Back in December, I used Jen Fulwiler's Saint's Name Generator to get my patron saint for the upcoming year. It seems like I have been split fifty-fifty in getting saints that I know versus ones I never heard of before. Sometimes it feels like playing Russian Roulette. Will I get a saint I like? When I first started doing this years ago, I decided that I have to "keep" whatever saint I get. I figure that there has got to be a reason, other than pure randomness, that the saint was chosen for me.
This year, at least for a moment, I was tempted to chose another. When I clicked the button, I was awarded St. Ignatius of Loyola. Unfortunately, I don't have the highest opinion of the priestly order he founded. Usually when I see something of our Catholic faith misrepresented by a priest, many, if not most of the times, it is a Jesuit.
I went to a Jesuit university, and although I know I received a good education, I'm not sure I got a good Catholic one. But, as I write that, I wonder if that says more about me than it does the university. Since I have my "must keep who I get" rule, I think I will use this year to learn more not only about this saint, but about my faith as well.
AMDG
Oh my gosh you got such a powerful saint! Please don't judge him by the ordered that he founded and how they are in this modern age! If you want to know how to pray and discern or how to meditate so that you can be open to a state of contemplation then St. Ignatius of Loyola is your man. He founded the spiritual exercises which most religious orders use as a template for their own orders on prayer and discernment. I am a Carmelite through and through but I definitely appreciate the contribution that St. Ignatius has made in these areas :) Oh and a redeeming jesuit of our time is Fr. Pacwa on EWTN ;)
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