Written Assignment: Ignatius

Write a four page paper which includes all of the following:

a. As a young man, Ignatius was filled great desires for fame, glory, and adventure, and he lived in such a way as to win these things. Then he experienced a spiritual crisis. Explain the nature of his crisis while he was recuperating at Loyola castle. What questions, fears, and desires were going through his mind? What does his crisis have to do with the human desire for meaning in our lives?

b. When Ignatius was wrestling with different desires during his recovery at Loyola Castle, he said that "step by step" he began to learn how to distinguish God's voice from the voice of the evil spirit. Explain how he came to distinguish these and how this relates to the rules for discernment.

c. Explain how the recognition of consolation and desolation in one's spiritual life can assist a person in making a good discernment. Be specific using examples from a contemporary decision in your life.