St Ignatius was a military leader very much committed to his work. On a challenging day,
during a war with the French, he was fighting from the parapet wall of the fort in Pamplona
in
Spain. Suddenly a cannonball hit his right leg on 20 th May 1521 shattering his knees. During
his healing period he reflected his past life journey and he was enlightened about his future
life path. There was a paradigm shift in his understanding of the world and his life.
So far he was serving the worldly king and he wanted power and recognition. But now
onwards he wanted to serve God and his people through humble service to the needy. As an
ambitious solider he was accumulating things and wealth but now he has started to shed them
off one by one. He stood in prayer the whole night in Montserrat in front of the Black
Madonna – There he left his soldier’s sword as he would not fight any more for power and
money. The next morning, he exchanged his costly clothes with the tattered cloth of a beggar.
After living a luxurious life for about 30 years in castles and palaces, he started living in a
cave in Manresa and lived there for nearly 14 months. His outlook of the world changed and
he felt that God was leading him all the time. He put down his reflections in The Spiritual
Exercises which is today printed most, after the Bible, in the world.
The cannonball completely ruined his dream but God brought in His dream for Ignatius,
namely his service to fellow human beings. So far, Ignatius was the hero and center of his
own life but now onwards God would be the focus and goal of his life. He realized that he
has the responsibility for his fellow human beings – He was convinced that his salvation is
bound with the collective salvation of the people he served. He realized that we do not reach
God alone – either we all together catch God or miss God. The cannonball had the twist and
turn in his life, namely from self-centered, his life became others-centered and Christ-
focused.
St Ignatius was, in a sense, a migrant. From Spain, he left for France to study. During his
studies, he was going about collecting alms in Flanders to manage his financial needs and
studies. From Europe he went to Israel to visit the Holy Land of Jesus. Though he wanted to
stay there for the rest of his life, he was advised to get back to Europe. Then, he went to
Rome and founded the Company of Jesus which is the biggest religious group in the Catholic
Church today.
And we too, as migrants, have the cannonball experiences. All of a sudden on 24 th March
2020 the lockdown was announced – Within a couple of hours the traffic and transport
facilities came to stand still. The Migrants were hit by uncertainty about their jobs; and they
were confused whether to stay on or to go back home. Thousands walked hundreds and even
thousands of miles along the highway and railroad – A few died hit by the traffic. The first
wave as well as the second wave were the cannonball experiences for the migrants.
But these experiences have enlightened us that our life is uncertain – any disaster might
happen anytime; that we need people to lend a helping hand in time of crisis; and that we
need resilience to bear with all sufferings and hardships. All these unexpected difficulties
have brought in us a change of life and attitude. We have become more courageous to face
life’s uncertainty. We are able to feel with the suffering and we are moved to help those in
need. We are convinced that we need each other.
Let us go ahead trusting in God; confidence in our neighbors and friends; and trust in
ourselves. Let us have the pride and satisfaction that we are the nation-builders. The
buildings we help in construction and the millions of bricks that we make are becoming part
of greater nation. The world may not remember us; the contractors and construction
companies may not recognize our hard work; and we may not be able to save much for our
future. But let us have the courage to go forward – May God strengthen our hands to work
more and to make our lives better and joyful. Wish you all the grace of St Ignatius.