Live like a warrior
There‘s a song by the Reggae artist Matisyahu titled Live like a warrior where the artist sings in the refrain “Today, today live like you wanna / let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire / fight like a warrior“.
One of my favorite saints, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, whose feast day was celebrated one week ago, on the 31st July, experienced such a passionate moment of “today – let yesterday burn“ on his sickbed, while recovering from an injury he received during a battle with the French, reading through depictions of the lives of the saints in the ennui of his powerlessness, and finally living through a conversion to following Christ. And as he was a lifelong pilgrim, which is why, so fittingly, his autobiography was published under the headline of Report of a pilgrim, he lived through such moments inspiring him to “live like a warrior“ time and time again throughout his life.
The three things one can safely say about Saint Ignatius, his personality, and his life – a noble man, a soldier, and a pilgrim – all converged into the great mission of his life born in the city of Rome: the founding of the “Society of Jesus“, a new Catholic order imbued with the spirit of nobility, military discipline, and the readiness to go wherever the great journey under the banner of Christ takes you… An international society, swift on its feet, for “the greater glory of God“. It was the first order not calling its members to stability but rather to flexibility of place – combined with absolute loyalty to Christ the King, His Kingdom, and His Vicar on earth, the Pope.
Saint Ignatius lived during the erratic days of the Protestant upheaval, the so-called “Reformation“ age of the 16th century, a time which laid the foundations for so many of the ideas, worldviews, experiences, structures, strives, and struggles of the “modern era“. There is, then, something very “modern“ about the principles of the order Saint Ignatius founded, who at the same time was one of the great agents of the counter-reformation – countering the destructive passion of the Protestant rebellion with the creative passion of a Catholic renewal.
About Saint Ignatius‘ project of the “Society of Jesus“ Michael Sievernich SJ writes the following in an essay accompanying his translation of Saint Ignatius‘ autobiography:
“A special feature of the order is not only the abdication of the religious habit and the fixed-hour prayer, but also the express loyalty to the respective pope. This ‘ecclesiasticism‘ is indeed an alternative to the humanistic and Protestant critique of the Church, while Ignatius is, of course, also in favor of reforming the Church from head to toe. But he pursues reform through conscious ecclesiastical loyalty. With this bond to the global Church und her highest authority, this new international type of order gains freedom of operation and mobility of possible missions, which are then not restricted to certain types of work or certain places. The space of operation derives from the spiritual and pastoral needs of the day and age, not from juridicial districts. The work can be anything and different things: it can be pastoral activities or activities of church diplomacy, missions for the poor and the sick, missions in the confessionally split Germany or in Europe, or in Asia or America, reconciling aristocratic Roman families or taking care of present-day orphans living in the streets, theological argumentation at the Council of Trent, or works of caritas. For Ignatius the decisive principle of choice is always the ‘greater glory of God‘ and the ‘greater benefit for the souls‘. This benefit includes the whole person, the human being with body and soul: feeding the healthy body, and taking care of the sick body belong to it as well as the formation of conscience and the spiritual and intellectual education. (…) Under her ‘general’ Ignatius the young Society of Jesus develops a twofold agenda, which, on the one hand, focuses on the old European cities and, on the other hand, on the new worlds of other cultures and religions beyond Europe. For the cities there is the pastoral triple of serving the Word of God (homilies, catechesis, missions for the laypeople, spiritual exercises); serving the sacramental life (Confession, formation of conscience, promotion of Holy Communion, prayer life, music for worship); works of mercy (sowing peace, counseling in prisons, in hospitals and pastoral care for the dying, taking care of prostitutes, of Jews and new Christians, brotherhoods). These religious and social activities of reform are accompanied by activities in the fields of academia and education, resulting in the founding of many grammar-school colleges and in giving lectures at universities. This is combined with the promotion of the popular languages and the arts (theatre, architecture, music). At the same time a view to the world beyond Europe, which is brought to mind more and more by the European expansion, is part of the Ignatian agenda. Already in the founding year of the Society, in 1540, he sends Francis Xavier to Asia; followed by a first group of missionaries to Brazil in 1549.“
my own free and rough translation of a passage in the essay by Michael Sievernich SJ Ignatius von Loyola and seine mystische Autobiographie, in: Ignatius von Loyola, Bericht des Pilgers, marixverlag 2006, p. 193-195
On Saint Ignatius of Loyola‘s feast day, I re-read some of the passages in his Spiritual Exercises. They have a way of reminding us what life is really about and to which camp in the battlefield we belong, and just like the specific design of the “Society of Jesus“ the exercises seem to unite and bring out Saint Ignatius‘ three-fold approach to life as a noble man, a soldier, and a pilgrim.
I am sharing them here in my own free and rough translation into English from the German version by Peter Knauer SJ, published in 2008. Each little excerpt is followed by a couple of thoughts that sprouted from brooding over Saint Ignatius‘ words…
What are we made for? The path of nobility
“Man is made for praising God our Lord, for glorifying Him and serving Him, and thereby saving his soul; and all other things on the plain of the earth are made for man and for helping him with the pursuit of this goal to which he is called. From this it follows that man shall use them, insofar as they help him to reach this goal, and that he shall disengage from them, insofar as they hinder it.“
my own free and rough translation of excerpts from the Spiritual Exercises by Saint Ignatius of Loyola
“In every good choice, as far as it concerns us, we must look to our intention with a simple eye, that is I look only upon that for which I was made, which is praising God our Lord and the salvation of my soul. And so everything I choose must be of such a kind that it helps me reaching the goal for which I was made, as I do not set the goal in relation to the means (or path), but instead set the means (or path) in relation to the goal.“
How great this freedom – to never lose sight of the purpose, the calling, the goal of our lives. One will never be a slave to anyone or anything, but a lover only: a lover of God, and His Kingdom, and His Saints, and a lover of souls. One will then remember to always seek the noble path – the path Saint Ignatius of Loyola walked: the path of the greatest glory for the King.
And what more could a soul give to this King but wholehearted acts of love, acts of devotion? And the total love, the full devotion is the giving of self – to the divine King and to another human soul.
Leave aside whatever tries to lead you on another road. Leave aside the things that try to use you more than you are able to use them for the fulfilment of your most true calling, which is giving glory to God and working for the greatest benefit of souls.
Be selective, like the son or daughter of a king, like a prince or a princess. Choose only those things, and engagements, and obligations, and loyalties, and responsibilities, and associations that, when put on the altar, consumed by its fire as they burn like incense, give off a truly pleasant aroma praising the Creator and Giver of all things and thereby enticing more souls to walk upon the noble path along with you. Choose the true, the good, the beautiful – and nothing else.
Everything is God‘s. To be a pilgrim, ready to discover the path
“Lord, take all my liberty, my memory, my mind and my entire will, all that I have and possess. You have given it to me, and to you, Lord, I give it back. Everything is yours. Command over it as you wish to. Just give me your love and grace, it shall be enough for me.“
my own free and rough translation of an excerpt from the Spiritual Exercises by Saint Ignatius of Loyola
What a great freedom – to renounce our freedom… To give back our freedom to the One who alone has a right to give us commands, who alone is the Lord of our lives. My body, my soul, my life is yours – it is your gift to me, and it is my gift to you. Nothing is ever my “possession“.
To know what your will is – in one respect it is easy, because it has been revealed to us, but in another respect it is hard, because we have to make so many choices throughout our lives: and which one is the one we shall choose right now? How can we, who see everything from below, not from above, ever know it? How can we ever be sure we are making the right choice? There are a thousand situations in which we have to be ‘creative‘: we have to find the solution, and we cannot deduce it from a story already told, from a case file already reported. We have to discover it along the way.
Command over my memory, my mind, my will – right now, in this present moment of time and space. Unless you fill me with the intuition, the vision, and the desire of what is right and good – how shall I ever know, how shall I ever see, and how shall I ever actually do it? No day and age has ever seen our day and age. There were evil times before, but none of them was quite like the one we face right now. Each and every day has its own sorrow. There is no ready-made answer. Give me your love and grace – and I shall find out how to walk, where to go and what to do, today. And even if I shall not find out and can only wait in patience – your love and your grace are enough for me.
Two camps at war. To belong to the army of the children of light
“Meditation on two banners, the one of Christ, our highest General and Lord, the other of Satan, the deadly enemy of our human nature. (…) Envision a big military camp, consisting of the whole area of Jerusalem, where the chief general of the good is Christ our Lord; and another camp in the district of Babylon, where the leader of the enemies is Satan. (…) Imagine how the leader of the enemies, awful and terrible, sits down on a huge throne of fire and smoke in this big camp of Babylon. (…) Ponder how his command reaches countless demons and how he sends them out, some to this city and some to another one, and likewise into the whole world, without excluding any one province, place, rank or person. (…) Consider the speech he is delivering to them and how he calls upon them to throw out nets and chains: that they shall lead into temptation firstly through the desire for riches, as it is in many cases, so that people come to vain worldly glory more easily and afterwards to increased pride. So the first step is riches, the second is vain glory, the third is pride. And from these he leads into all other vices. In the same manner but in opposition to it one shall imagine the highest and one true General, Christ our Lord. (…) Ponder how Christ our Lord stands in a humble, beautiful and graceful spot in this vast camp of Jerusalem. (…) Ponder how the Lord of the whole world chooses many people, apostles, disciples etc. and sends them into all the world to spread his holy teaching across all ranks and circumstances. (…) Consider the speech Christ our Lord gives to all his servants and friends, whom he sends out into the battlefield, by advising them to help everyone by bringing them firstly to the highest spiritual poverty, and in case it serves His holy Majesty and He wants to choose them in such a way, also to actual poverty, and by, secondly, bringing them to a desire for being reviled and disregarded, because from these things follows humility. There shall be three steps then: the first is poverty instead of riches; the second is being reviled and disregarded instead of vain glory; the third is humility instead of pride. And from these three steps He leads them into all other virtues. Talk to our Lady, that she may ask for grace for me from her Son and Lord, so that I may be incorporated into His banner, firstly in the highest spiritual poverty, and then, in case it serves His holy Majesty and He wants to choose me in such a way, also in actual poverty, secondly in enduring being reviled and disregarded, in order to imitate Him more, if only I can bear it without causing another man‘s sin and without discontenting His Majesty. Pray the Ave Maria. (…) Ask the Son for the same thing, that He may ask the Father for it. Pray the Anima Christi. (…) Ask the Father for the same thing, that He may grant it. And pray the Pater Noster.“
my own free and rough translation of an excerpt from the Spiritual Exercises by Saint Ignatius of Loyola
Imagine the tree of vices – a bad tree with bad and corrupted fruits. The root sin from which all branches on this tree stem is pride. Satan is God‘s rival, seeking to make men into his vile image, seeking to lead them into pride and from there into all kinds of sins and dark vices. The soil, the ground, in which such a bad tree grows best, consists of two main ingredients: worldly riches, and honors. But what does that mean? What are riches, what are honors? Riches are all our possessions in this world – they are riches to us because we deny that they are gifts and loans, we think they are exclusively ours. It could be everything we deem to possess, not just material possessions. And then honors, what are honors? What is vain glory? The world hands out badges of honor according to our performance, our success, our achievements as measured by the world‘s standards, standards regularly standing aloof from the standards of truth, goodness, and beauty. Worldly riches and honors then become the stepping stones towards living in pride, feeling as if I were the apt, strong and independent master of my own self-made kingdom – living in pride like king Nebuchadnezzar once did before he and his kingdom fell.
And then imagine the tree of virtues – a good tree with good and pleasant fruits. The root virtue from which all branches on this tree stem is humility. Christ seeks to make men into His glorious and perfect image, seeks to lead them into humility and from there into all kinds of shining virtues.
“Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.“ (Matthew 11: 28-30)
Christ‘s holy teaching is the one true religion that will, when practiced, lead us into a state of the highest spiritual poverty. The highest spiritual poverty combined with the willingness to endure dispraise, disrepute, dishonor on account of Christ‘s name are the main ingredients of the soil, the ground, in which the good tree of virtues can grow. But what is spiritual poverty?
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.“ (Matthew 5: 3)
“And Jesus calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them, and said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven.“ (Matthew 18: 2-4)
To know our dependence on God‘s love and grace, a child-like dependence. The little child is the ultimate counterpoint to the proud, and mighty, and wealthy king Nebuchadnezzar.
“Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a merchant seeking good pearls. Who when he had found one pearl of great price, went his way, and sold all that he had, and bought it.“ (Matthew 13: 45-46)
To give everything we have – simply to get hold of this one precious pearl, the most beautiful one.
There is a war between two camps: a war between Christ‘s camp and Satan‘s camp. How does each camp grow in number? Each camp sends out messengers – one sends out apostles, disciples, saints, and angels, and they preach the holy teaching; the other sends out demons who tempt us to pursue riches and honors instead of following the path of the holy teaching. How does one get enrolled in the respective armies? By answering the respective call to join the ranks of this army.
There is a war between light and the darkness that tries to extinguish the light, and tries to hide the light from men. Christ, the truth, is the light of the world – and whatever opposes the light as its enemy is darkness. Yet the true light can never be extinguished.
“For you were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk then as children of the light. For the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and justice, and truth; proving what is well pleasing to God: And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For the things that are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of. But all things that are reproved, are made manifest by the light; for all that is made manifest is light. Wherefore he saith: Rise thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead: and Christ shall enlighten thee. See therefore, brethren, how you walk circumspectly: not as unwise, but as wise: redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore become not unwise, but understanding what is the will of God.“ (Ephesians 5: 8-17)
Child of light, at times lost and confused, at times weary and sleepy, at times haunted and assaulted by the dark powers and almost despairing, ask the blessed Virgin Mary, ask Christ the Son, ask the Father: take me under your banner of light, hide me safely in Your blessed light. May nothing ever separate me from you.
When they find us dead on the battlefield one day, let them discover, underneath our shirts, right across our hearts the inscription of your holy name. We were some of your hidden agents, some of your silent warriors – some of “God‘s spies“ (Shakespeare, King Lear) in this world.