Seekers and Friends · Week 4 · Grades 6–8
Guided Notes: St. Ignatius of Loyola
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
A man who wanted glory
Ignatius was born in blank 1 at Loyola, in the Basque country of Spain. He grew up at court, where a young nobleman learned manners, fighting and ambition. By his own account he loved fine clothes, duels and the dream of winning fame.
In May blank 2 a French army attacked the fortress of Pamplona. The defenders were badly outnumbered, but Ignatius urged them to fight on. A cannonball shattered one of his legs and wounded the other, and the fortress fell.
The French blank 3 respected his courage and had him carried home to Loyola. His career as a soldier was over at about age thirty.
From Loyola to Rome
Write what happened in each year.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1491 | Write your answer |
| 1521 | Write your answer |
| 1522 | Write your answer |
| 1534 | Write your answer |
| 1540 | Write your answer |
| 1556 | Write your answer |
| 1622 | Write your answer |
Check the facts
What ended Ignatius’s career as a soldier? Circle one.
- A He was dismissed for losing a duel
- B He chose to leave and enter a monastery
- C He was badly wounded defending Pamplona
- D He was captured and jailed for years
Why is that the right answer?
The experiment in bed
Recovering at Loyola, Ignatius asked for tales of knights. The house had only a life of Christ and a book of saints’ lives, so he read those.
He spent hours daydreaming. Sometimes he imagined winning fame and the love of a noble lady. Sometimes he imagined living like St. Francis or St. Dominic.
Then he noticed a pattern. Both kinds of blank 4 were pleasant while they lasted. The dreams of fame left him dry and discontented afterward. The dreams of following Christ left him cheerful and at peace.
He concluded that God was teaching him through these feelings. This careful noticing is the root of what the Church calls blank 5.
Why it mattered
What made the two kinds of daydreams different for Ignatius? Circle one.
- A How he felt after they were over
- B How exciting they were at the start
- C How long each daydream lasted
- D How realistic each one seemed
Why is that the right answer?
Check the aftertaste
Ignatius judged an experience by what it left behind. Sort each online habit by where it usually leaves a person. Check one box for each.
| Item | More peace, more love | Restless or empty |
|---|---|---|
| Messaging a friend who is having a hard week | ||
| Scrolling short videos for two hours at night | ||
| Finishing a creative project and sharing it | ||
| Checking who viewed or liked your post all day | ||
| Playing a game with friends, then logging off on time | ||
| Reading an argument in the comments for an hour | ||
| Asking an AI chatbot to do homework you could do | ||
| Looking up how to fix something for your family |
The Jesuits
What did the Society of Jesus become best known for? Circle one.
- A Living silently inside monasteries
- B Guarding the Pope as his soldiers
- C Caring for pilgrims in Jerusalem
- D Teaching and serving as missionaries
Why is that the right answer?
Talk it over
Ignatius learned to tell a quick thrill from a lasting peace. Think about your own week online. What leaves you glad an hour later, and what leaves you drained? What would you change?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “Something that feels good at first but leaves me drained is ...”“Something that leaves me glad afterward is ...”“I think the difference is ...”“One change I could try this week is ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
Lord, you speak to us in the quiet of our hearts.
Teach us to notice what leads us toward you.
Give us courage to choose it, for your greater glory.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
A cannonball ended one dream and opened a greater one. The feast of St. Ignatius is July 31.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
How could the example of St. Ignatius of Loyola shape the way I live, online and offline?
Challenge: Try a two-minute Examen each night this week: thank God for one moment, notice one that left you empty, and ask for help tomorrow.