Two Standards 

July 31 is the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Spanish soldier who pursued worldly glory above all things until he had a conversion while convalescing after a terrible leg injury incurred on the field of battle in 1521. Ignatius had a vivid imagination, which he used to meditate on sacred scriptures, placing himself in the scenes, imagining the sights, the sounds, the smells, the expression on people’s faces, and examining his own response to them. Along with the founding of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1540, his greatest contribution to the patrimony of the Church were his Spiritual Exercises, a four-week program designed to help retreatants grow in spiritual maturity, self-knowledge, and devotion to Christ. 

I first learned about the Spiritual Exercises when I was in seminary. I remember being struck by one of Ignatius’ meditations called “The Two Standards.” In it, the former soldier invites the retreatant to envision two great armies arrayed for war on the field of battle. One army bears the banner, or “standard,” of Satan, who Ignatius describes as horrifying and repugnant, seated on a great throne of smoke and fire. From his vile perch he commands his demons to go and convert souls to his cause by making us crave wealth, by filling us with the desire for honor and status, and by making us proud – deceiving us into thinking that we are self-sufficient and powerful, not needing God. The souls who give themselves over to these things will easily move into all other vices, becoming eternal slaves in the camp of Satan. Opposing him is the army that marches under the banner of Christ, whom Ignatius describes as seated in a lowly place, beautiful and attractive to behold. Our Lord sends His great workers – the Apostles and disciples, the angels and saints – throughout the world, to share the gospel and sacred teaching with all peoples. Our Lord’s forces bear the weapons of spiritual poverty and simplicity of life, as well as love for the world’s contempt and its scorn for the sake of fidelity. Along with humility, which ensures that our lives are centered on God upon whom we depend for everything, these great weapons of Christ’s soldiers lead to growth in all virtues, serving as vital tools of combat against the forces of evil. 

With these images in mind, Ignatius calls upon us to make our decision for one standard or the other. In the great battle between the forces of Satan and Christ, there is no neutral ground.  In the end, everyone will end up in one camp or the other. Part of the exercise is honestly acknowledging the divisions within ourselves, and in what ways we are drawn to Satan’s camp even though we know it leads to slavery and destruction. We ask ourselves: around what have we constructed our lives? From what do we derive our sense of identity? What are the things that we prize above all else, including friendship with Christ? Am I ok with appearing to be a total failure in the eyes of the world for the sake of being a success in the eyes of God? Having contemplated this, we are then invited to make an authentic choice for Christ. Confronted with the reality of where our hearts lie, this choice in favor of Our Lord might seem painfully difficult at first.  By making that choice for Christ, however, we take up the sacred weapons of poverty/simplicity, acceptance of the world’s scorn, and humility. With them the Lord helps to liberate us from the forces of Satan and from sin, that we might be found among those waving the Standard of Heaven, living in true freedom and sharing in the unfading riches of God. This was the choice that St. Ignatius of Loyola made. May we benefit from the insights of this spiritual master. 

posted 7/29/23