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"Remember, I am with you always to the end of the age" (Mt 28:20)

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On the Exercises as an Efficacious Means of Helping Souls: To Father Fulvio Androzzi

On the Spiritual Value of Contradictions: To Father Alfonso Román, Rome, July 14, 1556

On Scruples: To Father Juan Marín, Rome, June 24, 1556

On Preserving Chastity: To Emerio De Bonis, Rome, May 23, 1556

On the Desire to Study: To Brother Giovanni Battista, Rome, May 23, 1556

On Universal Charity: To Father Lorenzo Of Modena, Rome, May 16, 1556

On Frugality in Meals: To Father Adrian Adriaenssens, Rome, May 12, 1556

On Humble Amendment: To Father Antonio Soldevila, Rome, April 19, 1556

On Speaking the Language of the Country: To All Superiors Of The Society

On Dealing with Others: To the Fathers Attending Council of Trent, Rome, early 1546

On Hearing Women's Confessions: To Father Alberto Ferrarese, Rome, June 29, 1555

On Avoiding an Overly Ornate Style: To Father Robert Claysson, Rome, March 13, 1555

Norms for Reforming Convents of Nuns: To Father Ponce Cogordan, Rome, February 12, 1555

On the Need for Interior Change: To Bartolomeo Romano, Rome, January 26, 1555

On Humble Obedience to Superiors' Decisions: To Father Giovanni Francesco Araldo, Rome, September 16, 1554

On Dealing with Superiors: To the Whole Society, Rome, December 1, 1554

I. In July 1521, a 30-year-old Basque knight, named Iñigo was brought home to recuperate after his cannonball experience in the battle of Pamplona—his watershed moment. The wounds on his lower limbs led to the first long lockdown in his life, about nine months, during which he read a life of Christ and a book on the lives of the saints, the only reading matter the Loyola castle afforded. He also killed time by recalling tales of martial valor and by day-dreaming about a great lady who captured his heart. Later when he was out of mortal danger, his attention was centered on the saints. This profoundly moved and attracted him that soon after he had barely recovered he resolved to do something about his many sins. To fulfill this he must embark on a journey towards conversion. He followed the holy austerities of the saints, eg Francis of Assisi, Onuphrius of Egypt and Dominic, that God sent as his first spiritual guides in his lifelong task towards holiness.
II. "That mission has its fullest meaning in Christ, and can only be understood through him. At its core, holiness is experiencing in union with Christ, the mysteries of his life… The contemplation of these mysteries, as St Ignatius of Loyola pointed out, leads us to incarnate them in our choices and attitudes" (Gaudete et Exsultate—Rejoice and Be Glad 20).

St Ignatius of Loyola by Peter Paul Rubens c. 1622
III. "This spiritual poverty is closely linked to what St Ignatius of Loyola calls 'holy indifference', which brings us to a radiant interior freedom: 'We need to train ourselves to be indifferent to our attitude to all created things, in all that is permitted to our free will and not forbidden’ so that on our part, we do not set our hearts on good health rather than bad, riches rather than poverty, honour rather than dishonour, a long life rather than a short one, and so in all the rest" (Gaudete et Exsultate—Rejoice and Be Glad 69).