Exercising Spiritually on the WWW
Ronald Modras, Ph.D.
Issue date: 4/6/06 Section: Commentary
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Imagine yourself alone in your room all day with nothing to do but pray, daydream and think about your life. The only person you saw was Ignatius Loyola, who brought you your meals, gave you some gospel stories to pray over and asked you to confront your relationship with God. Imagine doing that for 30 days, never going out except for Sunday Mass. Does the very thought make you prickle and want to scream?
But that's what Pierre Favre did in 1534 toward the end of his studies at the University of Paris. Sometime later, his roommate, Francis Xavier, did the same. They were among the first persons ever to do Ignatius' spiritual exercises and would go on to become two of the first Jesuits. The principles and vision imbedded in those spiritual exercises lie at the foundation of SLU's educational heritage. Tomorrow, April 7, is the 500th anniversary of Xavier's birth; next week, Thursday, April 13, is Favre's. Here and at Jesuit institutions around the world, their birthdays, together with the 450th anniversary of Ignatius' death this July, are being remembered with an entire Ignatian Anniversary Year.
Even before they made the exercises, life changed for both Xavier and Favre when Ignatius first knocked on their door. He was assigned to share their room, so that Favre could coach him in his studies as he had been doing for Xavier. Favre had long suffered from emotional anxieties about sin and guilt. He opened his heart to Ignatius, who had suffered something similar as well. Doing Ignatius' spiritual exercises helped Favre to experience God's love and forgiveness. He found peace.
Altogether different from Favre, Xavier was no plaster saint. (We have reason to be curious as to why he worried about a new disease going around Europe, called syphilis.) Xavier thought Ignatius was a fanatic and kept aloof. His reserve melted, though, when Ignatius volunteered to help him to pay his bills. Ignatius also wore him down with constant hassling about what he was doing with his life.
But that's what Pierre Favre did in 1534 toward the end of his studies at the University of Paris. Sometime later, his roommate, Francis Xavier, did the same. They were among the first persons ever to do Ignatius' spiritual exercises and would go on to become two of the first Jesuits. The principles and vision imbedded in those spiritual exercises lie at the foundation of SLU's educational heritage. Tomorrow, April 7, is the 500th anniversary of Xavier's birth; next week, Thursday, April 13, is Favre's. Here and at Jesuit institutions around the world, their birthdays, together with the 450th anniversary of Ignatius' death this July, are being remembered with an entire Ignatian Anniversary Year.
Even before they made the exercises, life changed for both Xavier and Favre when Ignatius first knocked on their door. He was assigned to share their room, so that Favre could coach him in his studies as he had been doing for Xavier. Favre had long suffered from emotional anxieties about sin and guilt. He opened his heart to Ignatius, who had suffered something similar as well. Doing Ignatius' spiritual exercises helped Favre to experience God's love and forgiveness. He found peace.
Altogether different from Favre, Xavier was no plaster saint. (We have reason to be curious as to why he worried about a new disease going around Europe, called syphilis.) Xavier thought Ignatius was a fanatic and kept aloof. His reserve melted, though, when Ignatius volunteered to help him to pay his bills. Ignatius also wore him down with constant hassling about what he was doing with his life.