At first, when we were instructed to read this book, all I could do was groan. Why would Fr. Ubong force us to read such a thick book and still write a reflection on it? I simply could not grasp the reason behind it. It wasn’t until I had read the book that I began to understand. Walking with Ignatius is a great read that gives the illusion and experience of actually walking with Ignatius through his memories and experiences and is a great spiritual insight into the mind of Very Revd. Fr. Arturo Sosa, S.J., the 31st Superior General of the Society of Jesus and what it truly means to be a Jesuit and a Christian at large. I believe that this book helped me to see things from St. Ignatius’ perspective. He saw a world full of pain and suffering and injustice and knew that it was too much for one person to handle alone. Yet he knew that he had to try because, amidst all of the despair, he saw a hope-filled future for the younger generation so he allowed himself to open up to God and listen to him. Thus, through this, he was able to help those around him and allowed himself peace of mind. It is truly a refreshing feeling because it opens one’s eyes to the things around him/her that they were once ignorant of and conscientizes the spirit, mind and soul. It has encouraged me to be a better person and live in love and togetherness with those around me.

Through St. Ignatius of Loyola’s journey towards becoming a pilgrim, I learnt that behind all the seemingly misfortunate things that we experience on a day-to-day basis, there is a purpose. If St. Ignatius had not been wounded in the battle of Pamplona, he would arguably never have found redemption and discovered his true purpose on this earth. The same applies to St. Paul who fell from his horse and became temporarily blind. Without this incident, he wouldn’t have learnt to look past his pride and listen to the voice of Jesus speaking to him and become the leader of the church in the future.  There are many other examples in the bible. Also, I have learnt to take everything that comes in stride, knowing that God has a purpose and a hidden meaning behind every situation I have experienced in life and being a true Christian means having the grace to ask for God’s presence in the people, events and places in my life.

When reading the book, I was struck by a paragraph in which it was highlighted that in the past century, society has witnessed various political ideologies, such as Nazism, Stalinism, Communism, Fascism, Consumerism, Capitalism, Socialism and Clericalism which were deeply entrenched in many practices of the church. Such ideologies undermine the dignity and integrity of the human person. Some persons need help to protect themselves from such arcane ideologies. In the world of today, it is not easy to exercise bold living and discern between what is right and wrong and stand up for justice. It takes a great deal of encouragement that can only be acquired by asking God to enable us and give us the strength and skill of discernment.Throughout all the answers that Very Revd. Fr. Arturo Sosa, S.J. gave to Dario Menor, I realized that Fr. Sosa, has a rare quality that I hope to imbibe in anything I do. He is a man who loves. He loves the Society of Jesus and is willing to do anything to ensure the achievement of its mission. He loves his Jesuit brothers and is willing to put his faith, trust and future in their hands. He loves his home country, Venezuela and felt great despair when the nation hit hard times under the rule of an iron-willed general. He loves the poor and the marginalized and is always willing to walk alongside them, wanting to bring redemption to them, enthralled by their simplicity. He loves the church and is filled with great aspirations for it, always praying for her growth. He loves the younger generation, always believing in them and the future that they hold in their hands, knowing that they are the future of the church. Most importantly, he loves God and wholeheartedly devoted his whole life to his service. This, I believe, is something that cannot be undermined or faked. His total commitment to everything and everyone around him inspires me to be a better version of myself.

I was most intrigued by the digitalization of the Society of Jesus. I was impressed that the Society of Jesus had garnered and understood that in our world of today, virtually every member of “Gen Z” has access to the internet and uses it as a medium to communicate with more people and bring more people closer to God. I believe that through this way they have removed the restrictions of time and space and pursued a more effective way of spreading the word of God.

The purpose of reading Walking with Ignatius is to invite the reader on a journey of conversion and deep reflection which will lead them to not see the world with only fear or a fur-rowed fear but to develop an openness towards the actions of God, working with others and caring for the environment. After reading this book, I can truly say that I have experienced a journey and can only thank Fr. Ubong Attai, SJ, for making this book available for me.

As I close my reflection, I leave you all with a prayer of St. Ignatius taken from the spiritual exercises;

Take Lord and receive all of my liberty,

My memory, my understanding,

And my entire will.

 

All I have and call my own,

You have given all to me,

To you, Lord I return it.

 

Everything is yours, do with it what you will,

Give me only your love and your grace,

That is enough for me.

 

Chizitere Nicole OBI

Class of 2026