A. Sathya Balan, SJ
Spiritual Discernment defines the internal pilgrimage of St Ignatius. From the time of his conversion, he became increasingly aware of what was going in his soul and the two contrasting statements he makes in his Autobiography (AB), Testament & Testimony, is worth mentioning to understand his growth in spiritual discernment. In AB 14, St Ignatius says that he was still spiritually blind to observe carefully what was happening in his soul. After gaining various experiences, he writes at the end (AB 99) that he had always grown in devotion, that is, ease in finding God; and now more than ever in his whole life. To arrive at such a spiritual maturity, St Ignatius had gone through various setbacks and challenges, but he learnt the art of spiritual discernment through those tough moments he faced at every stage. I was particularly intrigued by the two distinct phases in his life — firstly his growth in spiritual discernment in the first seven years (1521–1528) after his conversion which were marked with setbacks and challenges and his next seven years in Paris (1528–1535) where he made use of his gift of discernment to counter the Renaissance culture that glorified the human glory at the negligence of the Creator!
St Ignatius — Spiritual Discernment through the setbacks (1521–1528)
The first major setback in the life of St Ignatius was on 20th May 1521 when the cannonball shattered not only his right leg, but eventually his entire life. This cannonball left an indelible mark on his body as he walked with a limp for the rest of his life. But the deeper mark on his life was the spiritual awakening in him. That is, for a man fuelled with a great and foolish desire to win fame (AB 1), the cannon ball meant a process of inner purification in and through spiritual discernment that eventually allowed him to reorient his vision of life — human person has been created for purpose to praise, reverence and serve God — as reflected in the Principal and Foundation (Sp. Ex 23).
Another crucial setback in the life of St Ignatius was in Jerusalem in the year 1523. This time, the setback shattered his mind, for he had decided to remain in the Holy Land for the rest of his life to serve God in the Holy Land. That was his life dream. But within a few weeks, he had to leave unwillingly the Holy Land due to the war situation. As his life dream was shattered, he could have been broken. But for a person initiated into spiritual discernment by then, it is all about seeking God as he asked the right question as he writes in AB 50, “he continually pondered within himself what he ought to do.” He was once again struck, but St Ignatius let in God to take control of his life. The spiritual discernment meant for him that he was not swayed by failures and disappointments. He was able to discern well and see himself in the new vision of his life.
It is again through the process of discernment that he decided to study for some time in order to help souls (AB 50). His attempts to study in Barcelona, Alcala and Salamanca turned to be turbulent years for him. His efforts to save souls attracted the attention of the Spanish Inquisition and he was put in prison three times for interrogation. To avoid further harassment by the Inquistion, he left his homeland at the age of 38 and moved to Paris University. Hence the first seven years after his conversion (1521–1528) were marked with setbacks after setbacks. But those disappointments did not deter the spirit of St Ignatius in seeking God’s will at every setback he faced. But during those tough moments, he allowed himself to see his life renewed in Christ. In a way, God prepared him well for something greater in Paris. It is his commitment to spiritual discernment through those setbacks that had brought a new chapter in his life in the historical city. We can say that the vows at Montmartre on 15 August 1534 is the culmination of a deep spiritual growth and discernment.
Montmartre in Paris — A Site to Insight (1528–1535)
If the first seven years after his conversion (1521–1528) were marked with twists and turns and setbacks after setbacks, the next seven years in Paris (1528–1535) turned out to be his (the Society’s) significant years. The historical city brought him his first companions, ‘Friends in the Lord’ as they called themselves, who later, surrendered themselves to the Lord on 15 August 1534 at Montmartre. Whenever I think about the hill of Montmartre, and about the time of St. Ignatius, I find myself fascinated by the question: how could they surrender themselves to the Lord as they did?
Their act of surrendering to the Lord, that came out of deep spiritual discernment, was something extraordinary in the context and culture of their time. We cannot just reduce their act of vows to their personal piety, but it needs to be understood in the larger context of the time and the city they lived. It was precisely an act of discernment and a concrete response to the prevailing spirit of Renaissance that engulfed the city and elsewhere. ‘The Friends in the Lord’ wanted to do something greater for God and they made use of the art of discernment as a counterculture to fight against the prevalence of Renaissance. St Ignatius’ experiences over the years in spiritual discernment came out powerfully to address a serious issue. In this regard, their vows were a symbol of courage and dedication, contrasting with the spirit of time. A typical Ignatian contemplative gaze at this city at that point in time helps us understand better the prevailing spirit of the time.
What was the atmosphere in Paris at the time of St Ignatius and his first companions? It was precisely a time fuelled with ‘glory and triumph’ as the product of Renaissance. And Paris welcomed this triumphant moment of the history, more than ever, to become a Renaissance city. Many of the historical monuments, church buildings, private residences and even the very streets of Paris were constructed or modified with innovative architecture. New aesthetics were introduced and newness in every pattern was appreciated. Furthermore, Renaissance culture even affected human behaviours and living styles. In other words, the city was experiencing tremendous change and order in every possible human endeavour with the advent of the Renaissance. Nobody in the city would have been unaffected by the rampant sense of glory.
But here lies the Ignatian spark! At a time when the sense of glory and the spirit of triumph was the very fabric of life, and when nobody would have been left untouched by the glamour that was going around, St Ignatius and his companions showed extraordinary courage and dedication — to swim against the current — for the Greater Glory of God. And the climax was their overwhelming desire to surrender themselves for AMDG at Montmartre. Their process of discernment and their expression of vows were a timely response to the revival of the Church as it was at its turbulent times in the aftermath of Protestant movement.
Conclusion
We face many setbacks and challenges in our personal and apostolic life. Growing through these tough moments and personal setbacks with the help of spiritual discernment is a sign of spiritual maturity. Those setbacks test our perseverance to grow in the art of discernment. The life of St Ignatius, in the first seven years after his conversion, show us the way for spiritual growth! That turned out to be a defining period for the rest of his life to face other challenges and setbacks. Even later in his life when he was in Rome in 1540, he had to go through another major setback with the help of spiritual discernment. St Ignatius, who introduced himself as a pilgrim in his autobiography, had to accept to remain in Rome for the rest of his life, as the newly-elected General, to oversee the expansion of the new religious order. His life was moulded in and through the process of such moments as his openness to God let him to make prayerful decisions. And God strengthened him and prepared him for a bigger battle such as the Montmartre act that came out of his immense growth in spiritual discernment.
What do the first companions in the Society teach us from their act of surrendering at Montmartre? It is precisely a symbol of courage and dedication to swim against the flux of the time, and it needs to be looked at from within our own context and culture. That is to say, the very act of Montmartre is no longer merely a historical event that happened at the sixteenth century in the life of St Ignatius and the first companions. It happens in our own hearts every day: we see constantly ‘the pulls’ of our interiority. The two standards are a script lying deeply in our human heart, a script that keeps on taking diverse forms in different contexts and cultures. Today, we encounter various elements in and around that confine us within our ‘petit glories.’ But with the gift of discernment after path of St Ignatius, we can stand the test of our time with courage and dedication for AMDG.
(A. Sathya Balan, SJ is a faculty at the Jesuit Philosophate, Satya Nilayam in Chennai. He did his Licentiate in Philosophy at Jñāna Deepa, Pune. He teaches Hermeneutics and Deconstruction and Philosophy of Science and Cosmology. Currently he is pursuing his doctoral studies at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. He can be contacted at: sathyabalansj@gmail.com.)
