Just Call Me Lopez: Getting to the Heart of Ignatius Loyola

by Margaret Silf

What do we have in common with a man from the sixteenth century—or even more so, a saint from the sixteenth century? Probably a lot more than you think. St. Ignatius of Loyola wasn’t always the heroic and holy figure that you hear about today; he was a flawed, fallible, and relatable man named Íñigo Lopez. In Just Call Me Lopez, a twenty-first-century woman, Rachel, meets the man who becomes the saint, and both are transformed by their unlikely friendship and series of thought-provoking conversations.

Their worlds literally collide when Rachel is struck by a hit-and-run driver, and Lopez is there to help her. They realize that this chance accident is actually an act of God that allows Rachel and Lopez, through the medium of their friendship, to come to terms with their personal struggles. Lopez shares his life with Rachel, describing the obstacles he faces during his unbelievable conversion from a womanizing soldier to a man of God. While Rachel keeps mostly silent about her personal struggles, she observes and is astounded by Lopez’s metamorphosis from mess to mystic. Rachel finally faces her troubling situation, and Lopez gently guides her through the process of discernment to make a difficult, but inspired, life choice.

Just Call Me Lopez helps us realize that our very human faults and imperfect behavior do not prevent us from receiving God’s grace; rather, knowing our weaknesses and giving ourselves over to the Holy Spirit can create a new way for us to live.

Genres: Spirituality

254 pages, ebook

First published August 1, 2012

Reviews

[Jinane E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. I read the arabic version of this book. Story of ignas de loyala written in a very pleasant and contemporary way. Many times I found myself smiling :-)

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life of St Ignatius of Loyal is told though fantasy where he shares stories of his life with a modern day woman. I enjoyed reading about him in a less textbook style writing. Some of the points I didn't know about him that were mentioned in the book, I confirmed with traditional biographies. There was one quote that fit what I had read previously.
Silf has Ignatius say:
“Not all heartbreak is desolation,” he said. “Just as not all happiness means we’re doing the right thing. Sometimes the only consolation is this sense you have experienced—of knowing this was the right thing to do."
Ignatius in his Spiritual Exercises says:
"Finally, I call consolation every increase of hope, faith and charity, and all interior joy which calls and attracts to heavenly things and to the salvation of one’s soul, quieting it and giving it peace in its Creator and Lord."
The book was a good overview of life, but I could see wanting to confirm points if you don't know about his life with a traditional source.

[Gavin Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a while to appreciate this book and get into it. Utilizing the imagination process of interactions with St Ignatius as part of spiritual exercises is a powerful practice. But reading about an imaginative engagement with St Ignatius just did not hit a home run with me. There are many elements of wisdom and historic fact to make it interesting enough for me. And there may be a timing in life where it would be a home run for me, but that was not this time.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried to get into it, but the lens of meeting St Ignatius on a regular basis to tell his story just didn't land with me. It seemed too contrived or too forced. I still got a few insights from the book so it wasn't a total loss and it got better the deeper into the story we got. It was an unusual and even clever way to do a biography, especially when it is about someone who has such an impact on people's lives. Just had to force myself to finish it.

[delbee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not so bad. Getting an insight into the spirit of Ignatius of Loyola. It was brief. I would have liked more connections between the two characters, and learning more about Ignatian philosophy and the implementation of Exercises in the book.

[Jennifer Derksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silf introduces the reader to St Ignatius in a very imaginative way, fitting for Ignatian spirituality. She imagines him showing up in her day to day life and through that we learn more about his life and journey. While this is not a detailed biography, it is a great introduction to St. Ignatius.

[Erin Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read that gives you the gist of the life story of Ignatius of Loyola and they ways it connects to modern life.

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just Call me Lopez requires a balance of reading: suspension of disbelief and imaginatively filling in the gaps are required. Silf imagines a middle-aged woman, Rachel, meeting Lopez (Ignatius of Loyola) at various times over the course of a few months. They converse about life and spirituality.

Silf wants to make Ignatius and his spirituality accessible, even friendly, to readers. As Paul Brian Campbell, SJ, says in the foreword: "I have heard Jesuits nervously joke that they have no fear of coming face-to-face with Almighty God in Heaven, but are filled with trepidation at the prospect of meeting Ignatius of Loyola!...I've noted that his contemporaries--the people who actually were with him and worked alongside him--all seemed to love him and to enjoy being with him." (xi) Accordingly, Silf plays up the human, jocular, humble part of Ignatius: calling him Lopez, imagining him as a self-deprecating, sometimes unsure man whose spiritual eagerness occasionally overtakes wisdom.

This isn't a programmatic introduction to Ignatian spirituality, but rather an imaginative introduction to the man himself that hints at his spiritual legacy, with brief discussions of the Exercises, discernment, consolation/desolation, and so forth. It would be a good reset button for someone too familiar with Ignatian spirituality, and a gentle introduction for someone totally unfamiliar with it or intimidated by it.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book. It is essentially a history of the life of St. Ignatius Loyola, told as a series of meetings between him and a contemporary American woman who runs retreats and sessions in spiritual writing. The book includes stories about Ignatius's own faith journey paired with the narrator's own faith struggles. I especially liked his advice on how to use one's imagination to make a difficult choice. And his definition of the qualities of a good leader. This is definitely a book to savor and to reread

[Harry Dudley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable book to read. Why? Applying one of Ignatius's own use of imagination the author allows us to listen into her conversations with Ignatius Loyola. With the inside covers one also gets a summary of the key moments in hIs life that are woven throughout the book. It's like meeting a saint for coffee and conversation until you realize that not only do you know the saint, but the one who graced him and yes - yourself better as well. I read few things more than once but I know I will refer to this and read it again.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a time machine style review of the life of Saint Ignatius Loyola. This is my second book by Margaret Silf and while not a great Christian writer is one of the better ones I've read. Ignore some of the silliness and read this for what Loyola was; a true defender of faith and spirituality. It's amazing how this 16th century saint saw the very same flaws with the church that we continue to struggle with because of our love for God.

[Crowkingmama · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not get over the framework of this story to appreciate the message. Lopez visits the storyteller during modern day on multiple occasions.

I picked it up hoping to have a better understanding of St. Ignatius. I put it down wondering how many liberties the author took in creatng the character in the book.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"God is in the aroma of this coffee as surely as in the laughter of the children... Everywhere! That's the gift: to see God in all things and all things in God". This is a beautiful story to help the uninformed understand the complex man that St. Ignatius was using the Ignatian way of imagination. Well done Ms. Silf

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an original way to write a biography of a saint! I really loved how the author wove the historical nature of Ignatius Loyola with a modern day character who also learned from the history of "Lopez."

[Celeste Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could hear Lopez speaking to me, drawing me toward the Exercises...

[Chad Torgerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting way to present the story of St. Ignatius. I really enjoyed it!

[Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! If you are a St Ignatius fan, you must read this work.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting treatment of the life of Ignatius of Loyola

[Ruth Innes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and imaginative take on the life of Ignatius Loyola. Easy to read and helpful in how to apply his spirituality today.

[Maryjulia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting premise, but it didn't work for me.

[Diana]

a small book; easy read; could finish in a day.