Famous aphorisms and phrases of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, quotes from the writings of the Spanish religious who founded the Jesuit order, also known as the Society of Jesus.
Quotes of Saint Ignatius of Loyola
- Man is created to praise, reverence and serve God our Lord, and thus achieve salvation; the other realities of this world are created for man
and to help him achieve the end for which it is created.
- From this it follows that man must use them as much as they help him for his purpose, and must move away from them as much as they are an obstacle.
- Therefore it is necessary to make ourselves indifferent towards all created realities (in everything that is left to the choice of our free will and is not forbidden to him), so that we do not want health on our part rather than disease, wealth rather than poverty, honor rather than dishonor, a long life rather than a short life, and so for all the rest, wanting and choosing only what can best lead us to the purpose for which we are created.
- Do not swear, neither for the Creator nor for the creature, except with truth, necessity and reverence.
- It is a bad spirit to regret, sadden, pose difficulties and upset with false reasons, to prevent going forward.
- The enemy behaves like a woman because, in spite of himself, he is weak and wants to look strong.
- It is of the good spirit to give courage and energy, consolations and tears, inspirations and serenity, diminishing and removing any difficulty, to move forward on the path of good.
- Consolation is meant when an inner stimulus is produced, whereby the soul becomes inflamed with love for its Creator and Lord, and therefore cannot love any of the realities of this world for itself, but only for the Creator of all .
Aphorisms of Saint Ignatius of Loyola
- Not the abundance of knowledge satisfies and satisfies the soul, but the feeling and tasting of things internally.
- Consolation is meant when one sheds tears that lead him to the love of the Lord, both for other reasons directly ordered to his service and to his praise.
Recommended readings- Phrases of St. Dominic of Guzman: biography
- Phrases of Santa Gemma Galgani: quotes and aphorisms
- Phrases of Saint Anthony of Padua: quotes, aphorisms
- Phrases of San Filippo Neri: famous aphorisms from the writings
- Phrases of San Camillo de Lellis: quotes and thoughts
- Much wisdom combined with moderate holiness is preferable to much holiness with little wisdom.
- By consolation is meant any increase in hope, faith and charity, and every inner joy that stimulates and attracts the heavenly realities and the salvation of the soul, giving it tranquility and peace in its Creator and Lord.
- Pray as if everything depended on God. Work as if everything depended on you.
- By desolation is meant, for example, the darkness of the soul, the inner turmoil, the stimulus towards low and earthly things, the restlessness due to various agitations and temptations: thus the soul is inclined to distrust, it is without hope and without love, and finds herself lazy, lukewarm, sad and as separate from her Creator and Lord.
- As consolation is contrary to desolation, so thoughts that arise from consolation are contrary to those that arise from desolation.
- In times of desolation, one must never change but remain firm and constant in the intentions and determination in which one was on the day before this desolation, or in the determination in which one was in the previous consolation.
Phrases of Saint Ignatius of Loyola
- Just as in consolation the good spirit guides and advises us more, so in the desolation the bad one, with whose advice we cannot take the right path.
- In desolation it is very useful to change oneself intensely against the same desolation; for example insisting more in prayer, meditation,
examining himself a lot and giving more space to penance in an opportune way.
- Those who are in desolation consider how the Lord to try it has left him to his natural abilities, because he resists the various agitations and temptations of the enemy, he can in fact, with the divine help he always has, even if he clearly does not feel it, because the Lord has taken away his very fervor, great love and intense grace, yet leaving him sufficient grace for eternal salvation.
- Those who are in desolation try to be in the patience that is contrary to the harassment that comes to them, and you think that they will soon be comforted if they put the measures against this desolation into practice.
- The enemy behaves like the woman who becomes weak in front of strength and strong in front of sweetness.
- When you are consoled think about how you will find yourself in the desolation that will come later and accumulate new forces by then.
- If you are in desolation, think that, with his grace, you can resist, taking strength from the Lord.
- The enemy acts like a false lover who doesn't want to be discovered.
- Whoever finds himself in desolation tries to keep his patience, which opposes the sufferings he suffers; and you think that he will soon be consoled if he works with all diligence against that desolation.
- The enemy behaves like a military leader: after having pitched the command tent and observed the positions or the position of a castle, he attacks him from the weakest part.
