The IGNATIUS of LOYOLA | Orange Peel + Basil | Summer Collection

If you know anything about St. Ignatius of Loyola, it might surprise you that he was the Saint who told us to “laugh and grow strong.” After all, he is the esteemed author of the Spiritual Exercises, which help us dive into beautifully deep meditation and discernment, and are usually completed on a 30 day silent retreat. But the ultimate goal of the Exercises is “to find God in all things,” and where we see God, there must be joy to see as well, even if it’s hidden. After all, joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit. And when we allow our hearts to embrace the truth that our Savior has died for our sins and risen from the dead so that we may live with Him forever, how can we not be joyful?

I once heard an old Irish priest say that “Humor is God’s hand on the shoulder of a troubled generation.” Oh, the wisdom in these words! We will suffer. We will be tempted to despair. We will have very real and serious and painful things to deal with for which we may feel like there’s no solution. And, to be clear, laughter isn’t a crutch given to us to avoid those realities. But it is a constant invitation to a brief respite from the thorns of life--one from which we draw the strength we need to face our days with fresh hope and clear minds. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart does good like a medicine.” May we draw strength from God’s gift of laughter--an extension of His joy given to us--that we may live full of confidence in God’s love for us, and full of joy because of that. 

Scent profile: orange peel and citrus, basil, mint and chamomile over an agave base