a bedtime story for all you returning students ~

[lookingland]

bachsoprano reminded me of this story in a post about what it means to be a returning student ~ the humility it requires, but also the amazing things to which such courage can lead.

saint ignatius was a nobleman and soldier, who after a mystical conversion experience, decided to become a priest. but he was not a man of letters and so before he could be admitted to the seminary, he had to "catch up" on the holes in his education. he enrolled in classes to learn basic latin and grammar skills. his classmates were young children (ages 10-14). he was 33 years old.

saint ignatius went on to found the largest religious order in the world (the Society of Jesus ~ i.e. Jesuits) and his teachings form the basis of most spiritual direction today, 450 some-odd years later.

he's a great hero of mine.

: D



i love this painting! i found it randomly while looking for
reference images of ville de Rouen

Comments

going back to study

[seraphimsigrist.livejournal.com]

St Nikolai of Japan, the Russian missionary
who came to Hakodate in 1861 at age 25 and
stayed 50 years in Japan ,at first learned
Japanese by going to school with Japanese
children and sitting in the back. they put
a sign on the door "the bearded foreigner
is not allowed" but one way or another he pressed
on with his studies.

Re: going back to study

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

i'm going to have to look him up ~ what amazing and harrowing time it was for missionaries in japan then!

[sistermeg.livejournal.com]

how appropriate that I am wearing my new I heart Jesuits t-shirt.

iggy is the man.

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

i might need an i heart Jesuits t-shirt ~

: D