Testimonis

Through the writings and the life of St. Ignatius, we will see to what extent the dimensions of accompanying, being accompanied and in companionship with others are fundamental to the process of maturation in our faith, to the pilgrimage of our hope and to the strengthening of our love. So therefore, they are dimensions to keep present before us and to cultivate, not only in our personal lives, but also in the groups and ecclesial communities of which we form a part.

In this booklet, we will be calling upon different people to tell us about their own experiences, in order to give us their personal testimony. These are real life testimonies which will invite us to discover faith from the perspective of justice.

The present booklet does not pretend to be an erudite study of Ignatius of Loyola or his spirituality. Its aim is simply to help individuals or groups to reflect and pray by sharing in the spiritual experience of Ignatius. Our hope is that his exceptional interior pilgrimage will also inspire us in our own efforts to follow Jesus.

In this booklet the author explains the various ways in which Ignatius Loyola experienced friendship and promoted it among his companions. He agreed with Aristotle that friendship was “the thing most necessary for life,” but he also realized that friendship was a spiritual gift that needed to be cultivated and nourished with great care.

The author, who for many years has been director of the Cave of Manresa, invites us on a geographical and spiritual journey through the life of Saint Ignatius. This pilgrimage, which is interior as well as exterior, can help us, as the saint takes our hand, to discover how God speaks to us through the places and persons of our lives.

Peter Claver is a case of extreme solidarity, both for what he did and for the perspective from which he did it. He spent thirty-eight years giving himself over body and soul to the African slaves who were arriving at the port of Cartagena in abject misery. Not only was his life one of total commitment to the Africans, but he lived it “from the other side of history,” that is, by belonging completely to the slaves. This booklet explains Claver’s ways of acting and evangelizing and describes the spirit that drove all his apostolic work.

Throughout history, God acts and shows himself in many ways, and especially in his martyred male and female friends. Even at the cost of their lives such women undeniably witness to the identification and rejection of political systems that turn their backs on the most basic huuman rights. This booklet seeks to further their recognition and help us understand why such apparently fragilebeings should have come to threaten those who are powerful in worldly terms.