10 Ways to Celebrate the Solemnity of St. Ignatius

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07/29/2021

As the Jesuit Parish of the Twin Cities, the Feast of St. Ignatius deserves special recognition! Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus and gifted the Church with his Spiritual Exercises, which guide us to this day. Here are a few ways you and your families can live out this feast day and give thanks to God for Saint Ignatius!


1. Attend Weekend Mass at STM
Celebrate Mass at our Jesuit parish this weekend! We will have special choirs singing at 4:30 pm and 10:30 am Masses. We will also pray St. Ignatius' Prayer of Generosity, which can be found below.


2. Prayers of Ignatius 
Both of these prayers, written by Ignatius, are brief yet powerful. We encourage you to pray these often!

Prayer of Generosity:
Dearest Lord,
teach me to be generous;
teach me to serve You as You deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labor and not to ask for reward
save that of knowing I am doing Your Will.
Amen.

Suscipe:
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace,
that is enough for me.


3. Examen
The purpose of the Examen is to help you to become aware of how God is active in your life, to see where God has been present to you in your day. An Examen is an opportunity to notice where you are, where your heart is, and how your heart is. You will learn to see more easily where you have been answering God’s call in your life, and where you have wandered away from Him. Learn how to pray the Examen here!


If you have young children, this book is a great resource to pray the Examen as a family! Additionally, this craft, called the 5-Finger Daily Examen, is a super easy and fun way to teach your children how to pray the Examen.


4. Ignatian Phone Wallpaper
Download one of our Ignatian-themed phone backgrounds! Set it as your phone wallpaper and share it with your family and friends.



5. Show your kids where St. Ignatius was from
Take out your globe or map and show your children where St. Ignatius lived! He was born in 1491 in Azpeitia in the Basque province of Guipuzcoa in northern Spain. Then point out Pamplona, where he was injured in battle against the French, which eventually led to his conversion. Point out the town of Manresa, where he prayed in a cave for 10 months and had a great spiritual encounter with God, and set him on a path to pursue a life of closeness with God. Then point out Paris, France, where he studied theology and philosophy, and met (Saint) Francis Xavier and other companions who ultimately became priests. Then point out Rome, Italy where these companions reconvened and pronounced their vows as a new Order called the Society of Jesus in 1541.

 
6. Make Basque Country Inspired Food
Have a Spanish-themed meal! Here are a few recipes for inspiration:

Torrijas Caramelizadas - Caramelized french toast 
Basque Cod al Pil Pil - Fish with simple pan-sauce
Basque Piperade - Spicy tomato-pepper sauce
Pisto - Spanish vegetable stew
Patatas con Chorizo - Potatoes and sausage
Gateau Basque Cake - Cake filled with pastry cream and cherry marmalade

 
7. Watch this Children’s Animated TV Episode About Ignatius
Stories of Saints for Kids is a series of animated stories based on the life of Saints! Episode 4 features Saint Ignatius of Loyola! The episode is $0.99 on Amazon.


8. Watch this Video About Ignatius
This 10-minute animated Youtube video is perfect for youth, teens, and adults to learn more about about the life of St. Ignatius.


9. Cannonball Moment 
This year, our worldwide Ignatian Family is celebrating an "Ignatian Year"—the 500th anniversary of Ignatius' injury by a cannonball in battle. This year, people all over the world are thinking about the cannonball moments they've experienced in their own lives. We invite you to think about your own cannonball moment and discuss the event with your relative or friend!


10. Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life Retreat
Consider doing our Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life Retreat this fall! Find out more about the retreats here.


St. Ignatius, Pray for Us!

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We are always looking for ways to give you, our parishioners, the opportunity to share your experiences! If you would like to submit your story, please email Anzley at aharmon@morecommunity.org. 


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