St. Ignatius of Loyola Set the World Aflame with Love for Our Lord

On July 31, we celebrate the feast of a man whose life drastically changed after he was struck by a cannonball.

St. Ignatius of Loyola was born in Spain in 1491. He dreamed of being a knight, serving the king, and fighting in battles. And for a while, he did just that as an officer in the military. But during the Battle of Pamplona, a cannonball ricocheted off the wall of the citadel that he and his fellow military men had taken refuge in, and it shattered his right leg and badly injured his left.

As he lay in bed recuperating, Ignatius asked for books about knights and stories of gallantry, but there were none available. Instead, he was given books about the life of Christ and about the saints. He began to read voraciously, and he realized that the dreams he had had about the life he thought he wanted left him unfulfilled. Yet the dreams he had about following Christ left him filled with joy.

Ignatius became a changed man, no longer wanting to serve an earthly king but a heavenly one. He decided to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to walk where Jesus walked. On his way, he gave his expensive clothes to a poor man, and he stopped at a town called Manresa, where he planned to stay just a few days. He ended up staying 10 months in prayer and discernment.

He did eventually get to the Holy Land, but he remained only a short time. He returned to Spain and learned enough Latin to then enroll at the University of Paris. There he met Francis Xavier and Peter Faber, who shared a similar passion for spreading the gospel. Together, these three would form the order known as the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits.

Now, your middle schoolers and high schoolers can learn not just about St. Ignatius, but about the Ignatian concept of cura personalis—care for the whole person (heart, soul, mind, and body).

St. Ignatius told us to “go forth and set the world aflame.” We cannot do that without a knowledge of our faith and a deep love of God. That’s why the Culture of Life Studies Program recently created two new lessons about St. Ignatius—one for middle school and one for high school.

St. Ignatius: Cura Personalis is a two-day lesson booklet for high schoolers that teaches the importance of caring for the whole person. The first lesson in this two-part series challenges students to care for themselves by caring for their whole person (heart, soul, mind, and body). The second lesson teaches students the importance of cura personalis toward others and debunks the lie of the “you do you” mentality. Through readings, discussion, and thought-provoking activities, students will come to understand the importance of caring for a person, both body and soul. 

St. Ignatius: Loving and Caring for the Whole Person is our new middle school lesson that teaches about the life of St. Ignatius and explores how to apply the concept of cura personalis to our own lives. 

Both lessons are vital for students in today’s culture. As parents, it is our responsibility to teach the young people in our lives how to not only care for themselves but to care for others. This is cura personalis in action, and it’s a crucial part of building a culture of life.

Ignatius once said, “I shall not only be called a Christian, but also prove to be one.” What he meant was living as a Christian so that others could see and emulate his behaviors. In doing so, he leads others to Christ.

This is also our charge. All of our actions should glorify God, and all we do should lead others to Him. So let us heed his words and not only “go forth and set the world aflame” but teach young people to do so as well.

Find both lessons at shop.all.org/collections/culture-of-life-studies-program.