Our next guest in the Attollo Executive Speaker Series line up is St Ignatius of Loyola. He is the founder of the Society of Jesus (aka the Jesuits) and was born in 1491 in Spain. No stranger to danger on the battlefield or off – welcome St. Ignatius of Loyola!
“So, business leaders of today, listen up. You need to take the time and to think seriously about your vocation so that you can give thanks to God for so great a favor for your vocation. Yes, things can get tough I know, my vocation before conversion was lived out in the battlefield, I risked my life and a cannon ball to my legs for the glory of the world. So you need to ask Him – God – daily and I mean daily for the special help needed to deal with your day-to-day trials with courage and diligence! You need to have both of these things in large measure if you are going to attain your vision, the end you have in view for your business and your life.
Sloth, tepidity, weariness in study you must always recognize as enemies of your vocation!
Keep the company of like minded professionals. Not those who you think will accomplish less but rather those who are active and energetic – those who will challenge you to be more, to become more. Never let the “children” of this world show greater care, interest and focus in the things of this world than you show for those of eternity! You should be embarrassed to see those people run to their death more enthusiastically than you run to life.
This may sound harsh – but hold yourselves as worth little if a courtier serves with greater dedication to gain the favor of an earthly prince than you do for the favor of the King of heaven, or if a soldier battles with great courage for the glory of victory and hope of spoils, than you fight for victory and triumph over the world, the devil and yourselves, all for a heavenly kingdom and eternal glory.
For the love of God, don’t be careless or tepid! For if tautness snaps the bow, slackness snaps the soul. Try to maintain a holy and discreet fever in your work and in the pursuit of learning (learning doesn’t end when you graduate from school, graduation marks the beginning of true learning), as well as virtue. One energetic act is worth a thousand that are listless and what a lazy man cannot accomplish in many years an energetic man can usually achieve quickly. Don’t just recall my words but live them out fervently every single day.
May God bless you.”
If you want to know more about St. Ignatius of Loyola here are a few books to start:
A Pilgrim’s Journey: The Autobiography of St. Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola: Spiritual Exercises and Selected Works (Classics of Western Spirituality)
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[h4]The Executive Speaker Series is purely fictional but the wisdom from the many saints, doctors and blesseds of the Catholic Church is real and will help you along the arduous journey of your transformation to a truly integrated business leader. [/h4]
