Ignatius is a Big Deal in the history of Christianity. He is the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). The Jesuits are often the most intellectually oriented of the various religious orders, and the Church has more than once looked askance at Jesuits who have frequently refused to subject agree that brains and faith are in any way inimical. Although founded in 1534, the Jesuits never had one of their members elected pope until…the current one, Pope Francis!
There is much written about Ignatius, about his Spiritual Exercises, and about the Jesuits. There’s plenty to read about Pope Francis. Here, though, I want to focus on one passage from Ignatius’ voluminous writings that Butler lifts up. Ignatius wrote:
When God hath appointed out a way, we must faithfully follow it, and never think of another, under pretence [sic] that it is more easy and safe. It is one of the devil’s artifices to set before a soul some state, holy indeed, but impossible to her [the soul]; that by this love of novelty, she may dislike or be slack in her present state, in which God hath placed her, and which is best for her. In like manner, he [the devil] represents to her other actions as more holy and profitable to make her conceive a disgust of her present employment.
This quote has taken me at least four readings to even begin wrapping my mind and heart around it. On reflection, I do not take this to ever mean “make the best of a bad situation and see it as God’s will for you.” Rather, this is about having a calling (not at all necessary that it be a capital-C Calling to some religious vocation!)–having that which God (howsoever understood) invites YOU into, in ways that are resonate with who you are at your core. And then Ignatius discussessome of the many ways we can subtly get sidetracked from pursuing what, in my case, I’d call “my Tim Thing” and what I’d refer to in your case, as “your YOU thing.”
Consider Ignatius’ insightful list: In poker parlance, I might avoid going “all in” doing my Tim Thing because it is difficult, or because it makes my life unsafe (what if there were no health insurance attached?!?!). I might not go all in because I set the bar so high for myself that, because of its impossibility, I don’t even bother to try (a warning to those of us who are perfectionists, who are all-or-nothingists, or who are impatient if we’re not great at something immediately). Alternately, I might stop or slack off going all in because my endeavors seem to become so routine, so run-of-the-mill, and so same-old/same-old, that I just phone it in until at last I drop it entirely. Or, perhaps I begin thinking of my Tim Thing as insignificant in comparison to what others accomplish, and so lose my focus and then, of course, lose my way.
What makes Ignatius so worthwhile to me is that he combined heart, body, and mind. He did his Ignatius Thing with wholeness and authenticity. It’s not about agreeing with his views about anything and it’s not about dropping everything to become another Ignatius: it’s about learning the art, the science, the discipline, the liberation (!) of saying Yes in our lives to the divine Yes in our souls. And then going all in!