The Autobiography of St. IgnatiusIgnatius, of Loyola, Saint
Religion
The Autobiography of St. Ignatius
Ignatius, of Loyola, Saint
Christian saints -- Spain -- Biography; Ignatius, of Loyola, Saint, 1491-1556
Deprived of every resource, he was told by a Spanish monk that it
would be a wise step for him to go every year to Flanders, and there
in two months he could procure enough for the whole year. He approved
of the plan, after recommending the matter to God. On adopting this
plan, he brought back yearly from Flanders whatever he needed for his
maintenance. Once even he passed over into England, and from there
brought greater alms than he had gathered in the previous years.
When he first returned from Flanders he began to devote himself
earnestly to spiritual work. About the same time he gave the Exercises
to three persons,--to Peralta, to Castro, a friend who dwelt at
Sorbonne, and to a Cantabrian who lived in the College of St. Barbara,
by name Amator. A great change was made in the lives of these men. At
once they gave to the poor whatever they had, even their books, while
they themselves began to live on the alms they begged, and to dwell in
the Hospital of St. James, where Ignatius had previously dwelt, and
which he left as stated above. This incident aroused a great outcry in
the University of Paris, because the two first were very famous men.
The other Spaniards at once undertook to oppose them, but unable to
persuade them by any argument to return to the university, a great
crowd went armed to the hospital and led, or rather dragged, them
away.
On coming to the university they agreed with their captors to complete
their course of studies, and afterward to follow out their
determination. Castro went afterward to Spain, and after preaching for
a while at Burgos, joined the Order of the Carthusians at Valencia.
Peralta undertook a journey to Jerusalem on foot and after the fashion
of a pilgrim. In this garb he was seized in Italy by a military
leader, his relative, who found a pretext for bringing him before the
Sovereign Pontiff, from whom he obtained a command for Peralta to
return to Spain. All these events did not occur then, but years
afterward. Exaggerated reports arose against Ignatius at Paris,
especially among the Spaniards. De Govea was wont to say that Amator,
who remained in his college, had been brought by Ignatius to the verge
of insanity. He therefore made up his mind that as soon as Ignatius
came to the College of St. Barbara, he would give him a public
whipping as a seducer of the pupils.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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