Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Another Saint For Veterans

Reflecting of Veteran's Day, I realized that there is another saint that veterans could adopt as a patron saint.  And that would be Saint Ignatius of Loyola, born in 1491, died July 31, 1556.  A Basque knight, he had fought in many battles, the last being the defense of a castle against an invading French force.  He was seriously wounded, when a cannonball shattered one of his legs.  His French opponents, impressed by his valor, escorted him back to his family's castle.  He recovered, but his leg never healed properly, and for the rest of his life, he would be walking with a limp. 

While recuperating, Ignatius began to read books on the life of Jesus Christ, and of Catholic saints.  Inspired by what he read, he set out to change his life, and to follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  As he began to have deeper spiritual experiences, he wrote out how he came to these experiences, and these writings formed the basis for his Spiritual Exercises.  He guided his university companions through these Exercises, and together they would form the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits.

1 comment:

  1. I've watched the old movie on EWTN about him, black and white, very grainy but a great movie about a tremendous saint. I think you have an excellent idea. Now I must find the time to read some of those books he wrote...

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