Brendan Comerford - The Pilgrims Story

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2017 Brendan Comerford, SJ.

All rights reserved.

The right of Brendan Comerford, SJ, to be identified as the author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000.

This edition of The Pilgrims Story is published by arrangement with Messenger Publications, Dublin, Ireland.

Published in the United States of America in 2021 by Loyola Press.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photography, filming, recording, video recording, photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system or shall not by way of trade or otherwise be lent, resold or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Designed by Loyola Press. Cover art credit: Ignatius Portrait: Rafael Lpez. Map of Spain: mecaleha/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images.

eBook ISBN: 978-0-8294-5012-5

Based on the print edition: 978-0-8294-5011-8

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020949727

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Theres a difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing a person. If youve picked up this book, you might know the basics about St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits. After reading this book, however, you will feel as if you actually know him. Brendan Comerford, SJ, shares delightfully colorful anecdotes about this saint.

Some saints seem holy from such an early age that, as much as you respect them, theyre not necessarily relatable. Lets just say Ignatius doesnt have that problem. Comerford recounts the time Ignatius and his brother decided to beat up the parish clergy. You cant make this stuff up. The judge who called Ignatius violent and vindictive surely did not expect him to become a priest and a saint!

Ignatius wasnt a great missionary. He wasnt a brilliant scholar. He doesnt have any adorable animals in the pictures depicting him. In fact, he often looks rather serious. Still, there was something about this Ignatius that drew people to him. And that continues today.

When I was a freshman in college, I heard about an Ignatian spirituality retreat and signed up at the last minute. Little did I know that I would become a Jesuit a few years later. There was a freshness to St. Ignatius and his Spiritual Exercises. I was hooked.

I was ordained a priest a few years ago. I now share Ignatian spirituality through retreats and videos aimed at college students and young adults. I get to see the light bulb turn on as young people use Ignatian discernment to make life decisions. Ignatius was born in 1491, but his insights into the spiritual life and the human condition are as relevant as ever.

Brendan Comerford, SJ, makes it clear that hes not trying to give an academic presentation of Ignatius and The Spiritual Exercises. But that doesnt mean this book is superficial. There is depth here. This is in some ways two books in one. The first half describes the life of Ignatius, and the second half explains his lasting legacy, The Spiritual Exercises.

Ignatius is revered not so much for what he did but for how he has allowed God to do a mighty work in those who pray with his methods. Ignatius notes that one directing the Spiritual Exercises should not get in the way but instead allow the Creator to deal immediately with the creature. The Exercises are an experience to be undergone, not merely read. Theyre like a cookbook, which is helpful only if one uses the recipes to cook.

Still, even with a cookbook, we can mess up the recipe! Comerfords guide to The Exercises is like a cooking video on the Internet. Sure, anyone can pick up a copy of The Exercises and try to pray with it. Most of us, though, need some handholding. Comerford shares from his deep experience as a retreat director. He notes what to look out for and gives advice for us pilgrims on the journey.

Being a pilgrim was central to Ignatiuss self-identity. This sense of being on pilgrimage ran deeper than his many walking journeys around Europe. Even after his conversion at the age of thirty, Ignatius didnt have it all figured out. There was a gradual discovery of how God was calling himeven to a desk job in Rome for the final fifteen years of his life. This model of pilgrimage can be relevant to those of us who spend our days at a desk and are also on a journey of gradual discovery.

Ive known about Ignatius for quite a while now. That comes with the territory of being a Jesuit. Still, after reading this book, I now know him much better. Ignatiuss holiness was grounded in his humanity. Comerfords account reveals the delightfully human aspects of Ignatiusand gives hope that God can do something great with us, too.

Fr. Michael Rossmann, SJ

As the title suggests, this book sets out to be an introduction to the life and spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola. It is not intended for those who are already familiar with St. Ignatiuss life or for specialists in Ignatian spirituality. My intention here is more pastoral than academic. I had in mind anyone desiring some general, informed knowledge about this influential saint and his spirituality. My hope is that this book will help anyone who desires to find God in daily life, after the manner of Ignatius.

Having just written that this book is not intended for the Ignatian specialist, the general reader may wonder about the presence of so many endnotes in the text. Theres no need for concern! These notes are intended to provide some additional information to anyone interested in the many characters and events referred to, but they can be safely bypassed if the reader so chooses.

The title of the book reflects Ignatiuss own description of himself as a pilgrim. Following his conversion in Loyola, his life was indeed a sort of pilgrimage for many years, as he moved from one place to another. In a still deeper sense, however, he was a pilgrim to the end of his life, always in search of a way to God. Indeed, that is the description given to the Society of Jesus in one of its founding documents, the Formula of the Institute. In describing the Ignatian approach as a way to God, Ignatius and his early companions were proclaiming it as one way among many, for there are indeed many ways to GodBenedictine, Franciscan, Dominican, Carmelite, and many moreall with their distinctive and helpful characteristics. The Ignatian way is one among them.

This book is divided almost equally into two parts, the first half treating of the life of Ignatius and the second dealing specifically with his spirituality. The bibliography is added for those readers who may wish to delve further into the subject.

May you, the reader, profit from reading these pages. May you be helped to reflect at a deeper level and to grow in the felt knowledge, love, and service of God and your neighbour, as Ignatius would wish. All to the greater glory of God.

Brendan Comerford, SJ

Ignatius Loyola (14911556) lived in interesting times. In the year of his birth, Granada, the last Muslim stronghold in Spain, fell to the armies of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. This momentous event put an end to 800 years of Muslim occupation in Spain. Muslim religious books were burnt, except for those dealing with science or philosophy, which were considered to be especially useful. These latter books were transferred to the University of Alcal de Henares, situated thirty-five kilometers north of Madrid. Most committed Muslims crossed peacefully to North Africa; others converted to Christianity, at least in name, in order to hold on to their property.