Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) was born in the Basque country in Spain. After living a very material worldly life as a solider, he had a profound religious conversion while recuperating from a devastating battle injury at the Battle of Pamplona. After a long period of discernment and studies, he found his calling in God. He became a Catholic priest and the founder of the religious order of the Jesuits. We celebrated the feast day of St Ignatius on July 31. One of his most famous prayers is the Suscipe, which comes from the Latin word for “receive.” The Suscipe prayer had its origin in the monasteries in their prayer of Psalm 118. Ignatius’ Suscipe prayer comes near the end of his spiritual exercises, a set of prayers, reflections, and contemplative exercises.
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.
Giving over our will and our desires to God’s will is quite a radical concept in our world today, isn’t it? It draws us out of our comfort zone. It calls us out of our selfishness and our self-centered desires into complete faith and trust in God. The Suscipe calls us to be detached from our worldly desires and accomplishments. It calls to surround ourselves with God’s grace and love. The spirit of the Suscipe is a lifelong journey for us, not something that we accomplish in a week or a month. Yes, Lord, may your love and your grace be enough for us.
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