His eyes were opened a little

Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle I

Ex 34, 15-32; Mt 13, 31-35

Feast of St Ignatius of Loyola

The life of any person can usually be summarised in one word or phrase or even an action. A famous image comes to mind, that of two rival cyclists participating in an important cycling competition in Italy, in the 1950's. There is a popular photo of one of the cyclists handing over a bottle of water to his opponent, an image of sportsmanship and herosim. Today that we are celebrating the feast of St Ignatius of Loyola, perhaps a phrase that would describe him and his whole life are four words that we read in his Autobiography, which he writes in the third person "his eyes were opened a little."

Here, Ignatius of Loyola is referring to that moment when, lying convalescent in bed, after suffering a canon-ball injury to his leg, he used to spend time thinking of his future. When he thought of a life of mission, dedicated completely to God, as he had read in the biographies of St Francis of Assisi and St Dominic, he used to be filled with a long lasting joy. Hen he lay thinking of securing a wealthy and powerful future for himself, the happiness was short lived and shallow. Ignatius recognised this difference as that moment when "his eyes were opened a little." He required nothing else, just that awareness of the difference of the long-lasting joy that comes from God, a joy coming from the Kingdom of God and the short-lived happiness that earthly kingdoms provide.

Incidentally, this is also the invitation of Jesus in today's Gospel. He likens the Kingdom of God with two hardly perceptible objects: a mustard seed and some yeast. Like these two objects, we can very easily overlook the small signs of the Kingdom of God. Instead, we are called to do what Ignatius did: open our eyes just a little, and start becoming aware of the dynamic power of God even in the smallest details and events of our lives.

When we turn our attention to these seemingly insignificant realities, we start paving the way for the Kingdom of God, just as, ultimately, Ignatius did. It is also the first step of the examen of St Ignatius, or what the late Carlo Maria Martini sj would call the confessio laudis: simply reviewing the day and trying and see where God was present in the simplest and most seemingly mundane of things, people and events.

I think that it was Frère Roger of Taizé who, inspired by St Ignatius once said, "seek God in all things and you shall find him by your side." Let us make this our challenge today, that we may seek God in the simplest of things, and thus experience God right by our side.