“To give, and not to count the cost, to fight, and not to heed the wounds, to toil, and not to seek for rest, to labor, and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do thy will”  -- St. Ignatius of Loyola

 

“God freely created us so that we might know, love, and serve him in this life and be happy with him forever. God's purpose in creating us is to draw forth from us a response of love and service here on earth, so that we may attain our goal of everlasting happiness with him in heaven.

All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully.

As a result, we ought to appreciate and use these gifts of God insofar as they help us toward our goal of loving service and union with God. But insofar as any created things hinder our progress toward our goal, we ought to let them go.” ― St. Ignatius of Loyola

Facts

Born: Inigo Lopez de Loyola in 1491, Kingdom of Castile, (Spain)
Died: July 31, 1556, Rome

Educated: University of Paris (where he changed his name to Ignatius)
Founder: Society of Jesus, 1540
Died: July 31, 1556, Rome
Entombed: Il Gesù Church, Rome

Beatified: July 27, 1609, by Pope Paul V
Canonized: March 12, 1622, by Pope Gregory XV
Feast Day: July 31

Fun Facts

  • The youngest of 13 children.
  • Was hauled up before the Spanish Inquisition on a number of occasions.
  • At age 33, he joined a class of young children so he could learn Latin.
  • Once allowed the donkey he was riding on to determine whether he’d follow and murder someone he thought had insulted the Blessed Virgin Mary.
  • He sometimes cried with so much devotion at Mass that he couldn’t continue and feared he’d lose his eyesight.