As we begin this new series of monthly reflections on the spirituality of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, we start where every good story begins: with a life transformed.
Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491 into a noble Basque family in northern Spain. He grew up dreaming not of sanctity, but of chivalry, honor, and worldly success. A soldier by both training and temperament, his early years were filled with ambition and pride. It wasn’t until he was gravely wounded in the Battle of Pamplona in 1521 that his life began to shift. His injury left him bedridden for months, and in this stillness, his interior conversion and faith deepened and deepened.
With nothing but time and limited reading material (a book on the life of Christ and a volume of saints’ lives), Ignatius began to notice something stirring within him. When he imagined his old dreams of the court and romance, he felt empty as the fantasy faded. When he imagined living a life like the saints, he experienced a deep, enduring peace. This contrast – what he would later call “discernment of spirits” – marked the beginning of a journey that would change not only his life, but the lives of countless others.
That journey led him through years of prayer, study, service, and suffering. Along the way, he came to see that God was not confined to churches or monasteries. God was speaking through everything – through desires, conversations, nature, and even through setbacks. He would later write in his Spiritual Exercises that we are invited to “seek and find God in all things.” That phrase would become a hallmark of Ignatian spirituality.
In 1534, with a small group of companions – including Francis Xavier and Peter Faber – Ignatius formed the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. Their vision was clear: to be “contemplatives in action,” grounded in prayer but always ready to respond to the needs of the world. Education, missionary work, care for the poor, and spiritual direction became the core of their ministry.
At the heart of Ignatius’ legacy are the Spiritual Exercises, a guide for retreat and prayer that helps people encounter Christ in a deeply personal way. These Exercises invite us into silence, reflection, and discernment – offering not just a path to holiness, but a means of becoming more fully alive, more deeply aware, more radically free.
At The Cloisters on the Platte, our mission is to share the gift of the Spiritual Exercises with all who come here seeking rest, renewal, and a deeper relationship with God. Inspired by the life of Saint Ignatius, we carry forward his vision of spiritual transformation – one heart, one retreat, one prayer at a time.
In the months ahead, we’ll explore key themes from the Spiritual Exercises: interior freedom, discernment, gratitude, and finding God in the everyday. But for now, we begin by remembering a man who allowed grace to interrupt his plans, who traded worldly glory for the glory of God, and who taught us that even the wounds we carry can become doorways to transformation.
Saint Ignatius reminds us that our lives – no matter how ordinary or broken – are fertile ground for God’s work. May his story encourage us to pay attention, to listen deeply, and to open ourselves to the quiet, patient work of the Holy Spirit.
By Father William Blazek, SJ, Priest in Residence at The Cloisters on the Platte