St Ignatius and the Passion of the World in the 21st Century

St Ignatius and the Passion of the World in the 21st Century (2002)
St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) was perhaps one of the most influential saints in the history of Christianity. He founded the Society of Jesus (or Jesuits) and they alone have influenced and shaped civilization in their commitment to education among other postulates.
In many ways Ignatius pre-dated modern psychology with his development of the Spiritual Exercises. The latter is a retreat that is divided into four segments or ‘weeks’. Each week is designed to help the retreatant to discern major decisions in his or her life. Particularly in the third week one contemplates the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ passion and crucifixion. Through constant periods of prayer and visual meditation one enters into a powerful personal communion with Jesus crucified. This is not a morbid reflection but the pivotal moment and existential contemplation on the transformation of evil into good.
In this image of Ignatius, Bill emphasizes the contemporary relevance of Ignatian spirituality. Ignatius, garbed in the habit of his time, offers an image of the contemporary world to the crucified Christ. The world is in turmoil and reflects the possibility of global annihilation reflective of our age. Blood from the wounds drips down on the world echoing Christ’s response as he gazes on it with compassion. There is hope that the blood of the crucified will be able to transform the world in all its violence.
BY John D. Dadosky, S.T.D., Ph.D.
Professor, Theology and Philosophy
Regis College/University of Toronto
From "Image to Insight" Book Available on Amazon