The Four “Mary’s” of St. Ignatius Loyola – Part II

(Sharing at the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on 24 Nov 2012)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ

In our last sharing, walking through St. Ignatius Loyola’s life in our Santa Maria della Strada Chapel, we stopped at the image of Our Lady of Montserrat. Let us continue our ‘journey’.

After Manresa, Ignatius went to the Holy Land. However, he was compelled to return to Europe for his safety, as the Turks were ruling there then. Ignatius then realised that to help others, he had to study. So at 33, he went back to studies. Circumstances forced him to move from Barcelona to Alcalá, Salamanca and finally Paris. He attracted many students. Six of them, which included St. Francis Xavier, eventually became his closest companions. In 1534 in the chapel of Montmatre, they took vows of perpetual chastity and poverty and upon completing their studies, to be of service to the Pope.

In 1537, all of them except for Peter Favre, who was already a priest then, received the Holy Orders. Still unable to go to the Holy Land, the seven companions went to Rome to offer their services to the Pope. On the way, at La Storta, Ignatius had a vision of God the Father “placing him with His Son”, Jesus Christ, as he had asked Mary to obtain for him. This was the most significant affirmation for him and later on, the Society of Jesus. On 27 September 1540, Pope Paul III approved the formation of the Society of Jesus. Ignatius was unanimously chosen general on 7 April 1541. On 22 April, the same year, the Friday of Easter week, at the basilica of St. Paul-Outside-the-Walls, before the Theotokos Hodigitria icon, the friends pronounced their final vows in the newly formed Order. The icon is the third stained glass image from the back of our chapel.

Sometimes called “Our Lady of the Way”, or Queen of the Society of Jesus, it is among the most classical, most ancient and permanent of Marian icons^[1]. According to legend, St. Luke painted the first Hodigitria, which means 'Pointer of the Way' or 'Guide of the Church.' In the icon, Our Lady points to her Child as if to say, look at him, not me.^[2] “This is the way, he is your life, way and truth.”^[1] Mary leads us to Christ, she herself is “the Sign” of the way^[3]. The simple and beautiful Marian way teaches that our existence, lived in faith, hope and charity, is for others, leading them to Christ^[1]. The Pope reminded us of this, too, in the Year of Faith.

Later, Pope Paul III gave the newly approved Society a small church after its former pastor and owner, Peter Codacio, became a Jesuit. This was the church of Santa Maria della Strada, erected by the Astalli family in the 5^th century in Rome. In it was the original fresco of the Madonna della Strada, painted likely in the 13^th to 14^th century^[4]. The Jesuits built their house beside the church, which was their urban missionary headquarters. In 1568, Cardinal Alessandro Farnese erected the Jesuits’ mother church, the Church of the Gesù, over this church. 

Following the tradition, to commemorate the original church, a chapel dedicated to Santa Maria della Strada was built in the new church. The icon became the main alterpiece in this chapel and venerated as miraculous and very dear to St. Ignatius. In our chapel, the stained glass image nearest to the altar is modeled after this icon.

Santa Maria della Strada, or Our Lady of the Way, is the patroness of the Society of Jesus. Her intercession was claimed to have protected Ignatius during battle as a soldier. In the Church of the Gesù, the icon is strategically placed between the altar dedicated to St. Ignatius and the main altar dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. The chapel location shows Mary’s intercessory role.^[5] Also called “Our Lady of the Wayside”, and in Western Europe “Our Lady of the Street”, the icon is sometimes used to symbolize poverty, the homeless, etc.^[6]. Overall, the image evokes trust in the Son and the Mother’s intercession with him^[4].

The Society of Jesus became the largest religious order that won over multitudes of souls to Christ, making their mark in diverse fields, especially education. The Jesuits played a vital role in countering the Protestant Reformation, keeping the Church of Christ intact. Imitating St. Ignatius’ fervour and placing our prayers in Mary’s hands while contemplating the Lord in our Chapel, we could perhaps find strength to answer the Pope’s call – “to rediscover the content of the faith that is professed, celebrated, lived and prayed, and to reflect on the act of faith”. Then, we can be credible life-giving witnesses of Christ.^[7]

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[1] Marian Icons -- A Way to Devotion. (n.d.) In Mary in Catholic Teaching: Session 4: Growing in Knowledge. Retrieved 2 Sept 2012 from http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/buby/session_4.htm)

[2] Vinie, M. (n.d.). [Course material]. Retrieved 2 Sept 2012 from http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/resources/icon3.html

[3] Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2674

[4] Chapel of Our Lady of the road. (17 May 2010). Retrieved 17 Nov. 2010 from http://www.chiesadelgesu.org/html/d_cappella_madonna_della_strada_it.html

[5] Bonacci, L.A. (n.d.) [Q&A]. Retrieved 13 Nov 2010 from http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/questions/yq/yq115.html

[6] [Part of Q&A]. Retrieved 17 Nov. 2010 from http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/questions/yq/yq15.html.

[7] Benedict XVI. (11 Oct 2011). Porta fidei. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20111011_porta-fidei_en.html, n. 9.

The Four “Mary’s” of St. Ignatius Loyola – Part I

(Sharing at the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on 10 Nov 2012)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ

To help us answer our call for the Year of Faith, that is, to share with others Christ Jesus, the Redeemer of mankind^[1], one of the Church’s pastoral advice is to have a special devotion to Mary^[2]. In response, we would like to suggest contemplating the Lord in the Santa Maria della Strada Chapel.^[3] Among the features in the Chapel that may help in prayerful reflexion are the four stained glass images of Our Lady. Have you ever wondered their significance?

 They are the 4 Mary’s significant to St. Ignatius of Loyola. Remember our sharing on Our Lady in St. Ignatius Loyola’s life? The images walk us through the most important stages of his life. Today, I will share briefly on something about two of the images.

When Ignatius Loyola was converted while recovering from the Pamplona battle injury, he had a vision of Our Lady with the Holy Child Jesus, which confirmed his decision. It was believed to be that of Our Lady of Aranzazu. This is the first image as you enter the back door of the chapel. Aranzazu is about 55 km from Loyola, Ignatius’ ancestral home, in Gipuzkoa. According to tradition, in 1498, while rounding up his flock, a shepherd, Rodrigo de Baltzategi, heard a cowbell calling him. He followed the sound, and came upon an image of the Virgin Mary. Considered a miracle, the site became a pilgrimage shrine. In Ignatius’ mother tongue, the Basque language, Aranzazu means “a place full of hawthorn bushes”, thus the name Our Lady of Aranzazu. It was also believed that she was so named because the shepherd Rodrigo, who discovered her on top of a hawthorn bush, exclaimed, “Arantzan zu?!” meaning, “You, on a hawthorn bush?!” Today, the Sanctuary of Aranzazu is maintained by the Franciscans. The feast of Our Lady of Aranzazu, patron saint of Gipuzkoa, is celebrated on 9 Sept.

The vision of the Virgin and the Child filled Ignatius with hatred for his past life of impurity. He wanted to go to the Holy Land via Montserrat. On his way, in 1522, he stopped at Aranzazu and spent a night in vigil before Our Lady of Aranzazu, promising to live in chastity.

He then went on to Montserrat, then already a famous pilgrimage destination. Rulers, church leaders and canonized Saints had visited the famous Black Madonna of Montserrat at the Benedictine monastery there. This is the second image from the back of our Chapel. St. Ignatius became among its most famous visitors. According to legend, the image of the Virgin of Montserrat was first known as La Jerosolimitana, or the native of Jerusalem – it is believed to have been carved in Jerusalem by St. Luke during the Church’s beginnings. It was brought to Montserrat in 718, to hide it from the invading Saracens. For almost 200 years, it remained hidden and the location was forgotten. Then in 890, tradition holds that while tending their flocks one night, some shepherds saw lights and heard singing coming from the mountain. After the second time, they reported it to their priest. Upon investigation, he also saw the mysterious lights and heard the singing. So he informed the Bishop, who also witnessed these phenomena. Finally, they discovered the statue of Our Lady in the cave; they brought it out and placed it in a small church that was soon built and later developed into the present church that was completed in 1592.

Various miracles were attributed to the Virgin of Montserrat, resulting in the present statue being made in the 12^th or 13^th century. It has always been considered one of the most popular images in Spain and is classified as one of the Black Madonnas in the world. Why black? No one knows for sure, but one possibility was that the countless candles and lamps that have burned day and night before it had turned it black.

At Montserrat, Ignatius Loyola exchanged his rich clothes for a beggar’s, laid down his sword and dagger at Our Lady’s altar and kept a vigil. The next day, intending to continue to the Holy Land, he ended up stopping at nearby Manresa. Here, he composed the Spiritual Exercises that helped so many souls till today.

Dear brothers and sisters, thus far, we have gone through St. Ignatius’ time of conversion. In a fortnight, we will learn more about the other two stained glass icons of Our Lady. Meanwhile, let us ask her to help us live out the Pope’s invitation to true and renewed conversion during this grace-filled Year of Faith. “Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us. Amen.”

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[1] Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. (6 Jan 2012). Note with pastoral recommendations for the Year of Faith. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20120106_nota-anno-fede_en.html.

[2] Ibid., n 13.

[3] Why? Because she can help us to know Him better and thus be His living witnesses.

Our Lady in the Life of St. Ignatius Loyola

(Sharing at the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on 21 July 2012)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ

From the perspective of the Church’s mission to faithfully proclaim the mystery of its Lord until its final manifestation in full light, the Year of Faith, commencing in October this year, is a command to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Saviour of the world. (Benedict XVI, 2011, Porta Fidei, #6)  It is no wonder then, that during the Year, we are invited to particular devotion to Mary, model of the Church. For, as shown by Fr. Jean Longère, President of the French Society of Marian Studies (Lourdes Magazine, Special Edition 2009, p129), the call for reconciliation with God and conversion of hearts is the “golden thread” linking Marian apparitions together. She was seen weeping for sinful humanity. Today, I would like to share on Mary in the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.

Ignatius Loyola, born in 1491 in Azpeitia, northwest of Spain, was from a noble Christian family. He was christened Inigo. During his youth, against his faith, he gave himself over to worldly vanities, especially in gambling, women, and fighting. For want of glory, as courtier in the army of King Ferdinand of Spain, he stubbornly defended the town of Pamplona from the French army. On the 20th of May 1521, a French cannonball smashed into both his legs; both Inigo and Pamplona fell. The French nursed him and brought him back to his father’s castle in Loyola. Hoping to perfect his impaired leg, the proud soldier had it re-broken and reset twice. The ordeal almost killed him. Nevertheless, he was left with one leg shorter than the other. 

While convalescing, a romantic novel that he requested could not be found. Instead, he was given the only books available, Life of Christ and Lives of the Saints. This period of reading and deep reflexion brought about his conversion. He decided to outdo the “knights of God”, as he called the saints, in the service of Christ. Our Lady confirmed him in his decision. A vision of her and the Holy Child Jesus stirred hatred for his past life of the flesh, and seemed to erase all his memories of them thereafter. Thus, at thirty, in 1521, Inigo passed from a worldly life to a completely Christian life.

He left home to go to the Holy Land. On the way of a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat, he stopped and spent a night in vigil before Our Lady of Aranzazu, promising to live in chastity. At Montserrat, he made a Confession, donned beggar’s clothes, surrendered his sword and dagger at Our Lady’s altar and kept vigil over them all night. The next morning, on the feast of the Annunciation 1522, he left towards Barcelona, but ended up retiring in a cave outside nearby Manresa. Here, by the banks of the river Cardoner, he received heavenly insights and went on to compose the Spiritual Exercises which helped countless people.

Ignatius was evidently devoted to Our Lady. When he returned to Azpeitia in 1535 to recuperate from sickness, he often prayed at the Convent of Our Lady of Olatz. After his ordination in 1537, he delayed saying Mass, to prepare himself and “to beg Our Lady that she might desire to place him with her Son.” (de Guibert, 1964, p37) In November 1537, while praying in a chapel at La Storta before entering Rome, Ignatius had a vision of God the Father commending him to Jesus. He clearly saw that the Father was placing him with His Son, as he had confidently asked Mary to obtain for him. This greatly assured him and transformed his soul. It was uniquely important both to his life and the Society of Jesus, for it was God who granted them, in Fr. de Guibert, a Jesuit’s words, “…a life of service to God with Christ, through Christ, in Christ, and as Christ.”

Ignatius said his first Mass at Christmas 1538 in the church of St. Mary Major, Rome. The Society of Jesus has for its patroness Madonna Della Strada, Our Lady of the Way, whose intercession was claimed to have protected Ignatius during battle as a soldier. The Blessed Virgin Mary is also known as the Queen of the Society of Jesus, obscure yet ever present and helpful. Thus we see the quiet but decisive role of Mary in the life of Ignatius Loyola, the worldly soldier turned soldier of Christ.

Let us then trust in Mary’s intercession, as we pray for conversion for ourselves and for others, in preparing to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth come October.

References:

Benedict XVI. (11 October 2011). Porta Fidei.

Lourdes Magazine, Special Edition. (2009).

de Guibert, J. (1964). The Jesuits: Their Spiritual Doctrine and Practice – A Historical Study. USA: The Institute of Jesuit Sources