This year’s celebration of the Feast Day of St. Ignatius of Loyola is more special to me than ever before. It was just a few months ago that I had the privilege of going on pilgrimage to Spain and Rome to follow in his footsteps with many of my Loyola Press colleagues! Of the many highlights of this trip, I’d have to say that the most moving was being in the spot where Ignatius spent month after month recovering from the cannonball injury to his knee. This event not only shattered his knee, it shattered his life and his dreams. Painful as the experience was for him on so many levels, it also served as the springboard for his conversion: from death comes new life. May each of us pay closer attention to the “cannonball” experiences in our lives, pray for the grace to grow in faith and let go of our past, and discover new life waiting for us in the Lord’s service!
Here I am standing next to a statue of St. Ignatius in the town of Loyola, where Ignatius experienced his conversion after being wounded in battle.Related Articles
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