Riddle of the Day

Riddle: What saint was cannonized before he died?

Answer: It was the saint with the feast day today: St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Inigo de Loyola was born in 1491 in Azpeitia in northern Spain. At the age of 30 in 1521 he was an officer defending the fortress of the town of Pamplona against the French, who claimed the territory as their own. The Spaniards were outnumbered and the commander wanted to surrender, but Ignatius convinced him to fight on for the honor of Spain, if not for victory. During the battle a cannon ball struck Ignatius, [Get it – “cannonized”] wounding one leg and breaking the other. Because they admired his courage, the French soldiers carried him back to recuperate at his home, the castle of Loyola, rather than to prison.

His leg was set but didn’t heal, so it was broken again and reset, all without anesthesia. Ignatius grew worse and was told by the doctors that he should prepare for death. On the feast of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29), he took an unexpected turn for the better. The leg healed.

During the long weeks of recuperation, he was extremely bored and asked for some romance novels to pass the time. There were none in the castle of Loyola, but there was a copy of the life of Christ and a book on the saints. Desperate, Ignatius began to read them. The more he read, the more he considered the exploits of the saints worth imitating. At the same time he continued to have daydreams of fame and glory, along with fantasies of winning the love of a noble lady of the court. He noticed, however, that after reading and thinking of the saints and Christ he was at peace and satisfied. Yet when he finished his long daydreams of his noble lady, he would feel restless and unsatisfied. Not only was this experience the beginning of his conversion, it was also the beginning of spiritual discernment, or discernment of spirits, which is associated with Ignatius and described in his Spiritual Exercises.

He went not only went on to become a priest, but he is the founder of the Jesuits. Today is his Feast Day.

Untangling Knots

We all have regrets, mistakes we made, things we wish we could do over.

As a parent, especially, I have regrets: the hugs I should have given, the praise that was due but I never offered, the harsh words I said without thinking, the priceless opportunities I wasted.

Unfortunately, we can't undo what we've done. We can't fully recover what we've lost, or completely repair the damage. Our mistakes can be so complicated, with rippling effects.

Sometimes our wrong choices make our lives tangled messes.

Fortunately, we have a merciful God Who can do -- or undo -- anything, and a Mother who wants to help. Our Lady has a special title for this job: Mary, Undoer of Knots.

The title can be traced back to the second century when Saint Irenaeus of Lyons wrote that "the knot of Eve's disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the Virgin Mary set free through faith."

Pope Francis has mentioned his devotion to Mary, Undoer of Knots. And indeed, we need her help today.

A painting associated with the devotion shows an angel giving Mary a knotted ribbon symbolizing a life knotted with sins and mistakes. Undoing such knots is impossible for us, but Mary's intercession can work them out. I don't know how God can undo the bad things I've done, but I know that He is capable, eager and willing to rescue me (again).

The following prayer is included in a novena to Mary, Undoer of Knots. This and other materials can be found online or in book form.

Prayer to Mary, Undoer of Knots

Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to serve your beloved children because they are moved by the divine love and immense mercy that exists in your heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exist in my life. 
You know very well how desperate I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. 
Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of His children, I entrust into your hands the ribbon of my life. 
No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. 
Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot.

[Mention your request here]

I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my hope. 
O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my destitution, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains. 
Hear my plea. 
Keep me, guide me, protect me, o safe refuge!

-- Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

Today is the Memorial of St. Ignatius who was born in 1491 at Loyola in Cantabria. He spent his early years at court and as a soldier. After he converted/surrendered to God he studied theology at the University of Paris where he attracted a following and later, in Rome, formed the Society of Jesus (Jesuits.) He trained his followers to surrender themselves entirely to God and they were important in the renewal of the Church. In 1556 he died in Rome. To get a sense of him, here is one of his prayers:

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.