It is not the soul alone that should be healthy; if the mind is

“It is not the soul alone that should be healthy; if the mind is healthy in a healthy body, all will be healthy and much better prepared to give God greater service.” — Saint Ignatius of Loyola

These words, spoken by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), shine like a torch through the corridors of time. They carry a wisdom both divine and practical — a truth that the ancients knew and the modern world often forgets: that spirit, mind, and body are not three separate realms, but one sacred harmony. Ignatius, warrior turned mystic, understood that to serve God fully, one must bring the whole self — heart, reason, and flesh — into alignment with the divine will. The soul may be the flame, but the body and mind are its vessel and wind; without them, the flame flickers weakly, unable to illuminate the path of service.

The origin of this teaching rises from Ignatius’s own story — a tale of transformation through suffering. As a young soldier in the early 16th century, Ignatius was struck by a cannonball during battle, shattering his leg and ending his military career. During his long recovery, confined and broken, he began to read the Lives of the Saints and the Imitation of Christ, discovering a new battlefield — not of arms, but of spirit. In his solitude, he learned that healing is not only of the body, but of the mind and soul together. Later, as he founded the Jesuits, he taught his companions that discipline of the body, clarity of the mind, and purity of the soul must walk hand in hand — for only a whole person can serve a holy purpose.

In this teaching, Saint Ignatius was not merely speaking of health in the earthly sense, but of balance — that sacred equilibrium which allows the human being to act as a vessel of divine grace. A sick body can darken the mind, a restless mind can cloud the soul, and a soul neglected can drain both body and thought of meaning. Thus, the saint’s wisdom is a call to wholeness. He does not scorn the body as corrupt, nor the mind as prideful, but sees each as a tool — gifts to be strengthened, trained, and purified for God’s service.

The ancients, too, knew this truth. The Greeks spoke of mens sana in corpore sano — “a sound mind in a sound body.” The philosopher Plato taught that education should cultivate the body as much as the intellect, for one cannot think nobly if one lives in disorder. Yet Ignatius goes further — beyond human flourishing toward divine purpose. To him, health is not an end in itself, but a means to holiness, a preparation for love and labor in the name of God. He transforms the wisdom of the ancients into the language of faith: the body is not to be worshipped, but to be consecrated; the mind not to be filled with vanity, but with clarity; the soul not to retreat from the world, but to elevate it.

Consider the life of Mother Teresa, who, centuries later, embodied this truth. Though frail in frame, she maintained a discipline of body and mind that allowed her to serve tirelessly among the poor of Calcutta. Her physical endurance was not separate from her spiritual calling; it was part of it. She once said, “We are the hands and feet of Christ.” And indeed, Ignatius’s teaching breathes through her example: to serve God is to use the strength of the body, the wisdom of the mind, and the fire of the soul as one living instrument.

But this wisdom also offers a lesson for every ordinary life. In an age that divides the spiritual from the physical, Saint Ignatius calls us back to unity. If we neglect our body, we weaken our will. If we neglect our mind, we cloud our discernment. If we neglect our soul, we lose our compass. Thus, balance becomes a form of worship. To eat with mindfulness, to rest with gratitude, to learn with curiosity, to pray with sincerity — these are all acts of spiritual alignment. Each care we give to our being is a way of preparing to serve more fully.

So, O seeker of wisdom, learn from the saint of balance and purpose. Do not divide what God has joined — the flesh, the intellect, and the spirit. Walk with strength in your body, serenity in your mind, and devotion in your soul. Treat your health not as vanity, but as stewardship — the tending of the temple in which divine service is performed. For when all parts of your being move together in harmony, you will not only live well — you will serve greatly. And in that wholeness, as Ignatius promised, you will be “better prepared to give God greater service.”