July 31, two important holidays

This post is somewhat late, but I wanted to mention that yesterday was an important day for Christians (especially Catholics) and Muslims alike. It was the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola and Eid-al-Adha.

St. Ignatius Loyola was a Spanish nobleman born in 1491 to a family of thirteen children. He dreamed of knighthood as a child, but this dream was cut short in a 1591 battle in Paris, when his leg was shattered by a cannon ball. While recovering, he read multiple Christian texts and saints biographies. He soon had a vision of the Virgin Mary and then, when strong enough, made a pilgrimage to her shrine in Montserrat. He then spent a year in Manresa among Dominicans, or praying in caves in hospices. While there, he composed his magnum opus, The Spiritual Exercises.

At forty-three, he renounced his nobility (along with St. Francis Xavier and five others) and wished to live in the Holy Land, Jerusalem. If this could not be done, he planned to serve the pope. Thus, he inevitably formed a new Catholic order, the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), alongside Francis Xavier. Today the Jesuits are among the largest orders of Catholicism, serving millions of universities, academies, hospitals, seminaries, and other services worldwide. He was a pivotal part of Catholic reformation, and is remembered as the patron saint of soldiers, retreats, and theological mysticism and contemplation. We celebrate through prayer and retreats composed under his vision, especially the Jesuit meditation the examen.

Eid ul Adha occurs a day after the final day of Hijjah, the month in which Muslims strive to make a pilgrimage to Mecca if able (this year, with the pandemic, that likely was not very many). It marks an occasion most Abrhamic faiths know of: Abraham’s comitment to God through nearly sacrificing his infant (sometimes toddler) son. There are a few discrepancies as to who the son was and how old he was. Most Jews and Christians and some Muslims say it was an infant Isaac, and a majority of Muslims say it was Abraham’s older son, Ishmael, who could talk, walk, and consent to his binding to God. Then, God instructs Abraham to stop the binding and sacrifice a ram instead. Muslims celebrate by eating meat (traditionally slaughtering the livestock themselves, though it’s hard for me to imagine consumers eating their own kills nowadays, though I digress).

God bless everyone and I wish Christians and Muslims alike tremendous blessings for these holy occasions.