Some time ago, reading a book on the life of St. Ignatius, entitled “Ignatius of Loyola. Alone and on foot “by José Ignacio Tellechea Idígoras, I was struck by the title that the author chose in order to better describe the journey and spiritual growth of Ignatius.

Whilst we were in Spain for an experience on the “Spiritual Diary” of our saint – an experience proposed for the second year of novitiate – at a certain moment the above mentioned book became the subject of discussion.

If Ignatius in his life began the adventure of his pilgrimage alone, barefoot and on foot, like an athlete who runs all the way, we followed his lead together with the novices of Spain and Portugal, as in an international football team.

It’s great to watch a football match, when the players collaborate with each other, follow the same ball in the different corners of the field and celebrate the same victory. We did the same, we collaborated together, listening, writing and praying on the diary of our Pilgrim, in a course held by Fr. Santiago Thio.

This team collaboration transformed into a “feeling and savouring” of the Diary together with a community composed of the three novitiates of the same Society. We had moments of sharing on our experiences of the novitiate, marveling at the beauty of diversity and the same desire to follow Jesus in unity.

Our joy in “committing our life, together” grew day by day, discovering and being moved by the places which St. Ignatius passed through: Barcelona, Manresa and Montserrat.

This meeting ended with a pilgrimage on foot from Manresa to Montserrat, sharing together the example of our Inigo as a pilgrim in these places and contemplating the wonder of the mountain of Montserrat as a gift from God.