Reflection Exercise: Feast of St. Ignatius

Wednesday, July 31, was the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, an opportunity for celebration and invitation to reflection. The day commemorates the day St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, died on July 31, 1556. 

St. Ignatius is described as one whose passion was "to help people steward the flame of love that God had lit within them, the better to serve the world around them," by the Rev. Dean Brackley, SJ, in his book A Call to Discernment in Troubled Times. "The spirituality we associate with him is all about tending that flame in us, as it is purified, flourishes, or even flags, and stirring the fire in others.”

As Jesuit communities and Jesuit works worldwide celebrate the witness and legacy of St. Ignatius this week, the Creighton Division of Mission and Ministry invites you to take a moment – in gratitude and prayer – to reflect on the ways in which we share in and contribute to this vibrant tradition.

Use these questions for reflection.

1. What are the unique contours of the flame of love that God has uniquely lit within me?
2. How am I intentionally attending to this flame? How am I summoned to do so more fully?
3. In what ways does this flame fuel my work and ministry at Creighton?
4. Where do I recognize glimpses of my flame kindling others’ flames?