faced.
What kept him going? It was something I wrote in my last post.
What sustained him was his spiritual life, his relationship to Jesus Christ. His drive and ambition sprung from his love for Christ.
So if you're unemployed, and the task of getting a job or changing careers seems daunting (and it probably is), you've got a friend, an advocate, an intercessor with St Ignatius.
As for those of us working now, this is no time to sit back and relax. Even if your job or career seems to be going well, you probably suspect you can do better: work more efficiently so you can spend more time with family, earn more (to help your family or give away to someone in need) by proving yourself to be more valuable to your company, or finding a new job that pays more...the list is endless.
Once St Ignatius had formed his Jesuits and got the ball rolling sending them around the world to rebuild a Church divided by the Reformation, teaching those in far-away places all about the Jesus Christ that he knew and loved - well, he worked just as hard as his days in University, if not harder.
And even as he was doing what must have seemed to be God's Will to him, even as he served as spiritual director to others, he never forgot his own spiritual life. He practiced exactly what he preached. He prayed constantly, relied on God in all things, meditated daily, read scripture, said Mass, spent time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
And all of this is possible for us. All of us can follow in his footsteps. All of us can turn from mediocrity to greatness - whether its finding a job, changing careers, getting better at our current job. We can all pray to great St Ignatius.
I had eight years of Jesuit education and I'm still just learning about how great a Saint he was. Do yourself a favor and read about him. Check the catalog of a good Catholic press and find a book about him, or get one from the library. We need him now, in this time of trouble, when so many of us are struggling or concerned about the future. We need examples like St Ignatius to carry us on their shoulders.
St Ignatius, pray for all us Catholic men at work.
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