St. Ignatius of Loyola

The stories of some of the Olympic athletes and their conquest of physical and emotional obstacles to make it to the games and even to win medals, are inspiring, again reminding us that "where there's a will, there's a way."  A cannon ball to the leg set the gallant and fun-loving soldier, Ignatius, on a course that at first he found hard to accept, being confined to his bed, and then limited to his family castle.  His leg had to be broken and reset a second time, furthering his convelescence and forcing him out of boredom to pick up something to read.  It happened to be the Lives of the Saints, which began to fascinate him and eventually lead to a major conversion.  He asked himself, "What if I devoted all my talent and energy to the service of Christ as did Francis or Dominic?  He decided to do just that and the rest is history.  What seemed at first to be a curse turned out to be a blessing. and led him not to Olympic gold, but to the founding of the Society of Jesus which was a major factor in the Counter-Reformation, and still plays a profound role in education and service to the reign of God today, and to the crown of sainthood.  What if I asked myself that same question?  Where would it lead me?  Lord, show me the way you want me to live.
Bro. Rene