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St Ignatius of Loyola - the Saints


THE LIFE OF ST IGNATIUS DE LOYOLA

He was born in 1491 in Guipuzcoa, Spain. He was born to Spanish nobility. He lived the normal childhood and adolescence of Spanish nobility, wealthy and vain and entered the Spanish military in 1517.

At this point of life, he has ambition to move to higher rank in military, serving as a courtier for Spanish kingdom, having family and owning a castle like the one he was raised in and living the privileged life of Spanish nobility.

However God had greater plan for him.
His life began to change in 1521 when in a cannonball greatly crippled him in battle and failed surgeries made his leg limb.
He was bedridden for about a year and during that time he only had access to the book of Saint biographies and the Life of Christ.
He was so frustrated and in desperation since his dream was dashed into pieces, however after reading those books he experienced a radical religious conversion which changed his outlook on life.

After rehabilitation was over, he took a vow of chastity, renounced his possessions and went on a pilgrimage. He begged for his food and spent long hours of prayer and contemplation in a cave.
Seeing his need for an education so that he could better serve God, he later returned to Spain to study theology in Barcelona.

While at university, he began experiencing visions and meditation which all contributed to his well-known work THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISE as he tried to discern which inspirations were from God and which were from the enemy of souls.

Out of the university he found followers to join him in starting Society of Jesus, or Jesuits. 
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