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Reflecting the Mind
of the
Vatican
Since 1850
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The question of why, for over 400 years, the mystical dimension of Ignatius’ life was half forgotten or deliberately underplayed is a long and fascinating story. Its rediscovery was in large part due to the renewal of interest in the original Ignatian sources, already underway earlier in the 20th century but then mandated and subsequently given a massive boost by Vatican II.
The image of “Ignatius the mystic” expresses a belief that it is his relationship with God that is at the core of what makes him admirable, as well as being the inspiration of his teaching and other achievements. It suggests that in some way everything that Ignatius said, did or wrote can ultimately be traced to his mystical experiences at Manresa, La Storta and Rome.
These were “peak experiences” (to use Abraham Maslow’s terminology) and are central to any understanding of Ignatian mysticism. But Ignatius also had to live off-peak, as it were, and he realized that most people live off-peak most of the time. This does not mean that off-peak experiences cannot also be mystical. To express the reality more adequately, one needs to regard Ignatius as a mystic, not just because of certain peak experiences but because mysticism became a way of life. This is the real meaning of the popular phrase, “everyday mysticism.”
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© Union of Catholic Asian News
2023
