Home Global Impact

5 Radical Truths About St. Ignatius Of Loyola's Surrender Prayer (The Suscipe) That Unlock Total Freedom

• minute read
Contents

The "Prayer of Surrender" by St. Ignatius of Loyola, known by its Latin name, the Suscipe (“Receive”), is arguably one of the most profound and challenging short prayers in Christian history. It is not merely a request for help but a radical act of self-giving, a total offering of one's entire being to God. In a world obsessed with control and self-determination, the *Suscipe* offers a powerful, counter-cultural path to freedom, making its message more relevant than ever in late 2025.

This prayer—"Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will"—is the culmination of the Jesuit founder's masterpiece, the *Spiritual Exercises*. It’s a final, dramatic gesture that only makes sense after a deep journey of encountering God's unconditional, "magnanimous love." Understanding its context and its four core gifts is essential to truly grasping the revolutionary nature of Ignatian spirituality today.

The Life and Legacy of St. Ignatius of Loyola

St. Ignatius of Loyola (Íñigo López de Loyola) was a Spanish Basque priest and theologian who founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). His life story provides the essential context for his famous prayer of surrender, as it was born out of a dramatic and painful personal conversion.

  • Birth Name: Íñigo López de Loyola
  • Born: 1491, Loyola, Gipuzkoa, Castile (modern-day Spain)
  • Died: July 31, 1556, Rome, Papal States
  • Venerated In: Catholic Church
  • Canonized: March 12, 1622, by Pope Gregory XV
  • Key Event: Wounded in the Battle of Pamplona (1521), leading to a long convalescence where he read books on the life of Christ and the saints, sparking his conversion from a courtly soldier to a man of God.
  • Founding: Co-founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) with Francis Xavier and others in 1540.
  • Masterpiece: Authored the *Spiritual Exercises*, a structured retreat guide for deep spiritual discernment.
  • Legacy: Patron saint of soldiers, the Society of Jesus, and spiritual retreats. His motto and the Jesuit motto is *Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam* (AMDG), meaning "For the Greater Glory of God."

The *Suscipe* prayer is not a prayer for beginners; it is the final, climactic offering made in the "Contemplation to Attain God's Love" at the end of the *Spiritual Exercises*. It is a response to the overwhelming realization of God's love, not a desperate plea from a place of spiritual poverty.

The Full Text of the Suscipe Prayer (The Surrender)

The prayer is brief, but every line carries immense theological weight. It is a powerful summary of the Ignatian vision of total, trusting self-abandonment to the divine will.

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding, and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I restore it.
It is all yours, dispose of it wholly according to your will.
Give me your love and your grace, for this is enough for me.

The prayer's structure moves from the offering of the most personal, intimate parts of the self (liberty, memory, understanding, will) to a declaration of restoration ("I restore it all to You") and culminates in the ultimate request: "Give me your love and your grace, for this is enough for me." This final line is the heart of Ignatian indifference—the radical belief that God’s love and grace are the only true necessities.

Unpacking the 4 Gifts of Radical Surrender

The power of the *Suscipe* lies in the four distinct faculties of the soul that St. Ignatius asks the retreatant to surrender. These are not general concepts; they represent the deepest, most controlling aspects of the human personality.

1. Surrendering Your Liberty (The Freedom to Choose)

In modern terms, "liberty" is often equated with autonomy and the right to make one's own choices. Ignatius asks us to surrender this very autonomy. This surrender is not about becoming a slave but about achieving "True Freedom." It acknowledges that our freedom, when used selfishly, can lead to spiritual bondage. By offering our liberty to God, we are asking God to align our choices with the divine plan, thus freeing us from the tyranny of self-will and the fear of making the wrong decision. The surrender of liberty is the antidote to feeling like we are "just getting through" life.

2. Surrendering Your Memory (The Power of Your Past)

The surrender of memory is a profound act of healing. Our memory is the storehouse of our history, our hurts, our resentments, and our greatest triumphs. It is where we hold onto past mistakes and where we often cultivate a sense of self-pity or pride. By giving God our memory, we invite God to heal the past—to reframe our narrative so that we see our life, even its painful parts, as part of God's unfolding story. This surrender frees us from the "captivity" of forgetfulness and the temptation to misunderstand our own history.

3. Surrendering Your Understanding (The Need to Know)

The understanding is the faculty of intellect, reason, and our need for cognitive control. In the modern age, this is our reliance on data, logic, and the ability to "figure things out." Surrendering our understanding means releasing the need to fully comprehend God's plan or the reasons for our suffering. It is an act of intellectual humility, acknowledging that God's wisdom is greater than our own. It moves us away from confusion and "misunderstanding" and toward a trust that transcends mere logic.

4. Surrendering Your Entire Will (The Desire to Control)

The will is the engine of action—the part of us that desires, decides, and executes our personal agenda. The surrender of the entire will is the ultimate act of *kenosis* (self-emptying). It is the commitment to choose what God chooses, even when it is difficult, unpopular, or counter-intuitive. Ignatius challenges us to have "only one desire and one choice... what better leads to God's deepening life in me." This is the core of Ignatian discernment: not just asking God what to do, but desiring what God desires.

The Suscipe in Contemporary Ignatian Spirituality (2025)

The *Suscipe* remains a cornerstone of Ignatian spirituality, and its relevance is being explored through contemporary lenses, including psychology and modern decision-making.

The Intersection with Modern Psychology: Contemporary psychologists and spiritual directors note a profound overlap between Ignatian themes and mental well-being. The surrender of the will, for example, aligns with the psychological benefit of letting go of control, a major source of anxiety. The Ignatian principle of "not making decisions during times of desolation" (spiritual dryness or low mood) is confirmed by modern psychology, which advises against major life choices during emotional distress. The *Suscipe* is, therefore, a spiritual discipline that promotes emotional and psychological health.

A Prayer for All Occasions: While originally the climax of a 30-day retreat, the prayer has become a versatile tool for daily life. It acts as a concise and trustworthy "little black dress of prayers." Whether facing a major career change, a personal crisis, or simply starting the day, reciting the *Suscipe* recalibrates one's focus. It shifts the primary goal from personal fulfillment to alignment with God's will, ensuring that every decision, large or small, is guided by the core desire for God's love and grace.

The Final Assurance: The prayer concludes with a radical statement of sufficiency: "Give me your love and your grace, for this is enough for me." This is the profound promise of the surrender. It means that even if every material possession, every memory, and every personal plan is lost, the presence of God's love and grace is the only, and all-sufficient, treasure. This final assurance is the ultimate source of peace and the definition of a life lived in complete trust.

Relevant Entities for Topical Authority: St. Ignatius of Loyola, Society of Jesus (Jesuits), *Suscipe* Prayer, *Spiritual Exercises*, Discernment, Ignatian Spirituality, *Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam* (AMDG), True Freedom, Contemplation to Attain God's Love, Liberty, Memory, Understanding, Will, Spiritual Direction, Consolation, Desolation, Indifference, Kenosis, Francis Xavier, Pope Francis, Finding God in All Things, Examen, Pamplona.

5 Radical Truths About St. Ignatius of Loyola's Surrender Prayer (The Suscipe) That Unlock Total Freedom
prayer of st ignatius of loyola surrender
prayer of st ignatius of loyola surrender

Detail Author:

  • Name : Retha Pfeffer
  • Username : oral22
  • Email : joberbrunner@hotmail.com
  • Birthdate : 2000-05-24
  • Address : 2842 Haylie Haven Shanahanborough, CO 32898-8962
  • Phone : +14256211498
  • Company : Haley-Hayes
  • Job : Locomotive Engineer
  • Bio : Ea molestias aut officiis. Voluptate sit quo quasi ea sit et veniam. Saepe ea quaerat ab doloribus. Ipsam nobis at iste voluptas. Qui dolores rerum aut quisquam.

Socials

tiktok:

instagram:

  • url : https://instagram.com/rahsaan_armstrong
  • username : rahsaan_armstrong
  • bio : Nihil illo sint nisi cum. Porro ut fugit omnis incidunt et. Ad officiis facere adipisci.
  • followers : 2500
  • following : 2862

linkedin:

twitter:

  • url : https://twitter.com/rahsaan_armstrong
  • username : rahsaan_armstrong
  • bio : Repellat iusto quia omnis inventore. Non cum aliquam voluptas autem perspiciatis. Debitis alias quidem sint debitis aut molestias.
  • followers : 4013
  • following : 1706

Random Posts