What is Ignatian Spirituality?
Ignatian spirituality is a way of prayer and way of life inspired by the vision of St. Ignatius of Loyola, whose life was rooted in his mystical experience of God as well as his active engagement in the world of his time. It is a practical spirituality for “contemplatives in action” who seek God in daily lives of prayer and service. It is centered on building the Kingdom of God in union with Christ crucified and risen, Christ the Eternal King, a spirituality of love and service, guided by the principles and dynamics of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
Quotes & Prayers of St. Ignatius of Loyola
“Up to his twenty-sixth year the heart of Ignatius was enthralled by the vanities of the world. His special delight was in the military life, and he seemed led by a strong and empty desire of gaining for himself a great name.”
“He learned by experience that one train of thought left him sad, the other joyful. This was his first reasoning on spiritual matters.”
“It is dangerous to make everybody go forward by the same road: and worse to measure others by oneself.”
“He who goes about to reform the world must begin with himself, or he loses his labor.”
“Act as if everything depended on you; trust as if everything depended on God.”
“Go forth and set the world on fire.”
“Love is shown more in deeds than in words.”
“To give, and not to count the cost
to fight, and not to heed the wounds,
to toil, and not to seek for rest,
to labor, and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will”
“Lord, teach me to be generous;
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
To give and not to count the cost;
To fight and not to heed the wounds;
To toil, and not to seek for rest;
To labor, and not to ask for reward -
except to know that I am doing your will.”
“God freely created us so that we might know, love, and serve him in this life and be happy with him forever. God's purpose in creating us is to draw forth from us a response of love and service here on earth, so that we may attain our goal of everlasting happiness with him in heaven.
All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully.
As a result, we ought to appreciate and use these gifts of God insofar as they help us toward our goal of loving service and union with God. But insofar as any created things hinder our progress toward our goal, we ought to let them go.”
“Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me.”
