St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Suscipe Prayer (Suscipe is Latin for “take”) – surrender to God if you are seeking peace.
Saint Ignatius was born in Spain in 1491. He happily fulfilled his boyhood dream to become a soldier, serving diplomatic missions. Historical accounts note he was quite proud and competitive.
However, Saint Ignatius’s life took a significant turn, after being badly wounded in a battle against France. His recovery was long and painful. During his convalescence Ignatius read two books – one on the life of Jesus and the other was about the lives of saints. He began to see the saints as men and women of great valor and spiritual nobility more impressive than any warrior he aspired to be. He vowed to be a soldier for Christ.
In 1522, Saint Ignatius made a spiritual pilgrimage, spending three days confessing his sins, giving up all his possessions, and refocusing in order to completely dedicate his life to God.
He ultimately penned a handbook of spirituality – The Spiritual Exercises. It is full of prayer, meditation, and practices to help fully encounter the scriptures and “find God in all things.” It became the basis for retreats and evangelization. Pope Paul III approved it in 1548 as a “manual of spiritual arms.”
St. Ignatius encourages us through is writings to become a part of the Gospels by putting ourselves into the scripture stories. Thus, we can better understand and feel the emotions in the Word of God.
There is much to learn about this dynamic saint in his autobiography and through the Society of Jesus – The Jesuits – the Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers founded by St. Ignatius.
When we face significant choices in our lives, let us recall the words of Saint Ignatius, “never say or do anything until you have asked yourself whether it will be pleasing to God, good for yourself and edifying to your neighbor.”
