St. Ignatius Loyola is one of the great shapers of the Catholic tradition. The Spanish soldier turned pilgrim for Christ bequeathed not only an extraordinary institutional legacy but also a distinctive spirituality that today nourishes men and women looking for ways to integrate faith and life. Informing Jesuit education, ministry, and training in communities around the world, Ignatian spirituality offers a practical vision—of engaged, responsible, discerning men and women striving to find God in all things—that resonates in this age of transition.
Drawn from the vast body of Ignatius’s writings, these 365 maxims help everyone reflect on the presence of God in daily life. First complied by the Jesuit scholar Gabriel Hevenesi in 1715 as Scintillae Ignatianae, these brief thoughts, supplications, prayers, directions, and other aphorisms were first published in an English translation in 1928 but have been unavailable in book form for many years.
Organized into a daybook for contemplation, Ignatius’s words serve as personal spiritual exercises. They touch on a range of topics, from affirmations of God’s presence and Christ’s love to practical advice for living a life of virtue in service to others. In this accessible gathering, anyone seeking a richer spiritual life will find words that inspire, challenge, enlighten, and transform.
FROM THE BOOK
“A little holiness and great health of body does more in the care of souls than great holiness and little health.“Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.”
“The sharper you are at noticing other people’s failings, the more apt you will be to overlook your own.”
“Go and set the whole world on fire.”

Born in 1491, St. Ignatius Loyola abandoned the Spanish court for a life in service to Christ. Priest, teacher, and writer, in 1540 he founded the Society of Jesus, along with St. Francis Xavier, the Blessed Peter Faber, and others, establishing Jesuit schools, churches, and communities. He died in 1556 and was canonized in 1622.

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Alan McDougall Short Bio

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Patrick J. Ryan (b. 1939), a member of the Society of Jesus, became the McGinley Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham University in New York in 2009. He earned a doctorate at Harvard University in the comparative history of religion, specializing in Arabic and Islamic studies. In 1964 he began a long career as a teacher and academic administrator in West Africa, where he spent twenty-six years. He is the author of three books and numerous articles, scholarly and popular. As McGinley Professor, Fr. Ryan hopes to establish a “trialogue” of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam at Fordham.

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This wonderful habit of devotional calendars can only change us for the better and often offer soothing advice for each day of the year.

—Catholic Library World