Saint Ignatius Quotes

Powerful Saint Ignatius for Daily Growth

About Saint Ignatius

Saint Ignatius of Loyola, also known as Ignatius de Loyola y Loyola (1491-1556), was a Basque Spanish theologian, priest, and soldier, who founded the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers widely known as the Jesuits. Born on October 23, 1491, in Loyola, Spain, Ignatius was a knight in the service of King John III of Spain. However, after being wounded in the Battle of Pamplona in 1521, he underwent a spiritual transformation and began to focus on religious contemplation. During his convalescence, he read books on Christian living, including the Life of Christ by Ludolph of Saxony, which profoundly influenced him. This led him to develop the Spiritual Exercises, a 30-day program of prayer and meditation that aims to bring individuals closer to God. In 1524, Ignatius traveled to Montserrat, a Benedictine monastery in Catalonia, and then to Manresa, where he experienced further spiritual insights. He then moved to Barcelona, where he began to gather companions who shared his desire for a more intense spiritual life. Together with six companions (including Francis Xavier), Ignatius formally established the Society of Jesus in 1540, taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The Jesuits quickly gained recognition from the Catholic Church for their educational and missionary work. Ignatius' major works include his autobiography, "The Spiritual Exercises," and several letters that provide insights into his spiritual thoughts. He was beatified by Pope Gregory XV in 1609 and canonized as a saint in 1622. Saint Ignatius died on July 31, 1556. His legacy continues to influence the Catholic Church and beyond through the teachings of the Society of Jesus.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Go confide in God; it is never more suited to the soul's state than now, and it is never less dangerous."

The quote by Saint Ignatius emphasizes trusting in God during all life's circumstances. It suggests that, regardless of the current state of one's soul or the perceived dangers involved, placing faith in God is always appropriate, beneficial, and never detrimental. In essence, it encourages individuals to have unwavering confidence in their spiritual journey despite external challenges.

"The human heart is restless until it finds its rest in Thee."

This quote by Saint Ignatius suggests that humans have an innate, unquenchable yearning for fulfillment, peace, or purpose. This longing can only be truly satisfied when one connects with God, as he describes in the phrase "finds its rest in Thee." Essentially, this profound statement speaks to our universal human desire for meaning and wholeness, and highlights the role of faith in achieving that deep sense of contentment and peace.

"Give me Christ and nothing more."

Saint Ignatius' quote, "Give me Christ and nothing more," expresses a profound desire for an uncomplicated spiritual life centered solely on Jesus Christ. It suggests that the individual seeks a close, intimate relationship with Christ above all else, regarding Him as their ultimate source of love, truth, guidance, and salvation. In essence, this statement implies a rejection of worldly distractions and desires, in favor of a life focused on the teachings, example, and salvific mission of Jesus Christ.

"Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by these means to save his soul."

This quote by Saint Ignatius emphasizes three primary aspects of human existence: Praise, Reverence, and Service are the means through which a person acknowledges and honors their relationship with God, ultimately aiming for spiritual growth and salvation. In essence, it suggests that our purpose in life is to deepen our connection with the divine by expressing gratitude, showing respect, dedicating ourselves to His service, and thereby securing eternal happiness.

"Teach us, dear Lord, to serve you as you deserve to be served."

This quote by St. Ignatius underscores the importance of serving God with the same dedication, passion, and devotion that He deserves. It encourages individuals to strive for excellence in their spiritual journey, aiming to please God not out of obligation or fear, but out of love, reverence, and gratitude for His infinite worth. In essence, it calls us to give our best in all we do, recognizing God as the ultimate standard for service and virtue.

The more completely we focus our attention on our Creator and Lord, the less chance there is of our being distracted by creatures.

- Saint Ignatius

Chance, More, Creatures, Creator

For those who love, nothing is too difficult, especially when it is done for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

- Saint Ignatius

Love, Jesus Christ, Christ, Lord Jesus

One rare and exceptional deed is worth far more than a thousand commonplace ones.

- Saint Ignatius

More, Rare, Far, Commonplace

Occupy yourself in beholding and bewailing your own imperfections rather than contemplating the imperfections of others.

- Saint Ignatius

Own, Rather, Occupy, Contemplating

Considering that the blessed life we so long for consists in an intimate and true love of God Our Creator and Lord, which binds and obliges us all to a sincere love.

- Saint Ignatius

Love, Which, Binds, Considering

Among the many signs of a lively faith and hope we have in eternal life, one of the surest is not being overly sad at the death of those whom we dearly love in our Lord.

- Saint Ignatius

Love, Death, Lord, Overly

Experience proves that in this life peace and satisfaction are had, not by the listless but by those who are fervent in God's service. And rightly so. For in their effort to overcome themselves and to rid themselves of self-love, they rid themselves of the roots of all passion and unrest.

- Saint Ignatius

Effort, Overcome, Had, Unrest

Little by little he came to recognize the difference between the spirits that agitated him, one from the enemy and one from God.

- Saint Ignatius

Enemy, Recognize, Spirits, Between

The wellbeing of the head resounds throughout the whole body, and as are the Superiors, so, in turn, will their subjects be.

- Saint Ignatius

Will, Subjects, Whole, Wellbeing

I have no doubt concerning that Supreme Goodness, who is so eager to share His blessings, or of that everlasting love which makes Him more eager to bestow perfection on us than we are to receive it.

- Saint Ignatius

Love, Which, Receive, Bestow

What St. Francis and St. Dominic have done, that, by God's grace, I will do.

- Saint Ignatius

Grace, Will, Done, Francis

May it please Christ our Lord to grant us true humility and abnegation of will and judgment, so that we may deserve to begin to be His disciples.

- Saint Ignatius

Deserve, Christ, May, Grant

In the matter of learning, the difference between the earnest and the careless student stands out clearly. The same holds true in the mastering of passion and the weaknesses to which our nature is subject, as in the acquiring of virtue.

- Saint Ignatius

Nature, Student, Which, Careless

God our Lord would have us look to the Giver and love Him more than His gift, keeping Him always before our eyes, in our hearts, and in our thoughts.

- Saint Ignatius

Love, Gift, Always, Giver

If God has given you the world's goods in abundance, it is to help you gain those of Heaven and to be a good example of sound teaching to your sons, servants, and relatives.

- Saint Ignatius

Good Example, Sound, Given, Relatives

When Ignatius understood that God did not wish him to remain at Jerusalem, he began to consider what he should do. The plan he approved and adopted was to enter upon a course of study in order to be better fitted to save souls.

- Saint Ignatius

Him, Study, Save, Understood

While studying at Barcelona, Ignatius was in doubt whether, after completing his studies, he should enter some Religious Order, or go from place to place, according to his custom. He decided to enter upon the religious life.

- Saint Ignatius

Some, Religious, According, Completing

It is certain that, because the negligent do not struggle against self, they never achieve peace of soul or do so tardily, and never possess any virtue in its fullness, while the energetic and industrious make notable advances on both fronts.

- Saint Ignatius

Against, Energetic, Fronts, Struggle

In the fallen there is danger of pride and vainglory, since they prefer their own judgment to the judgment of everyone else, usurping what is not their own by setting themselves up as judges in their own cause when the rightful judge is their superior.

- Saint Ignatius

Everyone Else, Prefer, Judges

The safest and most suitable form of penance seems to be that which causes pain in the flesh but does not penetrate to the bones, that is, which causes suffering but not sickness.

- Saint Ignatius

Pain, Suffering, Which, Suitable

We should not have a petty regard for God's gifts, though we may and should despise our own imperfections.

- Saint Ignatius

May, Though, Regard, Petty

Up to his twenty-sixth year, the heart of Ignatius was enthralled by the vanities of the world. His special delight was in the military life, and he seemed led by a strong and empty desire of gaining for himself a great name.

- Saint Ignatius

Strong, Desire, Gaining, Delight

To have prevented one single sin is reward enough for the labors and efforts of a whole lifetime.

- Saint Ignatius

Reward, Single, Efforts, Labors

It is one thing to be eloquent and charming in profane speech, and another when the one speaking as a religious.

- Saint Ignatius

Religious, Speaking, Profane, Eloquent

Be generous to the poor orphans and those in need. The man to whom our Lord has been liberal ought not to be stingy. We shall one day find in Heaven as much rest and joy as we ourselves have dispensed in this life.

- Saint Ignatius

One Day, Been, Lord, Ought

Realize that illness and other temporal setbacks often come to us from the hand of God our Lord, and are sent to help us know ourselves better, to free ourselves of the love of created things, and to reflect on the brevity of this life and, thus, to prepare ourselves for the life which is without end.

- Saint Ignatius

Love, Prepare, Other, Illness

In the light of the Divine Goodness, it seems to me, though others may think differently, that ingratitude is the most abominable of sins and that it should be detested in the sight of our Creator and Lord by all of His creatures who are capable of enjoying His divine and everlasting glory.

- Saint Ignatius

Capable, Lord, Divine, Detested

Spiritual infirmities such as tepidity are caused, not only by chills but also by fevers, that is, by excessive zeal.

- Saint Ignatius

Only, Chills, Caused, Excessive

It is proper to ask for sorrow with Christ in sorrow, anguish with Christ in anguish, tears and deep grief because of the great affliction Christ endures for me.

- Saint Ignatius

Deep, Tears, Christ, Anguish

Man was created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord and in this way to save his soul. The other things on Earth were created for man's use, to help him reach the end for which he was created.

- Saint Ignatius

Soul, Other, Use, His Way

The principal end both of my father and of myself in the conquest of India... has been the propagation of the holy Catholic faith.

- Saint Ignatius

Father, Holy, Been, Catholic

He who aims at making an entire and perfect oblation of himself, in addition to his will, must offer his understanding, which is a further and the highest degree of obedience.

- Saint Ignatius

Making, Which, Aims, Highest Degree

So with that will prompt and prepared to serve all those whom I perceive to be servants of my Lord, I will speak of three things with simplicity and love as if I were speaking to my own soul.

- Saint Ignatius

Love, Will, My Own, Servants

We should love the body insofar as it is obedient and helpful to the soul, since the soul, with the body's help and service, is better disposed for the service and praise of our Creator and Lord.

- Saint Ignatius

Love, Creator, Obedient, Helpful

Remember that bodily exercise, when it is well ordered, as I have said, is also prayer by means of which you can please God our Lord.

- Saint Ignatius

Which, Ordered, Means, Bodily

Above all, remember that God looks for solid virtues in us, such as patience, humility, obedience, abnegation of your own will - that is, the good will to serve Him and our neighbor in Him. His providence allows us other devotions only insofar as He sees that they are useful to us.

- Saint Ignatius

Patience, Humility, Other, Providence

Try to keep your soul always in peace and quiet, always ready for whatever our Lord may wish to work in you. It is certainly a higher virtue of the soul, and a greater grace, to be able to enjoy the Lord in different times and different places than in only one.

- Saint Ignatius

Soul, Lord, Different Places, Higher

It is not the soul alone that should be healthy; if the mind is healthy in a healthy body, all will be healthy and much better prepared to give God greater service.

- Saint Ignatius

Mind, Give, Will, Greater

Some indeed have tears naturally, when the higher motion of the soul makes itself felt in the lower, or because God our Lord, seeing that it would be good for them, allows them to melt into tears. But this does not mean that they have greater charity or that they are more effective than others who enjoy no tears.

- Saint Ignatius

Soul, Tears, Some, Higher

Concerning the harsh treatment of the body for our Lord's sake, I would say, avoid anything that would cause the shedding even of a drop of blood.

- Saint Ignatius

Drop, Lord, Treatment, Concerning

I can love a person in this life only insofar as he tries to advance in the praise and service of God our Lord; for the man who loves anything for itself and not for the sake of God, does not love God with his whole heart.

- Saint Ignatius

Love, Lord, Tries, Sake

Be slow to speak, and only after having first listened quietly, so that you may understand the meaning, leanings, and wishes of those who do speak. Thus you will better know when to speak and when to be silent.

- Saint Ignatius

Silent, May, Having, Wishes

It is a great delusion in those whose understanding has been darkened by self-love, to think that there is any obedience in the subject who tries to draw the superior to what he wishes.

- Saint Ignatius

Think, Been, Tries, Wishes

Even in the angels there is the subordination of one hierarchy to another, and in the heavens, and all the bodies that are moved, the lowest by the highest and the highest in their turn unto the Supreme Mover of all.

- Saint Ignatius

Hierarchy, Unto, Bodies, Heavens

It is not hard to obey when we love the one whom we obey.

- Saint Ignatius

Love, Hard, Whom, Obey

We esteem, honor, and love the apostles more than the other saints, because they served God more faithfully and because they loved Him more perfectly.

- Saint Ignatius

Love, Other, Esteem, Saints

Remember that the good angels do what they can to preserve men from sin and obtain God's honor. But they do not lose courage when men fail.

- Saint Ignatius

Honor, Lose, Obtain, Angels

May the perfect grace and eternal love of Christ our Lord be our never-failing protection and help.

- Saint Ignatius

Love, Christ, May, Grace

If I cannot add to my own low level of understanding, I could ill afford to try to raise that of others, seeing that it belongs to our Creator and Lord to give much or little.

- Saint Ignatius

Give, Add, Creator, Raise

I wish not merely to be called Christian, but also to be Christian.

- Saint Ignatius

Wish, Christian, I Wish, Merely

Teach us to give and not to count the cost.

- Saint Ignatius

Religion, Give, Cost, Count

We should always be disposed to believe that that which appears white is really black, if the hierarchy of the Church so decides.

- Saint Ignatius

Always, Hierarchy, Which, Appears

May God our Lord never let me harm anyone when I cannot help him!

- Saint Ignatius

Lord, May, Harm, Help

True, I am in love with suffering, but I do not know if I deserve the honor.

- Saint Ignatius

Love, I Am, Deserve, Honor

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