From the bulletin of June 14, 2020
Perhaps by now, you’ve come to see that the Church was in some pretty dark times in the 16th and 17th centuries. Between the Protestant Reformation, the re-introduction of slavery to Europe (and the New World), the violent wars that these divisions sparked, and the brewing conflict between the Church and Galileo (and other scientists after him) things must have seemed pretty rough. It is in the worst of times, however, that God raises up the greatest saints. Before I delve into the infamous Galileo controversy, I want to briefly sum up some of the saints God used to shine light in a dark world.
Around 1534, St. Ignatius of Loyola and six of his friend form the beginnings of a religious order that is eventually called the Jesuits. St. Ignatius himself had had some powerful experiences of God that converted him from a wasteful and violent way of life. Perhaps his biggest personal contribution to the Church is his writings on how to discern God’s will in your life. Called “The Discernment of Spirits,” Ignatius practice of reflecting on experiences in prayer became a powerful tool for helping people find the peace of God in a chaotic world. There are countless books about Ignatius’s rules which can easily be found on the internet. I personally would recommend that you read his 14 rules directly first of all and that you refer to any writings by Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV.
Beyond his writings, the religious order he helped found goes on to evangelize extensively at the same time that explorers are discovering new lands and cultures which do not know the Gospel. One of the co-founders, St. Francis Xavier was among those missionaries . Francis Xavier is widely believed to have baptized more than 30,000 people personally, including some kings and leaders, though some think the number is closer to 100,000. The only one I know of to beat that number is St. Peter Claver, also a Jesuit, with over 300,000. Suffice it to say that the personal sanctity and efforts of St. Ignatius of Loyola directly influenced the conversion of 100s of thousands of people through his followers and millions more through his writings.
St. Teresa of Avila, in Spain, lived through the 1500s and greatly reformed the Carmelite order. Her exceptional spiritual experiences led her to write books that are today still considered absolutely essential in the field of spiritual theology. Her autobiography, “The Way of Perfection,” and “The Interior Castle” are all worthwhile reads for anyone seeking a deeper prayer life. Also crucial to her influence was her practical sensibility. She knew better than to trust her own experiences without proper guidance and so she emphasized the value of a good spiritual director. If you do read her works, I recommend you are careful in how you interpret them and that you consult a faithful and well-educated spiritual advisor when you come across parts that are difficult to understand. As St. Teresa herself pointed out, a spiritual director should be both holy and knowledgeable, but if you cannot find one who has both qualities, being knowledgeable about spiritual theology is actually more important. This is because a spiritual director should at least be able to teach the truth even if they fail to live it fully.
St. Teresa’s favorite spiritual director was also a saint. St. John of the Cross was a man of exceptional holiness and spiritual knowledge. Even though he was much younger than her, John of the Cross was key to Teresa’s spiritual growth and maturity. He himself lived a very difficult life, at one point being kept as a prisoner in a latrine. Yet, his interior spiritual life was so profound that he wrote his most joyful spiritual work during that time, “Spiritual Canticle.” Prior to that he wrote the “Ascent of Mount Carmel” and “The Dark Night of the Soul,” both of which are among the greatest works of spiritual theology in existence and deal with the difficult an often painful journey of a soul to holiness. The takeaway I would point out is that, when we suffer and lose things we love, it should drive us all the more to rely on God alone.
There is more that can be said, of course, but the point is that if you feel like the world is falling apart, then take courage, because God will use this time to raise up saints, great and small. Let us pray that we can be among them.
In Christ,
-Fr. Albert