Personal Writings

Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) was trained as a page at the court of Castile. Wounded at the siege of Pamplona in 1521, he underwent a deep conversion, eventually travelling to Jerusalem and beginning to study. He attracted like-minded students and in 1534 they took vows and formed the 'Society of Jesus', popularly known as the Jesuits. From 1540 he was elected Superior General and lived in Rome, organising the astonishing spread of the Jesuits. He was canonized in 1622.Joseph A. Munitiz is Master of Campion Hall, Oxford. Philip Endean lectures in theology at Heythrop College, University of London. He is General Editor of The Way, a journal of contemporary Christian spirituality, sponsored by the Jesuits.

• PrefaceChronologyGlossaryBibliographyReminiscences (Autobiography)Introduction1. Loyola2. To Manresa via Montserrat3. The Pilgrimage to Jerusalem4. Studies and Conflicts in Spain5. Paris6. Interlude at Home7. ItalyEpilogue by Gonçalves da CâmaraThe Spiritual DiaryIntroductionPros and Cons in an election on povertyThe Spiritual Diary:Part IPart IISelect LettersIntroduction1 [1]* Advice to a good woman (Inés Pascual 1524)2 [3] Dealings with brother and nephew (1532)3 [4] Comfort among calamities (Isabel Roser 1532)4 [7] Steps in discernment (Teresa Rejadell 1536)5 [8] Prayer made easy (Teresa Rejadell 1536)6 [10] In praise of The Spiritual Exercises (Fr Miona 1536)7 [11] Blueprint for a religious order (Mgr Carafa 1536)8 [XII, app.] Early years in Italy (1536-37)9 [17] Thanks for support (Mgr Contarini 1538)10 [18] Roman trials and tribulations (1538)11 [52] Benighted obedience (Fr Viola 1542)12 [79] Vocation doubts ofa young man (1544)13 [101] Borgia's early steps (1545)14 [123] Conduct at Trent (1546)15 [149] Refusing episcopal dignities (1546)16 [169] Ideals for newcomers (Coimbra 1547)17 [182] Need for structures of government (Gandia 1547)18 [186] Experience of poverty (Padua 1547)19 [234] En route to the Constitutions (Louvain 1547)20 [243] Defining obedience as an ideal (Coimbra 1548)21 [466] Developments in the spiritual life (Borgia 1548)22 [790] Dealing with a radical crisis (Borgia 1549)23 [XII, app.] On prophecies and revelations (Gandia 1549)24 [XII, app.] Spreading God's word in a German university (1549)25 [958] Placating a parent over a son's vocation (1549)26 [1554] Letter of resignation (1551)27 [1587] Consoling a sister on her brother's death (1551)28 [2652] Refusing a Cardinal's hat (Borgia 1552)29 [3107] Students experiencing poverty (1552)30 [3220] Agreeing to be royal confessors (1553)31 [3304] The final word on obedience (1553)32 [3305] The last call to Francis Xavier (Japan 1553)33 [4184] Criteria in the choice of parish work (1554)34 [5256] Financial worries (1555)35 [5400] Norms for dealing with Superiors (1555)36 [5471] The Society and the Inquisition (1555)37 [XII, app.] Catechizing the sign of the cross38 [6087] Consoling the mother of a student (1556)39 [6454] Norms for food in Louvain (1556)40 [6677] Reacting to obstacles in Zaragoza (1556)The Spiritual ExercisesIntroductionAnnotationsFirst Week:Principle and FoundationParticular Daily ExamenGeneral ExamenFirst-Fourth Exercise: on sinsFifth Exercise: on hellAdditionsSecond Week:The call of the kingFirst Day:First Contemplation: on the IncarnationSecond Contemplation: on the NativityFifth Contemplation: use of the sensesNotesFourth Day:Meditation on Two StandardsMeditation on three classes of personsThree kinds of humilityElectionsPreamblesThree Times, and Two Ways in the Third TimeFor amendment and reform of one's personal lifeThird Week:Rules as regards eatingFourth Week:NotesAdditional Material:Contemplation for attaining loveThree Ways of prayingThe Mysteries of the life of Christ Our LordRules to understand movements in the soul: First Week; Second WeekRules for alms-givingNotes for the understanding of scruplesRules for a true attitude of mind within the ChurchAppendix: Text of Prayers mentioned in The Spiritual ExercisesNotesIndex*Numbers in square brackets are those of the letters in the MHSI edition.