Spiritual Exercises for Married

Couples: Finding Our Way

Together with St. Ignatius -
Manual for the Retreat

Krisztina and John Stangle

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Copyright @ by Stangle, John and Krisztina. All rights reserved.
Spiritual Retreats for Married Couples www.marriageretreats.webs.com

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 To all who supported us in finding our way
or shared part of our journey on it,
particularly to Bernard Tyrrell S.J., and other Jesuits

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 P R E F AC E
The purpose of this book is to learn to live better. This can also be
considered to be learning the art of discernment; that is, learning to make
better choices by being open to the Creator and the inspirations of the Spirit
while using one's reasoning and thinking powers to make these better
choices.

The method described is as old as philosophy and religion itself but the
concrete form of these "Spiritual Exercises" were developed and practiced by
St. Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th century and have been utilized by millions
ever since. In this self-guided form that we present, the best of new
understandings in psychology, philosophy, and theology are incorporated so
as to “modernize” the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises.

This is not a book for the dilettante but is aimed at the serious seeker;
nevertheless, we hope that even the casual browser will gain insights.
Understandably, we all have different methods and paces of how we use
written resources. Perhaps a casual glance now will lead to making the
complete program of the Exercises many years later. Feel free to use this
book as the Spirit inspires you and know that this book will accompany you.

John and Krisztina Stangle

Aug 28, 2006 - Feast of St. Augustine

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 CONTENTS

Preface.....................................................................................................................................................4

Contents..................................................................................................................................................5

Introduction: On the Reason and Aim of this Book..........................................................................7

Preparatory Phase to the Exercises....................................................................................................11

First Phase: Reforming........................................................................................................................33

24-44. Introduction..........................................................................................................................33
45-54. Beginning of the Exercises and the First Exercise...............................................................44
55-61. Second exercise: Our Personal Salvation History................................................................51
62-63. Third Exercise......................................................................................................................56
64. Fourth Exercise: A Summary......................................................................................................57
65-71. Fifth Exercise: Meditation on Hell.......................................................................................59
Additions...........................................................................................................................................63

The Kingdom of Christ [91-100].........................................................................................................27

Second Phase: Conforming [101-189]................................................................................................35

101-131. The First Period..................................................................................................................40
132-133. The Second Period.............................................................................................................54
134. The Third Period........................................................................................................................54
136-157. The Fourth Period...............................................................................................................56
136-148. Two Standards: Conflicting Value Systems on Our Way..................................................56
149-157. Three Types of Attitude...................................................................................................79
158-164. The Fifth and Following Periods......................................................................................90
165-168. Three Degrees of the Love of God.....................................................................................94
169-189. Arriving to a Decision......................................................................................................101

Third Phase: Confirming [190-217].................................................................................................121

190-208. The First Period................................................................................................................133
208-209. The Second and Following Periods..................................................................................143
210-217. Guidelines with Regard of Eating....................................................................................145

Fourth Phase: Transforming [218-229]...........................................................................................151

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Contemplation to Attain the Love of God [230-237]......................................................................169
The End of the Exercises.................................................................................................................196

Appendix A: Three Methods of Prayer ...........................................................................................198

[238-260]..............................................................................................................................................198
The First Method of Prayer: A Review of Conscience....................................................................198
The Second Method of Prayer: Word Meditation...........................................................................201
The Third Method of Prayer: Measured Rhythmical Recitation.....................................................202

Appendix B: The Mysteries of the Life of Jesus Christ [261-312].................................................204

Appendix C: Guidelines for Discernment [313-370].......................................................................264

313-327. Guidelines for Discernment for the First Phase.............................................................264
328-336. Guidelines for Discernment for the Second Phase.........................................................278
337-344. Guidelines to Deal with Material Goods........................................................................290
345-351. Notes Concerning Scruples............................................................................................294
352-370. Guidelines for the Right Attitude toward the Church......................................................298

References...........................................................................................................................................304

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 INTRODUCTION: ON THE REASON AND AIM OF THIS BOOK
Ignatian Spiritual Exercises exist in many formats. These different
experiences range from three or eight-day silent retreats to the thirty-day
retreat in seclusion to the so-called “Exercises in the Everyday Life” which
takes a year or more of short daily time commitments to the process of the
exercises. The possible formats of the Spiritual Exercises differ also in the
style of guiding it, from the “directed” Exercises which are guided personally
with one-by-one direction, or group retreats where some material is given to
the whole group and there are personal encounters with the guide(s) and so
on.

We consider this book to be a self-directed guide sufficient in itself.

Traditionally one is supposed to be guided during this experience by a
spiritual director – which however is not absolutely necessary. Some
examples of Exercises made by the help of a book are John F. X. Sheehan,
S.J., On Becoming Whole in Christ (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1978),
and the very practical guide-book, entitled What Do I Want in Prayer? from
William A. Barry S.J. (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1994).

Another particular characteristic of the spiritual experience we try to

present in this book regards the subjects of the Exercises, often called the
“exercitants”. We suppose here that this subject is a married couple, whom
we call the “companions” throughout this book, a word very dear to St.
Ignatius who developed these Spiritual Exercises in the 16th century in Spain.
St. Ignatius, a former soldier, also founded the religious order in the Catholic
Church known as the Jesuits; this order is well known for it’s many
universities. Also, we think that this experience of companions could be
extended in a larger sense and lived by a group of friends who want to find
their way together using these methods.

The title “Finding Our Way” was born after several attempts to give a
name to this work. We chose this title in order to express what we feel to be
the central topic at the center of the dynamics of the Exercises; namely the
discernment and decision (election as St. Ignatius calls it) which are to be
lived and practiced continuously in order for finding orientation in our

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 1
complicated world. The word “Way” in itself is rich in scriptural connotations
and here we use it in the general Christian sense as the way that leads to the
Father through Christ in the Holy Spirit and also in particular as the personal
and concrete realization of such a spiritual journey in everyday situations and
decisions.

The above described characteristics were chosen by us for the reason that
it is hard to find a good guide and also to find a place and time to go into a
secluded retreat. We had in our mind the situation of a married couple - as
ourselves - who are immersed in the everyday activities, making a living,
answering to family obligations, etc. We felt the need to make accessible the
good that the exercises can create to such people.
Generally, even if the spouses decide to make the Spiritual Exercises
together they are treated as and regard themselves as two separate
“subjects” doing the Exercises, with separate dynamics in going through it.
We would like to think of a couple as a distinct entity in communion, making
this spiritual road as a single subject, as a “we”, that has its own dynamics.
This element of togetherness and communion is essential for the experience
we try to describe.
Another reason that made us decide for such an enterprise is the
necessity we felt to have an interpretation of the book of St. Ignatius that is
on one side understandable and appealing to the men and women of our
times and on the other side is faithful to the Ignatian concept of spiritual
growth.
Similar tentative works already exist, as for example David Fleming’s
translation in modern language (David L. Fleming, S.J., The Spiritual Exercises
of St. Ignatius: A Literal Translation and a Contemporary Reading, St Louis:
Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1978). Still we felt something new can be made in
this field by giving new examples and sometimes new names to concepts
which are not widely used nowadays.

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Jesus in John’s gospel identifies himself with the way that leads to the Father: “I
am the way, the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6). Later the Christians are called followers
of the Way, “men and women who belonged to the Way” (Acts 9:2) and Christian life
is referred to as the Way (Acts 19:9.23; 22:4; 24:14.22).

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 We are Catholics and suppose a mostly Catholic audience, but we are
convinced that also non-Catholics, or even non-Christians could use with
success this interpretation of the Exercises as it deals with general human
concerns about life, possible choices of lifestyles, and other decisions. Also,
for this reason the title we use is in general terms to remain open to
everybody who is interested in finding his or her particular “way”.
Naturally, our personal experiences have a great role in this book. One
very profound and long relationship we have is with the Christotherapy of Fr.
Bernard Tyrrell, S.J. (Christotherapy I and Christotherapy II, Eugene, OR: Wipf
and Stock Publishers, 1999; previously published by Paulist Press, 1975).
Surely, the insights of Christotherapy, which is a synthetic, spiritual-
psychological work, will be somehow –sometimes explicitly, sometimes
implicitly - integrated in our dealing with the material of the Exercises.
Our method will be the following. We follow the book of the Spiritual
Exercises and give a wide translation complemented by comments, notes,
and explanations to the text. With this method we intend to give enough
material to the readers to “do” (or “pray”) a proper spiritual experience using
this book. Here we need to underline that the personal experience of the
companions making the Exercises has a far greater importance than the
contents of the book, which are not for reading only but as an invitation for
certain activities. One insight for the individual or couple is more important
than what they can read about other’s insights. What will count at the end is
the encounter with the living God with whom the companions want to go on
their way. Though this will be a highly personal experience, we will
continuously involve examples of social character, of peace and justice –
faithful to the Ignatian tradition and to the gospel of which we think the
communal aspect is a constitutional element.
We use the English translation of Louis J. Puhl, S.J. based on studies in the
language of the autograph (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1951) and
utilize the same marginal numbers throughout this work. It is helpful to have
on hand the original text of the Spiritual Exercises (other translations mainly
use the same numbering) but this book can be used in itself to go through
the process of the Exercises. Throughout this book we use Spiritual Exercises
(or Exercises) capitalized for the whole process and exercise(s) with small

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letters for a particular activity, prayer, meditation or reflection. Here we want
to underline again that the personal experience of the companions making
the Exercises has far more importance than the contents of this book. One
insight - even if for the individual couple it seems little – is far more important
than what they can read from other people’s experience. What really counts
is the encounter of the living God with whom we want to find and follow our
way. The judgment is then out for our work, depending on the companions
who will take it in their hands.
We are aware that some persons may have an interest in what we are
presenting and how we are presenting it and this interest is a valid reason to
read and study this book and we invite comments, comparisons and
critiques; we thank those who make this commitment. We also know that
other persons will want to use this book to develop their own spiritual path
and to clarify their deepest calling; we also thank those who make this
commitment and invite their comments and critiques too. Our hope is that
many will find this book to offer them something regarding the spiritual and
psychological matters.

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 P RE P A R A T O R Y P H A S E TO THE EXERCISES

Anima Christi, sanctifica me. Body of Christ, save me.

Corpus Christi, salve me.
Sanguis Christi, inebria me.
Aqua lateris Christi, lava me.
Passio Christi, conforta me.
O bone Iesu, exaudi me.
Intra tua vulnera absconde me.
Ne permittas me separari a te.
Ab hoste maligno defende me.
In hora mortis meae voca me.
Et iube me venire ad te,
Ut cum Sanctis tuis laudem te
in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Blood of Christ, inspire me.
Water flowing from the Heart of Christ,
wash me.
Sufferings of Christ, console me.
O good Jesus, listen to me.
Hide me in your wounds.
Do not allow me to separate from you.
Defend me from the evil foe.
At the hour of my death, call me,
And tell me to come to you,
That I may praise you with your saints,
Forever and ever. Amen.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.

This is a prayer very much loved by St. Ignatius2, so much that he began
the book of the Spiritual Exercises with it and frequently recommended it (in
the Exercises at [63], [147], [253] and [258]). It is hard to make the original
beauty of the Latin text transpire in the English translation. With this prayer
we enter at once in the climate of the times of St. Ignatius, a time of the
naturalistic Spanish Crucifixes with agonizing Christs, placing the suffering of
Jesus in the center of the spirituality. However, what is appealing to us today
is the sensibility and love for the humanity of Christ along with the expression
of trust in him as Savior.
My personal experience (Krisztina) is that this prayer once memorized fits
especially well in the moments after Communion. In that moment of taking

2
However, he is not the author of it, for a copy of the prayer appears in a
document from 1334, a good century and a half before St. Ignatius was born. The
author of this traditional prayer is unknown, even if there are speculations about who
it could be.

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the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ it is helpful to make more conscious our
faith and hope in the healing and saving power of Christ for all our being.
The above translation is a tentative one to make the prayer well
understood. All the references present in the text of “soul”, “body”, “water”,
“wounds” and “suffering” are realities beyond strict theological or
philosophical explanation. We might get near to catch their meaning by
trying to contemplate an actual Crucifix. There also expressions as “hide me
in your wounds” might make sense. We can refer here for analogy to
expressions as “having somebody in one’s heart”. For a scriptural meditation
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here we can take Isaiah 53 and Song of Songs 8

“…he was pierced for our offences, crushed for our sins,
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed” (Is 53:5)

“Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm;

For stern as death is love, restless as the netherworld is devotion,
its flames are blazing fire” (Ct 8:6)

The passionate love of God for mankind is incarnate in Jesus Christ’s

divine-human love which we are led to contemplate through the meditation
upon his death and resurrection, and through the right kind of contemplation
of the crucifix. The encounter with such love might inspire us to do
something, to respond to it. What can we do for Jesus Christ now, when he is
the risen Lord in the glory of God? He lives glorified with his humanity
included but he has still a body on earth, which suffers. In a sense this body
of Christ is the Church, and in this sense Paul said too “filling up what is
lacking in the afflictions of Christ” (Col 1:24). In a broader sense, and we want
to use this sense here, all humankind is meant as Jesus identified himself with
every “one of the least ones” (cf. Mt 25:31-45). If we think of Teilhard de
Chardin’s4 concept of Universal Christ, the Person of Christ in his role of
uniting humankind and all the universe in himself, nothing is foreign to his
3
For scriptural quotes throughout the book we use “The New American Bible”
(Iowa Falls: World Publishing Co., 1987) if not indicated differently.

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body as everything moves toward him in an evolutionary process, in the
Christogenesis. In this sense we can do something for Jesus Christ, consoling
the suffering members of his body, by reaching out to our fellow humans 5. To
love God means to act as he himself, and God gives good to everyone “…for
he makes his sun rise on the bad and on the good, and causes rain to fall on
the just and the unjust”. Hence the imperative, “Be perfect just as your
heavenly Father is perfect” (see Mt 5:43-48).

1-22. GENERAL GUIDELINES TO THE EXERCISES

The purpose of the following guidelines is to help the companions who are
about to engage in the Exercises process to understand better what they
need to do, what they can expect and how to prepare themselves for this
journey.

1. If we use the term “Spiritual Exercises” everybody will have a certain

idea what it could mean. We know about exercises as walking, hiking, biking,
jogging, swimming, skiing and so on. All these activities are intended to make
us more energetic, beautiful and healthy. We have an idea also what spiritual
means: the specific human dimension, referring to intentions, ideas, ideals,
responsibility, freedom and ethical or moral stand, realizing values, and
meanings. More specifically we are used to speaking of “spiritual” in religious
terms, meaning by “spirit” the center core of the human being, where we

4
Teilhard de Chardin was a Catholic priest and a member of the Jesuit religious
order in the early 20th century. He also was an anthropologist, archaeologist and
paleontologist who wrote philosophical and theological books which tried to describe
a sort of ascent of humanity from matter in an evolutionary way as under the
guidance and design of Divine Creation.
5
. This love toward others is the authentic content also of the devotion and
reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, see in David M. Stanley, S.J., A Modern
Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises, (Chicago: The Institute of Jesuit
Sources, 1967) Chapter 27, pp.264- 271.

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suppose is the presence of the Holy Spirit. “Spiritual” in this sense refers to
realities of the human spirit and its relation with the Holy Spirit.
When we speak about spiritual realities we don’t want to put in contrast
body and spirit, but stress the unity of the human being, who is spiritual in
every aspect, even in the somatic functions, since the “spirit” is the all-
encompassing principle of us. Spirit is what distinguishes us from animals, for
example and it permeates every level of our existence. With other words,
there are no such sections of the human being as “body”, “psyche” and
“spirit” but these are hierarchical levels and intercommunicating dimensions
of the whole being. From this view of the human person flows that activity
that promotes spiritual growth and should be also healthy in psychological
terms and vice versa. In the opposite direction, however, physical illness or
psychological disorder are not necessarily consequences of moral or spiritual
failures. It is important to point out that in general there is no known cause
and effect relation between sin and sickness, even if it might happen that a
spiritual distress is behind what seems to be neuroses or somatic illness. The
aforementioned Christotherapy too uses this holistic concept of the human
person, and proposes an approach to human suffering and healing which
integrates methods of spiritual direction and psychological counseling. The
idea of Christotherapy is to provide methods that aim at psychological, moral,
and spiritual healing and growth in the same process, not excluding eventual
beneficial effects on physical health.
In this book, by spiritual exercises are meant particular efforts of psycho-
spiritual activities with the purpose to help find a way of how to respond to
the questions life poses in front of us. These methods of prayer, reflection, or
other means first help the companions to recognize and free themselves from
unhealthy, unethical or spiritually inauthentic attitudes; things that hinder or
harm them in a wholly lived life. When they have achieved a greater
freedom, they will work to find out the direction they should follow and to
understand the next step to do. One can call this direction also the will of God
or the meaning of life in the given moment.

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 Bernard Tyrrell, S.J. in his Christotherapy uses the terms “existential
diagnosis” and “existential discernment”6 for these steps. In his book
“existential” means something referring directly to life, touching the core of
the human being; “diagnosis” is the understanding and identifying of
anything that makes one unhealthy, unhappy and less holy. By existential
discernment he refers to the discovery of the positive direction and the
actions to be taken in order of achieving greater health and holiness. He
continues to describe the psycho-spiritual healing process with two other
elements, which are the realization and habitual living of the recognized
good, namely conversion and mysticism.
As a scriptural reading in relation to the content of these paragraphs you
can use:
Rom 12:1-2; Eph 1:18-21
For a prayerful meditation we propose the prayer of St. Nicholas of Flue:

My Lord and my God, remove from me all that can prevent me from going
to You.
My Lord and my God, give me all that can draw me to You.
My Lord and my God, remove me from myself that I might give my all to
You.

2. In these Exercises we suppose that no “director” is present (except of

course God who is the true director and guide). However, the companions
walking together on this road will give to each other support that serves as a
sort of guidance and help to be open for the action of the Holy Spirit. First of
all this support is their loving and listening presence and acceptance of each
other. They need to pray for each other and for their community of two.
When they share experiences their dialog should avoid judgmental and
preachy attitudes. The love and friendship between the companions makes
them excellent support for each other and the fact they decide together for
this spiritual journey of the Exercises shows that at least on the level of

6
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy I,” pp. 8-25. In “Christotherapy II” Fr. Tyrrell further
develops these concepts under “The Method of Existential Discerning,” see pp. 119-
126.

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desiring they are enough prepared to help each other. On the basis of these
characteristics they will have the right attitude for an effective guidance if
after this Preparatory Phase they decide to go ahead and begin the Exercises
process. As told earlier, we retain that much more important is the personal
experience than what somebody can read in a book. In this line, our main
stress is on the encouragement of the personal and common prayer of the
companions. The contents of this book might serve as a catalyst for the
process and some kind of road signs for pilgrims. For the same reason, the
sharing and dialog between the companions plays a decisive role in this form
of the Spiritual Exercises.
“For it is not much knowledge that fills and satisfies the soul [the human
person] but the intimate understanding and relish of the truth” (St Ignatius).

3. These exercises are meant to involve the totality of the person: mind,
psyche, spirit as well as all the faculties of reason, affectivity and
imagination. We will also describe a method of prayer (called also the
Ignatian contemplation even if it is not exactly contemplative prayer in the
well-known sense) which calls for the active use of imagination. This is in
contrast to the so-called contemplative methods which try to avoid images
during the prayer (as the centering prayer, Jesus prayer, and the Carmelite
tradition in general) -here the Ignatian prayer actively relies on the fantasy.
Great importance will be given to the realization of God’s active presence
in our life, and especially in the concrete moments when we are at the time
of the individual exercises. This can be simply done by making conscious the
divine presence and entering into contact with the divine. To help this
realization and contact we can find for ourselves some gesture that reminds
us of God’s presence at the beginning of the reflection or prayer time. We
might stop for a second in front of the place where we will meditate, bow our
head or make a sign of the cross or similar gesture which helps us to have
the right attitude and awareness that we are not alone on this road.

4. The Spiritual Exercises process consists of four Phases, which

somehow reflect the successive stages of growth supposed generally to be
present in every spirituality. The classical spiritual theology speaks of

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purgative or liberative, illuminative, confirmative, and unitive stages or ways
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. Notwithstanding the general idea of partition into stages spiritual growth is
seen as a single process of movement to the Father through Jesus Christ in
the Holy Spirit. Similarly, the healing from neurosis, addictions, moral and
spiritual disorders takes on the form of a process consisting of stages. In our
presentation the Phases of the Spiritual Exercises form a continuous unified
process of spiritual growth and healing in which there are returns, repetitions,
interferences, and transitions. The companions will several times return to
and go through the particular Phases and also will do so later in their life as
the necessity for it will arise. The graphic illustration of this process would be
not a straight line, but a sort of a slowly rising upward one, going through
more times over the same coordinates but every time on a different level8.
The four Phases can be seen as parallel with the four stage enlightenment
9
process described in Christotherapy I as “existential diagnosis”, “existential
discernment”, “conversion”, and “mysticism”. In Christotherapy II, Fr. Tyrrell,
referring to the traditional formulation of the goals of these four Phases of the
Spiritual Exercises chose the names Reforming, Conforming, Confirming, and
Transforming10. Let us take now a look briefly on each of these Phases.
The First Phase basically consists in what Christotherapy calls existential
diagnosis, that is recognizing sinful and /or unhealthy features in our
personality and life, in order to realize our need of redemption and achieve
the necessary freedom and openness to receive the saving and healing
grace. “The gift of freedom which has deformed [by sin etc.], will now be
reformed by redemptive Love”11. The Second Phase is the time for
discernment and a “decision for Christ”, in other words, decision to go toward

7
We prefer to call the first stage “liberative” instead of purgative to avoid the
association that something is fundamentally “dirty” in the human person, to which
the notion of purification might lead. The liberative way points more directly to the
beginning stage toward greater spiritual freedom, which is the goal of Spiritual
Exercises.
8
Cf. Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 3-6.
9
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy I,” p. 8-24.
10
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” p. 145. The goals of each phase are in this
formulation: First: “reform the deformed”; Second: “conform the reformed”; Third:
“confirm the conformed”; Fourth: “transform the confirmed”.
11
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” p. 150.

17
a greater degree of spiritual and psychological health. This process is aided
by the reflections of the life of Jesus Christ and other specific meditations.
The Third Phase is the confirmation of the decision made in the precedent
phase and is aided by meditations on the last days of Jesus’ life and of his
death. The Fourth Phase is a further deepening of the confirmed decision. In
this Phase there are involved meditations on the resurrection of Jesus, aimed
to raise joy, hope and greater commitment on the chosen way. This Phase
can be seen also as the beginning of living a new kind of life, already fully
practicing the new features and methods acquired during the Exercises.
The time spent with each of these Phases might be very variable and the
companions need to recognize when it is their moment to pass from one to
the other, when to repeat certain reflections, and when to stop and wait for
the appropriate time to go on. Hopefully, the indications given later during
the presentation of these individual Phases will be helpful to the companions
in learning to “feel” and see the signs in themselves that indicate the change
in phase can occur. Basically and interestingly the process of the Exercises
itself with the necessity of deciding on the passages between the Phases puts
in practice already the main topic of this whole spiritual enterprise: to see, to
discern, to decide and realize the decision made.
Once somebody is engaged in this process, we think it will become a
habit, almost a necessity for the future, to live with discernment and make
more conscious choices. In this sense, the Spiritual Exercises become part of
our life, a distinct lifestyle or spirituality to live, similarly to the fact that one
who begins to have the habit to walk, swim, or bike will retain it for the rest
of their life as a “healthy lifestyle”. As we mentioned earlier, each Phase of
the Exercises process might return at various stages of life as the need for
reforming our life, returning to basic choices, or the necessity for some major
decision will arise. An example of recurrent periods of time for reforming life
is built in the liturgical year of the Church as it returns every year to the
Lenten season, for example.

5. The companions who want to find their way through these Exercises
need to begin with a proper attitude of openness, trust in God and willingness
to change and to accept unpredictable discoveries. The more open we are to

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accept whatever we will understand, the wider the horizon will be open for us
and the easier it will be to find that path which is the best for us in the given
moment of our life. This is a continuous task that we cannot avoid until we
live, moment by moment to try to choose what is the best in order to live a
meaningful, whole, and holy life. That is a task which is most properly ours,
nobody can do it for us or instead of us and we cannot escape to face it as
not choosing is already a decision of a sort and not always the best decision.

6. If we feel that “nothing happens” during the exercises, if we feel not

touched by the reflections, if everything seems like indifferent or boring, then
we need to evaluate our situation. First of all, we should review our
motivations to do these exercises, the attitudes we have doing them, and the
methods we are using. It could be the case that we need to change
something, choose different times of the day, or different places or modes for
our reflections, prayers, conversations, and sharing. Maybe one of us is or
both are stressed and need some relaxing time, diversion, before continuing
with the Exercises. Later in [73-90] we will present some additional practical
remarks, which are meant to help find the right methods during the
exercises.
It is possible that right in the given moment these types of exercises are
not for us. In this case simply we need not to continue. We should do
everything with great inner freedom, as the Exercises and every other
method of prayer are only means and never goals. Generally it happens that
a kind of prayer, devotion or other activity for a while gives us much insight,
joy peace and satisfaction. Then as time passes the once so fruitful method
seems to become empty and meaningless and we need to realize that it is
time to change for some other sort of prayer, activity, movement and so on.

7. In case of experiencing a great resistance or rejection toward the

exercises, or sadness, depression, and other negative feeling occur, we need
to be very gentle with each other and ourselves. We should not judge too
quickly about these states of mind or feelings. The source of these might be
Satan who is a mysterious but very concrete reality; or we are encountering
our own resistances. We should not be discouraged and give up finding our

19
way, but be patient with ourselves and with our companion and wait for
better times.

8. In the Appendix of this book (in [313-327] and [328-336]) we will

present two sets of Guidelines for Discernment to help the companions in
understanding the nature of spiritual-psychological happenings, such as joy
or sadness, hope or despair, peace or disturbance, and the lack of any such
feelings. Traditionally the first set of guidelines is to be used during the First
Phase and the second set during the Second Phase, according to the different
character of the feelings usually emerging during these stages. Their place in
the Appendix makes it easier to use them anytime when the need will occur;
also, and very importantly, after the Exercises in the course of the life of the
companions. Here let us remind ourselves briefly on the experience and
teaching in this topic of some mystics in the history of the Church. St. John of
the Cross extensively described two very specific kinds of spiritual-
psychological suffering which he calls the “night of the senses” and the
“night of the spirit”. The previously mentioned negative feelings or lack of
affective movements occurring during the Exercises can be in certain cases
part of such “nights”, which are basically signs of God’s work in the human
being, a gift for rendering the individual more free and whole. The usual term
for this kind of process is purification but we prefer to speak of liberation or
greater freedom, avoiding the negative perception of human nature as
something “dirty” in itself.

9. During the First Phase it might happen that doubts over the aim of the
Exercises or of the usefulness of proceeding, despair, or similar temptations
attack the companions. In this case the Guidelines in [313-327] will be the
appropriate help. The temptations of seeing difficulties and obstacles that
seem overwhelming are typical for the First Phase (or times of reforming life).

10. If the temptations are of a different nature, as for example, a sudden

great enthusiasm over some sort of project or commitment (here we speak of
good projects) during the Second Phase (or whenever we face major
decisions in life), then the second set of Guidelines in [328-336] will be

20
appropriate to use in order to verify if these ideas are good to follow or not at
all in our best interest. For a rushed decision without thorough discernment
can lead to ways that leave us later frustrated or disappointed. This
disappointment can cause further regression in our spiritual growth or
psychological health, even to blaming God for our failure. God really wants us
to be adult, responsible and free and make our own decisions with care,
intelligence, generosity and trust in His help to us.
As a scriptural reading for reflection and prayerful meditation you might
want to read at this point Lk 12:22-32.

11. If we begin the Exercises process it is good to follow the order of the
Phases, that is, not to jump over to the Second Phase, for example, before
arriving to the end of the First one. The transition between the Phases should
be made by a careful decision of the companions. The book of the Exercises
is not only for reading but serves as a manual, a presentation of material to
go through slowly, in a reflective and prayerful manner.

12. As for the time to be spent in the reflections and prayers the
companions should find and establish a certain amount for every day. This
amount can be as variable as our lives and necessities differ from each other.
More or less as a guideline we can say that a half-hour a day should be set for
a minimum in order to have any concrete effect. We think that more than
one-and-a-half hours daily prayer time is simply unrealistic for persons with
job and family obligations, and also that so much is suitable only for special
situations. Once we established the daily time set apart for our Exercises, it is
good to “stick” to it and a change should be made only by conscious decision.
If we think we need to experiment with the amount of prayer time we can
shorten or make it longer, or change the period of the day when we pray until
we find an actual optimum. Certain people find that it is better to pray in the
morning, while others feel the evening hours are more fruitful. It is important
to try out our own habits with great freedom and creativity (within the limits
of our possibilities, of course) regarding the prayer time as in everything else.
If we are already living a very strict daily program, and it is hard to find free
time we should not forget that any prayer is better than none.

21
 13. During the Exercises as in every other period of our life we will
experience basically two main spiritual-psychological states. Sometimes we
will feel a certain joy, hope, peace, and gratefulness toward God, have
optimistic trustful thoughts, and even physically feel well. In these periods
(classically called consolation) the time we spend in prayer and reflection will
fly quickly and it will be easy to maintain our pre-established amount of
meditation time. The other sort of state is the time of fatigue in every sense,
spiritually, emotionally, and physically, too. In these days (called desolation)
it will be hard to stay in prayer and be faithful to our schedule.
The simultaneous presence and sometimes conflict of the states in which
the companions find themselves makes the situation more complex in the
case of a couple. One feels it easy to pray while the other can hardly pay
attention on what is going on and so on. Hopefully the presence of the
partner who is in consolation can become a help for the companion who
experiences desolation - being a source of acceptance, gentleness and
encouragement.
To deal with the hard period and the temptation to give up, it is good to
agree beforehand that even if both of the companions find themselves in
desolation they will remain in the exercises for the established timeframe,
and even a little bit longer! Thus the companions not only resist the
temptation but also overcome it, and one thing they can be sure of is that
they have given their time for the exercises. This is not a little achievement
and mainly this is the only thing we can guarantee, not the deep insights or
beautiful feelings. If we do this we can be in peace as we did our part.

14. At this point St. Ignatius warns the person who does the Exercises
from making hastily any promise or religious vow during the time of
consolation. In the case of a married couple as the subjects of the Exercises
the desire for religious vows does not seem a realistic danger. However, the
enthusiasm that one (or the couple together) might experience could mean
somebody might feel an urge to do something, like a commitment for a
service or movement, or similar life-changing decision. It is better to wait and

22
give time for a thorough consideration of the implication of such commitment
or change and let the decision mature for a while.
In connection to what is said here of commitments the companions need
to consider how with their marriage they already have a religious vocation; as
the sacramental marriage is exactly that, a ministry inside the Church. They
are consecrated by the sacrament of matrimony to symbolize effectively in
their married love and life the inner love and life of God. That means they are
called to represent in this world some characteristics of God’s love12, which is
stabile, exclusive, personal, and total, embracing the entire being of the
beloved. It seems that quite a few people still do not realize the importance
of their vocation as lay persons and as married couples from the point of the
entire Church. Otherwise they would not have remarks like “I wish I would
have become a priest” or similar when they have already families and maybe
also are involved in various ministries. The view and the lived experience of
the equal dignity and importance of all vocations gets so slowly a foothold in
the Church that even after four decades after the Vatican II there is really a
great need to educate and prepare people also in this regard.

15. The companions need to avoid pressing their partner to significant

changes in their life during the Exercises process. The Holy Spirit prefers to
work with a certain sign or hallmark of peace, tranquillity and naturalness
when guiding us. If it is an inspiration, which comes from God, there should
not be an anxiety to rush; the companions can verify it with time and make
their decision based on careful discernment. Fundamentally, for discernment
the Exercises will be the school to learn and get used to it, making
discernment a constant element of life.

12
Of the characteristics of God’s love, the universality is supposed to be
represented and lived more appropriately by those who live in virginity or celibacy,
thus the two ecclesiastic vocations, marriage and virginity together form an “icon” of
the divine love. Although of course married love does not exclude love for others, and
the celibate love should not loose its personal character, there is a difference in the
main thrust how they are called to live their vocation. See in this regard the writings
of John Paul II who worked extensively in the field of the theology of marriage and
human love.

23
 16. St. Ignatius through observing first himself and later others arrived
surely to an extensive knowledge of the human psyche. He is one of the
great self-observers in the history of the Church along with others like St.
Augustine and St. Theresa of Avila – all of them interestingly were able to
discover something generally true in their individual experiences.
An example which shows St. Ignatius’ being an expert of the psyche is his
advice for the retreatant who finds himself or herself very strongly attached
to something, willing it with extreme force. Recognizing that this attachment
is not healthy or not helpful, the individual wants to get free of it. St. Ignatius
advises a person in this case to desire with all his or her power the opposite
of that to which one is attached: “Let him be insistent in prayer and in his [or
her] other spiritual exercises in begging God for the reverse”. This is an
example of the principle “agere contra” (working against) which will turn out
in other contexts during the Exercises.
Here we can recognize a parallel to the logotherapeutic technique called
“paradoxical intention” formulated by Viktor Frankl first in 194613. By
paradoxical intention he means a “process by which the patient is
encouraged to do, or to wish to happen, the very things he fears”14 in order
to break the vicious cycle of the anticipatory anxiety - the growing fear that
causes to happen what the patient is afraid of. The paradoxical intention is
based on the fact that on one side the fear (anticipatory anxiety) brings about
what one fears, and on the other hand excessive will (hyper-intention in
Logotherapy) prevents the accomplishment of what one desires.
To illustrate this process Frankl describes several cases. One of them is of
a young doctor15 who became afraid that his hands would tremble during an
eye operation whenever the chief of the clinic was present. This fear then
actually caused him trembling. In this case the paradoxical intention meant
for him wanting to tremble, to show everybody how strongly his hands are
shaking. Whenever he deliberately tried to tremble he was unable to do so.
Similarly it happens if somebody is disturbed by fears to go out in wide
13
A brief presentation of the paradoxical intention can be found in Viktor Frankl,
Man’s Search for Meaning, (New York: Washington Square Press, 1963) pp. 193-204.
14
Viktor Frankl, The Unheard Cry for Meaning, (New York: Simon and Schuster,
1978) p. 117.
15
Viktor Frankl, The Doctor and the Soul, (New York: Knopf, 1965) p. 181.

24
spaces (agoraphobia), fear of uncontrolled reddening, sweating and such.
Paradoxical intention is useful mostly in the treatment of obsessive,
compulsive and phobic conditions, especially in cases of underlying
anticipatory anxiety. It is applied properly by the professional logotherapist
(sometimes combined with other therapies and medication); but anyway if
the principle is understood it could be successfully utilized for minor
disturbances as a self-help tool.
When using paradoxical intention the logotherapist most of the time will
evoke the specific human ability of humor and when the patient learns to
laugh on himself or herself the healing is already beginning. “The humoristic
formulation of its method are based on a restoration of basic trust in being…
What transpires is essentially more than a change of behavior patterns;
rather, it is an existential reorientation”16. Humor as Frankl describes it “…is
to be regarded as a manifestation of that peculiar human ability which in
Logotherapy is called self-detachment”17. By self-detachment one can put the
problem at a distance and so find solutions for it or break away from
symptoms caused by it.
It is interesting to see how the particular character of the human psyche
on which logotherapeutic techniques are based was already “discovered” in a
different context by St. Ignatius in an age when of course there were no
disciplines as psychology and psychiatry. When there is a strong attachment
to something, there will be the fear to lose it or not to achieve or get it and
this fear might be won by desiring the opposite of that particular attachment.
St. Francis of Sales understood, too the blocking effect of the strong will when
he warns that nothing obstacles so much the achievement of a virtue than
desiring it too much18.
To see this principle in the Scriptures we can refer to Jesus’ saying:

16
Ibid., p. 193.
17
Frankl, “The Unheard Cry for Meaning,” p. 121.
18
Let us place here in this context a note on an everyday experience of wives: if
you push hard your husband for something, he will resist it more and more. So there
is a necessity to find other ways to make him understand what you would like. It
seems for example that expressing simply what would make you happy will cause
every loving husband to want it for you.

25
 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (Lk 9:24)

Let us meditate over these words of Jesus, let us feel relief from our
constant worries for ourselves and feel the joy of finding something noble,
true and worthwhile to live for. Indeed, is not loosing his or her life the
individual who is living in the grip of excessive worries? While even living for
long years, this person never lived really in the sense of a meaningful life for
something important, something other than him- or herself. There are things
in our life that just cannot be willed, as we cannot laugh deliberately if there
is no reason for it. So is it with happiness, too. If there is a reason for it we
are happy but we cannot produce the desired happiness by wanting it. The
sheer “pursuit of happiness” is doomed to fail19. We need to work for the sake
of some task or for a loved one and then this will fill us with happiness. Our
intention should not be oriented toward ourselves, toward our pleasure or
happiness but needs to be directed toward someone or something else to
fulfill our life20. Then with a meaningful life the happiness will come as a “side
effect”. We can read in connection to this the “Sermon on the Mount”
particularly the part when Jesus speaks about the uselessness of worries and
the trust in God (Mt 6,25-34) which emphasizes:

“But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,

and all these things will be given to you” (Mt 6:33)
19
Frankl writes so in “The Doctor and the Soul”: “How well Kierkegaard
expressed this in his maxim that the door to happiness opens outward. Anyone who
tries to push this door open thereby causes it to close more. The man who is
desperately anxious to be happy thereby cuts off his own path to happiness. Thus in
the end all striving for happiness – for the supposed ‘ultimate’ in human life – proves
to be in itself impossible (op. cit., p. 32. see also p.209.)
20
The above described hyper-intention often is accompanied by the so-called
hyper-reflection, which means a compulsion for self-observation, excess attention on
one’s condition, achievement, problem or symptom. This is the case when a sufferer
of insomnia not only wants excessively to fall asleep and fears to remain awaken, but
also the attention he or she pays prohibits the process of falling asleep. The problem
of hyper-reflection plays role in sexual problems of potency and orgasm, as the
individual pays excessive attention on his or her own performance and blocks the
pleasure itself. Hyper-reflection reinforces neurosis in general. The logotherapeutic
technique to deal with the hyper-reflection is called “de-reflection”, which means to
orient the patient’s attention toward a partner or a task in a positive manner. See
Frankl, “The Unheard Cry for Meaning,” pp. 150-158.

26
 17. It is not required during the Exercises to go to confession and neither
do the companions need to know each other’s sins or every single thought
their partner might have. However, it could be useful if they help each other
by sharing about how they feel and what are the consoling or disturbing
thoughts they have. In this manner they can pray for each other more
specifically and help to solve problems by listening, support, and maybe with
advice. We mention advice as last, because often it is hard to find for an
intimate partner the right kind of proposal, and how and when to give it. Most
of the times the loving understanding and listening will be the most
appropriate help by which we ensure our companion that we support and
accept him or her in every situation and are ready to help as best as we can
whatever he or she would ask of us.

18. These Exercises can be adapted to the particular need of the

companions who wish to do them. Surely the individual reflections and
meditations given in this book are only an outline and based on these every
individual or couple needs to “make” their own “Exercises”. That means that
the companions will fill in with content and personal meaning these
reflections guided by the Spirit of God. So every single period of the Exercises
process will be unique in its kind, fitting in the course of the life history of the
participants. The given material will inspire different insights, feelings and
decisions according to everyone’s situation, education, background and
desires.
It is possible also to go through only part of the process. One possibility
might be to learn only about the Examination of Consciousness (see [24-31]
and [32-43]) – at least for the moment - to keep it as part of the couple’s
daily prayer life as a useful tool for discernment. Others might decide to go
through only the First Phase ([24-100]). Later of course, the companions
might want to repeat the experience and maybe go further in the process.

19. When writing this interpretation of the Spiritual Exercises we had in

mind the full process of it. We think that the entire Exercises process can

27
take as long as 1 to 1½ years, with a commitment to spend daily ½ to 1½
hours for reflection and prayer.

20. Some very fortunate and exceptional couples might find the
opportunity to do the Exercises by going away for a month or so to a quiet
place and having all day at their disposition. In this case it is good to
alternate the times spent for reflection or prayer with physical exercises such
as walking, swimming, and so on. As for other books, in order to avoid too
much distraction it is better to restrain onesself to writings somehow related
to the material of the Exercises and not to flee in reading. Something of this
advice will remain valid for the aftermath of the Exercises if the companions
wish to continue to live a life of discernment and commitment to prayer.

21. The Spiritual Exercises, in St. Ignatius’ words, “have as their purpose
the conquest of self and the regulation of one’s life in such a way that no
decision is made under the influence of any inordinate attachment” [21].

22. To make sure that the companions can work well together on the
exercises and experience a personal and common (relational) growth and
healing, they should begin with accepting this presupposition:
Everyone who wants to enter a dialog needs to be more ready to interpret
the other’s statements and suggestions for the best, rather than a priori
refusal or condemnation of it as false or inauthentic. However, if the idea
seems to be such as one wants to reject it, it is good to formulate questions
about the meaning of the statement in quiet and accepting ways. In this way
both of the companions can learn something and grow in reciprocal
understanding and love.
This presupposition describes the attitudes of openness and listening,
which are necessary for an effective collaboration also in broader sense.

23. “PRINCIPLE AND FOUNDATION”: TRANSITION TO THE FIRST PHASE

28
 GOD CREATES EVERY MAN AND WOMAN OUT OF LOVE AND FOR THE SAME HUMAN VOCATION: TO LOVE

AND PRAISE GOD WITH THEIR EXISTENCE AND SERVE HIM WITH REVERENCE. LIVING THIS WAY THEY WILL

FIND THE FULFILLMENT OF THEIR LIFE AND COLLABORATE IN THEIR SALVATION AND THAT OF ALL HUMANKIND.

ALL OTHER THINGS – MATERIAL GOODS AS WELL AS SPIRITUAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL GIFTS - ARE

CREATED OUT OF THE SAME LOVE OF GOD TOWARD EVERY HUMAN BEING, TO HELP THEM TO REALIZE THEIR

VOCATION.

HENCE, EVERYONE OF US SHOULD USE OR ACCEPT ALL CREATED THINGS EXACTLY AS FAR AS THESE ARE

HELPFUL TOWARD THE HUMAN VOCATION OF LOVE; AND LEAVE THEM WHENEVER THEY ARE VERIFIED TO BE

AN OBSTACLE IN THIS.

TO DISCOVER THE PROPER USE OF EVERYTHING WE SHOULD FIND FREEDOM IN OUR RELATIONS TO

EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE, INSOFAR AS NOT BEING BOUND BY SOME OBLIGATION AND ALLOWED TO

CHOOSE. SOME EXAMPLES REGARDING THINGS TOWARD WE SHOULD ATTAIN FREEDOM ARE HEALTH OR

SICKNESS, WEALTH OR POVERTY, SUCCESS OR FAILURE, LONG OR SHORT LIFE. THESE ARE AT THE SAME TIME

21
THE POINTS WHERE THE HUMAN PERSON TENDS TO HAVE PREFIXED DESIRES . WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT

EVERYTHING HAS THE POTENTIAL OF BRINGING MEANING AND FULFILLMENT IN OUR LIFE.

OUR ONLY STRONG DESIRE AND FUNDAMENTAL CHOICE SHOULD BE TO PREFER ALWAYS WHAT WE

UNDERSTAND AFTER PROPER DISCERNMENT GUIDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AS MORE APPROPRIATE FOR OUR

VOCATION IN OUR CONCRETE PERSONAL AND SOCIETAL SITUATION, AND SO FIND OUR WAY TOWARD THE

FULNESS OF LIFE.

This “Principle and Foundation” gives the program of the entire process of
the Spiritual Exercises. Speaking of the human vocation and of the way to
achieve its fulfillment, the “Principle and Foundation” summarizes what in the
upcoming four Phases will be expounded and together with the
“Contemplation to Attain the Love of God” ([230-237]) it constitutes a
framework of the whole Exercises. It will be constantly present in the form of
21
Karl Rahner sees in these examples the basic drives to live, to possess, to be
somebody and to exist, “the points in which man seeks to assert himself in the
different dimensions of his human existence”. See in Karl Rahner, Spiritual Exercises,
(New York: Herder and Herder, 1965) p. 27.

29
the Opening prayer of each exercises period (see [46]) and reoccurs in other
places as well in order to be absorbed by the companions. It shows not only
the program but also the fruit which the companions can receive living
through the adventure of the Exercises; that is, a life of discernment and
positive relationships with all creation, and becoming true images of God, and
responding to his creative love with our love.
The “principle of freedom” given here is very logical and simple, but in
reality it is not so easy to realize it. Sometimes it is very hard to arrive to the
freedom necessary for a good decision as things tend to obscure our vision
and clear understanding and we ourselves have many wounds, imperfections,
bias, prejudices, and a whole life story that also will interplay in our choices.
The freedom, which is defined here, includes all the four Christotherapeutic
attitudes of cooperation with the enlightenment process: humbleness of
heart, listening, “letting-be”, and “wu wei” (a Chinese word meaning like
perfect harmony or effortless motion)22. In Christotherapy II Bernard Tyrrell
introduces an elemental practice which he calls “Detachment from the Must”
and compares this method to the principle of freedom23.
The “principle of freedom” means a positive relation toward all created
reality where everything has the potential of bringing meaning and fulfillment
to our life. This statement also constitutes the central “message” of Frankl’s
Logotherapy. We are used to finding meaning in our work (realizing creative
values) and in experiencing something or encountering someone (realizing
experiential values). But also when these are no more possible because of
inevitable suffering, failure, or death, we have the possibility to find meaning
in the attitude taken toward the situation, changing ourselves and growing up
to the challenge it brings to us (this is called in Logotherapy realizing
attitudinal values). “Life is never lacking meaning. To be sure, this is only
understandable if we recognize that there is a potential meaning to be found
even beyond work and love. …What I wanted to convey to you is the secret
of life’s unconditional meaningfulness, which owes to the third possibility of
finding meaning in life, the possibility of investing meaning even in suffering

22
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy I,” pp. 18-25.
23
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 206-07.

30
and death”24. A presentation of how the realization of attitudinal values is
present in Jesus’ healing ministry can be found in the book of Robert C.
Leslie25. The author analyzes the healing of the Bethesda invalid in Jn 5:2-15
and from this point of view showing how Jesus stresses the change of attitude
taken toward the illness as source of inner wholeness and finally of physical
healing.
The “Principle and Foundation” constitutes the last part of the Preparatory
Phase and at the same time a transition to the First Phase. The companions
need to spend as much time at this point as is necessary to be able to say
“yes” for its content or at least feel the desire for such freedom before
proceeding with the Exercises. In order to meditate fruitfully with the text
they might use some or all of the following proposals.
- Read the text of the Decalog from Deut 6:6-21 and note the
similarities with the “Principle and Foundation”.
- Go into the texts below paragraph by paragraph, spending at
least one reflection period on each with the help also of some scriptural
reading.
1. The creation of mankind: Gn 1:26-27. The greatest commandment: Lk
10:25-28.
2. God creates all as help for mankind Gn 1:28-31. The praise of God as
Creator: Ps 104 (this might be adapted for a contemplation of the beauty
of nature outdoors).
3. See 1 Cor 10:23.
4. God gives mankind stewardship over the creation: Gn 2.
5. The only criterion necessary for all our choices: “the better part” in the
story of Martha and Mary: Lk 11:38-42.
- Slowly go through everything present in your life – also personal
relationships - and sort out; realize what is not to be identified with you,
which are the “other things”, and “feel” where is the “center” of you.
- Finally formulate an ideal for the meaning or purpose of your
life, personally and as a couple; such as being helpful to others through
24
Frankl, “The Unheard Cry for Meaning,” pp. 39-40.
25
Robert C. Leslie, Jesus as Counselor, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1968) pp. 92-
101

31
service, taking care of family, and so on. In formulating this goal it might
be helpful to make a review of the life of the companions in some form. If
they made earlier Spiritual Exercises they can review what were their
aspirations then, and so on.

32
 F I R S T P H A S E : R E F O R M I NG

Oh, wounded hearts, Sure the storm rages;

Oh, loving souls Sure the clash.
Who yearn for Christ; Sure the shattering.
Come to him. More surely does it flow
Towards oblivion.

Come to the waters Leaving peace,

Freely bestowed Silent soothing
By the Father and Mother Hands smoothing
Of life Disturbed thoughts
Our hope. And shaking bodies.

Christ our sign

Warmly receive what is Christ our given
Warmly given Peace our goal
In community, in peace Life worth living
In quiet. Here and evermore

(John 8/21/02)

24-44. INTRODUCTION

33
 The aim of this First Phase26 is to bring the companions to reform their life
through a sort of existential diagnosis of sinful and unauthentic tendencies, to
discover their place in the history of salvation, and to experience the need for
healing and redemption.
We will begin the First Phase with the presentation of the “Particular Examen”,
which aims to change one particular feature, then we will introduce the “Daily
Examination of Consciousness”, a prayerful review of one day and finally the
“General Examination of Conscience”. This last method is called examination of
“conscience” because it is a review of one’s actions from a moral point of view,
reflecting upon one’s responsibility and looking at one’s sins and weaknesses in
preparation for repentance in contrast with the examination of “consciousness”
which does not focuses on morality even if sins will emerge during the review of the
day. “Consciousness” as Bernard Tyrrell describes it “is not bending back upon
oneself in reflection, but a simple internal experience of oneself and one’s activities
of sensing, feeling, thinking, judging, reflecting, deciding and acting”27. The
companions will use these methods from now on during the Exercises. After it they
might consider to keep them as part of their spiritual life. Our introduction will end
with notes about how to move onto the exercises of the First Phase.

PARTICULAR EXAMEN

This simple method or technique is a kind of self-education with the help of

God’s grace, in which we are asking for obtaining a specific change in our life. This
change might consist of freeing ourselves from a bad habit or trying to acquire a
new, better one. The value of this method can be confirmed by its similarity to such

26
Our term “Phase” corresponds to the term “Week” used in the translations of
the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. We preferred to use a term that does
not indicate a concrete length of time but stresses that we deal with stages in a
process, which might be very variable in duration, since we suppose first of all that
the Exercises are made in an everyday context, not in a secluded retreat. Even
traditionally the “Weeks” of the Exercises don’t mean exactly a week in the calendar
but a more or less indicator of time spent in each stage.
27
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” p. 35.

34
therapies as Alcoholics Anonymous28 and lies in stressing on a “one day at a time”
type focus.
The Particular examen consists of three moments and begins every day in the
morning at rising, when we briefly remind ourselves of the goal we try to achieve
and ask God’s help to us. The second moment when we look at our progress is
sometimes around noon or in the middle of our day. In a short prayer we recall what
we want to achieve, we thank God, and we ask his help again for this goal and to
know ourselves better. Then we review our day hour by hour from the morning until
this examination and how we lived this time; what was good and what went wrong.
This will require one or two minutes from us. After it we spend a little time in
thankful prayer with God. We repeat the same examination and prayer also at night
before going to bed, this time reviewing our whole day.
Note: Some might find it helpful to keep a kind of record of these prayers of
examen. Such record can show over a period of time what was going on in our life
and help us to see the progress day by day in achieving our goal. If someone likes
diagrams they might draw a line for each day and sign with dots or otherwise the
occasions of falling back into the bad habit or of the successful moments with the
new marks, so making visible the progress. Others might feel such a method too
mechanical and do better without it.

An interesting fact about the Particular examen is that Benjamin Franklin in The
Autobiography describes a strikingly similar technique he devised to achieve “moral
perfection”. As far as is known Franklin surely did not know St. Ignatius’ work and
we can suppose he discovered the method independently. He writes so: “…I
conceiv’d the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wish’d to
live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural
inclination, custom, or company might lead me into…. For this purpose I therefore
29
contrived the following method.” . Then he made a list of virtues and tried to
achieve all of these: “My intention being to acquire the habitude of all these virtues,
I judg’d it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at

28
Cf. Anonym Authors, Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition (New York: Alcoholic
Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1976). See this parallel in John F. X. Sheehan, S.J.,
On Becoming Whole in Christ, (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1978), p. 92.
29
Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography, (New York: Pocket Books, 1940), p. 94.

35
once, but to fix it on one of them at a time”30. Interestingly enough, Benjamin
Franklin devised also a recording method similar to the one proposed by Ignatius31,
with lines and dots. However, Benjamin Franklin practiced the examen in order of
self-improvement not in a context of faith and prayer, not necessarily aiming to
deepen his relation to God through it.

DAILY EXAMINATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS

The Daily Examination of Consciousness (called sometimes also the Awareness

Examen) is the most important form of prayer32 of the Ignatian spirituality. If the
companions would not bring with them anything else from these Exercises, or if
they would need to choose only one thing to learn, this alone would be worthwhile,
as a powerful means for anybody trying to live a spiritual life, or simply to grow in
self-knowledge. The importance of this examination of consciousness is even more
evident during the Exercises in the everyday life, when through this method the
companions can get in touch with the spiritual happenings during their usually busy
days and recognize God’s presence and inspirations right there in the middle of
their occupations. So the reality of life is not seen anymore as an obstacle of prayer
or to spiritual life, but exactly the place and means to grow in spirit and wisdom of
self-knowledge, to develop a spiritual sensitivity toward the directions things tend to
bring us, and to see our reactions and responses to what life poses in front of us as
questions or dilemmas. The daily examination of consciousness is an excellent and
necessary means to learn the discernment process and live a discerning life, and to
“find God in all things” which is the main purpose of the Exercises, and the
“perfection” for St. Ignatius who gave this definition to it:

30
Ibid., p. 96.
31
Ibid., pp. 96-98.
32
We find other prayer forms introduced in abundance during the four Phases of
the Spiritual Exercises and in the Appendix A of this book [238-260] we have the
“Three Methods of Prayer” which might be tried out any time.

36
 “The perfect, due to constant contemplation and the enlightenment of the
understanding, consider, meditate, and ponder more that God our Lord is in every
creature by His essence, power and presence” [39]
The stress in this practice is never on some sort of result, but on the prayer, on
the loving relationship with God whom we actually believe to be present in our days
in a special manner. So we want to share with him how we feel about ourselves and
about the events of the day. We thank him for every good thing that happened to
us or what we were able to accomplish and ask his healing or forgiveness where we
recognize the need for it. This prayer is about our relationship with God lived during
our day, not a search for faults or sins. We see how God worked for us, gave us life,
and healed and helped us through the events of the day. We become aware his
presence deep in our heart, in our feelings, thoughts and desires, we see his work in
the creation, in all things surrounding us. We begin to reflect upon our experiences
and understand how we are used to do things, what emotions and reactions are
typical to us in certain situations, what makes us feel well, full of hope and joy, and
what causes sadness, anger or similar feelings and we reflect upon their meaning.
The goal of this examination is to help us in discernment, not simply to see where
we failed; however, if there was a sin, it will emerge from the stream of
consciousness, “stick out as a sour thumb” with a fortunate expression somebody
used for it.
A framework of five steps might help the Daily Examination of Consciousness.
These five steps are not a theoretical construction, but reflected experience; they
are the successive moments of any personal loving relationship. However, it is not a
necessary requirement to use these steps, but it can make it a lot easier to learn
and use it. These steps are the following:

1. Recognize the presence of God. A gesture, a sign of the cross, or a moment

of silence in front of the place where we will do the examination might
express this.
2. Ask the help of the Holy Spirit to be able to see our life, recognize all the
gifts we receive and be grateful for these. Express our gratefulness for the
gifts of God in our day.
3. Review with the help of the Holy Spirit the “anamnesis” of the day. This
part is the essence of the prayer, the experiential part when we simply

37
 allow our consciousness to bring forth spontaneously memories from the
beginning of the day until the time of the examination. The most usual
time for it is the evening, but it is possible to do in the morning, reviewing
the precedent day.
4. Reconciliation. In the review of the day necessarily we will see also our
shortcomings and this moment gives occasion to reconcile and to ask
forgiveness in a simple way.
5. Resolution. We arrive to resolution about going on trusting God, loving and
searching what is good. We used to do this step by our favorite prayer to
the Holy Spirit; I (John) found a copy of it in a church about 1978 and have
said it daily since. Cardinal Mercier (don't know anything about him) said
that if you say this prayer, life would be serene and consolation abound
even in the midst of troubles:

Oh, Holy Spirit, soul of our souls, we adore you.

Enlighten, guide, strengthen and console us.
Tell us what we ought to do
and command us to do it.
We promise to be submissive in everything
that you permit to happen to us,
only show us what is Your will.

Let us end with some important notes regarding the Examen of consciousness.
- The companions who do the Exercises together need to decide whether they
want common or individual examination of consciousness. Both possibilities have
advantages and disadvantages. Individual examination underlines the unique
relation of each person with God, while the common form might be helpful to know
each other better. We preferred for ourselves the individual form, since it gives a
certain freedom and as we are used to share almost all other prayer times this gives
us opportunity for personal prayer time, too. So we do the prayer together at the
same time but don’t share how it went.
- We need to underline again the spontaneous character of this letting the
contents of the background consciousness to emerge relying on the guidance of the

38
Holy Spirit; this is not a sort of wrestling out the repressed memories as in the
psychoanalytic scheme33.
- We want to note the similarity between the examination of consciousness and
the stages in the healing and education of feelings in Christotherapy and in a
special manner the fifth stage that “involves a prayerful focusing of attention on the
objects which evoke one’s specific feeling responses and a detecting in one’s
consciousness of the images, attitudes, fantasies, thoughts which mediate and to a
greater or lesser degree determine one’s feeling responses to given objects” 34. This
prayerful focusing of attention will touch all the levels of consciousness, it will
extend to the reality of “automatic” thoughts and images which occur in the
background of consciousness, the sphere of experiences Bernard Tyrrell defines as
“twilight consciousness”; but it will embrace also the peak level, the God-inspired
thoughts, acts and the “super-consciousness”, the very high and intense
consciousness of mystical experiences35. The main purpose of the examen of
consciousness is to prepare and aid the discernment process, and similarly, the
next stage in the healing and education of feelings is the discernment or diagnosis
of one’s feelings and finally to arrive to a positive decision to live according the
precedent discernment. Indeed, we think that the examination of consciousness in
itself is an excellent means of psycho-spiritual and moral healing.
- We see how often emotions or feelings are guiding, or determining our actions
-and this is not too good. When trying to not let the guidance be left to the feelings I
(Kris) find helpful a little “exercise”. It is: to recognize the emerging emotions,
giving them time to evolve, and when identified, giving them the proper name: this
is anger, fear, joy etc. Not to try to oppress, deny, or hide any of the emotions
because they then continue working, and maybe being harmful. When I know it, I
will be able to have a distance from that feeling, detach from it and be free to use
my will in guiding my actions.
A little bit this exercise makes me remember on one method in the
Psychosynthesis experience, called “disidentification”: one lets his/her feelings or
thoughts emerge (maybe regarding a special record or person) and then tell “this is
my feeling, but I am more then my feelings, my thoughts” etc. until arriving to the
33
Cf. Frankl, “The Doctor and the Soul,” p. 4.
34
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 238-239.
35
Ibid., p. 36.

39
true identity of the person, which integrates and also transcends his/her body, mind
and soul36.
The freedom gained from the feelings is in the line of the freedom placed in
front of us in the Principle and Foundation [23]. It does not mean to be without
feelings, but the freedom from the excessive influence of these, for a good
discernment and decision-making, for the more and more authentic service of God.
Also, we can think of Jesus, who casting out the evil spirits asked their name, and
when they told it, they lost the influence on that person. Maybe this fact can be
adapted on our "bad feelings", if we can recognize, identify them, and already they
loose their harmful influence on our lives. The companions might try out fruitfully
this little exercise at this point.

GENERAL EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

As we told earlier, this Examination is a review of a person’s actions in the light

of one’s “conscience” to see whether these were in harmony with one’s upheld and
confessed values; that is, if one’s acts in thought, word, or deed were right or sinful,
as a preparation for repentance. Still we are at the introductory part of the First
Phase, and as the material of the meditations throughout this Phase will have to do
with the notion of sin, some initial thoughts might be useful in this direction since
the reality of sin is a bit confusional in our age. On one side it seems like sin is
fading away, and even many practicing believers are not sure about what is sin and
what is not. With the popularization of psychology and psychotherapies also the
very existence of sin seems to be questionable, since it is hard to distinguish always
sin from psychological problems. So we would like to underline that sin exists and
that this is good news! Because we are not simple derivatives of our psychological
drives but capable of real free acts, bearing our personal and inalienable
responsibility, sin exists. From this freedom and responsibility - which are flawed
somehow - derives the possibility to sin, too. Always, even in extreme situations we
36
See the “disidentification” presented in the context of the Christotherapeutic
technique of “mind-fasting” (used also in our book later) in Tyrrell, “Christotherapy
II,” pp. 133-137 with references to the work of Roberto Assaglioli, Psychosynthesis,
(New York: Viking Press, 1971)

40
have at least the freedom of some sort of choice how to respond to the challenges
of life. We can grow up to the task put before us and maybe answer even with
heroic acts of love, dignity and care for others or fail and react below our humanity.
On the other side of the reality concerning sin there are also conservative or
similar movements in the Church that still cultivate a certain stress on sin in a
casuistic manner building on the sense of guilt heavily. Most of the time such views
retain almost everything sinful that is related to sexuality, but maybe does not take
in consideration at all the social dimension of sin, the fact that we are living in a
society and culture that is tainted with injustice toward others through violence and
greed. When the companions will face the reality of sin in this First Phase it is
necessary that they try to acquire a healthy and balanced view of sin and sinful
tendencies and structures and how to deal with them. Maybe all they can do is to
mourn over their participation in these sinful structures, living the beatitude
37
“Blessed are they who mourn” (Mt 5:4) .
Reading:
“Sin occurs in actions that do not have to be posited. Therefore, there are
differences in sinfulness, especially the essential difference between mortal and
venial sin. There are differences that must be judged objectively according to
accepted moral teaching; they must also be judged subjectively. Sin is not just a
dialectical opposite of grace; it is not a trick of God’s love that He uses to show us
our poverty and ceaturehood so He can then show us how merciful He is. Sin in
itself does not demand grace! And therefore, Christian existence is not a dialectical
unity of sin and grace; rather, it is a road of decision from darkness to light,
according to which the situation of each of us must be judged”38
Every one of us has this mysterious “organ”, which we usually call “conscience”
and this organ has the role to decide what is right or wrong, morally or ethically.
Now we need to postulate that a human person should act upon his conscience, and
cannot escape from this responsibility. On the other hand we need to stress that our
conscience should be educated, informed and exercised so that it could promptly
and correctly work. For this task we have the disposition of our entire lifetime and
many resources of objective ethics and moral teachings.

37
This beatitude is quoted in Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 55.
38
Rahner, ”Spiritual Exercises,” p. 36.

41
 With a properly informed and strong conscience then we will be able to verify if
our act was right or sinful and if the latter, if it was “mortal”, that means seriously
grave or if a “venial” sin, that is not totally free and intended but more of a failure
and weakness. We can have a sigh of relief; most of our sins are in this second
category. Real “mortal” sin is rare, as it supposes one’s full consciousness and a
deliberate will toward something objectively gravely wrong. Most of the times this is
not the case, however, the possibility to sin gravely should not be denied or
neglected.
This “examination” has a certain affinity with the fourth step of the “Twelve
Steps” of the Alcoholics Anonymous39. It might be done daily, weekly, monthly or
yearly depending on one’s needs. We can use for the Examination of Conscience
basically the same five steps we have given at the Daily Examination of
Consciousness. The first two of realizing God’s presence and expressing our
gratitude will be the same. At the third step according to the goal of our
examination we will ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to see in “anamnesis” our
actions from a moral viewpoint since the last time we had made the General
Examination of Conscience. Then we ask the forgiveness of God for our fault, give
thanks for his forgiveness and express our resolution to try to do better. We might
close the prayer with an “Our Father…”
If the companions belong to a denomination that has the sacrament of
reconciliation (confession) or similar possibility of repentance, during the First Phase
it might be appropriate to deal with it. Also members of other denominations could
benefit from reflecting upon their sinfulness and might want to have a sort of
liberating dialog with somebody they trust. The companions can have this dialog
with each other, of course, but they need to feel it to do so. Most married people
would prefer an outside person to share about sins that often are committed right
against the person who is more near to us, whom we love the more and are too
ashamed to speak of it. There is however an enormous source of healing for the
marriage if a couple is able to have an open, supportive and forgiving dialog also
about their sins.

39
Step Four is the following: “[We] Made a searching and fearless moral
inventory of ourselves”, see in Anonymous Authors, Twelve Steps and Twelve
Traditions, Fifty-ninth Printing (New York: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.,
1999) p. 42. See also in Anonymous Authors, “Alcoholics Anonymous,” p. 64 ff.

42
 In the General examination of Consciousness in preparation for our confession
or dialog it might be helpful to review our sins and sinful tendencies in a relational
context. That is, we can see how these acts harmed our relation to ourselves, to
God, and to other people. This review also should take place in a prayerful
atmosphere, invoking the help of the Holy Spirit for our reflection. It is always
advisable to look at our sinfulness in the context of God’s mercy which might be
represented for us by an image of Christ on the cross and we can recall the words of
his prayer for forgiveness toward all sinners “Father, forgive them…” (Lk 23:34). We
should not forget that all our sins, past present and future are redeemed sins; the
forgiveness is ready for us to receive it when we ask for it. In this regard let us
quote here Karl Rahner:
“God’s revelation of guilt takes place especially in the apocalypse of His grace
and mercy. Only in this way! Therefore, if God did not tell us about sin in the
revelation of His grace, then we would either deny the existence of guilt, or else we
would utterly despair. There is no neutral position between this two. Thus we can
only get a clear knowledge of guilt, both of its essence and its actuality, from the
cross of Jesus Christ. (Therefore, St. Ignatius does not present a metaphysical
consideration of sin in the first week40 of the Exercises. The first meeting with the
41
theme of sin takes place before the cross of Christ and only there.)

For scriptural reading we propone Mt 9:13 and Lk 15,11-24

Final notes before beginning the exercises proper of the First Phase
- When the companions feel that they have acquired the right disposition and
have become acquainted with the various “Examinations”, tried them out and have
begun to practice the “Daily Examination of Consciousness” then they can begin
with the five exercises of the First Phase. During all this time they need to remain
faithful to this all-important daily prayer, as the practice of the examination is at the
core of discernment.
- We think generally it is helpful at this point of the Exercises to read the
“Guidelines for Discernment for the First Phase” [313-327], which are to be found in
the Appendix C. These are intended to help the companions to have a reflexive,
40
Which corresponds to the First Phase in our interpretation.
41
Rahner, ”Spiritual Exercises,” p. 39.

43
conscious awareness of their own spiritual reactions and require little or no spiritual
formation from the participants of the First Phase to put them in practice. Of course,
these are useful not only in the context of the Exercises but throughout the whole
life. The companions will need to get an experiential knowledge of these guidelines
during this time of First Phase and keep them in consideration for the aftermath
whenever the treated spiritual-existential situations occur.
- Finally before beginning the First Phase, the companions need to read the Note
in [72] and the Additions in [73-90] and apply the practical advice contained in it to
their making of the Exercises. Later on, time-to-time they need to return to the
Additions and verify how successfully and faithfully they were able to use them.

45-54. BEGINNING OF THE EXERCISES AND THE FIRST EXERCISE

ON THE METHOD OF THE INDIVIDUAL EXERCISES

We will use the following framework for every individual exercise with various
contents for the reflection. The preparatory part and the material given to the
meditation are intended to move all the spiritual-psychological reality of the
companions. Traditionally is given a triple division to these faculties as if they are
an image of the Trinity: memory, intellect and will. The method of dealing with the
material of the exercises, called discursive prayer, engages all the three faculties 42.
The discursive method is thematic prayer, a meditation on and the application of a
text or given theme to our own lives. By this we try to understand a message to us
in the concrete existential situation where we are in the time of the prayer. In the
Second Phase we will read the Scripture texts with another method, called “Ignatian
contemplation”, which uses our creative imagination in order to achieve an
experiential knowledge and assimilation of the truth contemplated. Sometimes the
companions will need to have some movement also physically like taking a walk,
42
See also Marian Cowan, C.S.J.-John Carroll Futrell, S.J., The Spiritual Exercises
of St. Ignatius of Loyola. A Handbook for Directors, (New York: Le Jacq Publishing,
Inc., 1982) p. 50.

44
maybe singing, and similar activities that help to concentrate or to relax according
their judgment. The Exercises are also a time for “experimenting”, to see and learn
what and how much is good for each participant in terms of work, prayer, study,
rest, sleep, food, outdoor activity, social contacts, and so on. In all these thing there
is no general norm, but only the individual or couple can find out what is more
conducive for them to live a meaningful, fulfilling, dedicated, and harmonious life
taking into consideration also the circumstances of their immediate or larger social-
economical-political ambient.

Opening prayer

Before entering the exercise, we make conscious the presence of God somehow
with a gesture, or simply stopping for a second at the place where we will pray (see
also [75]). We will begin each exercise with a simple prayer to God asking that all
our intentions, desires, and actions would be directed to love, to praise, and to
serve him; a clear reference to the Principle and Foundation [23] so that by
repeating it the grace of freedom involved in it might deepen in the companions
and become operative in their desires, decisions, and actions. This prayer, which
the companions formulate for themselves, will remain the same during the entire
Exercises process.

Visualization - Seeing the place

After the opening prayer we try to visualize in our imagination a scene that is
somehow related to the content of the particular exercise. In the case of considering
an event of the life of Jesus from the Gospels, we imagine the place where he is in
that story, the Temple in Jerusalem, the mountains of Galilee and so on. If we are
called to reflect on an abstract subject, as in the First Phase it will be the case of
sin, we must use our creativity to recall in our mind an image that we associate with
the subject matter. The companions will have their personal imaginary scenes as
they have somewhat different backgrounds and sensibilities. It is important that the
image be meaningful and alive for them. The image chosen here will be useful also
later during the meditation as a reminder: if we would be distracted we can gently
turn to the image and go on with our prayer focused again.

45
Asking what we want

At this point of our exercise we must present to God our desire and simply ask
from him what we want to achieve in this reflection according to the subject matter.
What does this mean? For example, if we begin our reflections on the resurrection
we ask for joy and thankfulness. If our theme is the suffering of Jesus we want to
have compassion and so on. It is important to ask something that moves all our
being, searching not only abstract considerations about the matter but trying also
to have a first hand inner experience of what is involved in it.
To name the goal or desire openly will help us to be open to receive the grace of
it from God. Maybe the companions recall some healing stories from the Gospels
where Jesus asked the person coming to him “What do you want that I do for
you?”43. It seems evident that the blind man wants to see, the lame walk and so on,
however it is important that they name their need. Similarly, when two disciples of
the Baptist shyly follow him, Jesus turns around and confronts them, “What are you
looking for”. The surprised and maybe embarrassed disciples tentatively answer,
“Rabbi, where are you staying?” for which Jesus invites them “Come and you will
see” (Jn 1,35-39). And they have seen much more than maybe their first curiosity
toward the person of Jesus was.

Points for reflection

The opening prayer, the visualization and the prayer asking what we want
should be made before all the reflections. This whole preparatory process of each
exercises should not be too long, it takes usually only some minutes and is followed
by several points of reflection proper to the exercise. In the case of the first exercise
we will have three points. The general guideline for the time of these is that the
companions need to remain on each point until they find insights or spiritual “fruits”
from the reflection. They need to agree when both of them are ready to move on
and can share at each point their experiences.

Prayerful conversation, sharing and review

43
See for example the healing of the blind beggar in Lk 18:35-43; Mk 10:46-52;
see also Mt 20:29-34 and the healing of the lame at Bethesda Jn 5:1-9.

46
 At the end of each exercise there will be a prayer addressing Jesus, or the
Father or Mary about the experience we had during the reflections. This prayerful
conversation is another important form of prayer during the Exercises and in the
Ignatian spirituality. St. Ignatius taught at this point of the Exercises to pray to God
in a very warm, intimate, familiar way “by speaking exactly as one friend speaks to
another” [54]. The companions may do this prayer together but personally. Their
sharing may take place after the prayer and then they make a review and write
notes also in a diary about the insights, feelings and so on received during this
exercise. It is good to see if the grace we asked at the beginning of the exercise was
received or not. This review of the exercise is similar to the review of the past day in
the Examination of the Consciousness introduced above [24-44]. Further we can use
the guidelines given in the Additions [73-90] to verify how we proceed in the
exercises, to see if and how we have put these in practice and if there is a need to
change something44.

FIRST EXERCISE: EXISTENTIAL EXPERIENCE OF THE HISTORY OF SALVATION

Opening prayer and visualization

After the opening prayer we choose the scene for our imagination. Here it is a
quite difficult point, which requires creative fantasy. To help our imagination we can
consider what represents for us the state of being a sinner and part of sinful societal
structures - of which we are often contributors without knowing it - and use the
image that comes in our mind. St. Ignatius describes for example this situation of
the human person as living among wild and mean animals, symbolizing the
threatening reality of drives and sinful tendencies that lead us to sins if not
controlled. For some scriptural images we propose Ps 32:3-5 (painful illness), Ps
69:1-13 (flooding waters) Jon 2:3-10 (deep waters, a pit, nether world). The biblical

44
We kept the original numbering of the Spiritual Exercises and the place of
each number for easier orientation in the material and reference to the translations
of the book of the Exercises. It happens that certain material as in this case the
Additions, are placed later in the text by Ignatius but are necessary for the
companions also earlier.

47
writers were well aware also of the weight of social sin in the eyes of God. As
examples for the words of the prophets against this dimension of evil we mention
Amos who relentlessly spoke against the injustice and oppression of the poor in the
wealthy Israel (2:6-16; 3:9-11; 4:1-3) and Jeremiah who spoke against the false trust
in religiosity while oppressing the orphans, the widows, and the aliens (Jer 7:3-15).
Isaiah preached “woes” against the greedy and wasteful rich (5:8-16) and against
social injustice (10:1-4). In the New Testament the Letter of James especially speaks
out against social sins, partiality (2:1-13), the emptiness of faith without concrete
help to the needy (2:14-26), and against the unjust and abusive rich (5:16). The
companions can find many other examples with very touching imagery.
The beautiful words of Hosea are quoted several times by Jesus and they stress
the crucial place of just relations in the context of faith:

“For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice” (Os 6,6)

“Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’…” (Mt
9:13)

“If you would know what this meant, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’, you would
not have condemned these innocent men” (Mt 12, 7).

Asking what we want

In this exercise we should ask the grace to feel shame for contributing to the sin
of the world with our faults and to be confused seeing the absurdity of every sin. We
don’t think about the individual faults for now but on the gravity and absurdness of
our many sins.
Even if the stress in this exercise is on the stupor of sin and upon the reality of
sin, at the same time we will experience gratefulness toward God who loves us as
we are and gives his goodness and takes care of our needs independently of
whether we recognize him or not (Mt 5:43-48). Bernard Tyrrell has a similar opinion
on this issue when he writes:
“Certainly deep sorrow, shame, confusion and tears for one’s sins are important
fruits of the meditations in the First Week [First Phase]. But the sorrow and
contrition are pervaded with a sense of the healing presence of the divine mercy,

48
and of profound thanksgiving for the gift of forgiveness and interior reformation
45
which the retreatant is experiencing” .
Following this preparatory part, the first exercise contains three points and ends
with a prayerful dialog with Jesus Christ. The companions might present these to
each other alternating the contents of these points and at the end of each they can
share their reflections. We would propose to dedicate at least one meeting on the
entire exercises. It can be extended also for three meetings, taking one point per
meeting. In this case they begin each meeting with the preparatory part followed by
the reflection on the actual point and finish with the prayerful conversation, sharing
and review.

First point: on the origin of sin

This reflection recalls the sin of the angels. In the faith of the Christian tradition
the angels are creatures of God and part of our world. They share with humanity the
characteristic of personal beings, spirits, gifted with free will, intelligence and so
forth, but they don’t exist in a body as humans. Part of our belief is that a part of
the angels rebelled against God and by this they condemned themselves forever.
These are Satan and his followers, called devils, evil spirits or demons. It is not
exactly known in what consisted the sin of this group of the angels. St. Gregory of
Nyssa uses the analogy of a mirror when he tries to explain the origin of evil. The
angels like mirrors ought to transmit the light of the sun, and if they refuse to
reflect it wanting to be the source of light they became dark. The fact that some of
them sinned and consequently are lost forever tells us two things. First of all that
sin is possible for persons gifted with free will; God’s omnipotence does not oppress
a creature’s free choice even when it is revolted against him. Secondly, the sin of
the angels tells us that the origin of evil is in the spiritual dimension. Jesus teaches
something in this line when says: “It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles
that person; but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one…things that come
out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile. For from the heart come evil
thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy” (Mt 15:11
ff). Here Jesus corrects the view that sin is originating in the bodily dimension of the
person represented in this quote by the Jewish dietary rules; rather the most serious

45
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” p. 150.

49
sins are originated in our spiritual reality; with biblical terminology, in our “heart”.
Sin is not simply a violation of precepts and rules of behavior but something more
profound. And because we are incarnate spirits, we cannot sin without involving
also our bodily and psychic dimension, too. This is expressed in the general
theological statement that illness and death are consequences of sin.
Reflecting upon the contents of this point we try also to “feel” and to realize and
identify the emotions that emerge in us in a way similar to that of the anamnesis in
the examination of consciousness.

Second point: on the consequences of sin

In this point we turn our attention to the third chapter of the Genesis, to the
story of the sin of Adam and Eve. It is good if the companions read the text of Gen
3:1-19 discursively, applying the three faculties of memory, intellect, and will, which
is the prayer method proposed for the First Phase. Here are some insights that
might be helpful in reflecting upon the reality of sin as presented to us in this story.
As we can see, this is a very tangible description of sin in the history of
humanity. With this story the author of the book of Genesis tries to give an
explanation why is there evil in the human life, why is there sin and guilt, why is
there suffering and hardships. The author’s answer is that there was a point in the
human history when sin and suffering entered and the consequences of this event
affect all humanity. Humankind is connected in a solidarity in which every one of us
is born. This reality, usually called “original sin” is at the source of our weaknesses
and sinful tendencies, and is transmitted by sinful structures in society, by cultural,
economic and political injustice. We breathe a morally polluted air from the cradle
to the grave and further contribute to it with our personal sins.
We can think of this fact a while longer and detect our feelings, especially on
the social dimension of sin, how our sins influence others and how we are hurt by
others’ sins, and so on.

Third point: on the seriousness of sin

We should remind ourselves here on the possibility to sin gravely – and

theoretically it can be also one single, free and total act. And it is possible to die
without repentance and so remain definitely separated from God, which state is

50
called traditionally damnation or hell. Every grave sin brings with it a threat, a
danger; and the fact that damnation is possible shows the seriousness of sin. On the
other hand we should realize that the real and proper grave sin occurs rarely since
it requires full consciousness and freedom of will which is not the case in most of
our sins. The possibility of hell does not indicate that God’s mercy is not sufficient,
but tells us about the measure of freedom that was given to us and that this
freedom irrevocably brings with it responsibility. In the face of the possibility of hell
we can see how blessed we are for every forgiven sin and how great is God’s mercy
towards us.
For a scriptural reading we can take the story of the rich man and the poor
Lazarus in Lk 16:19-31. Note especially how the distance that the rich man created
between himself and the poor Lazarus during his life became an impassable and
definite breach in death.
After reflecting on this material for a while we should pay attention to our
emerging feelings in the usual manner.

Prayerful conversation and sharing

In this prayer we imagine ourselves at the foot of the cross of Jesus (placing
maybe a Crucifix in front of us) looking at the reality of God’s forgiving love
manifested in his suffering and death. Then we tell to him about our thoughts and
feelings discovered during these past reflections on sin in a simple manner. We
need to pray for understanding more the meaning and greatness of his love as he
died in order to save us. We can reflect also on the question St. Ignatius raises here:
“What ought I to do for Christ?” [53].
The companions need to have here a dialog about how this exercise went and
make notes in their diary. Note especially if the grace asked was received or not.
Close with an Our Father.

55-61. SECOND EXERCISE: OUR PERSONAL SALVATION HISTORY

To use the classical expression “to reform the deformed” we must begin with a
diagnosis. We saw in the first exercise how the sin entering our world, deformed it.

51
This second exercise can be properly identified with the personal existential
diagnosis of the enlightenment process in Christotherapy, that is “the discovery or
understanding of the meaning of negative factors in one’s life, the diseases and
disharmonies which one experiences”46. The discovery of the negative element in
one’s life always, as also in this First Phase, needs to be accompanied by the
realization of the good in the person by “existential appreciation” 47. The exercise
will contain five points for the reflection after the preparatory part. Similarly to the
first exercise also here we can dedicate a prayer meeting or session on each of the
points, always beginning each session with the same preparation and end with
prayerful conversation and sharing. This might be a more applicable form in
everyday life situations. Some companions might want to take the whole exercise in
one meeting, if they have enough time to reserve for it and feel inspired to do so.

Opening prayer a visualization

These will be the same as in the first exercise.

Asking what we want

Here it will be appropriate to ask the grace of understanding our sins and
destructive tendencies, to see realistically the deformities in our personality and we
need to ask a “growing and intense sorrow and tears” [55] because of these. We
need to experience an intense sorrow, a real compunction of heart in order to
overcome our repressions and a pharisaical attitude toward sin.

First point: on our personal history of sin and our destructive tendencies

Now with the help of the Holy Spirit we recall memories from our life, sins, and
moments of brokenness, period by period. As in the examination of consciousness,
also the “twilight consciousness” is involved here; the companions need to try to
attend to the destructive assumptions, irrational beliefs and feelings working in the
background48. This review can be made by remembering the places where we lived,
46
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy I,” p. 10. See also Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” p. 120.
47
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 120-121.
48
On the role of the background consciousness in this part of the Exercises see
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 153-154.

52
the relations and occupations we had. It is a good occasion to reflect on the whole
of our life personally and on our common life as companions. We should not deny or
hide our weaknesses, as we are alone with God and our companion who know us
very well, but in the same time we need to avoid any false sense of guilt. We should
look at our story in the horizon of God’s love toward us, with a peaceful and quiet
look, even if we are sorry for what went wrong in our hands. The companions’ role
toward each other now is to give support, encouragement and protection against
despair while going through this delicate process; in one word, practice “existential
loving”. In Christotherapy “to love a person existentially is to value the gift of
unique existence which the person possesses and incarnates” 49. In our view the
companions are by the nature of their relationship the best candidates to live this
holistic type of love. Their aim should be the same as of the spiritual guide or
Christotherapist, which is “to facilitate the occurrence of a diagnostic discernment
which hopefully will lead to a decision, reforming, and fasting of the mind, heart,
and imagination”50. “Mind-fasting” is the central technique of the Christotherapy
together with the complementary “spirit-feasting”. It means an emptying the mind
from the thoughts, attitudes and desires discerned as harmful, a letting go of the
destructive tendencies by the help of the Holy Spirit and sort of replacing it with
51
authentic, life-giving inspirations and feelings . During the First Phase we are
beginning to engage in this process and will continue to return to it and practice it
throughout the entire Spiritual Exercises and beyond that. Notwithstanding
everything we still should hope and trust in God’s unconditional love, even if we
don’t know how it is possible to love us unconditionally.
For some of the companions it will be useful at this point to read here the
“Notes Concerning Scruples” [345-351] to overcome a sort of legalistic view of
sins52.

Second point: on the seriousness of our sins

49
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” p. 116.
50
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” p. 151.
51
See the presentation of the mind-fasting and spirit-feasting in Tyrrell,
“Christotherapy I,” p. 73-106 and in “Christotherapy II,” pp.126-128.
52
See in this regard Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of
Loyola,” p.39.

53
 We need to reflect here how destructive are the sins we have committed, how
these actions harmed others and us, how meaningless and useless they were, and
so on. When we reflect upon the gravity of our sins here, we do not simply look for
the distinction between “mortal” or “venial” sin, but consider how every sin
damages our relations and contributes to the sinfulness of the world.

Third point: on who we are

At this point we will place ourselves in the context of humankind, then the
whole world and the entire creation, and finally before God and reflect upon how
small we are. It is the effect of sin, ours and of others if we feel as becoming
unimportant, insignificant, only a number, reduced to thingness.
As a scriptural reading we can take Mt 25,14-30. The talents in this parable
represent occasions that God gives us in our life: the courageous person who uses
these occasions enters the Kingdom of God, while the coward loses all occasions
because he/she tries to avoid conflicts and at the end will be judged as “useless
servant”, a “nobody”.
Then we reflect upon the final weakness of our life, on our death which also is a
consequence of sin. Here I (Kris) recall an experience of mine years ago. I was on
the beach at the Black Sea, young and happy on a vacation; and as I was lying on
the sand enjoying the sun, a sudden strange feeling took over me. Looking at my
hand lying on the sand at once I recalled how this hand would one day decompose,
only some bones remaining. It was utterly strange and deep experience of my
limitedness; it did not last long but still I remember clearly that feeling of a sort of
being condemned to death.
Reflecting on the seriousness of sin we should see how we ourselves are the
source of its destructive force in our community, in the Church, and for the world.

Fourth point: on who is God against whom we sinned

Everything that we can say about God shows the lack of that virtue in us. He is
wise, we are ignorant; he is powerful, we are weak; he is good and we are not so
good; is just and we live in injustice, and so on. As a scriptural reference some
might find it helpful in this reflection to read from the book of Job the final dialog
between God and Job (38:1-42:6). For an expression of the immense difference

54
between the all holy God and the sinful humanity let us recall the story of the
prophetic call of Isaiah when the seraphim around the throne of Yahweh cry out
loud:
“ ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!’…Then I said, ‘Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes
have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’” (Is 6,3-5)
Or a similar experience of meeting with the holiness of God at the call of Peter
to become apostle:
“Depart from me, o Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Lk 5,8)

Fifth point: “a cry of wonder” (St. Ignatius)

At this point we reflect upon the goodness of God’s creation toward us – a sign
of his mercy and goodness. As sinners, our relation with the entire creation is in
danger, is in the risk of a breach. Notwithstanding our faults and mistakes we are
still here, alive, the sun is shining on us, the earth gives food and water, the flowers
show their beauty, the saints and angels in heaven intercede for us and the Church
spread in the entire world offers incessant prayers for each of us! We are loved as
we are!
This “cry of wonder” about the goodness of creation leads us to spirit-feasting,
which complements the mind-fasting introduced at the first point of this exercise.
The gratitude and joy about the faithfulness of God’s love might become a mystical
experience, a surrender to this love in our hearts. As Bernard Tyrrell describes it,
“spirit-feasting occurs on many levels, from a thankful delight in the beauties of
sunrise and sunset to the intense joys of mystical marriage as described by Theresa
[of Avila] and John of the Cross”53

Prayerful conversation: Dialog of Mercy, sharing and review

This exercise ends with a prayerful dialog with the good and merciful God. He
gave us life and preserved us to this moment faithfully. We can express our
thankfulness and gratitude toward him with a prayer in the manner of Psalm 136:
Praise the Lord, who is so good;
God’s love endures forever;

53
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy I,” p. 81.

55
 Praise the God of gods;
God’s love endure forever…” (Ps 136:1-2)

Continue with your own history of salvation, with the deeds of God in your life
who loved and saved you with steadfastness, mercy and fidelity, and repeat for
each acclamation “God’s love endure forever”. Close with an Our Father.

62-63. THIRD EXERCISE

This is a repetition of the precedent two exercises with a special attention on

those parts that had moved us most emotionally and spiritually or where we have
found consolation or desolation ([13-14]). The repetition will help us to know and
understand more of ourselves, since the points that we found profitable or hard to
stay with have a somewhat significant meaning for our personal history. Giving us
more time to reflect on these interior movements a greater self-knowledge can
emerge from the exercises.
When we finish these reflections in this exercise the closing prayer will consist
of three dialogs.

Prayerful conversation with Mary

We approach Our Lady as our intercessor to God and to his son Jesus Christ. We
ask here to pray for us to receive three graces: (1) that we would know deeply our
sins and destructive tendencies and reject them; (2) to understand when in our
everyday life certain desires become disproportionate and to be able to take a
distance from them in order to find balance; (3) we ask her prayers also for a proper
knowledge of the sinfulness of the “world” - which in this context means the totality
54
of destructive forces working in our unauthentic, often neurotic and addictive
lifestyle and in the society as a whole55 - and to be free of it.
54
For this interpretation of the “world” in the context of the third exercise and of
the Alcoholics Anonymous we can refer to Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” p. 154.
55
The social dimension of the notion of “world” is reviewed for example in
Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p.42.

56
 We finish with a Hail Mary…

Prayerful conversation with Jesus Christ

We ask Jesus to obtain for us from the Father the graces we asked before also
through the intercession of Mary. This dialog we finish with the prayer of St. Ignatius
Soul of Christ…

Prayerful conversation with God our Father

We present now our request for these three graces directly to the Father. This
dialog we will finish with an Our Father…

Sharing and review

If we received the grace of a deep knowledge, understanding, and detachment

from sin and destructive tendencies we will experience a sort of “hitting bottom”
experience which shows us our weakness and need of help56. It is important not be
alone with this experience but share with our companion and support each other
toward openness in trust to God. In the climate of support and acceptance the
companions now need to share here the most important insights, feelings and
similar experiences they had during the precedent exercises. The companions need
to be very careful in this sharing to maintain the reciprocal acceptance since the
reflections on our sins render us vulnerable and the reflections in this phase touch
the core of our existence. This remark however needs to be a general guideline for
all sharing during the Exercises and beyond.
As usual at the end of an exercise, also now it is advisable that we take some
time to write notes in a diary.

64. FOURTH EXERCISE: A SUMMARY

This is a summary of the precedent exercises, where we try to recall the

material reflected upon and see some lines of direction in the discovered insights
56
The “hitting bottom” experience and its meaning is described in Tyrrell,
“Christotherapy II,” p. 151-153.

57
and experienced feelings. We will have the same prayerful conversations as in the
third exercise asking for a deepening of the graces received.
The sharing after this exercise might be a sort of “existential clarification”, a
method by which we try to communicate what we understood in our companion in
terms of his or her problems, inauthentic attitudes, and sinful tendencies in a way
57
that helps him or her to understand these . The task of each companion is very
delicate in this sharing, and it needs to be done in prayerful, patient, humble and
loving manner, asking the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is important to do also the
positive part of the clarification when we communicate what we appreciate most in
each other, which are the best qualities and potentials we see in each other. We
should remember that the goal of our communication is to help to bring out the best
of our companion, to support he or she in the process of growing or healing morally,
spiritually, mentally, and so on. It is commonly said that love is blind but in reality
the opposite is true: only a loving person can see well who his or her beloved is. He
or she can discover the best, often hidden beauty, goodness and wisdom in the
beloved that nobody else sees. Our goal here is similar to that of the
psychotherapist of which Viktor Frankl writes so: “For the aim of the
psychotherapist should be to bring out the ultimate possibilities of the patient, to
realize his latent values – remembering the aphorism of Goethe, which might be
well be adopted as the maxim of psychotherapy: ‘If we take people as they are, we
make them worse. If we treat them as if they were what they ought to be, we help
58
them to become what they are capable of becoming’”
Some couples at first might not feel to do it, but it is important to realize the
possibility of it and the great advantage that can derive from the help of a person
who loves us and knows us intimately and wants the best for us.
Part of this existential clarification can take the form of feedback session about
the difficulties of the companions with each other. During this feedback we can tell
each other what features or habits are disturbing in our companion, without the
pretension that our companion should change as we would like it.

57
The detailed presentation of the existential clarification is to be found in
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 123-127, and pp. 154- 157 where the method is
applied in the context of the Spiritual Exercises.
58
Frankl, “The Doctor and the Soul,” p. 7.

58
 The clarification or feedback is helped if we can make a little ritual of it,
beginning and ending with prayer and expression of our reciprocal love and
appreciation toward each other. When we take turns to say what we understood or
feel the other companion answers briefly that he or she accepts what we said but is
not restrained to fulfill all our expectations.
It might be good at this point to insert a prayer session for the healing of
memories as it is practiced in the charismatic movement. This method is mentioned
also Christotherapy and offered for utilization59. We here propose a simple prayer,
invoking the Holy Spirit to heal each of the painful memories that emerged during
these last exercises. The companions can pray for each other alternatively as they
present these memories to God. The presentation might be done in chronological
order, passing through the successive periods of the companion’s life for whom the
prayer is done.
As usual, also after this exercise is advisable to take notes in the diary of the
companions.

65-71. FIFTH EXERCISE: MEDITATION ON HELL

For most of us it is unusual to reflect upon the reality of hell. Hell is the extreme
end of the logic and dynamic of the mystery of evil, a definite and free alienation
from God. In this exercise we need special help to understand the importance of
such meditation and to visualize this “place”. It has a peculiar importance also
because it is the last of the exercises of the First Phase.

Opening prayer and visualization

We suppose that the traditional, medieval images of hell are dubiously

“appealing” to contemporary companions. However, the “fires of hell” and other
endless tortures (even in the Scriptures we find this language of images) are a kind
of reminder to pain and despair; of an extremely hopeless situation. What these
stories about hell tell us is the seriousness of the danger to loose our life definitely,

59
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 140-141. Bernard Tyrrell in a brief manner
presents also the method of Matthew and Dennis Linn on p. 74.

59
not only by natural death but also by something more radical and dramatic - the
event of rejecting God. The danger of freedom lies in the possibility of wrong
choices; for this reason freedom requires responsibility, too.
We don’t know if any of the companions reading this book ever thought or
phantasized about hell, but maybe everybody had used or heard expressions such
as “this is a hell”, or “hellish situation”. Language comes to our help, since we can
see in these expressions an indication of something visible. These are situations
that we describe as hell. Now we get closer to the idea of the “location of the
damned” (which is not a physical place anyway), and we can recall these everyday
“hell-experiences” and extend them to a totality (if we are able to do it at all). So
the image of hell might be for us an extreme hellish situation.
Loneliness, frustration or fighting with someone can be such a situation. Others
might be more touched by the vision of hell as nuclear war, concentration camps,
gulags and Auschwitzes, or some of the wars actually raging in our world. Then
there are the hellish situations of psychiatric clinics, addictions and violence, hunger
and disease in Africa, Asia or South America, oppression under terrorist regimes and
dictators, the emptiness of the life of the “common people” in the developed world,
the eternal circle between job and television and so on. Our age offers sadly many
such experiences, all consequences of sin. In this exercise after the opening prayer
we will use our imagination to recall one of these situations as a definite state of
being.

Asking what we want

Here we ask to know at least by imagination how the pain the of being definitely
lost and damned might be; and we pray that we don’t fall into this danger of
rejecting God if not for the love of him at least for the fear of the consequences. It is
a realistic point, appealing to the basic love of self, which involves trying to avoid
pain and it is a valid motive to begin with. This basic level of motivation works in the
aversion therapy that helps addicts to reject the object of their addiction by a sort of
negative physical feedback60

60
The different levels of motivation in the tradition and in developmental psychology
and the value of aversion therapy is placed in the context of the meditation on hell in
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 156-157.

60
Five points for reflection: application of the senses

As John C. Futrell points out St. Ignatius used a highly anthropomorphic, biblical
vision of hell and correspondingly the “application of the senses” method proposed
for this meditation intends to help to get an experience of the damned as a “body-
person” and so “Ignatius is helping the retreatant, through imagining
psychosomatic suffering, to realize the consequences when the whole thrust of the
human person’s being-toward God is entirely frustrated; and, therefore, every part
of the person is frustrated, including all the senses”61
The five points of this meditation follows the five senses used by one to observe
the reality in question. Here we will try to see a scene, to hear some noise, to smell
the odors lingering around, to taste and to touch something associated with the
situation that we chose in the visualization as a representation of hell 62. We stop at
each sense and give some time to our imagination to form an experience. Let us
here add to the case of the smelling of the odors of hell a parallel pointed out by
Bernard Tyrrell in the use of symbols with the Alcoholics Anonymous which
members call “stinking thinking” every negative and destructive phantasizing, self-
pity, anger, denial and so on63. This strong imagery is an excellent means in the
existential clarification because it provokes the understanding of the problems
involved in this type of feeling and thinking.
Finally let us help in this reflection with the words of Karl Rahner64:
“As long as I am a wayfarer on this earth, I can only approximate a full
existential realization of the meaning of hell as a possibility for myself. I can only
hope to realize existentially the hopelessness of hell when, proceeding from my
own experience of sin, I try to apply my complete knowing power to finding out
what sin finally is when it fully becomes itself. When the belief in hell has reached
this intensity within the totality of my personal, human existence, then it
necessarily signifies that ‘interiorly taste and relish’ of the fallen state that St.

61
Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 44.
62
For example, in the vision that Ignatius uses, we see the fires of hell,
hear the cries of the damned, smell the smoke and the filth, taste the
bitterness of tears and touch the burning flames.
63
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” p. 155.
64
Rahner, ”Spiritual Exercises,” p. 95.

61
Ignatius seeks as the fruit of the meditation on hell. If this meditation is to be a truly
existential experience, then it cannot stop at the application of the senses. Because
I have every chance in the world not to end up in hell, I must place myself with all
the seriousness of the hell-meditation under the cross of my Lord”.

Prayerful conversation with Jesus, sharing and review

Knowing that we are able to become unfaithful to everything that is good and
life-giving, with the knowledge of our brokenness we go now to speak with Jesus
Christ. Realizing the danger of ending up rejecting God we feel our gratefulness
toward the Father because he kept us from falling and will be always available for
us to renew our life through forgiveness and love. We thank Jesus for teaching and
showing us that God is Mercy and Love and wants to save everyone and everything,
even the last little creature in the entire creation. Close with an Our Father…
(Other exercises)
If the companions feel that it would be useful for them, they can continue with
further exercises, always in the main thematic of the First Phase, that is sin and its
consequences, the judgment or the mercy of God and so on 65. In the background of
the meditations always should be present the salvation brought by Jesus and we
need to maintain the climate of hope. No additional exercises are presented here;
they can be built up similarly to the precedent ones.

72. Note

In case the Exercises would be made in seclusion as a full-time retreat, the

companions need to arrange a schedule for the five exercises each day and project
circa one hour for each exercise. The first day can be spent for orientation in the
material without a strict program. Later during the First Phase for example the first
exercise can be during the night if the companions are used to it or want to try it
out; otherwise early in the morning, after getting up, the second exercise before
noon, the third and the fourth in the afternoon and the fifth in the evening. The
schedule of course is very flexible and needs to be adapted to the age, the physical
65
“An experienced director has suggested that, actually, Ignatius’ own
meditation on mercy is The Kingdom of Christ [91-98]” (Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual
Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 45-46.)

62
condition, experience of prayer and other habits of the companions. It is well
possible to spend more days with the above given exercises, distributing them
differently and also returning to the same material more times, if we feel that it is
fruitful in insights and feelings. The time spent with the exercises of the First Phase
varies between a couple of days and a week or so, depending on the possibility to
stay in the retreat and on discernment of the companions that the main goals of the
exercises have been achieved.
In case the Exercises are to be made keeping the everyday life of the
companions - in this “Finding Our Way” interpretation we keep first of all this form
in mind - it is hardly possible to set up a precise schedule. Our main effort should be
on the continuity and perseverance in some daily timeframe dedicated to the
Exercises as we pointed out earlier in [12]. The individual exercises can be split up,
spending on each point of reflection one prayer session for one or more days. The
general guideline for the time spent for each exercise and each reflection is
determined by how long the given material is found fruitful by the companions (of
course, at least once they need to make it). If they find abundant insights and
feelings emerging, they can stay with the particular exercise and move on when
they feel that it is time for it. In this arrangement the companions should feel
themselves quite free to decide.

ADDITIONS

The purpose of the following remarks is to help the companions to make the
Exercises better and be more open to receive the asked graces.

1. At nighttime, for a short while, about one or two minutes before falling
asleep we think on the actual exercise, which we are making. Then we
think of the hour when we will rise in the morning and the reason why
we will get up. In this way also during the hours when we sleep our
subconscious mind still can “work” on the material of the exercises; and
as our resistances to God diminish with the rest of our conscious mind,

63
 we will be more open for accepting the inspirations and the healing
grace of the Holy Spirit in our whole being.
2. When we wake up, at once we try to remember what is the subject matter
of our exercise. For example, in the time when we have the first
exercise we can imagine ourselves with the person whom we love the
most and speaking with him or her about our being sinner, broken and
fragile. During the morning preparations we let our mind to think over
these thoughts or others in keeping with the subject matter of the
reflections.
3. It is good to establish a place in our home for prayer and reflection. If we
are able, the best is to prepare a “meditation room” or chapel in our
home; or at least dedicate for this purpose a corner, a rug or a seat and
placing there a candle, an icon or similar sign, that reminds us on the
presence of God. At the beginning of our prayer session, we stop for a
short while in front of this prayer place, recall in our mind what we are
going to do and become aware of the presence of God. This might be
helped with a concrete gesture, a sign of cross, lighting a candle, a
simple bowing of the head or ringing a bell and so on. We in our home
used to have a lit candle at our prayer place in front of a statue of Mary
and sing a little song when lighting it in the beginning of the day.
4. During the prayer sessions of the Exercises our bodily position should be
chosen by personal preference and agreed on by the companions; that
is, some might want to sit, or to walk, or to prostrate on the ground, or
to kneel during the prayer. This position might be changed too during
the sessions and modified to which is more suitable in the given
moment. Of course, we need to have a position that enables us to do
the exercise together with our companion and share with him or her. A
simple guideline for choosing the position is that we should not be too
comfortable as to fall asleep and not too uncomfortable causing our
attention to turn to our aching parts. By our own experience, too much
attention on bodily postures or breathing is not advisable. We are not
doing a yoga meditation or similar. Everything needs to be very
“normal” so that we can feel everything natural for us.

64
 Another very important remark on the exercises regards the grace we asked. If
we begin and continue to experience the desired feelings and thoughts, then we
don’t need to go on for the next point in the exercise. We can dwell on the points
that give us more thoughts and feelings as long as we continue to receive these
graces.
5. When we finish an exercise we need to spend some time considering how
things went on during the reflection and prayer. This review is not for judging
ourselves but to thank God for the graces, insights and positive or negative feelings
experienced during the exercises, and to see what might be changed in order to do
better. If everything went well and we feel good about our reflection and prayer, it
is advisable to keep the same methods, positions and so on for the future exercises.
6-9. This remark regards the changes we might establish in our lifestyle to help
the effectiveness of the exercises. In accordance of the general theme of the Phase
in which we are, it is advisable to seek readings, entertainment or other occupations
that are related somehow to the material of the reflections and avoid as much as it
is possible for us everything that might interfere negatively with our exercises. As
for example in the First Phase we don’t need to read about the resurrection and
should try to keep a bit back on entertainments according to the theme of sin and
related suffering. The reflection on the resurrection and other joyful themes are
appropriate for the Fourth Phase, when we should seek them.
10. PENANCE
Penance is something that sounds strange for most of us in our age and even if
we might desire to do some, we are not sure what it exactly means. Some people
who claim that have clear ideas and practices, usually have some very traditional
and not too appealing or effective ways to do it. The “new law” that Jesus gave is
love. Consequently, everything should be made in order to grow in love, and
because love has a priority over every aspect of Christian life, it is a main criterion
of the goodness of our decisions, traditions, habits, prayers, philosophies,
psychologies and so on. So it is with penance, too. It should be a means to help us
to grow in love. It is not for convention, for tradition or for bravery to pat us on the
shoulder and feel righteous and it is not even for health reasons. If we desire to do
penance we might try to choose for example one that does not make us more
irritable toward others.

65
 St. Ignatius at this point ([82]) distinguishes two kinds of penance, interior and
exterior. Interior penance is the sorrow for our sins and the exterior penance should
be the fruit of the first one. Usually, we think first of fasting and similar practices as
exterior penance. Instead, the sorrow for our sins might lead us to ulterior “interior”
acts of “penance”, as for example trying to avoid the thoughts that render us
destructive toward others and ourselves, that is toward a kind of mind-fasting as it
taught by Bernard Tyrrell in his Christotherapy. It seems to us that for the men and
women of our times this inner fasting is more appropriate than the bodily penances.
Maybe because our sin and illnesses are more evident on the psychological level,
our disorders of life are manifest in our superficial thinking, living, desiring and
feeling. Even the overeaters and others with wasteful behavior are more damaged
in their psychological and spiritual dimensions. The food and other conveniences
certainly meant something different for the people in the Middle Ages as they lived
in the continuous danger of extreme scarcity and starvation. For them eating well
meant a great feast that is not any more so in the developed countries. Renouncing
food was giving something essential away a real experience of the existential
weakness, the dependence on someone greater. We need personally see what help
fasting gives us and this help may change also during our life. If we are on the brink
with other issues, stress, and frustration in our jobs, problems on social level it is
not sure that fasting helps us to cope with it. Some do fasting as a form of solidarity
with the starving people of the earth, which is well but there is the danger of doing
something hypocritical to quiet our consciences instead of facing issues. Surely
eating (sometimes costly) fish instead of meat does not change too much the world,
and even eating “only” three times a day is only symbolic act, as the fast on water
and bread or going without food is good only if the individual is really helped in his
or her growth toward spiritual and psychological maturity. Some might find special
strength in even rigorous fasting, but the individual should discern about it in his or
her particular situation. Jesus’ parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector (Lk
18:9-14) is quite clear in this regard: notwithstanding his excellent practice of
fasting and considerable donations the self-righteous Pharisee did not achieve
justification as did the humble tax collector who simply recognized his sins with
sorrow in front of God.
We said that mind-fasting seems more needed virtually by everyone nowadays
when our spirit and psyche is constantly in danger of contamination by

66
advertisements, television, internet, videogames and so on. Everything that excites
and clearly tries to influence and determine our mind is dangerous to take us over
as captives even to the point of the addicted. All this confusion alienates us from
ourselves, from each other, from reality and from God so we hardly grow in love
until not find inner order and harmony notwithstanding this invasive chaos. Since
our existence is one, all dimensions and aspects of our being are interconnected,
the practice of interior penance, the fasting of our mind and heart requires also
physical changes; we will need to get used to more silence for example, to calm
down our excited and over-stimulated mind. Similarly we need to calm down or fast
our eyes and all the senses. This kind of bodily penance might be connected with
fasting, taking simpler, cheaper and less food and drinks. A good means also to try
to keep physical order and cleanliness in our home and workplace. The creation and
maintenance of such exterior order will influence our interior harmony, peace and
calm. The interior peace and calm is not an egoistic goal, this search is not
egocentric, alienated, selfish and l’art pour l’art desire, but necessary for our
authentic prayer and love66. We need a certain amount of inner peace in order to be
open to each other, to listen, to understand what needs are calling for action and be
strong enough to do good works. Finally we need peace to contemplate the beauty
and goodness of the creation and to praise God. Inner peace serves the ultimate
goal and meaning of our existence presented in the Principle and Foundation and in
this context it is clearly something to seek and cultivate. This peace is a fruit of the
Holy Spirit67 and does not exclude tensions. When Jesus promises to the disciples
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it
to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” (Jn 14:27 ff.)68, in the same he
time warns them of the struggles, persecutions, expulsions that wait for his
followers. Jesus’ peace is a continuous struggle against the “world”, incorporating
all the forces that work against God. It is a dynamic peace, which is maintained in
the midst of contradictions, striving for goals and suffering. This concept of peace
that overcomes the dichotomy between tranquility and struggle is very Ignatian,
too. St. Ignatius introduced a spirituality of “more”, of striving always for more love
66
As for the inner peace in the context of penance we can refer to St. Francis of
Assisi who said that the perfect poverty is the peace of heart.
67
See the famous list of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in Gal 5:22.
68
The word ‘peace’ is ‘shalom’, the Hebrew salutation; it gains in the use of Jesus
a wider meaning of salvific gift.

67
of God, of serving him and humanity more. This “more” is included in the “Principle
and Foundation” ([23]), which says not only to use things “as far as” they are
helpful toward our human vocation, but to search what is “more” appropriate. When
he gave the Exercises to “order the life” of the exercitants, he wanted not only
making them more happy, balanced and healthy, but to train apostles, workers for
the Kingdom of God on earth, sensible for the burning issues of their times. Also
from a psychiatric point of view, a fulfilled and healthy human life needs orientation,
tension toward a goal to achieve and a meaning to fulfill (this aspect of tension is
called self-transcendence in Frankl’s works), and only for short while can take an
attitude of self-forgetfulness69.
An interesting limit case between interior and exterior is our language, the
words we use. This field gives many occasions for “fasting”, for restraining from
what is harmful and seeking what is lovable, true, authentic and necessary. As
scriptural reading we propose now the hymn of love in 1 Cor 13, since it presents
the criterion of love as measure for all actions, penance included.

88-90. Notes

88. If we make the Exercises in the form of a retreat in seclusion, the first and
second Additions (see above from [73]) are to be applied to the exercises we do at
night and for the first in the morning. If we are in the process of the Exercises in the
everyday life then of course we will have a different schedule and we should apply
these remarks on the current theme we are dealing with. In this form one exercise
can be held for a week or so, and every night and morning we will remind ourselves
on this particular exercise we are doing.
The fourth remark on the bodily position gives us more freedom in our home or
other private place; in the case we are doing our sessions in a public place we need
to take into consideration this fact and respect the sensibility of others and the

69
See in this regard Frankl, “The Doctor and the Soul,” pp. 22-23 in the chapter
“On the Meaning of Life” (pp. 21-50), where the author shows the insufficiency of the
pleasure principle, and the principle of tension reduction that follows from it to
describe human life (as Freud sustained it); a healthy life instead of a sort of
homeostasis manifests itself in realizing values.

68
general habits at that place. In certain churches maybe we will be allowed to
prostrate for example, but it is still an exception for now.
89. If we feel that the Exercises are not as fruitful as we would like, that is, we
don’t have any consolations, inspiring insights or feelings at all, sometimes the
thing to do is to change something about our habits. Maybe we should do some
penance as described in the tenth Addition above, or maybe we need other changes
in our daily life, physical exercise, more or less sleep, better nutritional habits and
so on. We should understand this concept of “experimenting” with ourselves, to
choose and fine-tune the means in our disposition in order to achieve our goal with
these Exercises, and in general sense, in many aspects of our lives. God who knows
us better than we ourselves, will come to our help to understand what is the best in
everything if we make such experimentation in order to love and serve better.
90. The examination of our conscience sometimes here might have as theme
the Exercises of the First Week and the given Additions, to see how well we applied
these for ourselves. This will be valid also for the other Phases in these Exercises.

69
 THE KINGDOM OF C H R I S T [91-100]
This exercise forms a transition between the First and Second Phase; in fact this
meditation returns to the Principle and Foundation in [23] and develops it further placing it
in the context of the Kingdom of Christ70. We can say that this meditation constitutes the
“principle and foundation” for the Second Phase. The “Kingdom” does not refer here to a
political or geographical reality, but a spiritual and dynamic one, and it means the life of
the Trinity entering humanity and the world through the person of Son incarnated in Jesus
Christ, and the growth of this reality throughout our history.
Jesus from this point on becomes the eminent subject matter of the Exercises. While in
the First Phase the companions’ main effort was to confront with the reality of sin and
destructive tendencies and turning away from these, now the basic dynamics -somewhat
analogously to the second stage in the healing from neurotic and addictive conditions- is
the “turning toward” life-giving values represented by Jesus Christ 71. Its purpose is to
prepare the companions for the contemplation of the life of Jesus. Through this
contemplation they discover their personal call to join the mission of the contemporary
present-time Jesus Christ, “to turn toward Christ, to embrace his cause, to labor with him
for the realization of his Kingdom”72 today, in our age and situation, as the way toward
psycho-spiritual healing and growth toward a fulfilled, mature humanity.
Before beginning with this exercise, the companions need to read the Note in [99]
about how to schedule it.

91-98. THE PARABLE OF THE KING

Opening Prayer and Visualization

After the usual opening prayer we use our imagination to see the places where Jesus
lived, the towns and villages, the roads and synagogues, the houses and mountains, the
lake of Gennesaret, the Temple in Jerusalem and so on. Especially for this meditation we

70
See in this regard Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p.
65.
71
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 160-161.
72
Ibid., p.161.
27
can imagine fruitfully the scene of the living parable of Jesus at his messianic entry in
Jerusalem (Mt 21:1-17; Mk 11:1-1; Lk 19:28-38; Jn 12:12-15)73

“Say to the daughter of Zion,

‘Behold, your king comes to you,
Meek and riding on an ass,
And on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden’” (Mt 21:5; cf. Is 62:11; Zec 9:9)

Asking what we want

We need to ask in this meditation from God the grace “not to be deaf” (Ignatius’
words) to the call for the mission of Jesus, to be ready and open so later be able to decide
for it and work in it. At this point we don’t speak yet of a specific resolution for some
action, service or state of life, but of a generous openness. With other words we ask to
recognize that the human vocation presented in the “Principle and Foundation” in [23] for
us realizes in the service of Christ and the desire to work for the realization of the
Kingdom, in the form that God will show us. God who knows and loves us desires for us the
best; so we ask that his desires and ours would be in conformity. One main principle of the
following exercises is that we will recognize the will of God at the present moment with
the help of the contemplation of the life of Jesus. The will of God discovered might be
different from what we projected and maybe it will be a relatively small matter, and
disappointing in respect to our aspirations, requiring a change of mind and heart. This
reality is presented to us in the different parables on the Kingdom in Matthew’s gospel: the
sower, the weeds among the wheat, the mustard seed, the yeast, the hidden treasure and
the pearl of great price (Mt 13:1-53).

First part of the exercise

92. We need now to imagine a powerful person, one whom we could absolutely trust,
whom we love and share his or her ideals about the good of humankind. This is maybe a
hard task for our fantasy, as we don’t abound in examples of such persons. We are dealing
73
Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” Chapter 8, pp. 79-
84 utilizes this scene to present the Kingdom meditation.
28
with a parable, so it not question if such person exist at all; we simply suppose it. St.
Ignatius with all his knightly idealism choose the figure of a king – now we maybe are not
too impressed by the image of a monarch, but then the relationship between a feudal king
and his vassals or knights was stronger than even family ties.
For scriptural examples we can recall here also how the Old Testament celebrates
Yahweh as a king, King of Israel and King of the universe; among other examples let us
refer here to the so-called “enthronement” Psalms (Pss 47; 96-99) and Pss 24; 93. The
New Testament continues to use figure of the king for God as for example in the scene of
the final judgment (Mt 25:31-46). We think it is useful to read these biblical references in
preparation for the exercise. For help let us quote here what Karl Rahner says on the
question of the figure of the king:
“The historically conditioned characteristics of the parable can actually be reduced to
a form that is valid to all men, which we might even call its metaphysical-anthropological
background. For man’s existence is essentially a battleground of decision, a risk, a unique
history that leads to a final goal; it is not primarily ordered to abstract principles, but to
the concrete Thou, and therefore forced by its very nature to ask where the true Lord of
the battle is. This kernel of the notion of kingship will always be valid, even when the
74
monarchical state is no longer in existence”

If we want to find some contemporary examples of the relationship involved in the

parable of the king, maybe we can think of a very intimate friend, who however has also a
sort of authority for us; we can also think of the relationship the athletes have with their
coach. The good coach has all the qualifications and gifts to do an excellent job with us,
leads and protects us and we esteem and trust him or her.

93. We imagine now that this beloved and trusted person - the king of the parable -
encourages us to participate in a great enterprise that would bring good to many people,
efficient help of food, shelter and healthcare to the needy, winning over unjust social
structures, ending armed conflicts so to establish a flourishing humane culture of life and
peace for the earth. He or she requires our serious commitment to the project, our
creativity, endurance of hardships in exchange of his or her total commitment and loyalty
until the enterprise achieves its goal and establishes a new world community. The
74
Rahner, ”Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 128-129.
29
hardships involved might be significant, requiring sacrifices of time, money, personal
engagement and also the affront of those who oppose our project and consider our plan
foolish, vain and even dangerous.

94. Consider now what would be our answer to such offer. We very probably would not
refuse him or her, but happily accept this invitation.

Second part of the exercise

95. The second part of this exercise consists in applying the image we just considered
on Jesus. He not only presented himself as the future King, but finally when condemned to
death, the main charge against him was that he claimed to be a king 75. The risen Christ
now calls us to work with him in his mission of proclaiming the good news, which means a
service of others, “bringing the Kingdom to be in the mutual relationships of all human
persons and in the social structures that organize these relationships” 76. He offers his
friendship and promises to be with us and share all the hardships we pass through and
assures us the assistance of the Holy Spirit and the final success if we persevere with him.
Christ appears in this meditation as the one who can give ultimate meaning to our life
through our involvement in the service of the Kingdom of such values as truth, life, justice,
love and peace77. In Logotherapy Viktor Frankl stresses life’s unconditional
meaningfulness, since meaning can be found in every situation; also beyond the possibility
to work and to love, even in suffering and death. However, “a logotherapist cannot tell a
patient what the meaning is, but he at least can show that there is a meaning in life, that
it is available to everyone and even more, that life retains its meaning under any
conditions”78. For the believer – and for the Christotherapist – it is possible to point to the
source of meaning in God and in Jesus Christ. Logotherapy is a “therapy through
meaning”79 where “logos” signifies “meaning”, in Christotherapy Christ the incarnate

75
As the trial before Pilate (Jn 18:28-19:16), the mocking of the soldiers and the chief
priests and elders (Mt 27:27-31.42) and the inscription on the cross of the charge (Mt 27:37
and parallels) shows it. The title “king” has here a shifting meaning between political and
messianic reality, the latter being also a reference to God.
76
Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 51.
77
Cf. the Preface of the Mass of Christ the King, quoted also in Tyrrell, “Christotherapy
II,” pp. 162.
78
Frankl, “The Unheard Cry for Meaning,” p. 41.
79
Ibid., p. 19.
30
Logos is the source of meaning that heals. The meaning in the life of who joined the cause
of Christ is to be discovered in the work for his Kingdom, in the service of others, and in
the struggle against sin, sickness, death, social sin, injustice, war and the forces of devil in
and around us. In this work also those can participate who are seriously ill of neurosis or
addiction through their seeking of healing and also through the endurance of the part of
suffering that cannot be removed80. The meaning of life as the will of God needs to be
recognized in every situation and moment of life by a continuous learning to discern it. To
this task we find a powerful means in the Exercises and especially during the Second
Phase of it.

96. Now we should consider how attractive is the invitation of Jesus Christ, and
everyone “who have judgment and reason” (with the words of Ignatius), would accept it.
This step is parallel with the logic of the rule to use things “as far as” they are helpful in
our human vocation expressed in the “Principle and Foundation” [23], appealing to
common sense.

97. Those who wish to express their desire to accept the invitation of Jesus Christ and
engage in his project will want to dedicate themselves entirely for the work also when it
would turn to be very costly, hard and requiring serious renouncements. This point is a
clear expression of the Ignatian spirituality of “more”, similarly as in the “Principle and
Foundation” [23] the rule to prefer always what is “more” is appropriate to the fulfillment
of the human vocation. To the companions who come out of the First Phase with the
knowledge of their illnesses and sins, Jesus Christ not only offers healing and forgiveness,
but “more”: astonishingly he calls the sinners and sick to work with him in saving the
world today. In this mission the choice for the poor and the humble is not optional, but
explicitly required, for the Jesus, who is the norm of it is the man of the “Beatitudes”; and
the poor, the mourning, the meek are blessed only because God himself feeds them,
consoles and protects them through Christ:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven because of Christ, the Poor.
Blessed are they who mourn the sins of the world,
80
Cf. Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 162-165.
31
 for they will be comforted by God in Christ, the Savior.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land of God with Christ, the Lamb of God.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied by God through Christ, our Righteousness.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy by God, whose Merciful Heart is given to us in Christ.
Blessed are the clean of heart, those who are earnest and sincere,
for they will see God with Christ, who is the Truth.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God
brothers and sisters of Christ, the Prince of Peace.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven in Christ, our Way”
(Cf. Mt 5:3-10 paraphrased)

98. The companions at this point can accept the invitation of Jesus Christ for this work
with their own prayer. They can formulate this prayer together as a common commitment
and they can design also a sort of celebration or “liturgy” a “prophetic” action or sign that
symbolizes this step that the companions take.
As for example here we quote how St. Ignatius formulated his prayer of acceptance.
This prayer demonstrates well the generosity and open heart he had. This kind of
generosity and open heart will stand at the center of the Spiritual Exercises as the main
gifts that the companions can achieve. We need to stress that this is St. Ignatius’ personal
offering and the companions are not called to repeat this, but to find their own words and
way to the service of the Kingdom. We should say only what we really and sincerely feel,
not something else or something that seems more “heroic”. The essential is to feel a
fundamental desire to do something good for this Kingdom and God will reveal to us later
what exactly; maybe it will be clear gradually, maybe it will be a simple or seemingly little
thing. If the companions hesitate to express this basic commitment then they need to give
up the Exercises here, gratefully for the graces already received. Maybe at a later time

32
they will feel the desire to enter again in the Exercises process from the beginning, which
they can do freely81.

“Eternal Lord of all things,

in the presence of your infinite goodness,
and of your glorious mother,
and of all saints of your heavenly court,
this is the offering of myself which I make with your favor and help.
I bear witness that it is my earnest desire and deliberate choice,
- provided only it is for your greater service and praise –
to imitate you in bearing all injustice and affront and all poverty
–both actual and spiritual-
should your most holy majesty want to choose and admit me
to such a state and way of life”.82

We should note the presence of the spirituality of the “more” in this prayer and the
humbleness of the offer. The text totally lacks of the arrogance to pretend wanting to
suffer, or searching controversy and poverty for its own sake; no, only if the Lord permits
these and it is really because of the greater service and praise of God. Only with this
condition a suffering might be worthwhile to accept and fruitful spiritually for the good of
other people, as to which St. Paul refers:
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,
and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ
on behalf of his body, which is the church” (Col 1:24-25)

99-100. NOTES

99. If the companions do the exercises in the secluded form, this meditation is to be
done twice during one day, once in the morning and repeat it in the afternoon.

81
It seems that this basic commitment to the values represented in the Kingdom of
Jesus Christ might be possible also for non-Christians in some form, if they are open for it.
82
Cf. Louis J. Puhl, S.J., The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, (Chicago: Loyola
University Press, 1951) #98. p. 45. We slightly adapted this translation to a more modern
language.
33
 If the companions follow the retreat in the everyday life form then they should reserve
a period of time they feel as adequate to go through this exercise and then repeat it once.
It seems that one prayer session can be spent with the first part then one with the second
part, and maybe for the repetition is sufficient one session for the entire exercise.
However as usual, we encourage the companions to make the schedule with freedom and
use as much time as they want with this exercise, which is an important part of the whole
process. Also at the end of this exercise we need to share and take notes in our diary as
usual.

100. During the upcoming Second Phase the companions can choose some
spiritual reading, from the New Testament or historical books and similar, in line with the
main theme that focuses especially on the person of Jesus.
At this juncture of the Exercises the companions need to begin to be acquainted with
the “Guidelines for Discernment for the Second Phase” in [328-336] and begin to try them
out as being applicable for the understanding of their psycho-spiritual happenings from
now on.

34
 S E C O N D P H A S E : C O N F O R M I NG [101-189]
Thunder, rain, roar;
What do I care
Pound and pound again
Damn the ground
Punch the weather
Hit, bang, whoosh, whomp,
I feel secure

My head held high

Like a poppy spurting
Oblivious to pain, to destruction
Unknowing, but knowing
Deep inside
Which is why like the poppy
I prepare a seed to survive
As I thrive
Damning the forces
That thunder outside
(Pride in a storm, John 1988)

As we mentioned earlier the Second Phase is the time for discernment and decision 83.
A decision that even if small, really shapes the life of the companions, bringing about a
deepening love for Jesus Christ and conformation to the values and ideal represented by
him; in a broader sense, to grow in spiritual and psychological health and wanting to work
for the salvation of others too. Conforming does not mean an external imitation but it
expresses the essence of belonging to Christ, as “to be conformed to the image”(Rom
8:29) of the Son84. Meanwhile tradition uses the expression Imitatio Christi, “Imitation of
Christ” for what we call here conforming, it is not meant to be a slavish copying of Jesus’
words or deeds; neither a sort of moralizing based on Jesus’ example. As David M. Stanley

83
We will see more of the character of this decision in [135].
84
See the description of conforming in Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” p. 159.
35
points out, “Imitatio Christi” involves the arduous process through which the
contemporary Christ operates with a man on a long term basis”85. Man and woman were
created in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27), and this image was deformed by sin, but can
be restored to integrity by turning to Christ the true image of God (2 Cor 4:4) and through
an intimate association with him “all of us, gazing the unveiled face on the glory of the
Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Cor 3:18). St. Paul
describes this change also as acquiring a new self: “you have taken off the old self with its
practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the
image of its creator” (Col 3:9-10).
Conforming is part of the process of the Christification of the creation, in which the
Universal Christ unites in himself all. With other words, by conforming we are inserted in
the process of the salvation history in union with Jesus who is the “Christ-for-the world”,
the Head of the creation, as God’s plan is “to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on
earth” (Eph 1:10)86. Clearly that means also that conforming to Christ is not restricted to
those who are incorporated in the Church but it is possible for non-Christians and even for
those who not even know the name of Jesus Christ. One is “conformed” to Christ in every
single spiritually and morally good act without the necessity that it should be performed
for consciously supernatural motives (cf. Mt 25:31-46). The grace of Christ exists also
outside of the Church and is deeper and more pervasive than we used to suppose87. If we
think of Jesus Christ as the person who realizes in a unique way what is the best in human
reality, then every human person can meet him even without knowing of the historical
Jesus: “If Christology represents the unique fulfillment of anthropology it follows that
everyone who fully accepts his life as a human being has thereby also implicitly accepted
the Son of man. Hence…such an individual has already encountered Jesus Christ without

85
Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” pp.75-76.
86
Cf. Alex Lefrank, S.J.-Maurice Giuliani, S.J., Freedom for Service. Dynamics of the
Ignatian Exercises as Currently Understood and Practiced, (Rome: World Federation of
Christian Life Communities, 1989) p. 68. The authors of this study present the movement of
the Second Phase as the extension of our relationship with Christ from “Christ-for-me” (First
Phase) to “Christ-for-the world-with-me”.
87
For a presentation of this view of the salvation through Christ, see Karl Rahner, The
Dynamic Element in The Church, (New York: Herder and Herder, 1964) pp. 42-83. Rahner
was the main contributor to the Vatican II on the question of the relation with other religions,
and the Council endorsed his theory of “anonym Christians” (without the controversial
name) (see more about this topic in Joseph H. Wong, “Anonymous Christians: Karl Rahner's
Pneuma-Christocentrism and an East-West Dialogue” Theological Studies, Vol. 55, 1994).
36
knowing however that he had met with the person whom the Christians call Jesus of
Nazareth”88
Conforming is an important part of the religious and moral conversion process
represented in the Spiritual Exercises. Following Bernard Tyrrell’s distinction we speak of
four analogous types of conversions: religious, moral, psychological conversions and the
conversion from addiction89. Each of these evolves in two stages, in radical and ongoing
conversion and in each stage we can distinguish two movements, as “turning-from”
destructive tendencies and “turning-toward” authentic, healthy and holy ways of living. To
illustrate this process the image of an ascending spiral might be suitable, since healing
and spiritual growth is not a linear movement but has more new beginnings, re-turnings as
the stages of conversions move forward while it is advancing similarly to a spiral that goes
over the same ground several times but at successively higher levels90. The Second Phase
generally supposes that the companions are already committed to Jesus Christ, that is,
they are advancing in the ongoing religious and moral conversion and as we mentioned
earlier, it involves mainly the dynamic of the turning toward movement. However, we
believe that also non-Christians can use the entire Spiritual Exercises fruitfully, supposed
their openness toward the person of Jesus Christ and the healing and spiritual growth
involved in the ideals and values of his mission as presented in this interpretation. The
commitment required for the Second Phase is meant in an adapted fashion in this case to
a certain degree of openness and psychological health. Further, the exercises of the
Second Phase might be applied in some analogous and adapted form in the ongoing
healing of neurosis and addiction and even for the radical stage of these conversions 91.
Besides this analogous use it seems to us that the conforming process in itself might be
beneficial for the healing of psychological disturbances, as a “side-effect” of the religious
and moral conversion involved in it, since the conforming to an ideal brings on a
therapeutic effect even if it is not intended directly92. Later at the presentation of the

88
Walter Kasper, Jesus the Christ, (New York: Paulist Press, 1977) p. 49 in the chapter
where the author presents Rahner’s “transcendental Christology from below”.
89
Cf. Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 3-6. See also the chapter Religious Conversion:
Third Form of Christian Enlightenment, “Christotherapy I,” pp.13-16.
90
Ibid., p. 6 and Tyrrell, “Christotherapy I,” p.137.
91
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 23-24 and 160-161.
92
Let quote the words of Viktor Frankl: “…the side-effect of religion is an eminently
psychohygienic one. Religion provides man with a spiritual anchor, with a feeling of security
such as he can find nowhere else” (Frankl, “The Doctor and the Soul,” p. xiv).
37
decision or election involved in the Second Phase (see [169-189]) we will return to the
therapeutic effect of this process.
It is appropriate at this point of the Exercises to read the “Guidelines for Discernment
for the Second Phase” [328-336], which are to be found in the Appendix C. Of course,
these are useful not only in the context of the Exercises but later in the life of the
companions when one “is being assailed and tempted under the appearance of good”
[10]. The companions will need to get an experiential knowledge of these guidelines
during the Second Phase and keep them in consideration for the aftermath whenever a
similar spiritual-existential situation occurs.
The goal of the exercises in this Phase is to prepare the companions for the decision
and to support the conforming process through the contemplation of events from the life
of Jesus Christ and a series of specific meditations. “The Ignatian contemplation concerns
itself with the events of sacred history, where the Ignatian meditation is taken up with the
consideration of truths of faith”93. While the meditations require the use of thinking and
reasoning, the contemplation in the Exercises means to enter a specific scene in the time
and place of Jesus through the creative use of our imagination and so acquire an
experiential knowledge of the event. These events that Jesus lived in his earthly life in the
Exercises are called “mysteries”, underlining that these are spiritual realities present for
everyone in history; in some way the contemplation of these mysteries gets us in touch
with the risen, living Christ today. By the contemplation we don’t simply accomplish a
pious exercise of imagination but this is a way to grow in faith and openness toward God’s
word in order to discern our way in the world and also to recognize Christ living now in
other people94. The Ignatian contemplation is a conscious effort, active use of our
faculties, differing from the passive, infused contemplation when God draws the individual
in vivid interaction with himself, Jesus Christ or other persons95.
This Phase is divided into time periods, each containing a number of contemplations
and meditations. A typical period has two contemplations and two repetitions and ends
with the “application of the senses”, but this structure will slightly vary through the Phase.
This dynamics serve the goal to stay long enough with each mystery and let the

93
Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” p. 5.
94
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” pp. 82-83. See
also Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 117.
95
Ibid., p. 97.
38
movements of the Holy Spirit become relevant through the repetitions. The companions
are free to decide how long these periods will last depending on the form they chose for
the Exercises and the pace of their advancement in the process. In the secluded form one
period can be one day, while in the everyday life form it might extend to several sessions
and last a number of weeks. The Second Phase can be prolonged also by further periods in
the same form that we present and for these we give only an indication of the material to
use in the contemplations. For the contemplations there are texts presented in the
Appendix B under the title “The Mysteries of the Life of Jesus Christ” [261-312]. These can
be used along with the Scripture text as helps to enter the scene of the actual story 96. At
this point before beginning with the exercises proper of this Phase the companions need
to read also the Notes in [127-131] which gives further orientation how to arrange the
conditions for this time97.
The grace which we will ask throughout all the contemplations of this Phase will be the
same. As Ignatius formulated it, “it will be to ask for an intimate knowledge of our Lord,
who has become man for me, that I may love Him more and follow Him more closely”
[104]. His insistence on this desire shows the importance of it for the whole Exercises
process. The conformation (in Ignatius’ words “following”) involves both an intimate,
existential knowledge and a personal love for Jesus Christ. In the biblical sense, knowledge
and love are close realities in relation of reciprocity; in the in Hebrew “to know” someone
is an expression of the sexual relation – a man “knows” his wife (Gn 4:1). In the New
Testament the interplay of love and knowledge is especially visible in the language of
John’s gospel and epistles, where love and knowledge of God grow together, reinforce
each other. The intercommunion of love and knowledge, of which we are speaking here, is
an important characteristic of the religious conversion as described in Christotherapy 98.
Illustrating this reciprocal relation of love and knowledge we can use the image of a
double ascending spiral with connections like the DNA. Spiritual life is a journey on this

96
As John C. Futrell points out, reading the Scriptures at the beginning of the
contemplations will make sure that the movements experienced during the prayer will be a
response to the revealed Word of God. Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 73.
97
We kept the original numbering of the Spiritual Exercises and the place of each
number. These notes even if placed later in the text by Ignatius are necessary for the
companions from the beginning of the Phase.
98
See the presentation of this characteristic of the religious conversion in Tyrrell,
“Christotherapy I,” pp. 14-16.
39
spiral upward. This imagery is related to the traditional picture of the mountain as in the
works of St. John of the Cross, where through the different nights one is advancing toward
the peak of the mountain where there is nothing else than love. The two fundamental
anthropological images of the “way” and the “house” are presented together in this
imagery as we find our way toward home throughout our life99.

“For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice,

and knowledge of God rather than holocausts” (Hos 6:6)

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God;

everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love” (1John 4:7-8)

101-131. THE FIRST PERIOD

100
101-109. FIRST EXERCISE: ON THE INCARNATION

Following the opening prayer this exercise consists of the visualization in a global way
of the history involved and the historical place it happened, the prayer asking what we
want and three points for the contemplation and it ends with a prayerful conversation. In
this Phase the double visualization of “history” and “place” prepares the contemplation in
which we “enter” spiritually the time and space of the contemplated event. Similarly to
the exercises of the First Phase also this can be divided in more prayer sessions taking one
point each time or pray through the three points in one session depending on the
possibilities of the companions. If they decide to do it in three sessions, it is advisable to
repeat it in one additional session in the complete form.

99
It is interesting to note that Jesus calls himself the “Way” and Mary is hailed as
“Domus Aurea”, the “Golden House” in the Lauretan Litany, somehow reflecting this basic
need of being on the road and thriving to arrive home, to have a house to stay. In the same
time “Way” and “House” represents something of the masculine and feminine dimension in
our humanity.
100
“Incarnation” is the moment when “the Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14), the moment of
the conception of Jesus, which is for Christians the moment when God became man.
40
Opening prayer

In this Second Phase we use the same opening prayer as in the First Phase.

Visualization of the history

This exercise deals with the Incarnation, the event when the Second Person of the
Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - became man and Ignatius invites the
companions in [101] to see the Triune God who makes the decision to send the Son to
save humankind and do it by becoming one of us. That the Second Phase begins with the
image of the Trinity is not an accident since St. Ignatius had special trinitarian devotion
and had several mystical experiences of God as Trinity101. The strong trinitarian aspect of
his spirituality is shown in the way Ignatius teaches to pray to the Three Divine Persons
individually as well as together and also in the Spiritual Exercises, where the references
“Divine Majesty”, “God our Lord” and similar are generally meaning the Holy Trinity102.
Our imagination will have a bit unusual task for most of us when we try to see the
Trinity. The companions in their prayers maybe are used to addressing the Three Divine
Persons individually and also together as the Triune God, and have already an image even
if not reflected yet consciously. It does not matter what is the content of this image, the
important thing is to follow our personal sensitivity and feel that image as meaningful for
us. Maybe some have seen traditional representations of the Trinity as the old bearded
man and a younger one with the dove of the Spirit in between. This could work perfectly.
Maybe some have other images in mind as the three angels with the symbols of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit over them in the icon of Andrej Rubljov. This icon is very rich in
symbolism, it is good for meditation, however now we don’t need to go in the details only
have the general image pictured in fantasy. Karl Rahner writes so of the procedure of
seeing the Trinity:

101
W. W. Meissner point out that “among the passages marked for special emphasis, a
dozen deal with visions of the Trinity, and four others with Christ in his role as mediator to
the Trinity. The trinitarian insights are diverse: on different occasions Ignatius sees one or
other of the persons...” in William W. Meissner, S.J., M.D., To the Greater Glory: A
Psychological Study of Ignatian Spirituality, (Milwaukee: Marquette University Press, 1999) p.
585.
102
Ibid., p. 561 and in Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,”, p.165.
41
 “We should behold the Father, ‘from Whom all fatherhood, earthly and heavenly,
derives its name’ (Eph 3:15), Who is the originless fullness of mysterious life; then the
Son, the Word of wisdom in the inner divine existence; and finally the Spirit, who as the
alert love of the Father and the Son penetrates the depths of the Godhead. This Trinitarian
God eternally conceived this world in such a way that He wanted to assume it with a love
that is incomprehensible, as the place for His own created history, in order to participate
in earthly multiplicity as the incarnate God”103

As for our personal images of the Trinity, John’s is a burning candle, matter, light and
heat distinguishable but in one entity. This imagery is going beyond the anthropomorphic
descriptions of the Trinity and is very helpful to free it from the impression that God is
either male or female. Mystics as Juliana of Norwich refers to God and even to Jesus as
Mother104 and there are efforts to find a feminine principle or figure in the Holy Spirit and
in the Middle Ages there were representations of the “Quaternity”, bringing in God as a
feminine figure the Blessed Virgin Mary. Still these descriptions don’t free the image of
God from anthropomorphism as the impersonal metaphors do, which also are frequent
beginning from the Revelations through St. John of the Cross and so on. For example St.
Ignatius mentions in his Autobiography “he saw the Holy Trinity under the figure of three
keys”105. It is hard to “unlock” this imagery but it helps us to grasp that God who is love is
totally different and surpasses all what we can say about him or her. For some help seeing
what the three keys means let us look at the following quote: “One day as church bells
pealed, Ignatius felt his soul soaring skyward like an eagle and «in the imagined harmony

103
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 139.
104
Her works are quoted in this context in Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” p.172. Jesus as
Mother who feeds the soul of the faithful appears also in hymns.
105
St. Ignatius’ Own Story As told to Luis Gonzales de Camara With a sampling of his
letters, translated by William J. Young, S.J., (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1980) p. 22.
The visions of Ignatius (reflecting some of his personality) are rather simple with respect to
the rich imagery of his contemporary mystics, such as St. Therese of Avila or St. John of the
Cross, but not less effective. “Unlike St. John of the Cross, Ignatius had no symbols nor
poetry in which to frame his vision, his soul-transforming apprehension of intimate union
with the Divine Persons, and could babble only in terms of things he knew so well, suffering
and service.” (James Broderick, S.J., Saint Ignatius Loyola, The Pilgrim Years 1491-1538, (San
Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1998) p.322. The apparitions he had were, “…in part purified
symbols, and in part images of brightness and light. The Trinity appears as three keys, the
humanity of Jesus as a white body, images carrying with them overwhelming feelings of
consolation, joy…” (Meissner, “To the Greater Glory: A Psychological Study of Ignatian
Spirituality,” p. 574)
42
of three organ keys, he contemplated the mystery of the Trinity. Tears of joy ran down his
cheeks.» (Autobiography of Ignatius)”106
Kris likes the image of a couple, two distinct persons in the communion of love, which
is fruitful and becomes a third person in their child. That God is Trinity can be somewhat
understood on the base that “God is love” (1John 4:8) and love exists between persons.
Further, love by its nature cannot remain between two in a closed circuit but pours out –
hence the third person of the Trinity. The couple as the image of the Triune God appears
in the first creation story where we can note the shift of the singular and plural of the
nouns as a sort of expression for the unity and distinction of them: “God created man
[singular] in his image; in the divine image he created him [singular]; male and female he
created them [plural]” (Gn 1:27).

“God is love and in Himself He lives a mystery of personal loving communion. Creating
the human race in His own image and continually keeping it in being, God inscribed in the
humanity of man and woman the vocation, and thus the capacity and responsibility, of
love and communion. Love is therefore the fundamental and innate vocation of every
human being. As an incarnate spirit, that is a soul which expresses itself in a body and a
body informed by an immortal spirit, man is called to love in his unified totality. Love
includes the human body, and the body is made a sharer in spiritual love”107.

Continuing our visualization we look upon the earth with the Trinity and see
humankind’s need for salvation, see how they live in sins, sinful social structures, personal
and corporate greed, oppression and manipulation. As they see all this, we hear the Trinity
to decide to save humankind through the Incarnation of the Son. This event reveals the
humanity of God, that is, in a mysterious way the essence of humanity is eternally present

106
The quote is from Mark Link, S.J., “The Life of St. Ignatius,” Contact Magazine, 2003
Winter Edition of the Chicago province of the Society of Jesus (http://www.jesuits-
chi.org/contactmagazine/2003winter/ignatius.htm). Mark Link in this article adapted his book
Challenge 2000: A Daily Meditation Program Based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
(Allen, TX: Tabor Publishing, 2000). See also this remark: “In a footnote the editor of my
edition of the Autobiography notes that ‘(t)his image or figure of the Trinity refers to the
keys – teclas – of a musical instrument and probably signifies a musical chord – three notes
producing a single harmony” in William A. Barry, S.J., Finding God in All Things, (Notre
Dame: Ave Maria Press, 1991) p. 133.
107
John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation “Familiaris Consortio”, (Rome, 1981) 11.
43
in God and now appears in the life of Jesus Christ. In the same time Incarnation tells us
about the dignity of the human being, capable of God108. When thinking of the Incarnation,
we need also to realize that it is related to us personally, the saving work of the Trinity
resulting from this divine decision includes all the conversion, healing and spiritual growth
we personally are experiencing in our historical situation.
In order to grasp the meaning of the Incarnation we need to consider the other side of
the same event, the human side that is the Annunciation to Mary. Karl Rahner writes so of
this necessity: “Actually it is impossible to speak of the Incarnation without at least
implicitly thinking of the Annunciation to Mary. If we try to consider the truth of the
Incarnation of the Word independently of the Annunciation then we consequently fall into
the danger of reducing this truth, which is essentially news and an event, to an abstract
metaphysical speculation. In any event we can only gain an existential understanding of
the enfleshment of God by taking the unity of the Incarnation and the Annunciation in
consideration. We can only really penetrate to the concreteness of the Incarnation by
proceeding through the history of the Annunciation”109. “When the wholeness of time had
come” (Gal 4:4) the loving Trinity sent the angel Gabriel to Mary in Nazareth. We read now
the scriptural reference, Lk 1:26-38 and [262]. The companions might want to read it
aloud to each other and then keep a short time of silence. Here they don’t need yet to
share their images unless they want; they can continue with the exercise and as usual
speak about their experience at the end of the prayer session.

Visualization of the place

Now we turn our attention from the Trinity to the entire earth, all inhabitants and all
countries of it, and then slowly focus our attention on the image of Mary with the angel in
Nazareth. This exercise of imagination is like to watch a movie with this opening and
closing down of the camera. With this visualization we have three big pictures to use in
contemplation, the Trinity, the world and the scene in Nazareth.

108
Let us refer here to Karl Rahner’s “transcendental Christology from below” in which
the Incarnation is the highest realization of the essential nature of human reality. However,
this possibility does not need to be realized in every human person, even if all humankind is
on its way toward it, but in the One whom the Christians recognize in the historical Jesus
Christ. Cf. Kasper, “Jesus the Christ,” pp. 48-49.
109
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 136.
44
Asking what we want

As for all the contemplations of the Second Phase “it will be to ask for an intimate
knowledge of our Lord, who has become man for me, that I may love Him more and follow
Him more closely” [104].
This expresses the basic faith that the contemplation of the life of Jesus promotes the
conformation process to Christ today as we saw it earlier. Note also the use of the word
“more” in this quote from Ignatius. This word expresses the inner force that drove him, the
passionate love for God, that never stops being satisfied with what is achieved but desires
always move beyond, toward the “more”; to love more, to know more and to do more for
God’s “greater glory”. This desire for “more” is the underlying dynamics of the Ignatian
spirituality and the Exercises in particular.
Now, after the global visualization of the three stages we are ready to enter the
scenes, to begin the contemplation itself. It will unfold in three points in which we will
return three times to these scenes and doing so will have a long enough time to look at
the mystery contemplated and allow the Holy Spirit to arise in us inner movements,
feelings as the Word slowly penetrates our spirit110.

First point: seeing the persons in the scenes

First we see in our imagination all the people on the earth. We see in details the
vastness of the world, the richness of history and culture, the diversity of the peoples
individually and socially and we see them waging war against each other. Then we turn to
see the Holy Trinity with the help of the concrete image we have from the visualization.
We see their goodness and compassion toward the human misery. Finally we see Mary
with the angel and stay with this image for a while, open to the feelings that emerge in us.
This contemplation and the feelings of wonder and gratitude that it provokes prepare
us to grasp better the meaning of the statement that “God became man”. Both God and
the human being is a mystery; the approach to understand them experientially-
existentially is more appropriate in a way than the intellectual analysis.

110
Cf. the presentation of this threefold contemplation in Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual
Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” pp. 86-87.
45
Second point: hearing the persons involved

Now we try to use our auditive fantasy and hear the persons we have seen. First we
listen to all the people of the earth, try to hear their talk, laughter and cry, whispers and
yells, their expressions of despair and hope, sadness and joy, desires and failures. Then
we turn to the Trinity. What we can hear? We sort of listen to what God has to say about
humankind of history of wars, torture, injustice and all sorts of suffering; as for a special
grace we can see the world with the eyes of God and hear the opinion of the Trinity and
expression of compassion for the human race. This compassion of God’s leads to his (or
her) “suffering-with”111 our misery and helplessness. Here we arrive to the scene of the
Annuciation and hear the angel and Mary speaking about the birth of Jesus, the salvation
of humankind that includes our personal salvation. Finally we stop for a while to
understand better the grace we received in this contemplation.

Third point: observing what the persons do

At this point we turn our imagination to see what the persons are doing in the scene
we contemplate. First of all we observe people of the earth, then the Trinity and finally the
angel and Mary. We can also try to feel their inner attitude and so gain an existential
knowledge of the history of Incarnation, a more intimate and personal knowing than that
one achieved by solely intellectual study or received as mere fact of a tradition. We end
also this point by recollecting the graces received during the contemplation.

Prayerful conversation, sharing and review

At the end of the entire exercise we spend a certain amount of time in prayer during
which we address the Persons of the Trinity, especially the Second Person, the Son, the
Word who became human, for compassion toward us and finally we speak to Mary, the
mother of Jesus. We can express ourselves according to what we felt and received during
this exercise and ask for the grace to live in communion with God who just became man in
our contemplation for us. Close with an Our Father…
As a fruit of this contemplation the companions will begin to note some of the patterns
of how consolations and desolations occur in their feelings. It is important to realize and
make treasure of the fruits of the contemplation both in prayer and in sharing. Following
111
The word “compassion” derives from Latin “compassio”, from “compati” to
sympathize, which is a composition of “com-“ with and “pati” to bear, suffer
46
the closing prayer the companions review the exercise, share what they experienced and
take notes of this and of their insights in their diary.
In the Spiritual Exercises Ignatius presented the birth of Jesus as the Second Exercise;
but mentions in [162] that we can use more mysteries to prolong the Second Phase
according to the desire of the companions. We can insert at this point after the Incarnation
a contemplation of the Visitation from [263] and Lk 1,39-56. We did not elaborate it here,
but this exercise needs to be structured as the first: after the preparatory part (opening
prayer, visualization of the history and place, asking for the grace of the phase) follows the
contemplation in three points (seeing, hearing the persons and observing their actions)
and it ends with prayerful conversation, sharing and note making. To maintain the rhythm
of the periods after two mysteries we need to do always one or two repetitions and an
application of the senses on these two before going on to new contemplations. We find the
presentation of how to do the repetitions and the application of the senses at the third,
fourth and fifth exercises in [118-126]. This can be used accordingly also in the case if the
companions take other mysteries to contemplate. Material to choose for these
contemplations can be found in [265] “The Shepherds”, in [266] “The Circumcision “, or in
[267] “The Magi”112. In this present interpretation of the Spiritual Exercises we follow with
the Nativity as second contemplation.

112
These scriptural quotes or scenes can be involved in the contemplation of the birth
of Jesus as we do partly in this presentation, or treated as separate exercises, if the
companions desire to go more into the details.
47
 110-117. SECOND EXERCISE: ON THE NATIVITY

Opening prayer

The companions use the usual opening prayer.

Visualization of the history

We read the Scripture, Lk 2:1-14 and [264] and see Mary, nine months pregnant
arriving in Bethlehem together with Joseph. We might imagine then Mary riding a donkey,
or both of them traveling on foot; both possibilities seems feasible for that time and their
social status. They come from Nazareth in consequence of an imperial order, subject to
the political situation and exposed to the changes in the will of the powerful of their times.

Visualization of the place

We might see here the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem, which is probably dusty and
winding; we can imagine how it is, wide or narrow, with trees or barren and so on. This
road is similar to the roads in our life. We see then Bethlehem, the town full of caravans of
travelers and merchants, with their animals; we see the lodges where they stay and the
outskirts where the poor live in cave-like dwellings. Or, we can also represent in our
imagination “Bethlehem” with one of the towns we know in our country.

Asking what we want

We pray also now for the same grace as before, that is for an intimate knowledge of
our Lord, who has become man for us, that we may love him more and conform ourselves
more to him (cf. [104]).
Karl Rahner notes: “From a theological point of view, this meditation is only a
repetition of the meditation on the Incarnation of the Word. But here we want to consider
more carefully a few traits of the epiphany of grace in Jesus Christ that can give us more
help to reach the decision that each of us should make in this retreat” 113. This decision for
some of us might be the choice of a state of life or other major decision regarding the

113
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 146.
48
direction of our life; others might make a decision to redirect or to confirm the way on
which they are advancing. In all the cases we believe to find orientation, inspiration or
motivation, insight or model in the life of Jesus. Hence we have the stress on the
contemplation of the major events or mysteries of his life from his conception through the
road to Bethlehem and later to Jerusalem.

First point: seeing the persons in the scene

We see the persons present at the birth of Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the baby himself,
and maybe another good willed woman who helps at the delivery. Later, as the shepherds
arrive (read [265] and Lk 2,8-20) we can imagine ourselves to be among them and so
contemplate the scene. We try to understand better what the presence of the shepherds
means here; maybe we can imagine them as a bunch of homeless guys in the outskirts of
one of our big towns, where Mary, Joseph and Jesus finding shelter in some very
provisional shaky dwelling as a poor migrant working family. If the companions wish, go
on and imagine also the arrival of the Magi (read [267] and Mt 2,1-12) and consider what
their presence means there, what the birth of Jesus should mean for the wealthy and well-
educated, how the message of the “good news” should reach out for every social bracket
and every nation. We stay there with them for a while and after the contemplation stop to
reflect on what we have felt and understood, and to consider which grace we received. It
would be advisable to write down notes about the experience and share it without
discussing however how it went, only accept each others experience as it was.

Second point: hearing the persons involved

The companions try now to imagine the conversation between Mary and Joseph with
the baby Jesus born right before. Also at this point we stop and recollect whatever we felt
and understood.

Third point: observing what the persons do

The companions now turn their attention to contemplate the actions of Mary, Joseph
and others in our scene. We can see the hardships of their journey, of finding a place to
stay and so on. We can think about how the Son of God by being born in that place in
Bethlehem accepted the conditions of hard work and the poverty of an ordinary life. We

49
consider that all this happened somehow personally for us. “For you know the gracious act
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that
by his poverty you might become rich” (2Cor 8:9)114. Also after this point we stop for a
recollection of the graces received.

Prayerful conversation, sharing and review

We spend time now in prayer and sharing similarly to the precedent exercise. Then we
close it with an Our Father…

THIRD EXERCISE

This is a repetition of the preceding two exercises (cf. [62-63]). In this exercise we
have an opening prayer as usual followed by the visualization of the history and the place,
then we ask for the same grace as before, to know our Lord more intimately, that we may
love him more and conform ourselves more to him (cf. [104]).
In doing the repetition of the Exercises we stop to contemplate the parts of our
contemplation, which had been the most significant for us. It means that we recall what
gave us consolation, or what caused desolation, sadness, or where we felt inspired or had
some insights. We ought to stop with these points long enough to let them evoke again
feelings and thoughts and doing so maybe we receive further insights.
We end also this exercise with the usual prayerful conversations, sharing and review
and close with an Our Father…

FOURTH EXERCISE

This exercise is another repetition of the precedent two in the same manner as we did
in the Third Exercise.

114
Note in this quote the shifts in the meaning of wealth and poverty, these being now
expressions on the one side for the preexistence of Jesus in God as Son (“he was rich”) and
his incarnation and death (“he became poor”) and on the other side for the experience of
the believer living in intimacy with God as a result of the redemption. St Paul in no way at all
refers to material wealth when he says, “you might become rich”.
50
 FIFTH EXERCISE

Here we do a different kind of contemplation of the same mysteries from the

Incarnation to the Nativity, the Trinity, the world of Nazareth and Bethlehem; we will use
the so-called “application of the senses” which we did already in the “Meditation on Hell”
[65-71]. It involves not only to see or hear in our fantasy what we are contemplating, but
also to try as well to use the other senses, to smell, to taste and to touch the scene in our
imagination. The repetitions and this contemplation are intended to lead us to simpler
prayer with less and less reasoning. The “application of the senses” helps to reach the
concreteness of the history, to involve us also emotionally and have an experiential
knowledge of these mysteries. Through this personal experience the contemplated reality
might become more deeply ours, imprinted in our thinking and desiring and our decision-
making process.
This kind of prayer might be unusual for some of us and we might not feel attracted to
it and feel that are not capable to use the fantasy in this way. Whatever poor or rich
imagination we might have, in a certain degree everybody can use it and we can put it in
the service of our prayer as it is. Maybe we need not to force anything special but let our
mind linger on the subject as in a sort of daydreaming, let it wander around and
something surely will happen. Also for this contemplation is valid the rule that we should
give more time to the points that we feel more significant for us, both in positive and in
negative sense, because God waits us there with some message; and we can let go the
parts that are meaningless for the moment. The repetitions serve exactly to let emerge
the significant points from the general context and in this way the subject matter involved
becomes something of a very personal experience for us in the time of living through the
Exercises, an experience that we will not forget and which will orient us later.

Opening prayer and preparatory steps

The beginning of the Fifth Exercise is similar to the precedent ones, and then we will
do the “application of the senses”.

Five points of contemplation: application of the senses

“Taste and see how good the Lord is” (Ps 34:9)
“How sweet to my palate are your promises,
51
 sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Ps 119:103)
We let our senses one after the other to explore the scenes we are presented in the
precedent exercises. Following each sense we stop for a while to recollect what we
understood. We will begin with seeing the persons and their ambient in a detailed manner
and after it we will hear them to speak. The application then continues with the senses of
smell and taste; we try to feel the fragrance and sweetness of the Trinity, of the angel and
Mary, of the baby Jesus. If we find it difficult to use our imagination to feel God, some
metaphors from Scriptures might help: God is compared to rock (Ps 144:1), to thundering
waters (Ps 93:4), to shade in the scorching sun (Ps 121:5-6), to a soaring eagle (Jer 49:22),
under who’s wings there is refuge (Ps 17:8;36:7) and his feathers cover us (Ps 91:4). We
try to feel the smell and taste of the birthplace of Jesus as we imagined it, and so on.
Finally we apply the sense of touch for the scenes of the Incarnation to the cave of
Bethlehem. For example we can imagine to kiss or embrace the persons, touch the walls
of the place where they are and similar.

Prayerful conversation, sharing and review

We do a similar conversation with the Three Divine Persons and Mary as before, and
then have our sharing and take notes in the diary. Close with an Our Father…

127-131. NOTES

1. From this point in the Exercises the companions should read only at the actual
mystery contemplated at that time. That means not to go ahead and read other mysteries
from Appendix B to avoid interference with the present contemplation.

2. If the companions do these Exercises in the secluded full-time form, the order of
the contemplations might be the following: The first on the Incarnation can be done during
the night if the companions like the nightly hours for common prayer, otherwise they can
do it early in the morning. The second exercise might be done during the morning, too.
The remaining three exercises of the first day we can schedule for the afternoon and the
evening. It is important to take breaks between the contemplations and go outdoors, walk,
52
get fresh air and do similar activities. Also the following days can be arranged in this
manner.
If we do the Exercises in the everyday life, the five contemplations of the first period
can be done in five days, as well as in several weeks depending how the companions are
able to organize the prayer sessions, daily, weekly or biweekly. It is important to give
enough time for each contemplation in order to make clear which points are significant
and what is their meaning in the given existential circumstances. Indeed, the repetitions
have as their goal to have time to gain a personal experience of the mysteries involved, to
let emerge feelings and emotional commitment to the recognized truth while our prayers
become more and more simplified. Also, it is very important to reserve enough time for
sharing between the companions who act as guides for each other in this interpretation of
the Exercises process.
3. There is a tradition that sustains the value of the prayer during the night. This
question needs to be considered with freedom and according to personal sensitivities. As it
is true for everything in spiritual life individuals will find that different things work for
them. From the fruits we can decide if a certain practice is good for us or not. If the nightly
hours help us to find what we search in prayer then we use it. If it disturbs our sleep so
that we get too tired for the next day (maybe we cannot fall asleep again if we wake up for
prayer) then we need not to force the late hours for prayer. Neither we need to do it if our
personal rhythm is so that our prayer during the night is reduced to a fight against falling
asleep or we find it hard to get up next morning. There are people who are more active at
night, while others at the early hours of the morning, and so on. In consequence the first
exercise of each day in a secluded retreat might be made during the night if it is a good
time for the companions to pray or in the morning otherwise. Similar is true for choice of
the time of the prayer sessions in a retreat in everyday life. Of course the companions
need to find a common schedule for prayer, sharing and other moments and it should be
so that both find wellness in it. Most of the times this schedule will be object of
experimentation and after a period of time the companions will find their rhythm of prayer
life.
4. We need to take into consideration also the Additions in [73-90] adapted to the
Second Phase. These guidelines are helpful in deepening our contemplations, as for
example by recalling the matter we are dealing with as first thing in the morning and then
as many times as we can during the day. The companions need to insert also times spent
53
outdoors, walking and contemplating nature, and capture the presence of God in the
creation.
5. To mark the moment of beginning one exercise we can establish a sort of little
ritual. As soon as we recall that it is time for our reflection or contemplation, we stop for a
short while to think about what exercise we will do and realize God’s presence surrounding
us. Then we stop for a moment in front of our place of prayer and with a sign or gesture
we begin the exercise, as described also in the third Addition in [75].

132-133. THE SECOND PERIOD

We keep the same structure for the five exercises as in the First Period. The
contemplations are on the “Presentation in the Temple” [268] and on the “Flight to Egypt”
[269] from Appendix B, “The Mysteries of the Life of Jesus Christ” [261-312]. Following
these two contemplations there are two repetitions and the “application of the senses”.

133. NOTE:

At this juncture of the Exercises it might be helpful to try to change something in our
rhythm of doing it. Maybe try another time of the day for prayer or similar “in order to
attain better what is desired” [133]. This might be the case particularly in the secluded
form of the Exercises, where on the second and third day doing only one repetition instead
of two and so having four exercises a day can help to be more rested for the very
important Fourth Period. We repeat again our conviction that God guides the retreatants
during the Exercises and they can help each other efficiently in directing the retreat.
To extend the Exercises we can use “The return from Egypt” in [270], contemplating it
twice.

134. THE THIRD PERIOD

In this period we use for contemplation the “Hidden life of Jesus” [271] and the
mystery of “Finding the child Jesus in the Temple” [272] with the usual structure of
repetition and application of the senses.
Before beginning the Fourth Period we need to find time to reflect on the following
material:

54
Introduction to the consideration of different states of life

Throughout the Spiritual Exercises the expression “states of life” refers to our vocation
we desire to discern and decide for or what we have already chosen and now want to
strengthen and better the way we live it. This vocation first of all is the basic choice of
married or religious life but it can mean also a major feature of life as a profession,
occupation or job. Not every person who goes through the dynamic of the Exercises does
it for choosing a state of life, but to find a way to clarify, deepen and strengthen the
vocation already lived and to discover new horizons, motivations, inspiration and healing
through this means.
For the kind of decision we deal with here we want to mention something that
concerns that fact that the “Finding Our Way Together” presentation of the Exercises is
made for companions and typically for married couples. The common goal for which all
companions begin the Exercises is to live better their life in common. That general goal
might be concretized in something they decide together. It might be that they enter the
Exercises already with the desire to resolve a personal situation. Also if doubts are rising
about their vocation, during the Exercises the companions can find the possibility to deal
with it115. In each case they will help each other as spiritual guides, for which role the
companions qualify first of all because of commitment of love toward each other.
Secondly, they know each other well, which is an important support in the discernment
and decision-making. Certainly God will be present in a special manner in their encounters
and will help them directly to support and advise each other in an enlightened manner. In
case of married couples the grace of God, which is operative in their marriage is also an
important factor that makes them excellent candidates for spiritual guides of each other.
Love always helps us to know better the beloved person and to see him or her in a true
light; in love there is the will for the major good of the other as well for the common good.
During the entire process of “Finding Our Way Together” very important is the
moment of sharing between the companions about the movements they experience in
their own spirit and mind or see in their common life and relationship. The Second Phase is
time for discernment and decision in a special manner, so the companions particularly
need each other to understand what is going on since many times we cannot see

115
“If doubts arise in the retreatant regarding vocation, they should not be skirted but
should be dealt with in the context of the retreat” (Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of
St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 104).
55
ourselves so well as the other person who loves and knows us. This time is a good practice
as well in listening and giving feedback to each other. It is very important to learn to give
and receive sincere feedback so that it is not hurtful but a serene and open moment.
As we proceed with the contemplation of the life of Jesus, we arrive to a time of
recognizing what decisions we need to do in this particular moment. Then we enter
properly in the discernment process which we describe later on. This process is at the
heart of “Finding Our Way Together” and once we have learned it here in the Exercises we
will use it again and again. We could say that we need to live the discernment, live in
discerning love where our companion is a co-discerner to recognize “God’s will” for us. As
we see with two eyes better, so two persons discerning together might get a clearer
understanding of their decisions and help each other to a better self-knowledge and a
loving knowledge of God.

136-157. THE FOURTH PERIOD

In this period we have two meditations of great importance inserted in the series of
contemplations of the life of Jesus, the “Two Standards” [136-148] (with two repetitions)
and the “Three Types of Attitudes” [149-157], both aiming to help the companions in the
discernment and decision process that is operative through the entire Exercises. The
Fourth Period contains altogether four exercises; the first three are the “Two standards”
and its repetitions and closes with the “Three Types”. The contemplations of the public life
of Jesus will be made already in the light achieved in these meditations and so they will
show the norms for discernment while Jesus is “lived with”116

136-148. TWO STANDARDS117: CONFLICTING VALUE SYSTEMS ON OUR WAY

Earlier the Kingdom meditation and the contemplations on the Incarnation, the Birth,
and the “Hidden life” of Jesus already showed the values Christ held and represents for us
now and helped to put our life in the perspective of these values. The companions already
made a fundamental and general decision for these values in the Kingdom meditation.

116
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 75.
117
The word “standard” on one side has the historical meaning of the flag of battle of
an army, a remnant of the military language that was natural for Ignatius; on the other side
it means a “value system” orienting one’s choices and actions. We use it mainly in this latter
meaning here.
56
Now in the meditation on “The Two Standards” the value system of Jesus Christ becomes
explicit and the companions are called for a clear choice for the “standard” of Christ.
The reason for this particular meditation is the same as that of the entire Exercises,
that we become able to choose freely the life offered by Jesus Christ and turn away from
anything else that could be an obstacle for us to achieve the sense of our existence as it
was defined in the “Principle and Foundation” [23]. The meditation puts in front of us the
opposing value systems represented by Satan and the world on one side and that of Jesus
on the other side in order to reject the first and embrace the latter. Through this
meditation still is present the dynamics of “turning-away” from evil, but the main thrust in
the Second Phase is on the radical “turning-toward” Christ118.
Although this exercise is not contemplation but meditation, the structure of it is the
same as of the preceding ones.

Opening prayer

The companions begin this exercise with the usual prayer.

Visualization of the history

The reality we are to reflect on is the fact that there are two “calls” in our lives
drawing us in opposite directions especially when we face decisions. This polarity is
present deep in our hearts as well on social, national and multinational levels and it
derives from the history preceding us, which is history of sin and salvation at the same
time. The opposite sides we identify as one from Satan, “the deadly enemy of our human
nature” [136] and the other from Jesus Christ. In consequence of this polarity we
constantly need to make choices even when we don’t do it consciously but out of routine
or convention. The forces of evil working in our world always influence us but we always
remain free through the grace of God to choose what is good and reject the opposite
which leads to despair, hatred, less freedom and alienation. Even if usually we seek to
forget it in this meditation are we reminded on the need for decisions, but also that there
is always at least one right choice in every single situation, which leads to more life and
more love for us and our world.

118
Cf. Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” p. 174.
57
 “The concern of the flesh is death,
but the concern of the spirit is life and peace” (Rom 8:6)

In the New Testament we find first of all in the writings of Paul (as in Gal 5:16-26 and
Rom 8:1-13) the antinomy between the “flesh” and the “spirit”, the contrast between the
sinful tendencies and weaknesses of the human nature with the faculty that enables us to
share in the Holy Spirit119. Similarly to the list of the works of the “flesh” and of the fruits
of the Spirit in Gal 5:16-26, we find in the Christian spiritual literature numerous examples
of descriptions and definitions of the destructive and life-giving attitudes, including the so-
called “capital sins” and their counterparts called “virtues”120. An example from outside
Christianity to such a system is the Enneagram, which puts in contrast nine basic passions
as the foundation for a typology and their counterpart virtues in order to identify ourselves
in these types and so try to avoid the destructive tendencies and cultivate the positive
side of each passion121.

“Here, then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom…
I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.
Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live…” (Deut 30:15.19)

“Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to
destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and
constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few” (Mt 7:13-14)

119
The words “flesh” and “spirit” do not refer to some sort of the body-soul opposition.
St. Paul’s view is far from the Neoplatonic or Manicheist dualism seeing body as the principle
of evil while the soul as of the good. The lists of the works of the “flesh” eminently include
idolatry, hatred, selfishness, greed and malice (Rom 1:29-31, Gal 5:19-21, Col 3:5.8), which
are not connected with the body. He is in the line of the Hebrew thinking where “flesh”
means the human person or nature in its unity but weaknesses in respect to God (See in this
regard Jesus saying: “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” in Mt 26:41).
120
A short study of these attempts of catalogs of vices and virtues is found in Tyrrell,
“Christotherapy II,” pp. 175-181.
121
Although Enneagram comes from non-Christian tradition, eminently from the Sufi
school of Muslim piety, there are Christian interpretations of the system and it is used as a
means to support self-knowledge in spiritual retreats and books. A practical example of such
application is Richard Rohr-Andreas Ebert, Discovering the Enneagram. An Ancient Tool for a
New Spiritual Journey, (New York: Crossroad, 1990).
58
 The teaching about the “two ways” is an ancient one present in various Jewish texts,
as well in the Old Testament as for example in the quote above from the farewell address
of Moses (similar “two ways” are found in Jer 21:8). The moral teaching about the way of
life and way of death in Christian texts comes from its Jewish roots 122, and is found for
example in the New Testament as in Mt 7:13-28 describing the contrast between two kinds
of life. The most eminently known presentation of the “two ways” is in the “Didache” an
early second century writing in which the first six chapters are usually referred to with this
title and begins with this words: “There are two ways, one of life and one of death, but a
great difference between the two ways” (1:1)123. Then the text describes the way of life
and way of death as a genuine teacher of Christian righteousness would teach it. The
Epistle of Barnabas states it this way: “There are two Ways of teaching and power, one of
Light and one of Darkness. And there is a great difference between these two ways. For
over the one are set the light-bringing angels of God, but over the other angels of Satan.
And the one is Lord from eternity and to eternity, and the other is the ruler of the present
time of antiquity”. (Epistle of Barnabas 18:1b-2)124.
Entering in this line of the tradition of the lists of vices and virtues and of the “two
ways”, in Christotherapy I Bernard Tyrrell presents a series of fundamentally destructive
attitudes with their life-giving counterparts which he calls the “gates of hell and gates of
paradise”, with the intent that the recognition of these helps the mind-fasting and spirit-

122
Cf. John Dominic Crossan, The Birth of Christianity, (San Francisco: Harper, 1999) p.
396. Crossan quotes further examples of the “two ways” teaching in the pre-Christian Jewish
literature from the “Rule of the Community” (3:17-21) found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and
from the “Testament of Asher”(1:3-5) in “The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs”, Op. cit.
p. 396.
123
Roberts-Donaldson translation; see Alexander Roberts-James Donaldson, The
Writings of the Apostolic Fathers. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (New York: Scribner's 1908-11)
and many subsequent publishing.
124
Translation of Lake, quoted in Crossan, “The Birth of Christianity” p. 397, alongside
with an other example from the “Teaching of the Apostles” (1:1), which goes back to a
common source with the Didache and the Epistle of Barnabas. Both the Jewish and Christian
texts can refer or not to cosmic and angelic dualism as seen from these examples; however
the question is open if this intense dualism is an influence from the Zoroastrian theology,
from the antagonism between Mithras and Ahriman, light and darkness or not. Referring to
the striking parallelism between Christianity and Mithraism, a shocking fact for the early
Fathers who thought it a confusing stratagem of Satan (Ahriman), Will Durant writes so: “It is
difficult to say which borrowed from the other; perhaps both absorbed ideas current in the
religious air of the East” (Will Durant, Caesar and Christ. A History of Roman Civilization and
of Christianity from their Beginnings to A.D. 325 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1944) p.
524).
59
feasting process125. Notwithstanding the extremely polarized name, the “gates of hell” are
ways of life present in our everyday reality on individual and societal level, as excessively
sensualist, emotionalist, possessive, intellectualist attitudes and the idolizing of self or
other persons. The opposite “gates of paradise” are ways of existence that puts these
tendencies in the context of freedom and balance.
The two “standards” in the Spiritual Exercises is presented to us by Satan and by Jesus
Christ in a symbolic but very real way. Satan is not only the parable of the destructive
forces but he is a personal reality who stands behind every evil in this world. The goal of
the exercises of “Finding Our Way Together” is to learn how to distinguish the two voices
that are calling us in different directions on personal on social and national levels.
Following the existential diagnosis of the negative tendencies and the consequent fasting
of the mind and heart, the discernment leads us to the cultivation of the understood
positive ways of thinking and living aided by the Christotherapeutic technique of spirit-
feasting. The work of orientation among concurring tendencies in our life traditionally is
called searching of God’s will126, of which we can say also that it is the existential
discernment or finding the meaning of every moment in our life regarding the continuous
challenges we face.
As we see the “two way” teaching is strongly polarized and antagonistic, it presents an
absolute opposition between the two extremes, there is no way in-between. To this stark
picture we find a more serene addition in the Didache: “…for, on one hand, if you are able
to carry the entire yoke of the Lord, you will be perfect; but on the other, if you are not
able, undertake that which you are able to bear” (Didache 6:2)127. In this notion of
perfection that calls for constant striving toward “what you can”, which is open to all not
only for an elite, we can find a precursor to the Ignatian spirituality, which defines
perfection as the constant desire for the “more” and in the discernment recognizes God’s
will basically where one finds finally peace.

Visualization of the place

125
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy I,” pp.87-96.
126
“God’s will” should not be considered as something external to us, as a rule to
adhere or a program ready to perform, but it is the fruit of our freedom, a decision
discovered during the discernment process, in a certainty beyond consolations and
desolations, a dynamic and intrinsic reality where we can “meet God”, confirm our
relationship with him. Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, pp. 227-228.
127
Cf. Crossan, “The Birth of Christianity,” pp. 400-402.
60
 Following the general framework of the exercises also in this meditation we try to see
mentally a place that might help us in our reflections. The “Two Standards” meditation
aiming to help in choosing the life-giving value system of Christ relies not only on the
intellect and will but very vividly also on the spontaneous dynamics of imagination that
tries to balance threatening images with polar opposites128. Here we can form in our
imagination the view of a deserted plain with burnt down, destroyed cities where Satan is
the chief of a terrifying army; on the other side we can imagine a wonderful green
meadow where Jesus waits us to join him as his disciples.

Asking what we want

In this exercise, which is a meditation preparing us to decisions, we ask to recognize

the traps of the value system of Satan in our personal life and in our society in order to
avoid them, and we ask the grace of the existential knowledge of the value system of
Jesus and choose it when discerning about our decisions. The companions need to pray for
each other’s choices and for the grace that they could help each other in this exercise and
later in the decisions.

140-142. First Part: The Standard of Satan, the “values” he uses to deceive and seduce all
of us

In this first part we enter the scene of the parable of the Satanic power as we formed it
in the visualization. We see Satan as the commander of his horrifying and powerful army
ready to attack again on a vast scorched plain.

128
We refer in this regard to the use of a study of Gilbert Durands in the analysis of the
dynamics of the “Two Standards” meditation in Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 179-181.
Tyrrell’s insight is that this spontaneous balancing function of the imaginative activity is at
least partially the source of the classic lists of vices and virtues and that the same function is
evoked consciously in the mind-fasting and spirit –feasting techniques. We would add also
the “two ways” teaching as an example of the use of the spontaneous dynamics of
imagination.
61
 We imagine how Satan uses all sorts of means, propaganda, and lies to gain power
and how he sends his followers to commit all kinds of crimes and deceit everywhere in the
world.
We look at the whole system of deceit with which Satan is seeking to lead each of us
individually and as entire nations, offering material wealth, power, celebrity status, and
world-fame. This is the same old tactics that always worked throughout history and is
everywhere operative. Ignatius summarized it so: “The first step, then, will be riches, the
second honor, the third pride. From these three steps the evil one leads to all vices” [142].
The three steps of the tactics of Satan aim to bring excess and disorder in the will to
possess, in the will to be esteemed, and in the will to exist. These three levels of
temptations are of different intensity, as they attack more and more the core of the
person129. They do not necessarily follow this order in individual cases; someone might
have great ambition without too much wealth. We face choices between things that are in
themselves neutral, can be useful or not, and have a certain value. The strategy of Satan
is based on this ambivalent character of things and stresses the neutrality of possessing
them and increases the desire in individuals and nations to have wealth, success, and
spiritual goods and manipulate or abuse others in order to attain these. On the first level
the possessed things then turn to identify the person or nation holding them. This
existential identification of self involves on the second level to the dependence of the
esteem of others and finally to self-sufficiency 130. Pride or self-sufficiency is an attempt to
exist absolutely for self and manifests itself in the personal independence, unconditional
self-assertion and in nations, often armed supremacy. The underlying dynamics in this
process is the fundamental fear of life, existential unbelief and mistrust, all of which in
conclusion lead to a revolt against God.
We can recognize the three levels of temptation in the account of the temptation of
Jesus, recorded in slightly different version in the Synoptic gospels (Mt 4:1-11; Mk 1:12-13
and Lk 4:1-13). In the description of Luke the wealth-honor-pride triad is represented by
the temptations to turn the stones into bread, to gain power over the world and to show
Jesus’ extraordinary status in a spectacular manner by throwing himself down from the
Temple. As Robert C. Leslie points out, the temptation story illustrates the internal
struggle that is present in every human soul to overcome the forces of demoniac

129
Cf. Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 173-175.
130
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 104.
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temptations and to establish an integrating principle in order to orient one’s answers to
the basic questions with which he or she is confronted131.
The first temptation of Jesus in this context means to let the pleasure principle prevail,
to choose consequently the immediate satisfaction of one’s sensual desires. Although this
temptation is obviously present in our lives, the Freudian hypothesis of the dominance of
the pleasure principle cannot be held in front of the evidence that the presence of a life
task, the commitment to a supreme value can prevail over the law of self-preservation.
Viktor Frankl who survived several years in concentration camps asserts that even in the
camp environment those who had a hold on to spiritual values did not succumb to the
degenerating effect of such an environment, but there were “plenty of examples – often
heroic ones – to prove that even in the camps men… did not have to submit to the
apparently almighty concentration camp laws of psychic deformation” 132. When Jesus
answers to Satan, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth
from the mouth of God”, (Lk 4:4 and Mt 4:4, cf. Dt 8:3) it means that he chose to renounce
the immediate gratification in order to follow what God’s will was for him. Jesus warned
against the lure of wealth and possessions as in the Sermon on the Mount (for example Mt
6:19-21.24-34) and elsewhere (Lk 12:16-21; 16:1-15). Notwithstanding the ever-present
temptation to live by the pleasure principle - the deceit of “riches” in Ignatius’ terminology
- human existence is guided by the pursuit of higher goals and by the search of God’s will.
The second temptation of Jesus is to let the power principle dominate his life. The
search for power, personal prestige and status, the exploitation of others in order to gain
these, and the allure of “honor” is so much widespread a phenomenon that Alfred Adler in
his “individual psychology” asserted it as the basic drive in life. Although a certain level of
self-esteem is necessary for a healthy psyche, the temptation of the power drive misleads
us to seek status and honor directly, and the price to pay for it is in destroyed
relationships, falsity and deceit. This is a way of worshiping the devil, which Satan in fact
asked of Jesus in turn for world power. Viktor Frankl pointed out many times that there are
several things, like joy and happiness that cannot be willed directly but should come as a
by-product of one’s deeds133. As the pursuit of happiness does not lead to its fulfillment so

131
Robert C. Leslie, Jesus as Counselor, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1968) I. Exploring
Height Psychology The Temptations of Jesus; Lk 4:1-13, pp. 13-23.
132
Frankl, “The Doctor and the Soul,” p. 78.
133
For example: “What is called self-actualization is, and must remain, the unintended
effect of self-transcendence; it is ruinous and self-defeating to make it the target of
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is it with the power drive. Status and power should be earned and self-esteem grows
though the gratitude of those who have been benefited by our actions. Jesus says to the
devil the same thing when he answers him that only from pleasing God and from a life of
service comes the honor (cf. Lk 4:8). He repeated this advice several times to his disciples
in words (for example in Mt 21:25-28; Mk 10:33-37; Lk 22:24-30, and Mt 18:1-5; Lk 9:46-
48) and also in the symbolic gesture of washing their feet at the Last Supper (Jn 13:1-20).
The third temptation of Jesus as Robert C. Leslie points out is to escape from personal
responsibility, which is a manifestation of self-sufficiency and pride. Harder to recognize
than the other two this temptation is permeating our culture on personal and societal
levels. It works through the dominance of psychological and sociological determinism. We
can excuse our behavior endlessly by past traumas and by what others did or did not. In
sharp contrast to the determinism of psychoanalysis, in Logotherapy Frankl stresses with
insistence the necessity to assume responsibility. In reality the future does not depend so
much on past experiences as on our conscious decisions in the present. Notwithstanding
past conditioning influences we are always responsible for our choices. Responsibility is an
indelible characteristic of human existence and it means that we ought to give a response
or an answer for our acts in front of our conscience. In religious terms, we are created
beings and we are not self-sufficient but our life is constant gift from God whose creative
love we respond to with our existence, choices and acts. Jesus refuses to throw himself
from the top of the temple in a show off his special status and self-sufficiency, he does not
want to put God to the test and so does not want to evade responsibility for his acts. He
also spoke against the determinism of false pretenses such as to belong to a chosen
nation; that being “Abraham’s children” is not enough without “doing the works of
Abraham” (Jn 8:39-47). He also warned against the danger of trusting in one’s own
righteousness (Lk 18:9-14) or of the hypocrisy and pride to hold a special place in society
(see the denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees in Mt 23:1-26).
We could summarize these temptations as the choice of a false integrating principle of
one’s decisions, the identification of self with possessions and status, and existing
absolutely for self which leads inevitably to a loss of meaning of life itself or with the words
of Jesus: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my
sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit

intention. And what is true of self-actualization also holds for identity and happiness. It is the
very ‘pursuit of happiness’ that obviates happiness. The more we make it a target, the more
widely we miss”. (Frankl, “The Unheard Cry for Meaning,” pp. 35-36.)
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himself?” (Lk 9:24-25). In the Spiritual Exercises Ignatius asserts the Principle of Freedom
[23], which will return here in the Two Standards meditation as the integrating principle
supporting one’s decisions and renouncing of the temptations of Satan.
At this point the companions can have a sharing about what they are experiencing
personally and also to try to find contemporary examples of how these methods of Satan
are working in everyday life, in politics and so on.

143-146. Second Part: The Standard of Christ, the Way of Trust, Hope, and Life

Now we turn our attention to Jesus and the value system of trust in God he offers in
stark contrast with the mistrust and unbelief Satan suggests. Basically we will recall the
grace of the Kingdom meditation [91-99] in a deeper, more radical and concrete way.
First of all we imagine Jesus in a friendly setting, for example on a green field of the
spring with lovely paths among flowers and white rocks. His presence is very attractive
and brings peace and calm. Then we imagine how Jesus calls his disciples to be
peacemakers, merciful and perseverant in good. We can read here the Beatitudes as we
did in the Kingdom meditation at [97].
Imagine Jesus encouraging those around him, including us, to bring hope to the world
as he himself is sent by the Father to heal, liberate, and save with the power of the Holy
Spirit (Lk 4,18-19), to learn from him who is “meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29) and
teach his way to all. Then he calls to recognize him in every human being, mostly in the
poor and neglected. Indeed, everybody who does good to an other person for his or her
own sake can meet Jesus regardless of knowing him explicitly (Mt 25:31-46).
Jesus calls first of all for a basic and indestructible trust in God and to believe in the
goodness of life notwithstanding any adversity. The trust in God who is a real Father is the
source of a freedom from the fear of loss of material and other goods if it would happen to
us (Mt 6:25-34). This freedom is the meaning of the spiritual or affective poverty that
sometimes might be also effective and it is the basis for any Christian spirituality, for any
following of Jesus and his mission. The trust in God gives us also freedom from the

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excessive fear of what people might think about us if we stand for what we believe to be
true and if in consequence we should “loose our face” or in other form suffer lack of
appreciation, failure, rejection, loneliness, be neglected, abandoned or ridiculed by society
as stupid, useless and coward. All these are certain forms of persecution and injustice that
necessarily follow our commitment to the way of Jesus; Ignatius called it “insults and
contempt” suffered for Christ. Finally Jesus offers the freedom to find our real self through
service of God and other people. This is the same freedom we reflected upon in the
“Principle and Foundation” [23] and it can be realized in a multiplicity of ways. Our
understanding of who we are through service is the source of authentic humility as we see
it later in [167]. We can realize that the trust in God Jesus offers leads to a value system
opposite of the wealth-honor-pride triad of Satan’s standard. Ignatius summarizes so: “…
there will be three steps: the first poverty as opposed to riches; the second, insults or
contempt as opposed to the honor of this world; the third, humility as opposed to pride.
From these three steps, let them lead men to all other virtues” [146]. The three steps of
poverty, persecution and humility are the way of Jesus toward spiritual freedom from our
basic fears. We need to hear Jesus saying us to not be afraid (Mt 10:26;28:10; Lk
5:10;12:4;24:36; Jn 6:20) echoing Yahweh’s words to his people (Is 43:1) and the angel’s
assurance to Mary and Joseph at the Annunciation (Lk 1:30; Mt 1:20). It was not by
accident that John Paul II at the occasion of his election addressed the crowds on St.
Peter’s square with the words “Non abbiate paura!” “Don’t be afraid!” making it into the
leit-motive of his papacy - sensing the dire need to repeat this reassuring message to the
peoples of our age fallen in the traps of so much fears: “The exhortation ‘Be not afraid!’
should be interpreted as having a very broad meaning. In a certain sense it was an
exhortation addressed to all people, an exhortation to conquer fear in the present world
situation, as much in the East as in the West, as much in the North as in the South. Have
no fear of that which you yourselves have created, have no fear of all that man has
produced, and that every day is becoming more dangerous for him! Finally, have no fear
of yourselves!”134.
At the end of these reflections, an important warning from Karl Rahner regarding the
meditation on the “Two Standards”: “Nevertheless, we must be aware of the fact that the
attitudes desired by Christ and the attitudes desired by Lucifer can be mistaken for one

134
John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994) p219.,
see also pp. 4-6, and pp. 218-224.
66
another. Greed can hide under the disguise of poverty, and the seeking of insults and
contempt can be a refined form of seeking recognition from others. One can be very proud
in a shabby suit! These false forms are worlds apart from the poverty and humility Ignatius
135
describes as the characteristics of the standard of Christ” . The standard of Christ, the
way of trust and freedom does not mean a law to follow by the letter. It does not mean for
example that automatically one needs to choose the lower paying job, it does not give a
prefixed rule that is easy to apply mechanically to concrete situations but it is an inner
sense, an integrating principle of orientation that supports the discernment process
throughout our life (cf. [135]).

147. Prayerful conversation, sharing and review

At this juncture of the Exercises process the companions need to stop for a common
review and sharing on how things are going. It is advisable to arrange a session when
there is common prayer and after it each companion can describe her or her experiences,
mainly regarding the last exercise on the “Two Standards”, sharing the feelings and
insights emerged during the meditation and what decisions seem necessary, if there is
any. We should remember that the companions act also as spiritual guides to each other
and it is important that they know what is happening with the other, but they should
restrain from forcing each other on concrete decisions in any way. A good guide always
should be in reality more someone who encourages the other’s own choices and
accompanies him or her along the way (hence our choice of the word “companion”) in an
affirmative manner. Companions can act also as a balancing force for each other. It means
for example that if one is suffering despair or hopelessness, temptations to “give up” or
similar, the companion is there to offer consolation, encouragement, and support until
hope returns; on the other side, if one would enter in excitement and feel urged to commit
himself or herself hastily to some project, the companion should help to avoid rushed
decisions and to find serenity about it.
After this sharing the companions follow with three prayerful conversations. First
asking the intercession of Mary136 for their personal and common situation and end it with
a Hail Mary… The second and third prayer is as usual with Jesus Christ (finished by the
prayer Soul of Christ…) and with the Father. Conclude with an Our Father…
135
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p.178.
136
We propone that protestant companions address this prayer to the Holy Spirit.
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 148. NOTE AND REPETITIONS OF THE “TWO STANDARDS”

In the secluded form of the Spiritual Exercises this meditation might be made as the
first of the daily schedule on the fourth day of the Second Phase, and then we repeat it
two times during the day. The last exercise of the fourth day is the next entitled “Three
Types of Attitude”137.
Similarly, in the everyday format of the Exercises – which we have first of all in mind
when writing “Finding Our Way Together” – we have four sessions for the fourth period, of
which the first three is dedicated to the “Two Standards” and its repetitions and the last
treats the “Three Types…”
During the repetitions of the “Two Standards” meditation we review the points that
moved us the more. In order to help the repetitions we give here additional material that
can be read and worked on along with the review and sharing. We close also these review
sessions with the triple prayer to Mary, Jesus and the Father. Given the importance of this
part of the Exercises process, if it is necessary the companions are free to prolong the
time dedicated to these repetitions. The schedule we give is always only a guideline,
otherwise the companions should decide of the pace of going through the Exercises
process, and a calm, relaxed, and reflective way of doing this is always preferable. The
general rule is that we stop with a particular exercise, point, or reflection while we feel
that it “gives some fruit” and go ahead to the following points only when see that we have
“exhausted” the present material.

First repetition: Enneagram Exercise

This Enneagram exercise is based mainly on Richard Rohr’s study138 and in it the
companions can identify their enneagram types, which will give an indication where they
need the grace of healing in general and which gifts to ask for in order to serve the value
system of the Kingdom of Christ. As a descriptive and empirical typology the Enneagram
has its advantages and weaknesses. No typology can express the richness of the human
person and does not intend to “close” people in categories, but proves to be helpful tool to

137
See [133] and [136] where we told that from the second to the fourth day there are
only four exercises scheduled daily.
138
Richard Rohr-Andreas Ebert, Discovering the Enneagram. An Ancient Tool for a New
Spiritual Journey, (New York: Crossroad, 1990).

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grow in self-knowledge. The goal of this exercise is to support the conversion process, the
turning from unhealthy and sinful tendencies symbolized by the standard of Satan and
turning toward authentic modes of living, that is, toward the standard of Christ with the
help of the Holy Spirit.
A circle in which nine points are linked together and are numbered represents the
enneagram types. These nine types are named by their number - expressing that none is
better than the other - and they are identified by nine “root sins” and compulsions that are
characterizing them. The companions might want to design the circle, where the point
“Nine” is usually at the top of it. On this diagram they can record notes as we go ahead in
this exercise; they need a separate diagram for each. These nine “root sins” (meaning
that these are at the source of our sins) are the traditional seven “capital sins” (pride,
envy, anger, sloth, avarice, gluttony and lust) complemented by two other sins, fear and
deceit. The fact fear and deceit escaped the attention of Western spirituality, has made its
mark on our society, which is typically falling into these “root sins”.
The nine types belong to three centers, “head”, “gut” and “heart” corresponding to
the three physiological systems – nervous, digestive and circulatory – and each center
contains three distinct personality types. The neighboring group “Eight” “Nine” and “One”
belong to the “gut”, “Two” “Three” and “Four” to the “heart” and finally “Five”, “Six” and
“Seven” to the “head”. We sign on the diagram the centers by dividing the circle in three
at the appropriate points. The search for our type begins with finding our center.
All of us are endowed with a mind (for knowledge and seeking truth), an instinct (for
survival and life), and a yearning (for love and acceptance). We have a need and a
capacity for all three, but early in life one of the centers becomes our preferred focus of
being and in consequence we are biased as we live out of one of these three centers and
need conversion toward a fuller life. These are all good drives, but when we depend on
them excessively, can nevertheless lead us to into blind and sinful kinds of behavior.
Conversion means for each type freedom from the one-sidedness and to live the best of
the basic drive, which we can characterize by the three theological virtues of faith hope
and love. Let us see the centers shortly and choose which is likely ours, and take notes on
the diagram.
- The head types prefer to approach the world rationally; they have to be “right”. They
first reflect on situations, to see “How things fit together?” They usually are withdrawn
types while their deep feelings are hidden and their prayer life seems to be dry and out of
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a sense of duty. Prayer forms like discursive or picture meditation appeal to them. They
need the grace to move from thinking toward acting, toward other people and to turn their
doubts into faith, which is the theological virtue characterizing this center.
- The gut people react instinctively, they strive be “first” or “best”, and seek for power
and justice. Their reaction to new situations is “Here I am, deal with me”. They are ruled
by some sort of aggression and tend to hide their anxiety. Quiet meditations like centering
prayer are good for them. With the help of the grace they can turn their energy into
concrete and personal love, their typical theological virtue.
- Heart people seek to be “original and unique”, establishing them as distinct. They
are concerned with being for others, with prestige and image and their typical question is
“Will you like me?” Heart people have an imaginary thermometer in the air to sense how
things are going. They have a sense of responsibility and think that they know what is
good for others, are active and kind while hiding their aggressiveness or sadness. They
like communal forms of prayer; solitude and passivity are hard for them. They need the
grace of trust and acceptance towards God and through healing and spiritual growth they
become able to live their theological virtue, the real hope.
We follow with the presentation of the nine types of which now the companions can
choose the likely one by testing themselves against each description. This they should do
personally, each finding his or her own type. First of all they need to search in their center
chosen above. We do not have to agree completely with every word or statement in the
description of the type we choose as “most” likely. Some part of the description might not
fit, but we need to look at the overall picture when rating the types. However, with time it
happens sometimes that people discover themselves to belong to a different type from
that thought at first, which is a normal thing. Sometimes the type in which we feel
disturbed is the right one for us, sometimes we feel at home clearly in one of them.
Sometimes what we thought to be our virtue is our root sin, and the truth is that usually
we have all the nine compulsions but one will more likely or dominantly characterize us.
The Enneagram supposes that our gifts used in inauthentic ways become a source of sin
while with the grace of conversion it becomes authentic and life-giving virtue. We will see
also that each type has traits of both its neighbors on the circle, which are called usually
the “wings”. One of the “wings” might be stronger in a particular person and this colors
further the characterization into subtypes. We give the basic compulsion, the root sin and
a short description of the characteristic behavior and indicate the positive, “redeemed”
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side of the unique gift of each type and the fruits of the spirit toward which grace moves
them. The fruits of the spirit represent the opposite side of the root sin and are basically
from the traditional “catalogues of virtues”. These are mainly the biblical nine fruits of the
Spirit in Gal 5:22 (love, joy, peace, patience, amiability, kindness, fidelity, gentleness, self-
control), the seven messianic gifts of the spirit in Is 11:2 (awe and respect before God,
piety, knowledge, strength, counsel, insight, wisdom) and the list of the four cardinal
virtues (justice, prudence, temperance and fortitude).
The dynamics of this exercise is to move through the dialectic of thesis, anti-thesis and
synthesis. Once the companions identified their type taking into consideration also the
“wings” (thesis), the next step is to dis-identify themselves from it, saying: “Yes, it’s me,
but it is only a part of me” (anti-thesis); finally in a synthesis they accept their shadowy
side and learn to live with it. Once we are able to laugh at our compulsion then we are free
of it and open to discover in it our gift and the fruit of the Spirit given to us. Let us follow
now with the presentation of the types, take notes on the diagram and see which are more
likely ours.

Type One: their compulsion is the “need to be perfect”, their root sin is the anger and
their fruits of the spirit are patience, peace, serenity, kindness and gentleness.
Ones are idealists, longing for justice, truth and moral order with a strong sense of
right and wrong. As children they were told to be “good boys” and “good girls”, to be
“model child”. This demanding voice is behind their strive for perfection, for improving
things and their fear to make a mistake. Their temptation is the search for perfection,
which can render them overtly critical and perfectionist. They typically have problems with
anger, resentment and impatience, which they don’t admit usually, since being angry is an
imperfection. They turn their anger in “good works”, but most of it remains repressed and
they are never satisfied. At their best they are wise, discerning, realistic, and noble, even
morally heroic. The reverse of their root sin, the fruit of the spirit, which characterizes the
mature person, is patience and cheerful tranquility. Some call Ones “the reformers”, this is
the gut type that is more near on the diagram to the heart center.

Type Two: their compulsion is the “need to be needed”, their root sin is pride and their
fruit of the spirit is humility.

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 They are caring, empathetic, sincere, and warm-hearted, sometimes sentimental and
flattering. As children often they felt that to be loved they need to meet conditions, or
early needed to become emotional supporters of their familiars. Twos are generous and
self-sacrificing, but can slip into doing things for others in order to be needed and to
control others through their service. The temptation of Twos is to continually help others
and deny their own needs; in consequence they have a chaotic emotional life. They
typically have problems with possessiveness and real self-knowledge is hard for them.
Their root sin is pride, to feel themselves better than others since they serve. Twos repress
their needs and project it on others, while in reality they are extremely needy, dependent
on others to feel their worth. “Do to others whatever you would have them to you” (Mt
7:12) is “poison” for them if they take it at face value. Sometimes they rebel to show how
independent they are. At their best Twos are unselfish and altruistic and have
unconditional love for others. It is a sobering and humbling experience when they
recognize that they give in order to receive, through which mature Twos become really
humble. Two is called also “the helper” and belongs to the heart types and is the nearest
to the gut center on the diagram.

Type Three: Their compulsion is the “need to succeed”, their root sin is deceit and
their fruit of the spirit is honesty and truthfulness.
Threes are efficient, self-assured, attractive, and charming; they are good at finishing
their job, achieving their goals and motivating other people. As children usually they were
rewarded with love for their achievements, for good marks in school and similar. Threes
are ambitious, competent and energetic, they can also be status-conscious and they like
to win. Their constant question “How am I doing?” Their temptation is efficiency, they
identify with their project try to avoid failure at any cost, even if they need to polish truth
up. In order to win they tend to oppress truth, to deceive and to lie, which is their root sin.
Together with fear, deceit is the most dangerous “hidden defect” in our society as we did
not name it so in our lists of “capital sins” and consequently didn’t see it historically.
Threes mostly deceive themselves, thinking that their lie is truth. They are good actors, as
usually they are preoccupied with their performance, and of the impact they make, but
can fall in vanity. At their best Threes are self-accepting, authentic, good organizers and
possible role models who inspire others. The fruit of the spirit of Threes is honesty and

72
truthfulness; they are able to unmask society’s lies. This type is called also the “achiever”,
in the middle of the heart center on the diagram.

Type Four: their compulsion is the “need to be special”, their root sin is envy and their
fruit of the spirit is equanimity, harmony or “even-soul-ness”.
Fours are sensitive, introspective and extravagant; more at home in their dreams than
in reality. They are artistically creative, longing for beauty and harmony. Fours have the
constant question in the back of their mind “What do you think of me?” They want to
impress people and they have a sort of artificial spontaneity; they are used to rehearse
mentally before acting and feel as to be on a stage observed by others. As children they
had generally painful experiences and losses, which turned them toward the inner world,
but they long for love and to “go far away” while dreaming of a beautiful future. Fours
direct anger toward themselves, so they are often experience guilt and self-pity and fall
into depression and melancholy. Life is a tragic experience for them; they need to be sad
sometimes in order to be happy. Their temptation is to strive too much for authenticity,
naturalness and originality; Fours try to avoid ordinariness, monotony and try to express
themselves in symbols, which are supposed to alleviate directly unbearable situations. The
root sin of Fours is envy toward who has more style, more class but also toward normal,
simpler people; they often experience jealousy, too. At their best Fours are inspired and
highly creative, expressing something universally valid. Their fruit of the spirit is harmony,
balanced and deep emotions; mature Fours are able to deal with real life, understanding
and helping others in psychic distress. The type is called also the “individualist”, and it
belongs to the heart center on the side toward the head types on the diagram.

Type Five: the compulsion of this type is the “need to know”, their root sin is greed or
avarice and their fruits of the spirit are objectivity and generosity.
Fives think before they act, they are open and receptive for new facts, often feeling a
sort of emptiness, which they long to fill. As children they experienced a lack of intimacy
or their ambient was too intrusive, forcing them into the inner world. Fives are passionate
collectors of almost everything from ideas to books and stamps and so on. Their motto is
“My home is my castle”. The temptation of Fives is knowledge, to know more than other
people represent power for them. They are introvert observers; withdrawn to defend
themselves they often also compartmentalize reality and friends in distinct areas. Their
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root sin is greed, they collect but do not like to give, and might fall into avarice. At their
best Fives are good listeners and as they are able to concentrate and focus on situations
they are excellent counselors and advisors. They can have contemplative gifts, and
capacity to develop complex intellectual systems, they are researchers, visionary
pioneers, often ahead of their time, and able to see the world in a new light. The fruit of
the spirit of Fives is objectivity and generosity as they put their gifts at the service of
others. Detachment is at the same time their greatest gift and their main weakness. The
type is called also the “investigator”, belongs to the head center on the diagram, they are
closest to the heart types.

Type Six: their compulsion is the “need for security”, their root sin is fear and their
fruit of the spirit is courage.
Sixes are reliable, good team players, responsible, and trustworthy. They can be
cautious and indecisive, often having self-doubts and mistrust. As children they often had
cold parents, were punished or beaten and did not learn trust themselves. They look for
authorities for security and would like to see a black and white world; they are the
conservative bookworm type. Sixes obey without making their own opinion, are pessimists
and anxious about success. Sixes can be phobic or contraphobic, seemingly very different
groups. Phobic Sixes are hesitant, careful, evasive and easy to lead, while contraphobic
Sixes deny fear by overcompensating it, disguise it by put-on hardness, often they become
members of aggressive groups or pursue dangerous sports. Their temptation is the
continuous search for security and authority; they prefer orthodox, fundamental groups
and closed systems. Law is very fascinating for them and they like the military, where the
hierarchy is clear. They defend themselves by projecting negative motives or hostility to
others. The root sin of Sixes is fear, which together with deceit (the root sin of Threes) is
not recognized as “capital sin” in Western spirituality and in consequence presents a real
danger for our society, where the most frequent type seems to be the Six. As they search
for security, they are vulnerable to unquestionable allegiances and false loyalty to some
sort of traditionalism; they try to avoid doubt blindly obeying and clinging to laws, norms
and rules. Phobic Sixes can fall into cowardice, while contraphobic Sixes rebel against their
panic by taking high risks. At their best all Sixes are dependable, responsible, faithful and
loyal, gifted with empathy and courageous defenders of the oppressed. Courage is their
fruit of the spirit as they overcome their fears and become even heroic in moments of
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crisis. Six is called also the “loyalist” and is the central type of the head center on the
diagram.

Type Seven: their compulsion is the “need to avoid pain”, their root sin is
intemperance or gluttony and their fruit of the spirit is joy and sobriety.
Sevens radiate joy, optimism, idealism and spontaneity; they live the moment with
humor and laughter. While cheering up others all this high spirit serves to protect them
from facing pain and anxiety. Sevens often had traumatic experiences too great to bear
them so they repress negative feelings, rationalize and color up their memories. Keeping a
constant smile Sevens conceal a great sadness. Sevens are extroverted, curious and
versatile. They constantly seek exciting experiences, showing many talents and like to try
out different interesting jobs. Sevens like to be self-employed or to work in teams. They
have problems with impulsiveness, impatience and don’t like authority, neither the
limitation by superiors nor the pressure of exercising power. Their temptation is idealism,
and while striving for good causes their denial of negative aspects of reality can be hurtful
for others. Their root sin is intemperance or gluttony, “more is always better” for them;
they want more joy as possible and usually talk too much. They are vulnerable of
consumerism also in spiritual things recognizable in certain charismatic gatherings or in
the New Age movements, in their dealing with suffering and avoidance of social issues. At
their best Sevens focus their talents on worthwhile goals and learn to be satisfied. Their
fruit of the spirit is true joy and sobriety, a “nevertheless” joy despite all the difficulties of
life. Sevens are called also the “enthusiasts”, and as their rationalizing shows they are
head people, near to the gut center on the diagram.

Type Eight: their compulsion is the “need to be against”, their root sin is lust and their
fruits of the spirit is innocence, tender love and mercy.
Eights are strong, powerful, and aggressive with a passion for truth and justice. In
confrontation with Ones who want to be “good boys” and “good girls”, Eights want to be
“bad” ones; also, Eights don’t apologize or admit mistakes as these look like weaknesses.
They have experienced repression as children, and arrived to the impression that the
world does not tolerate weakness and they can trust only themselves. Their parents might
have rewarded strength and courage; others had indulgent and permissive parents whom
they tested how far they can go. Eights are harsh also toward themselves, perceive life as
75
hostile and threatening and while constantly defend the inner child they don’t allow
themselves to be vulnerable. They often take the side of the weak and oppressed. Their
temptation is that struggling for justice they become revengeful retaliators, punishing the
guilty and the “bad”, even if it happens to be themselves. Eights deny their limits and
weaknesses and repress their softer side. Eights feel they must control their environment,
sometimes become intimidating; enjoying power, confrontation and conflicts. Their root
sin is lust or shameless exploitation, possession and suppression of another person. At
their best Eights are self-mastering, they use their strength to improve others’ lives,
becoming heroic, magnanimous and inspiring leaders. Their fruits of the spirit are
innocence and mercy, tenderness and love as they learn to accept the defenseless child in
themselves and in others. Eights are also called the “challengers” and belong to the gut
people.

Type Nine: their compulsion is the “need to avoid” in general everything, their root sin
is laziness and their fruit of the spirit is decisive and clear action.
Nines are the peacemakers and arbitrators as they accept others without prejudice
and see the positive aspects in both sides. They are easygoing, supportive, calm and
lovable, but can also be too willing to go along with others to keep the peace. As children
they felt often neglected, unnoticed and overlooked; neither outbursts helped so they
learned to keep their anger for themselves and in case of conflicts to maneuver and
understand both sides. They want everything to go smoothly and be without conflict, but
they can also tend to be complacent, simplifying problems and minimizing anything
upsetting. They are the friends from whom no sign arrives for months, since they don’t
take usually the first step, but they will rejoice for the contact as if no time had passed.
Their temptation is to belittle themselves and they have fear of revealing their inner life.
They depend on others to notice and stimulate them to action. Nines tend to withdraw, to
take refuge in sleep or addictions. Their root sin is laziness or indolence, traditionally
called also acedia. At their best Nines are indomitable and all-embracing, they are able to
bring people together and heal conflicts. Their fruit of the spirit is clear action when after
much hesitation finally they reach a decision. They can work then very effectively and be
committed fighters for peace and justice. Type Nine is called also the “peacemaker”; in
the middle of the gut center at the top of the Enneagram diagram.

76
Second repetition: a summary

When we repeat the “Two Standards” meditation the second time we try to summarize
what we understood until now how in our concrete life and situation the tactics of Satan
seduce us and see if we find at least the desire to choose the value system of Christ.
Where are we personally, as a couple, and in our society most vulnerable to the tactics of
seduction? What would happen if we don’t follow the common temptations, but try to live
by the “standard” of poverty-persecution-humility?
To aid the meditation the companions can use also some of the following material:
- See the two value systems described in the Lukan version of the Beatitudes that puts
in parallel blessings and woes, the poor and the rich, the hungry and the satisfied, the
weeping and the laughing, the persecuted and the celebrities of society, read Lk 6:20-26.
- Read about the requirements of following Jesus in Lk 9:23-27 and Lk 9:57-62 and see
how these reflects what we have seen of the value system of Christ.
- Although the “Sermon on the Mount” (Mt 5-6-7) is a literary composition of the
evangelist and not a transcript of an actual “sermon”, Matthew here collected the core of
the teachings of Jesus to his disciples and it manifests his value system well. When the
companions read it next time, they can put it in parallel with the “Two Standards”
meditation.
- See how the teachings about the prayer “Our Father” (Mt 6:9-15) and about the
abandonment to God (Mt 6:25-34) reflect the basic trust that is at the foundation of the
value system of Christ.
- The value system of Jesus is based on the trust in God and on the belief in the
goodness of life independently of the adversities. A powerful example of finding the
unconditional value of life in love is described by Viktor Frankl in Man’s Search for
Meaning, in the scene when he and his friend sets off to the morning march to forced labor
in the concentration camp and someone sighs “If only our wives could see us now!”:
“And as we stumbled on for miles, slipping on icy spots, supporting each other time
and again, dragging one another upward and onward, nothing was said, but we both
knew: each of us was thinking about his wife. Occasionally I looked at the sky, where the
stars were fading and the pink light of the morning was beginning to spread behind a dark
bank of clouds. But my mind clung to my wife’s image, imagining it with uncanny
acuteness. I heard her answering me, saw her smile, her frank and encouraging look… A
thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by
77
so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth - that love
is the highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest
secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of
man is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world
may still know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. In a
position of utter desolation, when man cannot express himself in positive action, when his
only achievement may consist in enduring his sufferings in the right way - an honorable
way - in such a position man can, through loving contemplation of the image he carries of
his beloved, achieve fulfillment. For the first time in my life I was able to understand the
meaning of the words, ‘The angels are lost in divine contemplation of an infinite glory’”.139

- We can finish our meditation by comparing the standard of Christ with the well-
known prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi:

“Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life”.

139
Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” pp. 58-59.
78
 149-157. THREE TYPES OF ATTITUDE

This exercise is the last for the Fourth Period and similarly to the preceding meditation
on the “Two Standards” is oriented toward the decision-making process - its purpose being
further and more directly to enhance the companions’ ability to make a right choice. The
meditations in the Second Phase become more and more specific and concrete as we get
near to the decision, beginning at the general vision of “The Kingdom of Christ” [91-98]
that ushers this Phase, through the more specific “Two Standards” [136-148] to this
demanding meditation. Further difference is that while in the previous two meditations the
stress was on the call coming “from above” for so to say, here our attention turns toward
the possible human approaches “from below” to salvation 140; namely we will consider
three types of inner attitudes people can have toward the saving gift of God. This might be
called a “test-meditation”141, the goal of which is to test if the freedom of the companions
and their readiness to accept the consequences of their choice of a way of life as they
gradually have understood these from the previous meditations and in fact beginning from
the “Principle and Foundation” [23] and from the understanding of the abyss of human
brokenness and of the reality of sin in our world in the First Phase. The choice of the value
system of Christ should translate in every question or issue of our daily existence and now
the meditation on the “Three Types” aims to help us to render our love for God and his
way concrete.
We want the companions to work together closely in this exercise share their insights,
help each other toward an understanding of their inner drives, and move toward a change
to a more proper attitude. In our schedule for the Fourth Period we have this exercise
once, but the companions should feel free to repeat it and to stay with it as long as they
need to arrive to the desired result and feel to gain insights from it. At the end in [157] we
will give scriptural illustration of this meditation that might be helpful to read while doing
this exercise or can be used for the repetition.

Opening prayer

The companions begin with their usual prayer and because it is an especially
demanding exercise they need to give enough time to calm down and enter it with

140
Cf. Charlotte C. Prather, A Generous Openness. Praying the Spiritual Exercises of
Saint Ignatius, (Petersham, MA: St. Bede’s Publications, 1992) p.56.
141
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, pp. 91-92.
79
peaceful and passive disposition142. The preparatory part to the meditation also here will
consist of three steps as follows.

Visualization of the underlying history

Our meditation will be a parable about three groups of people, each representing a
different attitude toward possessions. Let us choose for our example three married
couples, although the parable could speak of groups of special interests or nations, too 143.
In this parable we speak of money, of the first vice in the triad of riches-honor-pride where
all evil starts, but we could replace it by anything else, honored status, beloved persons,
exterior or interior goods to which one can be attached or addicted. Imagine that each of
the three couples obtains a great sum of money. The way in which they acquired it is
honest and morally perfect, but as Ignatius puts it “not entirely as they should have, for
the love of God” [150], which means that they did not search for it as a result of a proper
discernment process. There are many of these kinds of things in our life, we acquired or
discovered them before reflecting or even thinking about how they fit in our existence and
in our relationship with God. These things are morally perfect, to possess them is
honorable and they might be the source of much good, but if not integrated in our love of
God they constitute a “part of that wealth that seeks to absolutize itself and therefore
become the starting point of true sin”144. Let us suppose that the couples in our example
desire a great spiritual freedom and as they feel the attachment to this money presents an
impediment of their goal, they want to free themselves of it.
There are different ways to achieve this freedom, and our parable presents two false
solutions in order to teach us to avoid them, one is to simply get rid of the object of
attachment, while the other is the decision to keep it and try to integrate it in our love of
God. They are false solutions because the question is not to decide about the material
possession or renunciation of this object, but the inner attitude that we need before to
engage in this sort of decision. The attitude we need is the abandonment to God, the
openness toward his will and the desire to let him to decide about our choice. Karl Rahner
points out “In this attitude, the carefully evaluating indifference of the Foundation is
surpassed. The unappealable will of ever greater God decides above and beyond all

142
See the admonition in this regard in op.cit., p. 93-94.
143
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 106.
144
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercise,” p. 191.
80
objective circumstances, yes, and even beyond the cross of Christ – and therefore, it even
goes beyond the search for that which is more difficult”145. The Exercises process aims
toward this attitude so that the choice we make would be born out of a loving surrender to
God. The couples in our example will show very different attitudes in their decision.

Visualization of the place

Now let imagine ourselves standing among all the saints in front of Jesus Christ and
listening as he tells the parable about the three couples in order that we “may know and
desire what is more pleasing to His Divine Goodness” [151].

Asking what we want

In this meditation we ask for the grace to be able to choose always what serves more
the fulfillment of our existence, as Ignatius words it “what is more for the glory of His
Divine Majesty and the salvation of my soul” [152], which is the grace involved in the
“Principle and Foundation” [23]. With other words, we might say that we seek here to
receive from God the desire to act always with spiritual freedom, clarity and according to
our authentically discerned choices.

153-155. Reflection on the example of the three couples of the parable

Let us see how the three couples in our parable try to solve the problem that the
attachment to the money presents to them.
The first couple is convinced that they should give away the money in order to be free
of it, but they never do it actually. They have the mistaken concept that holiness equals
radical renouncement but they cannot do it and in consequence they live with a sense of
guilt because of the attachment. This couple honestly would like to love God, but their
underlying attitude is fear from him, they are afraid of a demanding God and find the
heights of sanctity too frightening. They live and die remaining in the same situation
without resolving the problem and really answering God’s call to them.
The second couple decides beforehand that they should keep the money and use it for
good, for example investing it and from the profit regularly give to the poor. They desire to
be free of the attachment to the money but in the same time also want to keep it

145
Op.cit., p. 192.
81
convinced that they know how to use it for the greater glory of God and how to “save their
souls”. Also this couple remains in their attachment which they don’t recognize either,
they decide without discernment with an attitude of bargaining and a sort of pretense.
The third couple too wants to be free of attachments, but they do not decide
immediately neither to get rid of the money nor to keep it. They don’t act without
discernment, without seeing how this sum integrates in their life and relationship with
God. Their attitude is the abandonment and openness toward God, a childlike trust in him
as they try to understand for what he inspires them and what is the better for them. When
Jesus in the gospels tells the disciples to become like children, he calls to this attitude of
trust and dependence on God: “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like
children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3)146.
This third attitude illustrates how the freedom presented in the “Principle and
Foundation” [23] leads to the “more” in the Ignatian sense, brings to striving for what is
more close to God and to the sense of our existence. Their inner motive to keep this
money or give it away will be to serve God better to whom everything belongs in final
analysis. Meanwhile they try to live as every attachment to it had been eliminated, as
though not possessing it at all. St. Paul recommends this attitude with an emphasis on the
transitoriness of human existence: “I tell you, brothers, the time is running out. From now
on, let those having wives act as not having them, those weeping as not weeping, those
rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as not owning, those using the world as not using it
fully. For the world in its present form is passing away” (1Cor 7:29-31).
This parable presents “a purification and clarification of desires and attitudes” as
Bernard Tyrrell refers to it147. From this point of view, only the third couple goes through a
transformation of their desire and reaches freedom from their attachment, while the first
two did not change at all or only temporized about it. The dynamics of this therapeutic
transformation of attitudes can be applied also to the struggles of addicted or neurotic
persons with their problems. In the different phases of healing the addicted or neurotic
person might pass from the first attitude of doing nothing to bargaining and finally
reaching a successful detachment. Somewhere during this process the sufferer needs to
reach a basic decision about choosing health and freedom from the object of addiction.

146
Compare Mt 18:1-5 with other places speaking of childlike trust as condition to enter
the kingdom of God in Mt 19:13-14; Mk10:13-16; Lk 18:15-17.
147
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” p. 183.
82
This application differs from the original function in the Exercises when the “Three Types
of Attitudes” meditation serves as preparation for a choice between different morally good
and healthy alternatives, while in the case of addiction and neurosis the choice is between
a destructive tendency and a life-giving alternative148.

156. Prayerful conversation, sharing and review

Before the threefold prayer in a similar way as in the “Two Standards” meditation in
[147], the companions need to do their sharing on the things understood during this
exercise, to summarize it in their diary to see the road they are making. These notes later
will turn to be helpful in eventual decision situations when the companions will need to
apply the principles learned here.
The question of how to use financial resources they have - or how to obtain them if
they don’t have - are important issues in the life of married couples who try to take
seriously the integrity of their existence and their faith in God. To find what is right to do,
where is attachment and what are their real necessities will require a continuous effort of
discernment and openness for change. There is no formula or recipe to follow and we
cannot wait always to feel that we know the right solution. The crucial thing is to be aware
and try to make good decisions -which in time will become also “better” - and God will
bless our efforts and even the non-too-perfect choices if we sincerely try to understand
what is the best in a given situation. Not even the bad choices are fatal as God can write
straight with our crooked lines and turn out good from bad, too. We need not to be afraid
but have an unshaken unconditional trust in God.
In the threefold prayer then they will ask to be able to realize their desire of spiritual
freedom, to rely on God alone and accept the consequences of their choices. The following
note gives a help to how to pray at this point.

157. THE PRAYER OF “PARADOXICAL INTENTION” AND A REPETITION OF THIS MEDITATION

St. Ignatius was an excellent psychologist as through his own inner struggles and
through the guidance of his companions he learned to know a lot of the human psyche.
His Exercises also offer psychotherapeutic techniques along the means for spiritual growth
since in that age psychotherapy did not exist yet and the masters of spiritual life often
148
See the exposition of this difference in op.cit., p. 184.
83
served as psychotherapists of their contemporaries, but also for the deeper reason that
psyche and spirit is interconnected and inseparable dimensions of the human being.
At this point Ignatius advises the exercitants who might feel fear of poverty “to beg
our Lord in the colloquies to choose us to serve Him in actual poverty. We should insist
that we desire it, beg for it, provided, of course, that it be for the service and praise of the
Divine Goodness” [157]. This advice applies to the case of poverty what Ignatius already
told in [16] giving a brilliant example of the so-called “paradoxical intention”, a
logotherapeutic technique introduced by Viktor Frankl149 for the overcoming of certain
fears.
This advice is very demanding and we can find it repulsive as faking something in
prayer since in reality we don’t desire to be poor. The emotional resistance can block us
from understanding it properly, that in fact it is not falsity but a way to experience the
extent of our attachment and a moment of freedom from it. At least we can arrive to
admit in prayer how our human nature rebel against the possibility of being radically
detached from the object of our attachment, meanwhile we try honestly to give in to our
desire to be free to depend on God alone. If we see that our prayer here really means to
ask to be depending on God alone then it will not be so frightening. This is not a way of
fear but trust as Karl Rahner points it out: “From this angle, the possibility of giving
something up does not seem so terrifying. God alone is the source of all movement; now
the Kingdom of God is really close, is contained either in giving up or in keeping, in life
and in death. Now man has really become a child who does not die of fright when God
approaches either in the one garment or the other. In this class [of the third attitude], the
love of God for man and the love of man for God can meet each other in any form. God
alone arranges the way in which it happens. This ‘way’ is not a fate that man cannot avoid
– it is God’s response to man’s love. If we have this disposition then God can truly
communicate His will to each and every one of us”150.

Repetition and scriptural presentation of the “Three Types of Attitudes”

Whether to repeat this meditation depends on the decision of the companions, if they
feel enough clear about it and achieved the goal of it. If this meditation still gives them
149
See our presentation of the “General Guidelines to the Exercises” [16] in the
“Preparatory Phase” where we explain this connection with the paradoxical intention and
the dynamics involved.
150
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p.194.
84
new insights it is good to prolong it until the grace is at work through it. It can happen that
the reflection brings up something the companions recognize as clinging onto excessively
and their prayer becomes concrete to be freed of it. Especially in the everyday life form of
the Exercises developments in our life bring up all sorts of choices that enter the ongoing
reflection on the “Three Types”. Usually it requires time to achieve the goal of greater
spiritual freedom or at least receive the desire for the unconditional readiness for
everything.
Let us see now how the “test” of readiness we are speaking of in this meditation
worked out in scriptural examples. Our first “case study” is the story of the rich young
man in Mk 10:17-22 that the companions can read together. For the reflection we take
some elements of the approach of Robert C. Leslie 151 who points out that this man in the
gospel lives in a situation like many of our contemporaries in young maturity. Like a junior
executive today, our hero achieved a certain wealth and status in society but began to
sense that something is lacking in his life, that he cannot find any more satisfaction in it,
that his life is void of real meaning and personal life task. The goals of wealth and power
that young people often follows are not adequate to render life meaningful and worth
living if there is not some deeper commitment to a significant task. When a young man or
woman achieved prestige and certain stability economically she/he characteristically
begins to wonder about what is the meaning of all of this and characteristically enters in
the so-called midlife crisis152. The rich young man in the gospel finds himself in this “now
what?” situation.
This young man recognized that in this situation he needed help and set out on the
search for it. The fact that he did not deny the lack of meaning in his life but admitted it
and asked for help is a significant step in itself toward healing. From the story we see that
he felt a real urgency to find help as he ran to Jesus and threw himself at his feet
forgetting his position and status. His question to Jesus, “what should I do?” gave further
hope for a positive outcome, since it shows the readiness to take action without shifting
151
Leslie, “Jesus as Counselor,” III. Finding the Personal Life Task The Rich Young Ruler;
Mark 10:17-22, pp. 36-46.
152
The Spiritual Exercises itself is clearly not so much for very young people but more
adequate for the mature youth since characteristically they have enough experience and
find themselves in dilemma about life. This group of people will engage in a search for a
spiritual beacon and in many cases they don’t know where to go for it. They often miss a
proper preparation for this, since they were always engaged in developing only the aspect of
life that serves achieving wealth and status, they are vulnerable to accept and follow false,
extremely conservative, simplifying guides or strange, exotic gurus.
85
responsibility for his life and blaming others and his conditions for the situation which
brought him wealth but did not made his life worth to live eternally.
Jesus with his answer brought the problem to another dimension. He did not advice as
the young man surely expected it, in terms of good actions to perform, to pray and fast
more, to give more donations, read the Scriptures regularly or similar, but wants him to
have as a frame of reference and integrate everything around the love of God, to consider
the dimension of life that is dealing with ultimate meanings and values. The
commandments for Jesus are not simply a set of rules, but expressions of the relationship
to God. The young man followed very closely the rules but needed to discover his unique
personal life task in the broader context of these. He was too busy “making money” to
build relationship with anybody including God. This tragic situation to begin to change
requires an experience of a real relationship and effective appreciation, the experience of
being loved. “Jesus, looking at him, loved him” (v. 21), and in this atmosphere of
acceptance arrives the challenge “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you
will have treasure in heaven, then come, follow me” (v. 21). Jesus as counselor is very
explicit here to direct the young man toward realizing that life is worth living and
discovering that personal task that can fulfill it. He indicates to him that instead of
continuing to accumulate possessions he could enrich many through entering in new
relationships with them. In order to help him live up to this rather challenging new way,
Jesus offers the young man personal support and the fellowship of the disciples. As Leslie
points out, the counselor needs to provide this active help in case of lacking purpose of
life, however, not by assigning the personal task to the counselee but by assisting him or
her to discover the task that is already there153. The counselee remains always free to
accept or not the help offered, and sometimes as in our story the young man rejected it
and turned away sorrowfully. However, he has been exposed to the challenge and we
don’t know how the life of this young man went on later.
At the end of this first example, the companions might take time to consider the
question: “Given my talents and personal history, my peculiar experiences and gifts, what
task has God for me in this moment of my life and how can I respond to its challenges and
ask the grace to be able to find the answer to it?”
Now we turn our attention to the second “case study” illustrating another type of
attitude toward possessions. The companions need to read Lk 9:57-62, the story of the
153
Cf. Ibid. pp.43-45.
86
disciples who tried to compromise and bargain when Jesus called them. They expressed
the desire to follow Jesus, to enter the group of disciples, an evident sign of openness for a
new lifestyle. When to one of them Jesus presents the harsh conditions and privations he
and his disciples live “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky nests, but the Son of Man has
nowhere rest his head” (v. 58), we don’t hear the response but from the context we
understand, the enthusiasm for following him and the would-be disciples disappeared
quickly. The next one whom Jesus called puts a condition “let me go first and bury my
father” (v 60). We can be sure that the father mentioned here was well alive then, since to
bury the dead quickly would be an absolute necessity in that ambient. What the
expression “bury my father,” meant was that this person wanted to remain with his
parents until they died, maybe a considerable time, to be able to inherit their possessions,
and only after that become a disciple. Jesus rejected such temporizing tactics, as he did
not accept the excuse of the last volunteer, who merely wanted to “say farewell to my
family at home”, since this could have meant not a simple good-bye but an extensive tour
of the family scattered all over the place with farewell gifts and feasts.
The companions stop now for a short while to ask light to see where they act like these
persons. Sometimes all of us try to baptize attachments as noble obligations and want it
both ways, we want to be free but also keep things under our control as we want it.
As a third scriptural example of attitudes toward possessions let us read the encounter
of Jesus with Zacchaeus in Lk 19:1-10. Robert C. Leslie in his analysis of the episode 154
points out its relevance to our modern society. This story is about alienation caused by the
struggle for status and gives an example how the alienated person can be helped back
into the community. Zacchaeus lives isolated from his people, in the hated position of tax
collector, a collaborator with the occupying Roman forces. The reason he got in this
position by what is called “security operation”155 a way of defending his self-esteem and
finding personal significance by it. His attempts to find a significant position in the
community were somehow frustrated and feeling alienated he tried to find a status in a
way that puts him against the community that rejected him. He took on a mask that
covered his hurt and got more and more attached to his status, which gave him security
since by creating a distance between himself and the others he could be protected from

154
Ibid., II. Mobilizing the Defiant Power of the Human Spirit Zacchaeus; Luke 19:1-10,
pp. 24-35.
155
See Ibid., pp.28-29 for further explanation of “security operations”.
87
further painful rejection. He climbed the tree to see Jesus, not only because he was small
in stature but also to keep distance from the others; his being up on the tree became a
sort of symbolic expression of his whole situation. The fact that to see Jesus he risked this
ridiculous position on the tree, is a sign that under his mask he felt a longing for
something and hoped for a change, even if he did not want ask help openly. The story
however does not end here at the analysis of the motivating drives underlying the
behavior of Zacchaeus.
While depth psychology contributes to understand the conditioning effects of past
experiences and drives, it is not enough to achieve a change for the future of the
individual. It is helpful to a point but is not a guarantee for a therapy. Even if there are
unconscious drives, defense mechanisms, unresolved conflicts, and hurtful past
experiences behind a person’s behavior these don’t determine his or her future.
Notwithstanding the drives that led Zacchaeus to his situation when climbing that tree he
had still the capacity for change. We don’t know if he ever understood the reasons of his
isolation, but more importantly, he was able to make a conscious decision on the direction
of his life. It seems that uncovering hidden defense mechanisms, complexes, imbalances
caused by past traumas, or discovering archetypes in the collective unconscious of an
individual is far less important than the choice one can make about how to direct his or
her life. We find at the core of the Spiritual Exercises a well-prepared decision-making
process (which is expressed also in our chosen title “Finding Our Way Together”)
analogous to the role decisions play in psychological healing and giving to the Exercises a
highly psychohygienic and we might say, also therapeutic character. In Christotherapy
Bernard Tyrrell analyses the importance of the role decisions play not only in religious and
moral conversion, but also in psychological conversion, and conversion from addiction156.
Illustrating the importance of decisions in the healing from addictions he refers to the
Third Step of the Alcoholics Anonymus: “[We] made a decision to turn our will and our
lives over to the care of God as we understood Him” 157. As he points out, even if initially a
neurotic condition can block the sufferer’s capability to make free decisions, there is a
point when the success of the therapy depends on the patient’s active choice for healing
over illness. The role of the decision and the function of the meditation on the Three Types

156
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 189-192.
157
See in Anonymous Authors, “Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions” p. 34. See also in
Anonymous Authors, “Alcoholics Anonymous,” p. 60 ff.
88
which prepares for it however is somewhat different in case of the Exercises where the
choice is basically between two good alternatives while in case of the neurotic or addict it
is a decision for change from destructive tendencies toward freedom and healing158.
Even if Zacchaeus had the potential to change, it could not happen without Jesus
reaching out with acceptance and offering a personal relationship to him. Risking the
criticism of the people Jesus wanted to enter the house of Zacchaeus as his guest, so
demonstrating trust and acceptance toward the alienated and hated tax collector.
We don’t know what they conversed that day in Zacchaeus’ house, only the radical
change which occurred there is reported to us. Jesus anticipated this change by dealing
with Zacchaeus with acceptance that reaches out to the person where he is but does not
leave him or her there. Seeing the best of the person helps to realize his or her ultimate
possibilities, according to the aphorism of Goethe which Viktor Frankl quoted often: “If we
take people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat them as if they were what they
ought to be, we help them to become what they are capable of becoming”159.
When Zacchaues promised reparation for his wrongdoings, he demonstrated the new
attitude he achieved toward his wealth. Jesus helped him to achieve freedom from the
attachment to his status and wealth and this in Zacchaues’ case did not mean to leave
everything, yet Jesus called the change that began to unfold in that moment salvation.
Salvation indicates the completeness of the change and as Robert C. Leslie puts it:
“Salvation (or ‘health’ as Tyndale’s translation reads) can be complete only when
relationships are positive in both the human man-to-man dimension and the more human,
man-to God dimension”160. We saw an example of how Jesus offered healing and
ministered a psychotherapy that included the spiritual dimension of life, restoring
Zacchaeus’ relationship with his community as an expression of his relatedness to God.
Now the companions in their sharing can speak about what the story of Zacchaeus helped
them to understand and finish this exercise with jotting in their diary and a closing prayer.

158
Cf. Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 183-184 where he describes the role of decision in
his own struggles and healing from alcoholism.
159
Frankl, “The Doctor and the Soul,” p. 7.
160
Leslie, “Jesus as Counselor,” p.35.
89
 158-164. THE FIFTH AND FOLLOWING PERIODS

After the two great decision-meditations from the Fifth Period of the Second Phase or
Conforming we now return to the contemplations on the life of Jesus and continue from the
moment when he decides the journey that brings him to his public ministry.
Evaluating the contemplations on the public life of Jesus, Bernard Tyrrell stresses that
in these events Christ is standing in front of us as a “whole and holy individual”161 to
whom the companions are called to be conformed to, revealing himself as a trusting and
realist person capable of firm decisions and self-control, full of initiative and creativity,
free of guilt and capable of love and sacrifice and so on. More concretely, the
contemplation of the words and deeds of Jesus, especially the Beatitudes can represent
also powerful therapeutic instruments in healing of neurosis and addiction162. Although
Bernard Tyrrell does not mention it explicitly, a healthy human psyche is characterized by
a good sense of humor, too and we find also this in the personality of Jesus as the gospels
present him. The humor of Jesus is subtle and manifests a great gift of wit and irony,
precise timing and play of words, aimed to heal and convert the listener 163. The capacity of
humor is a manifestation of self-detachment, which along with self-transcendence is an
intrinsic and exclusive human phenomenon. Self-detachment enables the person to laugh
and to joke about himself or herself, to downsize his or her fears, while self-transcendence
renders the person capable of forgetting and giving himself or herself and reaching out for
a meaning of his or her existence. Humor is not only an intrinsic human capacity but also a
powerful therapeutic tool, to which the logotherapeutic technique of paradoxical intention
164
deliberately refers, and it is used also by behavior therapists . We encourage the

161
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” p. 185
162
Ibid., p.188.
163
Jesus as master storyteller widely used humor in the parables as means to reach
people directly through situations and language they knew and understood. Humor breaks
down barriers, brings close and unites people, lightens the burden of hearts, and Jesus
wanted achieve all of these with his words. In his classic book Humor of Christ (San
Francisco: Harper, 1975), Elton Trueblood cites 30 examples of Jesus’ use of humor. Such
example is the naming the impetuous, overly eager Peter “the rock”, since he was anything
but a rock in difficult situations. Yet Jesus says, “Upon this rock I will build my church”,
maybe with a smile (Mt 16:18). The irony must not have been lost on the other disciples.
Jesus wit is the sharpest when speaking of the Pharisees clad in their solemn righteousness.
Think just about the ridiculous image of straining out a gnat while eating a camel (Mt 23:24),
which was still more humorous for Jesus’ contemporary listeners since the Aramaic word for
gnat is galma and the word for camel is gamla.
164
See in Frankl, “The Unheard Cry for Meaning,” pp.120-122.
90
companions to read with this sensibility on humor in the gospels when contemplating the
life of Jesus, as he wanted this important human capacity to be alive and shine through.
Surely, such reading will bring the Scripture texts more near to us and help us to take
ourselves less serious in our vocation to be fully human. The point of humor is
transcendent and so it is easily missed, as Bernard Lonergan pointed out, and so the
search for it in the Scriptures might be a bit impegnative work, but fruitful: “For as satire
can help man swing out of self-centredness of an animal in a habitat to the universal
viewpoint of an intelligent and reasonable being, so humour can aid him to the discovery
of the complex problem of grasping and holding the nettle of a restricted, effective
165
freedom”
As we told earlier, the ultimate purpose of the contemplations of the life of Jesus is to
help the companions in their own choices of life. These exercises are particularly fitting
the situation of the companions at this juncture of the exercises, since the encounters and
events of the life of Jesus always involve a decision for or against him and his way and the
direction of that path. At this point instead of continuing meditations of decision in which
the companions would deal with the concrete issues of their life, they deepen their
conforming to Christ and that alone should become the source of solution for their
unsettled questions and provide the criterion of decisions. The main issue is not that they
choose something but that they are chosen for something. Ignatius expresses it in these
words in [169]: “In every good choice, as far as depends on us, our intention must be
simple. I must consider only the end for which I am created, that is the praise of God our
Lord and for the salvation of my soul. Hence, whatever I choose, must help me to this end
for which I am created. I must not subject and fit the end to the means, but the means to
the end”. The correct view that helps the dilemma of how to decide in decision-situations
is that God does not want this or that thing from us but he desires our “becoming-like-
Christ”166. From this perspective we see that the process of discernment, the entire
Exercises and in final analysis our spiritual life has the purpose of understanding,
recognizing and accepting the concrete task we are created for. The solution of the
dilemma involved here is similar to the question of the meaning of life as Viktor Frankl
pointed out: “As each situation in life represents a challenge to man and presents a

165
See Bernard J. F. Lonergan, Insight. A Study of Human Understanding, (San
Francisco:Harper and Row, 1978) p. 626.
166
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, pp. 94-96.
91
problem for him to solve, the question of the meaning of life may actually be reversed.
Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize
that it is he who is asked”167. When we decide for something, our choice becomes “God’s
will” for us, he accepts our choice so to say, and permits or supports us in realizing it. God
himself becomes in fact our servant to whom Jesus’ words about real authority and
168
greatness apply by excellence . Here we enter in the complex and mysterious dynamics
of the collaboration between our free will and God’s omnipotence. Maybe it is useful now
to dedicate some time for absorbing these thoughts. The companions might want to read
the following quote for this meditation:
“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear
fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you”
(Jn 15:16)
Although discernment is always present throughout the Exercises, the importance of it
is crucial as we get near a decision. Following the “Two Standards” meditation it becomes
clear for the companions that they are drawn in two directions by the various impulses,
inclinations, desires, dislikes, insights and thoughts occurring in them during the prayer
and coming from their daily life. In particular ways, the Exercises in the everyday life, the
demands of daily existence - its events, experiences and conflicts - form the field of
discernment. As a decision-situation develops during this time, with the concentration on
some specific issues, the spiritual movements become more frequent and sometimes
violent, so it is important to put them in the perspective of the companions’ basic
adherence to Christ and his value system in order to distinguish among these impulses, to
sort them out, and to follow what comes from the Holy Spirit; what is authentic and good.
It is crucial for the companions to read and continuously apply to themselves the
“Guidelines for Discernment for the Second Phase” [328-336], which are found in the
Appendix C.
The structure of the upcoming periods will be the following. The contemplations need
to be done twice followed by two repetitions and the “application of the senses” (see in
[121] and [65-71]). So each period will have five prayer sessions of contemplation and as
usual, the repetitions serve to return to that points only that touched us and let emerge

167
Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” p. 172. Here and in Frankl’s works in general
“man” refers to humankind, to both sexes, to men and women in general.
168
Cf. Mt 20:25-28.
92
significant elements. For this time in the Exercises a topic of decision becomes somewhat
clear on which the companions will naturally focus. To aid further this process of
conforming and decision there are also reflections to read during the time and the
companions need to arrange this material alongside the supporting basis of
contemplations beginning from the Fifth Period. That means that between the prayer
sessions dedicated to contemplation the companions need to return time to time to these
reflections and think them over and share and jot down the insights. We propone that
during the Fifth and Sixth Period the companions take the meditation on “Three Degrees
of the Love of God” [165-168] followed from the Seventh Period by “Arriving to a Decision”
[169-189]. Each prayer session needs to be finished with the threefold prayer to accept
the way of Christ as in the “Three Types” [156] and in the “Two Standards” [147], or the
prayer of “paradoxical intention” described in [157].
The scriptural passages and their presentation for our contemplations are the
following:
Fifth Period: the baptism of Jesus (Mt 3:13-17 and parallels), see in [273];
Sixth Period: the departure of Jesus for the desert and the temptations, see in [274];
Seventh Period: the call of the disciples as in [275];
Eight Period: the “Sermon on the Mount”, the presentation of Jesus’ program,
especially the Beatitudes as in [278];
Ninth Period: Jesus walks on the waters of the sea, see in [280];
Tenth Period: Jesus teaches in the Temple of Jerusalem, see [288];
Eleventh Period: Jesus rises Lazarus from death, see in [285];
Twelfth Period: The happenings of Jesus’ entry in Jerusalem, as in [287].

Note:

The contemplations of the events assigned to these periods follow a logical progress
from the following the call of Jesus through the demands of his way and the risks involved
to the consequences as we arrive to the events leading to the Passion. The Second Phase
might be lengthened or shortened depending on the judgment of the companions. They
need to evaluate the progress of the Exercises sometimes after the Seventh Period
focusing on the question how long they desire to continue with the contemplations and
which to choose as better suited for them. For lengthening the Phase use the events
described in the Appendix B under the title “The Mysteries of the Life of Jesus Christ” up to

93
[288]. Some might decide to omit some of the assigned contemplations, but in any case
the best event to end this Phase is “Palm Sunday” in [288] as leading toward the
contemplation of the Passion in the Third Phase. The companions will see when they feel
ready to enter the Third Phase, depending also on how the decision-making process will
take shape. We will discuss how to conclude the Second Phase at the end of the chapter
“Arriving to a Decision” [169-189].

165-168. THREE DEGREES OF THE LOVE OF GOD

Preparatory notes:

We gave the title to these reflections “three degrees of the love of God” although
Ignatius speaks of “three kinds of humility” in the original text of the Spiritual Exercises. It
is because Ignatius uses sparingly the word “love” and prefers to speak of “humility”, of
the generous service of God, convinced that love consists of deeds and service rather than
words.169. As we will see it is better to speak of three degrees of love then of three kinds
since they are interconnected and cannot be distinguished clearly from each other; they
are rather three sides or dimensions of the same self-giving commitment toward God that
consists of concrete actions170. We could say also that these are degrees of centering
more and more on God instead of oneself; stages of development from egocentrism
toward authentic altruism.
This reflection is intended to help the preparation for decision by considering the
necessary attitudes of the companions for a good choice from a different perspective than
that we have already seen in the “Three Types of Attitudes” [149-157]. At this juncture of
the Exercises the companions have a good occasion to work together on their insights
reading this reflection; they should in fact have at least one meeting connected with this
material when they listen and support each other and likewise try to form a common
attitude for the subsequent times.

169
Cf. Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 196.
170
John C. Futrell mentions that Ignatius refers to “three degrees of indifference” in the
“Autograph Directory”, (cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,”
p. 77), that is to the spiritual freedom of the “Principle and Foundation” [23].
94
The first degree of the love of God:

The first degree of the love of God is a basic commitment that the person would never
want to exclude God from his or her life and with a certain spiritual freedom resolves
oneself not to turn away from the will of God which gave him or her an existence ordered
to a specific goal171. With other words, the first degree means to love God in the sense
that Jesus intended: “whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who
loves me” (Jn 14:21). Jesus makes also clear the commandment to obey is the love toward
others: “I give you a new commandment: love one another” (Jn 14:34) and again “This I
command you: love one another” (Jn 15:17). There is no other authentic way to love God
and to love Jesus Christ than to love all men and women, children of God with whom Jesus
identified himself (Mt 25:40); consequently hatred toward others is rejection of God172.
This fundamental choice for God is called traditionally the “state of grace” or freedom
from mortal sin. Mortal sin consists of the complete rejection of God and it is named so
because its consequence is the inability of the person to achieve the goal of his or her
existence, a sort of final death. We could argue about how frequent is mortal sin, and
maybe we should take it more seriously than we are used to. If we take sin seriously,
surely we will not fall in the casuistic trap of past spiritualities and wonder about how
much meat on Friday is mortal or think that missing a Sunday Mass will cause eternal
damnation. If we take mortal sin seriously, we should understand its existential weight and
we need to examine ourselves in this light. For example, when we say that hatred is
rejection of God, it does not refer to a passing emotional outburst but to a more or less
conscious but obstinate negative will, desire of destruction and suffering toward
individuals, toward certain groups of people, toward other nations or religions. Maybe we
can conclude that mortal sin is not “our case”; surely, if the companions decided to make
the Spiritual Exercises honestly, they are opted for God at least intentionally.
On the base of what said before we can conclude that the first degree of the love of
God is necessary for the fulfillment of our existence or for salvation. Since “salvation”
means definite and eternal life with God, only who opts for him can or wants to obtain it. If
someone would want only this first degree of the love of God, so to say to “slip into
heaven” by the mere necessary means of avoiding mortal sin he or she might be in a

171
Cf. Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p.197. This goal is described in the “Principle and
Foundation” [23].
172
See in this regard the First Letter of John in 1 Jn 2:1-11; 3:1-16; 4:10-19.
95
danger not to succeed at all, as of walking on the razor’s edge. This state is vulnerable, as
the person who has the first degree of love wants to attain the goal of his or her existence
but strives toward it more or less by chance, without resolving to use all things as mere
means toward the end and so can be misled by the same means. Despite its vulnerability
the first degree of love of God is a serious determination since as St. Ignatius describes it
in [165], one who achieved this state would not consider committing mortal sin neither to
save his or her life nor to become “the lord of all creation”.

The second degree of the love of God

St. Ignatius explains the difference between the first and second degree by the
distinction between mortal and venial sin. As opposed to mortal sin, venial sin does not
mean a fundamental rejection of God, but rather a problem in the relationship with him. As
for the goal of human existence, if mortal sin is an obstacle in achieving it, venial sin
consists in a difficulty to fulfillment or salvation, caused by the improper choice of means
to proceed on the way toward God. The person who lives the second degree of the love of
God commits oneself to avoid even the venial sins, which means with other words that he
or she tries to choose always the right means toward the final goal of his or her existence.
This recalls the “as far as” of the “Principle and Foundation” [23], the spiritual freedom
toward all created things which renders one to be able to choose always what is helpful to
achieve the final goal, and let go whatever would be hindering this. This degree does not
mean yet the strong resolve to strive for what is “more” appropriate described in the last
paragraph of the “Principle and Foundation”, but to live it is a great virtue as Karl Rahner
points out: “Who among us chooses the better means of serving God in the rush of
everyday living, does nor prefer riches to poverty or a long life to a short life?”173
We can see also that the second degree of the love of God is closely connected with
the first one. If somebody honestly tries to live the basic commitment to God, and would
not consider committing mortal sin not even to save his or her own life that person is still
in the danger of falling into rejecting God indirectly by choosing the wrong means and
absolutizing a created thing. To avoid this danger the basic commitment needs to develop
into the second degree of love toward God. In order to ensure our way toward God it is
necessary not only to recognize the goal and desire to achieve it but also to choose the
right means toward it.

173
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p.198.
96
The third degree of the love of God

The third degree of the love of God is a “falling in love” experience, an active choice to
be conformed to Jesus and follow his way. It is based on the trust in God similarly as we
saw in the “Two Standards” [136-148] or in the “Kingdom” [91-99] meditations. The
personal love of Jesus does not mean some affection toward an imaginary person - which
in itself would be a rather easy and also false attitude. We should always remember that
love toward Jesus means a commitment to the values contemplated in his life and actually
serving the contemporary Christ, the “least ones” with whom he identified himself.
Conforming to Christ requires perseverance in service, forgiveness, mercy and peace,
accepting the implications of this commitment. St. Ignatius says that for the sake of this
love “whenever the praise and glory of the Divine Majesty would be equally served, in
order to imitate and to be in reality more like Christ our Lord”, one desires poverty with
Christ poor, wants to be humiliated like Christ and to be “worthless and fool for Christ”
rather than to be rich, honored and esteemed. We should note that it is a desire, a
preference, an interior attitude preceding the decision and not an actual choice. This
preference is the necessary climate for the decision itself in which the “will of God” (which
we recognize as the concrete task life is presenting to us) prevails over this desire 174.
When the companions examine the concrete consequences of this love in their social
ambient they might find it hard even frightening. Fidelity to the love of God will lead to
actions that are out of step with people around the companions and in consequence even
to rejection.
In regard the endurance of hardships in order “to-be-with Christ” we can quote
Nietzsche’s statement often used by Viktor Frankl to underline the importance of a strong
grasp of meaning in life: “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how”175. Frankl
experienced the truth of this statement during the years in concentration camps, where
who had an aim in their lives, had a future goal, found more strength to survive the
terrible rigors of the camp life. Adapting this maxim we can say that who finds the
meaning in the love for Jesus Christ and what it means, will want to be able to bear also
the consequences of this choice. As St. Ignatius stressed it in [168] we can only desire and
pray for the third degree of love of God, we cannot achieve it by our own resources, only
God can grant it to us. As told earlier, the companions need to pray repeatedly for the
174
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 95.
175
Quoted in Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” p. 121.
97
grace always to be able to be as closely conformed to Christ as possible with the threefold
prayer as in the “Three Types” [156] and in the “Two Standards” [147], or the prayer of
“paradoxical intention” described in [157].
Through love and life lived together spouses learn to know each other and become in
some way like one another. Love and knowledge reciprocally strengthen and deepen each
other in a loving relationship176 and similarly whoever chooses Jesus and his values will
grow in knowledge of and becoming like the real, living, contemporary Christ. The third
degree of the love of God is not stoical endurance of pain or unhealthy admiration and
desire of suffering but the conforming dynamics of the relationship with the living Christ in
his least brothers and sisters. Examples of this love “we see in Damien, the leper priest; in
Saint Peter Claver, cleansing the wounds of the slaves; in the lives of countless women
and men who have chosen to live in obscurity working with the imprisoned and the
outcasts of society and who share in large measure in experiencing the contempt which
‘the world’ heaps on the poor, the exploited, the deformed, the miserable”177. This is in
some way the apex of the Exercises, the prior meditations and contemplations served to
arrive to this point and what follows is intended to help the companions to strengthen the
desire to live this love178.
Further, they need to take in consideration what Ignatius meant by saying that we can
prefer and choose poverty and humiliations only if it should be “equally” for the praise of
God. Our choices should never lessen our service and take away from the glory of God,
but if the service leads to poverty and humiliations we will accept it with peace and joy.
Rahner writes so of the actualization of this love: “St. Ignatius realized in his own life the
following of the Crucified – but always with a discretion that was peculiar to him. On some
occasions in his following of the condemned Christ, he accepted being held for a fool, and
he bore the insults of the world; on other occasions, he did not hesitate to bring another in
court in order to protect his own reputation, if he was convinced that in the long run the
honor and service of God would also suffer if his own reputation were injured”. As an other
example Rahner refers also to Jesus before the high priest, who protested against the
servant beating him, saying “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong; but if I have

176
See more of this intercommunion of love and knowledge in Tyrrell, “Christotherapy
I,” pp 14-16.
177
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 188-189.
178
Cf. Sheehan, “On Becoming Whole in Christ,” p. 113.
98
spoken rightly, why do you strike me” (Jn 18:23). At the end he warns that the necessity of
discretion does not dispenses us from the “loftiness of the love of the cross” 179.
Particularly in the everyday life form of the Exercises this consideration about the
three degrees of love will demand immediate influence to the behavior of the companions
and will present pressing questions to answer. They accept “to be regarded as fool for
Christ”, but should continue their jobs, maybe search promotion and have normal social
relations, take care of their future and health, and so on; in one word they need to be
faithful to the obligations of the life that has been given to them180. They may not just
decide to make fool of themselves “for the sake of Christ”, as no one can do this without
being called to it by God and has been grown up to the task and act with discernment. The
daily choices about values with the necessary discernment will eventually lead the
companions to live their fidelity to Christ habitually, when they not consider it any more as
exceptional heroism, but as a way of life.
This last remarks lead us to see the inner unity of the three degrees of love. The third
degree of love is dependent on being called for it, on inner and external conditions and as
St. Ignatius says in [170] it is submitted to the law of the Church. Karl Rahner speaks
about the example of St. Francis of Assisi in this regard 181. Francis had a passionate desire
to live in total poverty and suffered painfully from the limitations put on his ideal of
imitation of Christ by the Church authority. We could refer also to St. Clair and her lifelong
and at the end successful battle with the same authorities to obtain the “privilege of
poverty” for her community that is to live as cloistered nuns without the secure income of
properties relying only on spontaneous donations. Even the greatest desire of poverty and
folly for Christ’s sake needs to be submitted to the observance of the commandments
182
because only this assures that the love of God is present . The conditions of putting in
practice the third degree of love show that it can be realized only along with the first two.
On the other hand since in death everyone becomes totally poor and empty, the third
degree seems to be an anticipatory exercise of dying as everyone is called to, in absolute
poverty. From this follows that even the person who wants to die in the first degree of love
(state of grace) needs to be prepared and striving for the third one. We need to live in
179
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 199.
180
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, pp. 222-223.
181
Cf. Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 200-202.
182
“Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me…(Jn
14,21)
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some way all the three degrees of love in our life and in final analysis God decides when is
time and place for each.
Also here is valid the note we made at the end of the meditation on the Standard of
Christ in [143-146], the choice of poverty and insults could be result of inner pride instead
of love and humility. We need to stress again that one cannot seek these for themselves,
but accept as a consequence of the fidelity to Christ. For example, when thinking of
poverty, it is not so easy to determine how to shape our lifestyle. Somehow it seems self-
evident that wasteful richness is not compatible with Christianity, but then it requires
constant awareness in our daily life to see what we really need, what we should keep or
what is better to renounce. The companions need to discuss the question of lifestyle
together time to time to find concrete ways to practice their love of God. For example, let
us suppose that they have two job offers, both of them equally good from all other points
of view except the significant difference in the money earned. Should the companions
choose the one that leads to poorer lifestyle or do they need the more income?

Final notes:

We want to stress that in reality there is one love even if we speak of the different
degrees of it. We have one life and one heart to love with, but we can distinguish
moments when we realize our love in different ways. As we told earlier, this exercise
presents the companions an excellent occasion to see their common and personal lives in
concrete from the point of view of these moments of loving God. The only way we can love
God concretely passes through the concrete love of human beings (see Mt 25:31-46) and
this is in a special manner true for the mutual love of a married couple. They are called to
express and experience God’s presence in a particular way in their love for each other.
Their dedication, commitment and self-giving to each other shows the world who is God
and renders him present in an efficacious manner. This is the meaning of the
sacramentality of the human marriage that is present also in the “natural” commitment of
man and woman. The basic vocation of the couple becomes more expressed in the
Christian marriage as a sacrament. The exclusive and lifelong character of the marriage
represents the total character of God’s love that embraces of the whole person without
limit in time. Marriage does what the Church is called to do, that is to show God to the
world and so it is a fundamental ecclesial vocation. In the force of the sacrament of
marriage the “ordinary” life of the couple becomes a religious reality. Even when they are

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physically apart to work on different projects, in force of their marriage they still act in
communion, together as a couple forming always a unique entity. When they express their
love in any way, wash their children, cook or clean the house and work to find the means
for a living they exercise their ecclesial vocation, and so every act in their life is a real
worship of God, a “liturgy” in its original sense. A Christian couple lives their ecclesial
vocation not only by volunteering in the Church, leading prayer groups, visiting the sick or
teaching catechism and absolutely not eminently through their financial contribution to
missions and other works, but first of all and in their own right as married couple with their
“ordinary”, everyday life and love. The other basic ecclesial vocation is celibacy or
virginity, which is in a reciprocally complementing relation to marriage. These two
ecclesial vocations together express the two main characteristics of the divine love; while
marriage shows the total character of the love of God virginity represents the universal
dimension of it, since virgins are called to love everyone without particular preferences.
The companions might stop on these reflections longer and return to it once in a while, to
realize the dignity and importance of their love and be very grateful for it. This
gratefulness will enhance the desire to live their vocation better and grow the capacity to
review their life and amend it whenever it needs corrections.

169-189. ARRIVING TO A DECISION

INTRODUCTION

Around this time in the Exercises the companions arrive to make a decision whose
basic theme probably already emerged during the precedent meditations. Taking a look at
the road already made from the beginning of the Exercises the companions can see the
progress toward the decision-making and how as it gets closer in “The Kingdom of Christ”
[91-98], the “Two Standards” [136-148], the “Three Types of Attitudes” [149-157], and the
“Three Degrees of the Love of God” [165-168] meditations. With these exercises the
companions enter into a “decision situation” characterized by more or less strong
emotional upheaval, conflicting impulses and desires. In this situation one might feel to
become a “battleground of different spirits”183 and needs to decide which of these are to

183
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 102.
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be followed. As the exercises go ahead, the perspective to see the questions of life
changes and the conforming to Christ becomes the fundamental principle of discernment.
This principle is very clearly present in the “Guidelines for Discernment for the Second
Phase” [328-336] whose understanding and application as we told earlier are crucial for
this part of the Exercises. Although we can say that the decision has a central place in the
Exercises it should not be over-emphasized as an effort of our will or to pinpoint it as a
single gauge of the success of this process. Such understanding of it would put too much
pressure on the companions and on their own performance instead of letting God to guide
them. The decision in the exercises is a complex and free human act and in the same time
a gift of the Holy Spirit. There is no specific meditation in the Exercises where the subject
matter to think and pray over would be the question about our particular decision. Instead,
we continue to focus on the life of Jesus and repeatedly pray for the unconditional
acceptance of his way, thus the contemplations form the supportive basis for our decision
and create the right climate for it. In this perspective the need for specific decisions are
flowing from the conforming to Christ and particular choices emerge as the concretization
of this process in our lives. The following reflections will help the companions by specifying
the circumstances and the methods of deciding and in consequence how to proceed with
the rest of the Second Phase of the Exercises.

THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE DECISION

First of all we need to clarify which kind of decisions are we dealing with. Here we
184
don’t speak of choosing between good and evil, healthy and unhealthy ways of living .
We are deciding which of the alternative courses of action are “the will of God”, and since
185
God never wants evil all options should be morally acceptable . For example we can
never discern as if to commit an act we think to be a sin. Of course, we need to get
informed about if our notion of sin is correct. St. Ignatius says in [170] that it is necessary
that all matters on which we make a choice should be, morally good or at least
“indifferent” and in consonance with our faith and Church. Of course, it is a question if

184
We referred already to the analogous relation between the role of decisions in the
Exercises and in the healing of neuroses and addiction in connection with the “Three Types”
meditation [149-157] when presented the gospel story of Zacchaeus.
185
When discussing the matters for decision we refer in part to Thomas H. Green,
Weeds Among the Wheat, (Note Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press, 1984) pp. 81-83.
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really indifferent matters do exist or rather all our actions are morally colored - including
eating an ice cream. Sometimes it is also difficult to determine if our alternatives are
morally good or not, and this in itself needs discernment on our part to see if really these
are valid options. This will involve prayer and sometimes gathering further information
about the doubtful matters. For example, some might think abortion is morally acceptable
in certain situations, others might be convinced that abortion is morally bad even if it is
not clear if a particular action is indirectly an abortion or not. Another example can be a
job where there is a doubt that it involves harming people in some way or otherwise it is
not in consonance with one’s conscience. There could be many of such doubtful situations
that require a preliminary discernment if in fact the possibility of choice is there.
In the light of the “Principle and Foundation” [23] we should choose what is more
adequate for the achievement of our goal, for fulfillment of the meaning of our existence,
or with other words for the end for which we are created. The “matter” for the decision
arises from the question what should we do for this goal and can be very different
depending on the concrete life situation of the companions.
For people not committed in marriage or other permanent vocation (as priest or
religious) the question might be exactly which “state of life” they are called to live. This
might be for example the question that a couple of fiancées might face when they decide
to marry. It is important not to confuse the end with the means. From the perspective of
the final goal of one’s existence even marriage or other vocations are means to achieve
the fulfillment of this end. With other words, the inner logic of our choices is that the first,
or fundamental choice is for God and his service and secondly the particular vocation in
which to realize it.
If a choice was validly and honestly made, “properly and with due order” [173], there
is no reason to re-examine and change it, even if we see now in retrospective that
objectively it might not be the “best” decision. Most of the times when we make a step in
faith we cannot get an assurance that our decision is perfect. It seems that the urge to
question such choices is rather a sort of temptation. Instead of worrying about our former
decisions we need to live with them as well as it is possible.
There is a desire in our hearts for finality, for definite decisions in our historical
existence to which our irrevocable commitments answer. St. Ignatius speaks of
“unchangeable” choices and mentions marriage and priesthood as examples. He says
that these “cannot be undone” even if made improperly, but “one should be sorry for this,
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and take care to live well in the life he [or she] has chosen” [172]. Of course, the definition
of what is “unchangeable” varies with the historical situation, as today a marriage can be
annulled, and one can get dispensation from priestly vows much more easily than earlier.
Ignatius however states also what seems to prove the present practice when says, “Since
such a choice was inordinate and awry, it does not seem to be a vocation from God, as
many erroneously believe. They make a divine call out of a perverse and wicked choice”
[172]. If one discovers that a decision has not been made properly in the past and see that
it can be changed, he or she should remake it in a proper way “if one desires to bring forth
fruit that is worthwhile and most pleasing in the sight of God our Lord ” [174].
If we have already a commitment to a way of life and if this decision was validly made
we do not need to remake it. Still sometimes we can enter again in our original decision-
situation and examine how full our choice was. It is always possibility to deepen our
commitment to the original choice (let us think of the custom to celebrate anniversaries of
marriages). In our finiteness and lack of ability to perceive the whole reality, we cannot
grasp in one single act the totality, all the potencies hidden in our choice of life. During the
Exercises we discover new possibilities under the layers of everyday life calling for new
decisions about our lifestyle and to deepen our commitment to our spouse and to our
choices made earlier. This is one type of “choice” we can do during the Exercises.
When a choice of vocation is already made, for example for a married couple there are
other sorts of decisions to make in order of the renewal of life. The companions might be
helped to arrive to concrete topics of decision through reflecting on the following
questions or similar:
-“What it means for us to be in our present life style and vocation?”
-“What fixed habits or tendencies of this lifestyle we feel as obstacle or limitation to
live our vocation in a fuller, freer, better, simpler and healthier way?”
-“What can we do concretely now to better our life in its material, spiritual, marital,
financial and so on aspects?”
-“What is that conforms us more to Christ in the sense we understood in these
Exercises?”
The decision emerging here is not forced or external and does not come like a vision in
a dramatic or spectacular way, but constitutes a very rich and complex human act. We
believe that through prayer and from the concrete situations of life the Holy Spirit reveals
to everyone and every couple the points where they can make a change. If some cannot
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find a question to make a decision, it could be a sign that they did not enter the Exercises
process yet and the whole retreat needs to be revised. We could say that the experiences
of Exercises begin to be realized right when we discover these points, which might seem
even small or not too important. We should not minimize small decisions; even in a small
choice our freedom and the grace of the Holy Spirit works together and it can be a place to
meet God. From this point of view there is no insignificant decision, but with this we don’t
want to put every decision on the same level; there are more spontaneous choices where
the person is not involved fully, while others are more important. The companions need to
make this distinction to find the balance and not put too much weight on ordinary
situations, while remaining open that a small event might take on great significance. What
really matters is to be realistic in understanding what is possible so that the “results” of
these Exercises could be lasting and effective in our everyday life. Important to note also
that the companions have to discover the points where they want to make a decision,
nobody else from outside can show them where they can find their way to God. Even if
they speak with a spiritual “director”, the role of the guide should be only to help them to
clarify what they really want and not to tell them the concrete choices to make. We have
faith that the Holy Spirit shows the way to all who seeks it, but it depends on God’s
sovereign will when and how. For us it remains to be ready and to prepare for this
revelation, an effort which in itself is always worthwhile to do. With time events of
everyday life gradually will become matters for conscious spiritual decision without falling
into putting everything on the same level of importance. The Exercises in everyday life are
the place of preparation for the art of discerning life where mature and responsible
decisions become habitual. We can see in this the importance of this type of retreat for
the formation and life of lay people who need a spirituality of their own helping them
finding their way while bearing responsibilities in the world and in the Church.

THE METHODS OF DECISION

We can distinguish three basic methods to make a choice during the Exercises
depending upon the situation in which the companions find themselves at the time of the
decision. These methods are interconnected with each other and are further colored by
other factors if the decision is about their life vocation or the renewal of it, or if it is a
secluded retreat or made in the everyday life. We will discuss these variations when

105
presenting the basic methods, which are applicable not only in the course of the exercises
but outside of it as well when the companions enter a decision-situation.
The fact that the companions make the decision together in this retreat and probably
on a common matter makes it necessary that they understand in which of the three
situations they are as a couple, as a unique actor of the decision-making process. It might
happen that they experience the matter quite differently, to which case the general rule
might be expressed so that if they are in different situations they need to follow the
method with the “higher number”. We will return to this question in more detail after
explaining the three main methods.
We named these methods “revelation” (or “breakthrough of the Spirit”),
“discernment” and “reasoning”, but we will see how these three elements are present and
together are the constituents in all three methods, differing only which element is more in
the foreground as characteristic.

The first situation and method: the case of “revelation”

It can happen that the companions understand with clarity and without doubt what
they need to do. This can be a genuine experience of God, of a “breakthrough of the
Spirit” and a revelation of what is right for us in that moment, as a task to do or a way of
life to follow. This revelation itself is characterized by the complete passivity of the person
who receives it and the clear and definite experience of the presence of God. In the first
situation the companions perceive the “breakthrough of the Spirit” itself while in the
186
others as we will see later, the divine impulse is experienced through its effects . As in
this case the companions don’t need to distinguish between alternatives, the discernment
is a short process. They cannot doubt that God gave the experience, so the recognition
and authentication of the right choice is immediate as they see the evidence. The
revelation might be preceded by a long prayerful preparation or it can come as a
“surprise” grace from God. We might not say that this is the common way to make our
choices but it is not really so rare as we might suspect at first and it does not need to be a
dramatic vision-like experience, but what distinguishes it is the clarity of the insight. We
can have some Scriptural examples of such decisions as the call of the first disciples of
Jesus (Mk 1:16-20) or the call of Levi (Mk 2:13-14) where the common element of the
description is that the new disciples immediately begin to follow Jesus, without any sign of
186
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, pp. 104-105.
106
hesitation. Maybe also the companions can find similar moments of revelation in their lives
or of their knowledge.
The first method involves a point where caution is necessary. One needs to distinguish
between the moment of the revelation and the time that immediately follows it, which we
can call the “afterglow” of the peak experience. While we cannot doubt that the revelation
came from God, right after it our own ideas and influence of other “spirits” enter the
scene, and the impulses to do something that originates in this afterglow need to be
discerned carefully. It happens sometimes when young people have a strong experience
of God’s personal love they interpret with enthusiasm this experience as a call to become
priest, monk or nun. They might have mistaken the meaning of this “being-chosen”
experience - as it happened with somebody whom we know - and only later discover that
the call for consecrated life was not included in the experience or not in that form. God
loves all his (or her) children with a strong, unique and very personal love, and “chooses”
all of us for a special life task, and sometimes gives to whom he (or she) thinks needs it to
feel this predilection, which can be very healing experience. The guidelines how to deal
with this phenomenon is described in the Appendix C in chapters “Consolation without
Proportionate Cause” [330] and “The Hermeneutic Circle of Discernment” [336]. The
companions need to read these guidelines in order to be able to use this first method.
The distinction between the revelation itself and its afterglow shows the connection
between the methods of decision. When the first situation stops, as the moment of
revelation ends, we need to refer to the second method or to go on to the third depending
on the situation we enter. We will return to the interconnectedness of these methods later
to see the how they overlap and refer to each other.
This case might mean also that the Second Phase of the Exercises can be shortened
somewhat. After we made the decision we offer it in prayer to God and move to the
conclusion of this Phase.

The second situation and method: the case of “discernment”

The companions find themselves in this situation when the alternatives of the subject
matter of their decision arouse various emotional movements, or “spirits” when thinking of
the choice which need to be discerned. For this discernment process the companions need
to follow closely the Guidelines in [331]-[336] in Appendix C. The Exercises process
prepared them for openness toward choosing what is best for the goal of their existence;
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with other words choosing God’s will when they arrive to consider a decision. Also, while
doing the meditations they might have found an alternative attractive as solution, but
don’t have enough certainty about it. In this case the companions need to consider this as
a hypothetic choice and imagine themselves in it, while continuing with the
contemplations on the life of Jesus that gives the climate to these reflections 187. Then they
need to enter the other alternative in a similar manner and observe the various
movements it causes. When they do this, they practically follow consciously and
prayerfully what spontaneously occurs when somebody considers different solutions. The
more simple and calm this process, the better it is for the discernment. Probably the
companions will need to repeat the consideration of the alternatives several times and
maybe consider new ideas until they can make a choice. As the Guidelines in [333]-[335]
explain it we always need to consider the whole course of the experience when
hypothetically entering into an alternative and this should be oriented towards good acts
entirely before we could accept it as our choice. First, the companions should be aware of
ideas that seem attractive but cause a certain excitement when they enter their mind. On
the other hand they need to recognize if these ideas little by little could turn into
misleading ways, bringing them to things that are not in consonance with their conscience
and faith. As Alex Lefrank explains it188, our inner life is like a river, carrying various
feelings and strivings and only from its movement we see the direction where a particular
stimulus goes. When doing discernment the companions need to consider the course of
their choice both intellectually as the content of it, and affectively as the feelings it
arouses. The criterion for deciding is that from both view their choice should be going in a
good direction all the way, conforming us to Christ in the sense we saw it in the Second
Phase.
The process of the decision will take somewhat different forms in a secluded retreat
and in the Exercises in everyday life. While in a secluded retreat the exercitants have
limited time for the discernment, in the everyday life form it can extend to several weeks
or months until they arrive to a decision. In both cases the companions will need a certain
amount of time for testing their choices and the Second Phase might be prolonged with
added contemplations.
187
We can find an interesting presentation of the role of imagination in our life and the
creative use of it with several practical insights and case descriptions in the little book of
Maxwell Maltz, M. D., F.I.C.S., Psychocybernetics (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1960).
188
Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 107.
108
 In a secluded retreat it is possible to interrupt the decision-making process until after
the Exercises; the companions can continue it maybe with new information from their
daily life. As they arrive to authenticate their decision in a certain degree the companions
can consider it as temporary choice, which they will develop further in their everyday life.
The companions then end discernment process in the Exercises and offer in prayer to God
this temporary decision and go on to concluding the Second Phase.
In the Exercises in everyday life, the reality of life with its events and developments
189
play a very important role in the decision-making itself . In decision-situations outside of
the Exercises as well, and in particular after a secluded retreat of which we have come out
of with a temporary choice, we can enter a prayerful decision-making process similar to
the Exercises in everyday life.
Events and contacts with people instead of presenting a distraction as in a secluded
retreat form the core and context of the Exercises in everyday life. This type of retreat
reveals the fact that in life everything is “spiritual”, that our activities are in fact always
“spiritual exercises”. Often the companions enter the Exercises with a vague feeling that
something needs to be changed, and life itself will present matters for choice during this
time when prayer, reflections and growing self-knowledge renders them even more
sensible for the need of conscious and free decisions. From these vague feelings and
choices a particular decision of greater importance might emerge; for example the
question if to change the direction of one’s life, vocation, occupation, or not. The matter
for choice will be very different depending on the concrete situation of the companions.
The Exercises in everyday life provides the companions enough time for the decision,
during which the daily contemplation of the life of Jesus will continue. Given the duration
of this type of retreat, it is almost sure that consolations and desolation will occur along
with reasoning about the alternatives and careful discernment will be necessary. The
interaction of life with the exercises will take a new form when as a result of the
discernment the companions make decisions that in fact immediately affect their future;
for example announcing their decision to marry, to have a child, to make steps to move
somewhere, to volunteer, to retire, to begin to seek an other job and similar. The concrete
reality of the companion’s life not only confronts them with choices, but alongside with
prayer the events and circumstances of the everyday life also provide answers for the
189
See “The Election” in Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, pp 215-234. This
chapter of the study of Maurice Giuliani S.J. “The Exercises in Daily Life” presents the
specifics of decision process in the everyday life retreat we refer to in this description.
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emerging questions. When the companions are reflecting on their decision they need to
consider all the aspects of their existence, take account of their family, work, friends, the
poor and suffering and in general people with whom they are connected somehow or care
for. They need to see which alternatives are more compatible with their freely chosen life-
style and values.
Maurice Giuliani underlines three further characteristics of the decision-making during
a retreat in everyday life: the meaning of what is “possible”, the weight of the “present
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moment” and the reality of “humiliations” . It seems like these elements are three
facets of the risk the companions are willing to take with the supporting grace of God.
From the direct confrontation with reality that the exercises in everyday life brings with it
the companions can perceive what is possible for them from their desires and dreams.
Sometimes it might be very sobering and saving from illusions if they face the reality of
what they can achieve and accept it with the limitations. Of course, it is possible to pass
over human limitations as examples of it abound in history. However the companions need
to consider and pray on factors like their physical and psychological health, their affective
life, their capacity of bearing sacrifices without tensions and finally how much risk they are
ready to accept. The acceptance of risk brings us also to the role of the present moment in
this type of Exercises. As the companions advance with the contemplations and reflections
they will gain a new vision of their present where they have arrived also through the grace
of God. They will see it more in perspective as an organic whole, a complex configuration
of various elements, which will be changed by their decision, maybe in a way that they
cannot predict. With this vision of reality they can make their decision freely taking this
risk under the action of God’s grace. Finally, their decision inspired by the Spirit might
bring immediate adverse reactions from the ambient as we saw it in the meditation on the
third degree of the love of God. When the companions accept “to be regarded as fool for
Christ”, they need to consider the risk they can take in terms of maintaining the life they
already have, their psychic health, social relations and of earning a living.
Since the decision-making extends to a long time in the everyday life form of the
Exercises the companions usually will experience several times the alternating states of
consolation and desolation as peace and disturbance, joy and sadness, hope and anxiety
and so on. The process should not be hastened in any way, but let it go ahead with a
“natural” pace so that the decision is not made under pressure of time. This period is not
190
Ibid., pp.221-223.
110
taken out of the life of the companions but integral part of it and the decision only will
profit from the time given to it. The companions individually will have different periods of
consolation and desolation which interact with each other, with the events of their life, and
actually become moments of understanding and liberation for them. It might happen that
the alternation of consolation and desolation comes to a halt for one or for both of them
before reaching the decision. If this occurs, they find themselves in the third situation and
they should go on with the method of reasoning presented below after this.
Each stage of consolation and desolation leaves a mark on the companions, becomes
part of their history of salvation and gives them an experience of deeper understanding
and guidance to find their way. Generally deep desolations take on the form of trial or
crisis, which can be a time to learn to live with our wounded existence, and it provides a
191
strong healing experience . The greatest personal crisis that I (Krisztina) have yet
passed was a liberating and healing experience of which I came out of with greater
capacity of trusting God and standing up for what I feel authentic, for example, even if I
am far from being completely free of negative feelings. Our view of crisis situations as a
place for healing is somewhat analogous to the process of “positive disintegration”, a
model of personal development of which Bernard Tyrrell makes use of in Christotherapy.
Positive disintegration means that sometimes even certain symptoms that seem like as
neurotic or even psychotic are not pathologic but signs that the person is passing from a
lower level of development to a higher one. The symptoms such as feelings of anxiety,
fear, dissatisfaction or guilt accompany the process in which the person frees oneself of
the lower level of personality structure and ingrained old habits that are becoming
inadequate so that a higher level could be born. Such might be the example if one has a
habit of dominant angry reaction, which needs to be broken so that one could achieve a
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more mature form of responding reality .
None of these of consolations and desolations are vain or lost experiences but bring
understanding of the truth of who the companions are. While passing through the
alternating states of consolation and desolation the companions will see which things give

191
Note that the English “crisis” derives from the Greek word “krinein” meaning to
decide; it is a time that decides the direction of one’s future if falls back or finds the way
forward.
192
See a presentation of “positive disintegration” and how this model of growth
provides a parallel to the stages of ongoing conversion in Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II”, pp.19-
20.
111
them more life, which others discourage them, where their resistances and wounds are
and so these experiences also show the limits of their humanly prudent possibilities. Even
if the wounds and difficulties remain with them these are no more mere obstacles but gain
meaning and importance as indications of the road made, as parts of personal history and
the companions learn to be free notwithstanding the presence of past hurt and present
suffering since they can bring everything into their dialog with God. The alternation of
different states gradually leads to a point when the companions recognize the direction
where they go and that they can make a decision freely. This “moment of truth” will bring
to an end the alternating states. The perception of different movements maybe remains
present on the psychological level, but they loose spiritual significance for the
companions.
Maurice Giuliani points out in particular that contrary to the belief that a decision is
taken during consolation, in a time of joy, peace and strength, in reality the moment for
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decision arrives when the companions are able to go beyond the alternating states .
When in consolation that seems to give a certainty about the decision, we know that this
will be followed by desolation that raises doubt. Only when through the succession of
alternating states our faith has grown enough to commit ourselves freely in respect of all
these movements can we take the decision. The companions will see that they arrived to
what they wanted and know that the decision is theirs; they can live with the trust that the
future depends on them, on their interpretation of the facts of life, on their initiatives and
readiness to take risks. When they make decisions in this way it becomes clear that the
will of God is not something exterior in respect to their own will inspired by the Holy Spirit
and they can act upon their decision knowing also that God is the master of everything in
the final analysis. The freedom of the human person and the grace of God work together
in a complex and wonderful way in this method of decision and view of spiritual life.
When very soon consolation and desolation begin to alternate again, this will be part
of a new process and with this the companions will enter the preparation for new choices.
Maybe a new decision will lead to modification of some earlier one, but the new process
will never put in doubt the authenticity and validity of the choice made in the earlier
period of alternating states.
When the companions make the decision, they offer it to God in prayer and go on to
conclude the Second Phase. Even if it was lengthened quite a while, at the end the
193
See Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, pp. 224-225 and pp. 226-228.
112
companions need to stay and live for a while with their decision before continuing with the
next Phase of the Exercises.

The third situation and method: the case of “reasoning”

The companions find themselves in the third situation if there is no clear evidence of
what to choose, they don’t experience alternating states, and also they are not in
desolation, fear or other disturbance which would be not the time for any decision
according [318]. This case is a time of inner peace or “tranquility” as St. Ignatius calls it,
when the companions are able to focus on the decision freely and prayerfully. Here
tranquility and lack of emotional movements do not mean lack of involvement as it would
be maybe in case of tepidity; the companions are ready for deciding, they just came out of
very demanding meditations, are contemplating the gospels and want to make this
decision freely under the grace of God. Sometimes there are emotions about the
alternatives but not sufficiently clear for discerning or they cease and the companions
need to turn to the method of reasoning. It is not always easy to distinguish the second
and the third situation as it depends on personal sensitivity to emotional changes and to
inclination toward reasoning. Further, when it comes to “weighing” the pros and contras
this process itself can be a complex one where not only the intellect is involved but also
emotions might emerge.
It seems like that the third situation is more typical of the secluded retreat when there
is limited time, but the method can be useful in the exercises in everyday life since there
is enough time also to consider rational motives as far as to confirm the discernment
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process and vice versa . The method Ignatius gave consists mainly of rational weighing
the arguments for and against the possible alternatives, but the “breakthrough of the
Spirit” is present, although hidden in the assignment of weight through reasons. This
method is also a prayerful process, where the companions continue the contemplations of
the life of Jesus, ask the guidance of the Holy Spirit that they would be able to examine the
right alternatives, could see them from a correct viewpoint and at the end they offer their
choice to God in prayer. Rational reflection upon alternatives is not less “spiritual” and
grace-filled then the other methods, since the use of the faculty of reasoning is a grace
from God and everything in human existence is a spiritual reality. We cannot directly feel
the Holy Spirit but the effects of his action, and every experience of the grace depends on
194
Cf. Ibid., pp. 232-233.
113
God who gives it when he wants. The third method presupposes that the best choice is
understandable and can be recognized by logical process. On the part of the companions
it requires faith in the assistance of grace to their intelligence and in the Holy Spirit who
can speak through rational motives. Faith is present at the end too, when the companions
present their choice to God in prayer. Laying the choice before God for confirmation or
authentication inevitably brings the companions through discernment. Through the
authentication the result of their reasoning will become as strongly the “will of God” as if
achieved in the first or second method. In fact a moment of revelation is present when at
the end of this offering the companions recognize their choice as “God’s will”. There is not
difference in certitude of the decision depending on by which of the three methods we
achieve it.
The third method is useful also outside of the context of exercises, whenever a
decision should be made in a limited time frame which does not allow to wait for the
psychological movements. St. Ignatius described a concrete example of the application of
the third method of decision in the “Rules for the distribution of alms” [337-344] of which
we present a contemporary adaptation in the Appendix C with the title “Guidelines to deal
with material goods”.

The method to use in the third situation involves the following steps:
- The companions first focus on the matter of which they wish to decide and maybe
write it down for major clarity.
- Then they recall from the Principle and Foundation [23] the goal of their life and the
meaning of their existence: “God creates every man and woman out of love and for the
same human vocation: to love and praise God with their existence and serve him with
reverence. Living this way they will find the fulfillment of their life and collaborate in their
salvation and that of all humankind”. While keeping in mind this goal when making the
decision, they need to be free in their relationship to “all other things” (to which they are
not obliged by commitments already), so that they are not inclined to accept or reject the
alternatives because of previous attachments, prejudices or bias. St. Ignatius describes
this attitude with the image of a scale: “I should be like a balance at equilibrium, without
leaning to either side, that I might be ready to follow whatever I perceive is more for the
glory and praise of God our Lord and for the salvation of my soul” [179]. The companions

114
will weigh the arguments for and against each possible alternative on this well-balanced
scale.
- Besides of the companion’s efforts to be balanced they need to pray for it constantly.
Each can pray with his or her own words asking the grace of clarity when deciding.
- Then they begin to weigh the matter to decide and write down the advantages and
disadvantages for choosing a particular alternative. They repeat it for each possible
195
alternative and at the end choose that one with the weightier reasons for it . Through
prayer and reasoning the companions attempt to arrive to a decision that is not based on
a priori likes and dislikes, attachments, wishful thinking and similar bias or prejudices.
- After choosing the best alternative the companions turn to God in prayer, offer him
their choice so that he might confirm it for them and help them to realize if it is for his
glory and for the good of them. The confirmation leads them to the need of discernment
about it, since it inevitably involves feelings.
If the companions need more light on their decision, they can include also the
following considerations in their search.
1. They should think of another person or couple whom they never saw before but
to whom they wish the fullness of life. What would we advise to this person or couple if
asking for help in the same matter for decision? The companions should follow the
advice they propose to others. This perspective helps them to create a certain
distance from the problem and gain more objectivity about the matter.

195
We can give a numerical weight to the alternatives and draw a chart with the
alternatives on the first axe, on the second “advantage” and “disadvantage” and finally on
the third the weight of each. The following chart shows the case when there is the question
to accept or reject something.

This graphic representation can be helpful for some people, but of course it is not
necessary part the decision, and we mention it only for illustrating the method.
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2. The companions now turn their fantasy to the moment of their death and
imagine what they would think and feel about their life then with the choice they are
about to make. They need to act according to the choice that would make them glad
at the end.
This exercise is paralleled in a Logodrama used by Viktor Frankl in a therapeutic
196
setting . The case description is of a woman whose eleven year old boy died and she
remained alone with her other son, crippled from infantile paralysis. The woman
attempted suicide together with him, but the boy prevented it. Dr. Frankl invited the
woman to imagine herself to be eighty years old on her deathbed, looking back on her
life. In this review she discovered that even if her son died, the other one needs her,
since without her he would be in an institute, but she can make a fuller life possible for
him. Then she continues by realizing that her life was full of meaning, including her
sufferings and also that a short life as her dead boy’s could be so rich in love and joy
that it could be more meaningful as a life of eighty years. Frankl ended the session by
pointing out the possibility of another dimension, a world beyond our human world, in
which the question of an ultimate meaning of suffering would find an answer.
With this call to the moment of death the companions have another perspective to
see better which alternative would bring them more meaningful life. Remembering our
death brings us in touch with the finiteness of our life and this gives a special weight
to each minute we live and each choice we make. This perspective recalls the practice
of the monks who keep the thought of death in their mind by the greeting “Memento
mori”, “Remember death”. We can refer also to the prayer “Hail Mary” in which we ask
Our Lady’s help “at the hour of our death” which is a particularly important moment of
life.
3.This is a consideration somewhat similar to the previous one, a sort of repetition
of it, which serves to deepen the perspective obtained before. Now the companions
should imagine themselves before God in judgment and decide which choice they
would wish then they had made?
The moment of judgment brings eternity into the perspective. Viktor Frankl
pointed out several times in Logotherapy that although in human life everything, our
works, love and posterity is transitory, everything becomes eternal as part of the past,
it is saved there. Consoling fact that it cannot be lost but a warning one that it cannot
196
Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” pp. 184-187.
116
 197
even be changed or corrected . This brings to the responsibility for what we choose
to do, what we select in the present to become part of the past. As we are constantly
questioned by life and give our answers, we are “dictating” our story living our
responsibility for our life.
“In death everything that has passed congeals in the past. Nothing can be
changed any more. The person has nothing at his disposal: no mind, no body; he has
lost his psychophysical ego. What is left, and what remains, is the self, the spiritual
self. Many people believe that a dying person sees his whole life flash by within a
fraction of a second. To pursue this comparison, we may say that in death man
becomes the movie itself. He now ‘is’ his life, he has become the history of his life – as
good or as bad as it might have been. He has become his own heaven or his own hell”
198
. We are facing two paradoxes here. The first is that a person’s own past is one’s
true future, since once dead the person “is” his or her past; life is completed in a
literal “past perfect”. The second paradox is that when we do something we “create”
also ourselves and in consequence we become fully reality at our death. Our self is in
the making and becoming in all our life and becomes fully itself when death completes
our life.
If the companions take into consideration this perspective, it will not only show
them death as an “awakening call” to the true reality of their selves, but it will be
helpful also to find the response to life’s question in the decision they are about to
make and desire to be in line with the life they desire to create.

Choosing the decision-making method for couples

Which method to follow will depend on if the companions find themselves in the same
or in different situations of the above described cases. The general rule that if they are in
different situations or otherwise a method is not applicable, they need to follow the
method with the “higher number”. Let us go through the possible combinations.
A. If both of them are in the first situation, have a clear evidence of what to
choose and they agree on the decision to make, this is excellent, they can proceed
according to it.

197
See for example “Temporality and Mortality: An Ontological essay” in Frankl, “The
Unheard Cry for Meaning,” pp102-113.
198
Ibid., p. 112.
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 B. If both of them have clear evidence of the decision but their choices are
different then they should examine their feelings about these alternatives and follow
with the method of discernment or that of reasoning until they can agree on one
choice.
C. If both the companions experience consolations and desolations then they
need to follow the method of the so-called communal discernment. Since it is not too
different from the personal discernment, he companions will be able to set for
themselves the rules for themselves based on that. Here we give some general
insights on how to do a communal discernment.

Communal discernment for companions

1. To engage in the discernment process, the companions need to consider

themselves as “we”, a single acting agent. It means to live in commitment and
communion which in the case of a married couple is a given situation. This point
brings up the question if there is necessity to achieve unanimity. It seems like
evident that two people need to agree to act together. But unanimity never should
be a simple submission of one partner to the other (or others if we speak of a
group). Unanimity is not the tyranny of the stronger or of the majority winning over
the weaker, but a harmony of hearts and minds that is hard to define and maybe
escapes exact definition. If the agreement is not spontaneous, it requires time,
patience and maybe compromise on both sides to achieve it. In any case, before
beginning the discernment process proper, the companions need to examine
themselves if they constitute a living “we” and are open enough to accept new
ideas, compromise and patiently wait for each other.
2. The companions need to express in a clear and simple form the matter of
which they discern, so that they can answer about it with “yes” or “no”. For
example instead of putting the question “What would be the best for us to do in the
following year?” they should ask, “Should we buy this property?” “Should we move
to California?”, “Should we join this religious movement?”, “Should one of us accept
a certain job?”.
3. When the companions formulate the questions to discern they rely on their
living experience, their common ideals, habits, expressions, language, and similar.
Certainly they have shared values, ideals and goals, which unify and organize their

118
 life. During the Exercises the preparation for this decision renders this orientation
explicit and reveals the obstacles and limitations on the way of the companions
toward their ideal. When they understand their basic options, they will see if the
alternative they consider is in harmony with the chosen existential attitude and
lifestyle, if it simplifies and renders more free their life or not. This being in line with
the innermost orientation is an important criterion for deciding.
4. The companions need to agree that they will put in practice the decision once
it is made. (Unless, of course, they discover, that they need to change it because
the discernment was not made properly, or because new conditions arose.)

D. If both of them are in the third situation of “tranquility”, they should use the
third method of deciding applied to the necessities of the companions.
E. Remains the case when the companions are in different situations, for example
one has clear evidence and the other not or one has emotional movement while the
other companion experiences “tranquility”. If it is so they need to turn usually to the
method with the “higher number” applicable. If at least one of them experiences
alternating consolations and desolations they can use this as basis for discernment
and also take in consideration the reasons to be used in the third method. If none of
them has alternating emotional movements, but one receives a “revelation”, then
they need to submit this to the test of reasons pro and contra. They need to go on
discerning and reasoning until they find a common choice confirmed in prayer.
F. In most of the cases presented above it might be necessary to repeat the
process of choice - that is the companions need to alternate periods of prayer with
sharing over the matter of decision - until an agreement is achieved.

CONCLUDING THE SECOND PHASE

As we told earlier, after the decision is made, the companions bring it in prayer to God
for confirmation and then they spend some time in quiet and grateful thanksgiving for the
graces received. This might be also a bit longer period, as of trying in prayer to live with
the choice before going toward the Third Phase of the Exercises. During this transition
period the psychological movements will return, but these should not disturb the decision
and the peace of finding it, since it was done in faith, beyond the influence of consolations

119
and desolations. This time serves also as a rest after the high intensity of the decision;
cherish the decision achieved, see the difference between the act of faith involved in it
and the normal ebb and flow of feelings.
The companions continue also the contemplations of the public life of Jesus, of which
they can take more or omit some, depending on the method of the decision. In any case, if
possible it is preferable to end the Phase with the contemplation of “Palm Sunday” in
[288] since it can be a transition to the theme of the Passion in the Third Phase.

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 T H I R D P H A S E : C O N F I R M I N G [190-217]
Where are you going, climbing higher
Barren peaks?
You look tired, heavy.
What do you want to do?
Lie down amidst flowers?
What is lower, what is higher?
All is effort.
Just stand tiredly.
Too worn to collapse for
Fear it will be permanent – and
In the wrong place.
But what other place?
Why not amidst flowers wonder.
A little lower, a little higher but
Away foolish ambitions.
Some effort, yes, but it is safe,
Known territory, rich in itself
Sometimes alone, but not always.
Oh, but to climb.
But not alone.

(Jon’s moose picture, - John)

After the demanding decision-making there is a feeling of relief, but the Exercises do
not end there but continue with the living out of this choice, which becomes reality in the
daily existence of the companions. The paschal mystery (the passion and the resurrection
stories of the gospel) constitutes the material for the contemplations in the rest of the
Exercises, which like a diptych is divided between the Third Phase that deals with the
passion of Jesus and to the Fourth that leads us to the resurrection. The two sides of the
paschal mystery is in fact the place where the companions’ existence unfolds in constant
tension between suffering and joy. They are called to fidelity to their chosen way and

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lifestyle in these varying circumstances. Of this it is easily understood that the meaning of
this last part of the Exercises is wider, and the underlying process necessarily leads out of
the actual retreat period and unfolds later in the life of the companions. This interior
process cannot be forced by the rhythm of the retreat but only helped and stimulated in a
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certain extent . The Exercises are a school of spiritual life, where the companions can
experiment and prepare for the aftermath. During the retreat they can at least see how
the way they began when made the choice will continue.
In the language of the classical spiritual theology, following the purgative or liberative
(First Phase) and illuminative (Second Phase) stages we enter the unitive way, which
extends to the Third as well as to the Fourth Phases. With other words, the unitive stage of
spiritual growth and healing consists of the confirming (unitive way in suffering and pain)
and transforming (unitive way in joy) processes when the companions “confirm” their
choice to be transformed as active participants of the saving work of Christ continuing the
200
dynamic of the Kingdom [91-99] and the Two Standards [136-149] meditations . The
mystical union with Christ to which the Exercises bring the companions will be lived - just
like the bond of human marriage “in good and bad” - in the ordinary reality of their daily
life, not prevalently in the safety of their prayer and fantasy. St. Ignatius gave a great
importance to this confirmation and he considered it a supreme gift from God, who
guarantees our decision taken for him, giving us the necessary certitude, light and
strength to live out our choice faithfully. St. Ignatius writes this prayer in “His Spiritual
Journal”: “Eternal Father, confirm me; Eternal Son, confirm me; Eternal Holy Spirit, confirm
me; My God, Who are One God, confirm me”201. The concrete decision the companions
made during the Exercises is in fact identification with Christ and the fidelity to it leads to
share the destiny of him. The union with Christ means the acceptance of the
consequences as shown in the meditation on the “Third degree of the love of God” [165-
168], which means real suffering, interior struggle, fear, loneliness, misunderstanding and
rejection, even imprisonment or death. Maybe these consequences will become evident
right after the decision; maybe later in time or after series of ulterior decisions that lead to

199
See this important insight of Alex Lefrank S.J. in Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for
Service”, p. 111.
200
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 112.
201
Quoted in the notes of Armand Nigro, S.J., “The Grace of Discernment of Spirits. Part
V. The Practice of Discernment. Ignatian Rules for the Discernment of Spirits in the Light of
the Spiritual Exercises” Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington, p. 41.
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confrontation; the companions cannot know it beforehand. Often the grace of the “Third
degree of the love of God” is achieved during the Third Phase or at least one arrives to
202
want to desire this grace . So, even if the companions don’t feel ready for this grace
they can continue with the Exercises without hesitation, since entering in the
contemplation of the paschal mystery in any case might be beneficial for their spiritual
growth and healing. However, it should be left always open how the union with Christ in
his suffering will realize in the life of the companions, since God should choose the
203
concrete form for them . Through the perseverance in this struggle and even
experiencing impotence against the forces of evil the way of the union with Christ leads in
some form to resurrection for the companions, too.
As we told earlier the graphic illustration of the process of spiritual growth and healing
is a spiral, slowly rising upward, going through more times over the same coordinates but
204
every time on a higher level . Each of these turns of the spiral involves “turning-from”
destructive tendencies and “turning-toward” life-giving and healthy ways, similarly to the
205
conversion processes as described in Christotherapy . While the First Phase consisted
more of the “turning-from”, and the Second Phase of the “turning-toward” movement, the
Third and Fourth Phases again will go through respectively the same cycle, but in a
different context and with new nuances. After the Exercises itself the companions will not
stop but continue to advance along this spiral of the ongoing spiritual growth, conversion
and healing, sufferings and joys, sometimes living times when “turning-from” sin and
unhealthy attitudes will be necessary other times when “turning-toward” new ways of
living will be dominant.
The goal of the Third Phase in this dynamic is to confirm the decision of the
companions while contemplating the passion of Jesus. The decision will be always in their
mind during this phase as they question how to live with it, where it will bring them and so
on, and as they pray to be able to carry it out. The grace of this phase is compassion
(“cum-pati”: to suffer with, together), shame and sorrow because of the suffering of Christ.
When we speak of the suffering of Christ we should always keep in mind that it

202
Ibid. p. 113 and p. 120.
203
For this reason St. Ignatius does not permit neither to pry for martyrdom as a choice
as pointed out in Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 113.
204
See [4] in our general presentation of the Phases of the Spiritual Exercises where we
describe the distinguishable stages in the process of spiritual growth and healing.
205
Cf. Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 3-6.
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encompasses not only the historical passion of Jesus but the sufferings of the companions
themselves as well as the continuing passion of the members of humanity with which
Jesus identified himself, the poor, the abandoned, the tortured, the oppressed and
powerless in our present world. Rightly understood, the compassion with Christ we ask
here does not mean neither having pious, uplifting feelings about our own imagination of
the passion story nor to suffer as Jesus suffered but to live and die authentically today as
he did in his time. As Henri Nouwen so clearly expressed it: “When the imitation of Christ
does not mean to live a life like Christ, but to live your life as authentically as Christ lived
206
his, then there are many ways and forms in which a man can be a Christian” .
During the Exercises first we are called to realize our sinfulness as cause of the
passion, and later accept suffering as the condition of adhering to the value system of
Christ, but now the viewpoint of the contemplations is different since we are called to
compassion, to suffer and die with Christ. The compassion with Christ during the Third
Phase however will not be easy, since St. Ignatius wants the exercitant to remember that
Jesus suffered “for my sins” [193]. It is difficult to experience sincere compassion if one is
aware to be the cause of the suffering. In consequence instead of experiencing strong
feelings the prayer of the companions might be unusually dry, emotionless. Another cause
of this dryness might be that coming out of the demanding Second Phase the companions
are psychologically exhausted. Also, we should remember that we asked to experience
what Jesus lived in his passion and he probably did not received too much consolation
207
during the passion . These hardships during the contemplations probably indicate that
the companions already received the grace they asked for and in a different form than
anticipated; in fact these experiences are part of dying with Christ.
208
The death of every person is a unique unrepeatable event , one is not able to study
or exercise it before the physical death and in consequence it is fearsome, mysterious
event. Yet there is the possibility to anticipate the event of dying at least in the acts when
209
the individual gives up asserting oneself . Dying with Christ is possible in this sense. It is
used in the Scriptures for the paradox conditions of Christian life; for example St. Paul who

206
Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Wounded Healer. Ministry in Contemporary Society, (Garden
City, NY: Doubleday &Company, Inc., 1972) p. 103.
207
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 119.
208
Karl Rahner uses the word “onceness” (“hapax” in Greek) for this characteristic of
death in Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 90.
209
Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, pp. 130-131.
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says that we are “always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of
Jesus may also be manifested in our body” (2Cor 4:10) and “if we have grown into union
with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in resurrection” (Rom
6:5). As Karl Rahner points out: “It remains true that death is just the way life was, and
that the person only concretizes in his death the full meaning of the ‘detachment’ spoken
of in the Foundation of the Exercises. Therefore, in a very true sense death is actually
anticipated in every moral act in which the higher and more distant goal is preferred to
the lower, nearer, and more pleasant one”210.
Preparing ourselves for death is not a morbid way of thinking, rather the exclusion or
avoidance of death is the unhealthy attitude since death along with suffering and trouble
belongs to life as integral part of it. Not only that death is unavoidable but also it is an
211
important factor in the meaningfulness of life and has a meaning in itself . The fact that
we will die one day forces us to decide and act, while if we were immortal we could with
right postpone things forever and escape our responsibility to choose. A parable used in
existential analysis (the practice of Logotherapy) to render patients conscious of their
responsibility illustrates the role of finality in giving meaning to life. In this method – which
recalls the advice St. Ignatius gives for the third situation of making a decision in [186] –
the doctor suggests the patient to pretend to be reading his or her own biography at the
end of life. Then the patient imagines to arrive to the chapter dealing with the actual
present time and by a miracle has the power to decide about the contents of the following
pages and so realize that he or she still has the power to make corrections in life and
responsibility for how the next day or month or year will look like. To illustrate the
historicity of life, Frankl also instructs the patient to imagine his or her life as a movie just
being shot without the possibility to cut anything of it. He resembles human life also to
that of a sculptor who hammers the stone to bring out of it more and more form. So one is
working on the matter of possibilities life presents for him or her, sometimes creating
things, or experiencing or loving, other times suffering; the individual tries to hammer out
values out of their life. There is limited time for the sculptor to finish the work, but it is not
known when the deadline arrives and he is called away. He tries to in consequence use
time very well and it might happen that the work remains “unfinished”. One similarly does
not know when death “calls away” him or her but must be ready for it in any moment. If

210
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 90.
211
Regarding the meaning of death see Frankl, “The Doctor and the Soul,” pp. 51-74.
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time is run out before the work is completed, it will not render it worthless. Let us think of
Michelangelo’s beautiful and never completed “Rondanini Pieta” or some unfinished
symphonies of classical music. Neither is a biography judged by the number of pages in it
but by the contents and consequently life’s meaningfulness does not depend on its length
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.
The Third Phase of the Exercises in particular teaches the companions to realize that
suffering which seems useless and meaningless in fact becomes source of value and life
not only for them but for others as well. Suffering is an essential part of human existence –
has a place of honor in life as Frankl would say - so much that trying to avoid it is a
neurotic attempt and the capacity of suffering is one of the characteristics of healthy
human psyche. Through this capacity we discover life’s unconditional meaningfulness.
Meaning of life can be found not only in creative or experiential values (in working or
enjoying) but when these are no longer possible in realizing attitudinal values, that is
through the attitude that is taken toward suffering. “It is through attitudinal values that
even the negative, tragic aspects of human existence, or what I call the ‘tragic triad’ –
213
pain, guilt and death- may be turned into something positive and creative” . The lack of
success or the tragic character does not render meaningless one’s life, but can be
transformed into personal achievement by growing up to the challenge it represents.
Suffering even takes on redemptive value when it becomes sacrifice, a suffering out of
love and so it can be vicariously fruitful for others. St. Paul expressed this possibility in the
letter to the Colossians: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am
filling up what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the
church” (Col 1:24)214.
Through the realization of attitudinal values one turns suffering into an occasion for
personal growth, but besides this factor, suffering has a meaning in itself. As Frankl
215
pointed out , while suffering of something, we interiorly distance ourselves from it and
live in a tension between what is and what ought to be. In this fruitful tension we are able
to contemplate the ideal that would escape our vision if we remain immersed in and

212
Cf. Ibid., pp. 52-54.
213
Viktor Frankl, The Unconscious God, (New York: Washington Square Press, 1985) p.
125. For a wider presentation of the meaning of suffering see Frankl, “The Doctor and the
Soul”, pp. 84-93.
214
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 131.
215
Cf. Frankl, “The Doctor and the Soul”, p. 86-87.
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identified with reality as it is. Envisioning the ideal, the world as it ought to be is a value in
itself created in the crucible of suffering.
Since through suffering we interiorly distance ourselves from things, we are aided in
the freedom spoken of in the “Principle and Foundation” [23] and so suffering at least
indirectly helps us to fulfill our human vocation. Further, the vision of the ideal while
enduring the suffering between things as they are and as they ought to be is a necessary
factor for living the spiritual discernment. Only in this perspective of the ideal can we
make judgment about options to choose from and decide about the direction we want to
move.
Through this understanding of suffering we can recognize for example the meaning of
repentance that seems useless on a utilitarian level, since nothing that was done can be
canceled from our life as if never had happen. Still, by repentance this external event can
be erased on the moral and spiritual level. We can distance ourselves interiorly from the
wrongdoing and become different persons. Even in the extreme case, if at the end of life
one realizes that everything was wrong and life wasted away, the moment of recognition
of what might have been will create meaning for this person’s life.
Suffering on the psycho-spiritual level has a similar function as pain in the physical,
biological dimension of life. Similarly as pain signals possible danger, distress like guilt or
trouble helps to remain alive psychologically and spiritually. Suffering in this way leads us
to amend whatever is possible or to endure it when nothing is left to do. Finally this
passive enduring of the unavoidable constitutes the immanent meaning of suffering. Only
when unavoidable, suffering becomes one’s cross to take on, only when nothing is left to
do is enduring the right and meaningful attitude that becomes a moral achievement. We
see the history of Church witnessing that the efforts to alleviate human suffering in all of
its forms always was present together with the teaching on the redemptive value of
suffering and bearing one’s cross. The passive endurance of the authentic cross is not
something willed but accepted, and besides being meaningful for the individual who grows
and matures through this suffering, it becomes fruitful for others. It is a mystery that
cannot be adequately grasped or described. The suffering suffered authentically is a value
that is there, available and cannot be canceled any more from our personal history which
is intimately connected with the history of every man and woman ever lived and to live. If
somebody somewhere has seen and understood the truth and wanted the good the world
will not be the same any more but richer and truer. Thus the Third Phase as difficult, dry
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and meaningless as the companions might feel it can be proved the most fruitful of all up
to this point in the exercises process.
The difficulties that the companions might experience during this Phase are in
connection with the fact that they find themselves in a situation very similar to Jesus in the
contemplated events of passion. They have made their decision which identified them with
the way of Christ and now awaits to be lived out just as for Jesus when he arrived to the
fulfillment of his mission, to “his hour” (Jn 13:1). The companions probably will experience
temptation to give up the decision they made as invalid and begin the process again,
seeking for new solutions. They might perceive now the consequences of the decision as
too demanding or terrifying. It is a time when the return is still possible, and the emerging
doubts cause anxiety, confusion and pain similarly to the agony of Jesus in the
Gethsemane. They might see now numerous new factors and a new sequences of
thoughts that confuse the clarity they had at the moment of the choice and this can cause
strong anxiety of which it seems, only abandoning the decision can offer relief.
In this situation the companions need steadfastness in the decision made and resisting
to the doubts and false reasons now emerging. They should remember not to confuse the
goal of this Phase when they are called to live with their choice with the aim of the
precedent one and return to seek a decision. During the Second Phase they made sure to
choose properly and now they need stand firm in it. Before entering in the contemplations
of the passion it might be helpful to share their decision with somebody the companions
trust if they can do it. This person cannot end for them the confusion or doubts but could
help them to remain steadfast notwithstanding experiencing this anguish.
Whether the companions have such outside help or not they need to use discernment
in order to remain firm during the more or less strong temptations experienced in this
Phase. St. Ignatius gave guidelines for the discernment for the First and Second Phase
(Appendix C [313-327] and [328-336]), but did not mention special rules neither for the
Third nor the Fourth Phases. As Alex Lefrank points out, from the arrangement of the
material in the book of the Spiritual Exercises the “Notes Concerning Scruples” [345-351]
216
might be connected with the Third Phase . The Third Phase requires steadfastness on
216
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 120. In Appendix C, after the
“Guidelines for the Discernment” we find the “Guidelines to deal with material goods” [337-
344] which is as we saw earlier a concrete example of the application of the third method of
decision (see in [169-189] “Arriving to a Decision”) belonging to the Second Phase. Then the
“Notes Concerning Scruples” follow and afterward the “Guidelines for the Right Attitude
toward the Church or Sense of Church”. The latter considered belonging to the Fourth Phase,
128
the part of the companions in the decision recognized earlier as the right one resisting all
the arguments against it, and this is a somewhat similar situation to the First Phase when
perseverance was necessary against temptations to abandon the Exercises process. The
“Guidelines for Discernment for the First Phase” [313-327] dealing with the recognition of
the power of evil are useful also here.
The concrete unfolding of the inner process of this Phase might look very different for
the companions depending their personal history, sensitivity and similar reasons. In any
case one form or other of suffering will be involved for everyone not only in this Phase but
in life for which the Exercises prepare the companions. The distress in certain cases can
reach extreme proportions, not only to give up the decision or the entire Exercises, but
even despair and depression, an experience of overwhelming guilt, and feeling rejected by
God. In this time of suffering the companions are called to persevere in faith and draw
support from the experience of the Church before them. Properly understood, this
suffering is part of the grace of this Phase and it means the intimate experience of the
contemplated passion of Christ. Living and persevering in faith without consolation is a
known part of the spiritual life and corresponds to what St. John of the Cross calls the
“dark night of the soul”. Often only praying with vocal prayer that has been written by
others remains possible, as reciting the Psalms or still more simple prayers as the “Our
Father”, the “Hail Mary” or asking the help of saints. For situations like this it might be
helpful to use the “Third Method of Prayer” [258-260] from Appendix A.
In the Third Phase of the Exercises becomes explicit the presence of destructive forces
that work against the entire process and in fact against the existence of the companions.
Satan is the parable of these forces, a personal reality who stands behind every evil in this
world. Alex Lefrank refers to Satan with the biblical expression “power of darkness” (Lk
217
22:53) reviewing shortly the work of this force during the course of the Exercises . In
fact, one of the most effective tactics of Satan is to remain hidden, in the background and
in the shadows of reality. The Exercises process presents a time to learn how to discern
the work of this power, deal with it without fear and use also the tactics of the “enemy” -
as Ignatius calls Satan - to proceed on our way toward God.
In the beginning of the process the companions meet this force in the form of
obstacles that try to deter them from entering the Exercises. Then they will experience
the guidelines for scruples might refer to the Third Phase if we suppose that Ignatius was
arranging the material in this systematic manner.
217
Ibid., pp.125-130.
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disturbing questions or doubts about spending time and energy with this prayer and
reflection instead of “normal” life. They might experience reluctance, boredom and even
repugnance toward the exercises while feeling the attraction toward many other possible
things to do. If the companions resist and proceed in the First Phase, the attack arrives as
discouragement, depression, false guilt and confusion. All these obstacles are of
psychological character, and the real source of them remains in the background. Through
this “smokescreen” tactics Satan makes belief that the companions deal only with reality
as it is. Using the light of discernment the companions are however able to see through
the blindness and notice this power who is able to influence psychological dimension of
the human person.
During the Second Phase the misleading work of Satan takes on new form, trying to
hide under the appearance of good, appealing on the generosity, good intentions and
former achievements of the companions. Through exaggeration on these points they insist
to do more and more, until arriving to a breaking point and experiencing rejection toward
the whole effort as fallacious. In consequence they give up following this way at all or need
to return to the beginning of the process toward a decision, loosing precious time. It is still
more dangerous for the companions if they are successful in the exaggerated ambitions.
Instead of focusing on God they become centered on themselves and their own
achievements as a prize to gain in order to grow in power. This “power” is the “most
218
extreme perversion” of Christianity . We could say that it is a distortion of the deepest
meaning of our humanity, too. Karl Rahner says with poetic strength that Christ “is the
culminating point of mankind that I seek from the bottom of my heart, even if I never
heard the name of Jesus. For I am essentially ordered to the concrete One that I can love
and serve absolutely. But I can only do that with regard to a living Thou – I cannot do it
with regard to abstract principles! Nor can I love and serve myself alone. If I try to do that,
then I necessarily make an idol of my own reality, and therefore fall into my own
finiteness, into my own vacuum and condemned emptiness”219.
Such a self-centered attitude renders the victims of it sharply judgmental toward
mistakes of others while getting blind to their own pride and so they serve the plans of
Satan who knowing the final futility of his efforts acts out of hatred and despair. The
danger to fall into this trap is growing with the progress in the spiritual life. Maybe one

218
Cf. Ibid., p. 128.
219
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 130.
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thinks they can arrive to an authentic capacity of commitment, sacrifice and discipline,
even if she looses the focus on God as the living Thou whom we are called to love and
serve. Instead of growing in the consciousness of being dependent on God in everything
this person places his or her own ego in the center and feels to make progress by his or
her own strength. Thus this person misses the goal of his or her life since we are not called
for greater power and self-satisfaction but to deeper union with God.
Once one falls into the pit of self-centeredness still one can receive the grace of
conversion since God will continue to call this person through the events of life, maybe
through crises that can wake up and save him or her from closing himself or herself in this
isolation. This happens in a way similar to the action of God through pangs of conscience
and crisis in the basic guideline of the discernment in [314-315] - even if here we have a
person who tries to seek the good.
One of the means to guard against this trap during the Second Phase is the threefold
prayer as given in the “Two Standards” meditation [147] at the end of most of the prayer
sessions leading to the decision. This continuous prayer helps to maintain the
consciousness that the choice the companions can make is indeed a gift which they
receive together with the capability to persevere in it.
In the Third Phase Satan again tries to disguise himself as an “angel of light”, when
through doubts and new reasons concerning the decision the companions made, by
insisting on reevaluating and repeating the process which seemingly promotes the good.
“Here we encounter a typical tactic of the adversary: he always uses the correct way of
acting of the phase immediately preceding”220. The search for the best option belongs to
the Second Phase, once the companions properly ended it and passed to the next stage of
the Exercises, it is no longer time for evaluate arguments but they are called to persevere
in the choice made. If the companions resist to the mounting pressure against their
decision Satan will come to the open by bringing more or less intense suffering on the
companions. It will be clear that following the course they chose means suffering for the
time being and relief seemingly could come only through abandoning it.
Everything seems like futile acts and there is no help or protection against this assault.
We should not forget however that there is a dimension that Satan cannot reach; he is not
able to touch the innermost core of the human person and take away the possibility of
free decision. Freedom of will is a fundamental characteristic of the human person created
220
Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 129.
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by God in the Christian anthropology and one of the basic tenets on which the system of
Logotherapy is based besides the will to meaning and the meaning of life. Human freedom
is limited and conditioned but the circumstances do not condition it completely. We are
not free from the conditions of life but are free for something, are free to take a stand in
front of all circumstances. Illustrating the ultimate capability of the human person to defy
the worst conditions possible Viktor Frankl refers to the experience of the concentration
camps where among the same deprivations some became saints while others succumbed
to subhuman behavior thus showing the falsity of the Freudian supposition that the
uniform experience of hunger will cancel all the personal differences and only the uniform
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expression of the urge . The freedom of choosing an attitude toward all the conditions,
including the psychological and pathological phenomenon remains always intact and in
fact one chooses freely also when one gives up and lets oneself to be determined. Thus
even in the most excruciating torments the companions might go through during the
confirming process of the Third Phase it remains possible for them to be victorious. Even if
the presence of God is not felt, and all consolation is taken away there is enough grace for
overcoming this situation similarly to what Ignatius says in [320] about desolations.
After this introduction now we turn to the presentation of the exercises of the Third
Phase, which is divided into periods similarly to the precedent, each of these consisting of
two exercises, two repetitions and one “application of the senses”. The prayer in these
exercises will be the familiar Ignatian contemplation which has by this time become
familiar to the companions and due to the dynamics now is a significantly simplified form
of being present in the gospel scene. Because of this familiarity the periods can be
arranged with greater flexibility during the Third Phase, as in [209] St. Ignatius himself
propones various possible arrangement of the periods and even suggests the series of
contemplations omitting the repetitions and application of the senses. Given this freedom
in the approach to this Phase we encourage the companions to arrange their retreat with
the passion story in a way they feel more appropriate, and shorten or lengthen it as they
wish according also to what is said in the “Note” [209].
We will follow the original outlay presented in the book of the Spiritual Exercises where
the Third Phase consists of seven periods, six of which chronologically follow the events of
the passion, and the seventh contains a contemplation of the entire passion and considers
“as frequently as possible” [208] the burial of Jesus, the weariness and sorrow of Mary and
221
Cf. Frankl, “The Unheard Cry for Meaning” pp. 47-48.
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the disciples - which we call “Waiting at the tomb of Jesus”. The companions might change
the distribution of the gospel readings using Appendix B “The Mysteries of the Life of Jesus
Christ” [289-298] and the Scriptures in order to pass more or less time with the passion. A
different approach to structure the Phase is to have the first period as in the original
version on the Last Supper and the Gethsemane followed by four periods spent with the
entire passion story from the four different gospels and ended with one period “Waiting at
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the tomb of Jesus” .
After the detailed presentation of the exercises of the First Period and some notes in
[204-207] on how to create a helpful climate and proceed with the exercises for the
following periods we give only the material to use in the contemplations. At the end of the
presentation of this Phase [210-217] is contained the “Guidelines with regard of Eating”
which sounds surprising at this juncture of the Exercises but in fact are important part of
the Exercises and equally meaningful if the companions live in an affluent as well as in a
poor society. The underlying view is that the most common things of everyday life as
eating and drinking are in fact spiritual realities and need to be arranged in connection
with our faith in Christ. These guidelines give practically a model through the example of
dealing with food on how to order the companions entire life to God and should be read
and reflected on time to time during the Third Phase.

190-208. THE FIRST PERIOD

FIRST EXERCISE: ON THE LAST SUPPER

This contemplation follows immediately the decision made by the companions and as
we told before the situation of the companions at this juncture of the Exercises is similar
to that of Jesus. Although there is the motive of the betrayal of Judas, the gospels make
clear that Jesus freely surrenders himself already during the Last Supper and so confirms
everything he did and told before. The suffering that follows is not misfortune but the
consciously accepted consequence of the way of Jesus. With this last night his public

222
Marian Cowan, C.S.J. offers several different ways of doing the Third Phase with
varying length and approaches in Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of
Loyola,” pp. 121-125.
133
 223
mission ended, what remains is the “fulfillment” (Jn 19:30) of it . As for Jesus, his actions
and words meant also steps which put him in conflict with the authorities and so caused
inevitably his arrest and death; the decision of the companions brings with it certain
consequences. The confirmation process of the decision involves the concrete acceptance
of these consequences, which as Bernard Tyrrell calls it is, “a twofold ongoing dying to
self”224, indicating that the decision for a certain direction in life necessarily excludes other
pathways and also the chosen option brings with it continuous daily “dying” in the form of
necessary sacrifices and difficulties. Tyrrell mentions the self-sacrifice required by the
commitment to marriage as well as in “religious life” with vows, and points out the
analogical position of the person who decides to seek psychological health and recovery
from neurosis or addiction. Such a person faces the suffering involved in the detachment
from the well-ingrained neurotic tendencies and in the struggle for sobriety the
contemplation of Jesus’ self-oblation and offering might give fruitful additional support
during the process of recovery.
Following the opening prayer this exercise consists of the visualization in a global way
of the history involved and the historical place it happened; the prayer asking what we
want and considering the six points of the contemplation and it ends with a prayerful
conversation. For this time of the Exercises the companions are already familiar with the
Ignatian contemplation and have gained the capability to enter and stay in the scene
spiritually with relative ease. They can do this contemplation with their rhythm and quite
flexibly. Similarly to the precedent Phases it is possible to divide the exercises into more
prayer sessions taking one point each time or to pray right through the six points. If the
companions decide to do it in six sessions, it is advisable to repeat it in one additional
session in the complete form. Another way to lengthen the time devoted to the
contemplation of the Last Supper if the companions desire it is to divide the content for
more exercises. For example they can have a first contemplation on the washing of the
feet, another on the events during the meal, a third on the institution of the Eucharist, a
fourth on the last teachings of Jesus during the Last Supper. All the following exercises of
the Third Phase can be divided in this manner whenever the companions want to stay
longer in the contemplation of the passion.

223
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, pp. 116-117.
224
Cf. Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II”, pp. 195-198.
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Opening prayer

Also in this Phase we use the same opening prayer as in the First Phase.

Visualization of the history

We read the “Last Supper” in [289] and see Jesus sending two of his disciples from
Bethany to Jerusalem to prepare the Passover supper. We imagine Jesus following them
there with the other disciples and recall the events of the supper itself. Jesus washes the
feet of the disciples and during the meal changes the Jewish Passover supper, the “Seder”
which is a remembrance of the liberation from Egypt with traditional sequence of food,
prayers and songs, giving a new meaning to it. He uses new prayers over the food in
which declares the broken and distributed bread his body and the “cup of salvation”, the
third prayer during the celebration declaring the cup of his blood. During the supper Jesus
gives also his last teachings on earth to the disciples. We recall also Judas who went to the
chief priests to give up Jesus and they gave him thirty silvers for his betrayal.

Visualization of the place

We turn our attention now to imagine the road from Bethany to Jerusalem, see how it
looks like, if it wide or narrow, steep or not and similar observations. We see also the place
where the Last Supper takes place, the so-called “upper room” somewhere in Jerusalem;
see the dimensions of this place, the furniture, the lights, the festive food and decorations.

Asking what we want

In this contemplation we pray for the grace of compassion, shame and sorrow because
of the suffering of Jesus for our sins, to stay with him in the sense as we saw it in the
introduction. The companions might notice that this request is similar to the grace of the
First Phase when we asked for deep sorrow, shame, confusion and tears because of our
sins, with the difference that the focus not primarily on the sorrow because of our sins as
225
they are– although it is present - but first of all compassion with the suffering Jesus . The
companions can experience very different feelings during the contemplations of the
passion and the experience changes even for the same person in different stages of his or
225
See the first exercise of the First Phase in [45-54]. Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual
Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 112 and Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p.
116 (footnote 17).
135
her life. One might feel deep gratitude and even joy for being redeemed; others
experience confusion or no feelings at all.
While reflecting on the value system of Jesus Christ in the “Two Standards” [136-148]
meditation the companions had chosen to follow the same way as him, “to be with him”.
Now during the Third Phase they pray that this “being with him” deepen as through
contemplating the last days and the death of Jesus they accept the consequences of
following this way along with all their own sufferings and death. With these exercises they
begin to put in practice the third degree of the love of God or at least arrive to ask to live
it. The contemplations may lead to desire for realizing of what St. Paul says of himself: “in
my flesh I am filling up what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body,
which is the church” (Col 1:24). The following six points for the contemplation Ignatius
gave for the Third Phase help the companions to let these graces penetrate their minds
and hearts.

First point: seeing the persons in the scene

We see the persons who are present at the Last Supper and stay with this image for a
while until we feel that this exercise is meaningful. After the contemplation we stop in
order to reflect on what we have felt and understood, which graces we received. It would
be advisable to write down notes share how it went.

Second point: hearing the persons involved

At this point we use our auditive fantasy to hear the persons to speak and listen to
what they say. We do it for a short while and quit it when it does not give any more
insights or feelings. Also at this point we stop and recollect the experience,

Third point: observing what the persons do

The same way as in precedent contemplations, we will now imagine the actions of the
participants of the Last Supper. Also after this point we stop for a recollection of the
graces received.

136
Fourth point: a consideration of the suffering of Jesus

At this point the companions are called to reflect upon the sufferings of Jesus endured
in all his life and particularly what he bears at the contemplated event, the Last Supper.
We reflect upon his generosity, his mercy and his trust in God’s saving project until the
end and so on. The general climate of this consideration is compassion and sorrow; if
these reflections bring up tears we need not to stop, but feel free to express all
sentiments. The same will be true for the following points.

Fifth point: consideration of how the “divinity hides itself”

We reflect upon the reality that Jesus is also God, the incarnate Word, who enters the
passion freely, nobody forces it on him as with the words of St. Ignatius the “divinity hides
itself”. To explain what the experience of the divinity “hiding itself” meant for Jesus during
his agony, John Futrell uses the analogy of the desolation during which we actually don’t
feel the grace of God but in reality only by the grace sustains us to act and live through
226
the utter dryness of faith .
God in Jesus totally accepts the human condition and weakness, and whatever it will
mean to him. Even if he could “call a legion of angels” to save him and could destroy
anybody who opposes him, Jesus does not choose the way of violence and aggression but
the way of peace and compassion with the suffering humankind. The companions can
reflect here on the striking difference of this attitude from the arrogance and violence
humans might choose to make their will prevail; how the whole machinery of hatred and
wars derive from the desire to dominate other human beings and how God is far from this
attitude. He or she is really Almighty in contrast to the pitiful self-made gods of history
who try to conceal their weakness and bad intentions with an overwhelming power-game.

Sixth point: “What ought I to do for Christ?”

The companions need to consider now the saving work of Christ as personally
intended for them; that Jesus went through the passion for their sins and try to discover
what is the right existential response to this act of love of God toward them. This point
recalls the prayer at the end of the first exercise of the First Phase where St. Ignatius
raises raise the question: “What ought I to do for Christ?” [53], but now it is more focused

226
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” pp. 113-114.
137
since the companions clarified the answer to it through the meditations on the “Kingdom
of Christ” [91-99], on the “Two Standards” [136-148], on the “Third degree of the love of
God” [165-168] and through their decision which now awaits to be realized even through
hardships.

Prayerful conversation, sharing and review

At the end of this exercise the companions turn to Jesus Christ in prayerful dialogue. In
this the companions might pray together but silently in their hearts, then they might talk
to Jesus over their personal motives and desires. This could be a quite different prayer
according to the situation of each companion, who may be in the middle of temptations or
perhaps experience a deep consolation and a desire for a change in one’s life and so on.
At the end the companions might pray shortly together, asking for what they desire most.
Some companions might feel to do the threefold prayer as in the “Three Types” [156] and
in the “Two Standards” [147], or the prayer of “paradoxical intention” described in [157]
(see also [16] in the “General guidelines to the Exercises”). Close with an Our Father…

200-203. SECOND EXERCISE: IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE

With this contemplation we enter the next stage of the passion as Jesus after singing
the thanksgiving Psalms (Pss 114-118) and concluding the Passover meal leaves the place
of the Last Supper and goes with his disciples to an orchard with an oil press outside the
walls of Jerusalem where they used sometimes to pass the nights under the olive trees.
In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus during this night lives through the agony of
accepting what lies ahead. For the first time Jesus is afflicted by doubts and weakness so
much that he tries to receive support from his disciples. The prayerful struggle of Jesus for
fidelity to his mission also during the suffering that could be still avoided by changing
course might be strongly significant for the companions during this Phase where also they
can find themselves in anxiety and pain because of the decision they made previously.
This contemplation of fidelity under the pressure of the temptations of “power of
darkness” is of great importance for the companions in remaining firm on their chosen
way during this retreat and later in similar situations of life.

Opening prayer
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 We use the same opening prayer as usual.

Visualization of the history

The companions read the text “From the Last Supper to the Gethsemane” in [290].
They see the events from the moment Jesus and the eleven disciples left the “Upper
Room” where the Last Supper took place, imagine them descending from Mount Sion in
Jerusalem to the dark Valley of Josaphat and up the western slope of Mount of Olives to
the orchard. Eight disciples remain sitting and resting there under the trees while Jesus
takes along three (the same ones who went with him on Mount Tabor to witness the
Transfiguration) deeper in Gethsemane (meaning significantly “oil press”). Jesus goes still
further alone to pray and three times goes back to find the disciples asleep.
There is curious and strong moment when the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus fall
confused on the ground as they hear his words “I am” (Jn 18:5-6), echoing the divine self
designation of Yahweh (Ex 3:14)227. Jesus could change or end this situation but does not
because staying there means greater love as the “divinity hides itself”. Then Judas greets
Jesus with a kiss. Peter cuts off the ear of Malchus, one of the servants of the high priest,
but Jesus heals it. At the end they lead Jesus away down the valley again and up in the
town to the home of Annas, the former high priest and father-in-law of the present one.

Visualization of the place

We use our imagination to see in detail the road from the old town of Jerusalem down
the Valley of Josaphat to the orchard. We try to imagine how it looks like there with the
olive trees immersed in the night and silence, see the size of it, if it is big or small, if there
is moonlight or not and so on.

Asking what we want

227
Other instances in the gospel of John where Jesus designates himself with this
expression of divine identity are for example in Jn 4:26 and 8:24.28.
139
 Here as throughout the contemplations of the passion we ask for experiencing
compassion sorrow and shame which are “unitive” graces, bringing us in union with Christ
also in suffering.
After these three preparatory steps the contemplation will consist of six points
similarly to the contemplation on the Last Supper.

204-207. NOTES: ON HOW TO PROCEED

1. The structure of the contemplations in the Third Phase will remain the same as in
the first exercise, consisting of three preparatory steps and six points for the prayer
adapted to the subject of the exercise. The exercises can be divided in more prayer
sessions taking one point each time or by splitting up the material for more exercises if
the companions feel like to do it so.
In each period there will be two exercises with their repetition followed by the
“application of the senses” (as described in the Second Phase at [121]) on the subject
matter of the two contemplations which gives long enough time with each to let the
movements of the Holy Spirit become relevant.
2. Usually in a secluded retreat one period is one day while in the everyday life form it
might extend to several sessions and last a number of days or even weeks depending on
the frequency of the prayer meetings. It is important also in the secluded retreat not to
pray all day long, not to have three hour - long prayer sessions or more than five exercises
a day, but stop and take on other activities, unless false tensions or tiredness might arise.
St. Ignatius advises to have great freedom in arranging the Third Phase, “as far as age,
health and physical condition permit” take five or less exercises a day, but not more as
here someone might be tempted to do. There is a proven wisdom of having more or less
one hour prayer sessions, followed by sharing, jotting down experiences and doing
something else like walking or similar.
In a retreat in the everyday life we should remember that not only the prayer sessions
but also the entire life is part of the Exercises: each event and encounter can and will
bring meaning and progress in this Phase as it we saw it in the precedent ones. During
such a retreat the companions learn also to recognize somewhat the patterns of their
consolations and desolations as the daily life goes on. Good sharing and keeping a diary
can be a very valuable help in this work of understanding and discernment. The wisdom of

140
this type of learning helps to cope better with each situation, since through it they
understand the circumstances that make them loose the consolation and the way usually
it comes back to them. When the companions learn how to use the time of desolation for
getting ready for consolation they arrive to “finding God in all things”; they become
contemplatives in action, able to recognize in everything the love of God in which they live
immersed all along. This spiritual attitude is a basic goal of the Exercises that is present all
along the process as an underlying motive and becomes very explicit in the
“Contemplation to Attain Love of God” [230-237]. St Ignatius placed this contemplation at
the end of the book of the Spiritual Exercises together with the “Three Methods of Prayer”
[238-260] however without mentioning when is the proper time to introduce it in the
dynamics of the Exercises process. The most usual interpretation of the “Contemplation”
is as the climax of the entire Exercises at the end of the Fourth Phase, while others see it
is rather as an important method of praying that is not part of the Exercises process itself,
228
and so it can be introduced in a different moment during the retreat Using this freedom
we propose that the companions try to get familiar with the “Contemplation” during the
Third Phase since it is already part of the unitive stage of spiritual growth and so it teaches
to find God in suffering while confirming the choices made for the way of Christ. In any
way we will take it up at the Fourth Phase and at the end of the retreat as a powerful final
moment and transition to the aftermath when along with discernment and finding God in
all things it will become hopefully the heart of the everyday spiritual life of the
companions.
3. The companions need to make use of the practical guidelines of the “Additions” [73-
90] and of the “Notes” [127-131] also throughout the Third Phase applied of course to the
changing thematic of these exercises.
For example the second of the Additions advise to recall what we are going to do and
shortly think of the subject matter of the exercise we are occupied with at once as we
awake in the morning. In the Third Phase during the morning preparations our thoughts
need to be directed to the suffering of Jesus and try to feel sorrow and compassion.
Similarly, the guideline regarding the changes established in our lifestyle to help the
effectiveness of the exercises will require now trying to avoid reflecting on pleasing
subjects. St. Ignatius warns not to meditate during this Phase on the resurrection or on
heaven and we can add to it the “normal” pleasures of life as projecting a trip to Hawaii,
228
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 129 and 133.
141
getting a new sporty car and so on. Rather we need to focus on the hardships that Jesus
experienced since his birth until his passion that we are contemplating. This seems to be
too restricting if the companions do the exercises in everyday life when the retreat
extends to a relatively long time, but the dynamic of this Phase will bring with it a desire
to live a somewhat more subdued life. The companions will see that a little effort to
change the environment and restrict a bit the entertainments for this time is necessary
and helpful. As in everything so also in these guidelines for arranging the time outside of
the formal prayer sessions the companions should feel free to experiment to find the
suitable means for proceeding. Some might find helpful the prayers of devotion like the
way of the cross, the rosary and similar for creating an atmosphere for contemplating the
passion. It takes the pressure off the companions to remember that the experiences of the
Exercises are free gifts from God who decides when and what to give and that we never
produce the graces we long for, but only dispose ourselves to receive it. The companions
probably by this time of the Exercises learned not to try to create spiritual experiences
since the entire retreat brought them toward this inner freedom and openness, but the
theme of the passion has the tendency to become sentimental and a certain caution is
necessary to avoid fake or false feelings. The companions don’t need to burden
themselves to achieve certain sentiments, it is up to God to give these or not, and it is still
all right if there are no feelings arising, the success of the Exercises lies in being authentic
and trusting in God rather than producing experiences.
For the contemplations it might be helpful to use some artistic representations of the
passion if someone is so inclined, with the warning that the attention should not be
focused on the physical torments of Jesus even if these cannot be left out. For this reason
it is advisable to be cautious with cinematographic representations of the passion that
naturally tend to concentrate on the external details of suffering. Far from being
sentimental the contemplations represent an indirect way to the internal and essential
meaning of the passion to which the companions can associate themselves. Still we need
to stress that the grace of the Third Phase comes from God and waiting for it is not wasted
time even if one might not enter in the passion now but experiences only the longing for
feeling compassion and sorrow.
4. The companions need to do the examinations of the conscience during this time on
the theme of the individual exercises and on the Additions applied to the Third Phase.
Some time in this Phase it is necessary to arrange for a review and evaluation session as
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described in [147]. In this session the companions can decide also on how they want to
proceed with the upcoming periods, if they want to lengthen the Phase as described below
in the “Note” at [209].

208-209. THE SECOND AND FOLLOWING PERIODS

As we told above, the contemplations are structured like in the first exercise and each
period consists of two contemplations with two repetitions and one “application of the
senses”. The material for the upcoming contemplations from Appendix B “The Mysteries of
the Life of Jesus Christ” is the following:
Second Period: The two contemplations are “Questioning in the house of Annas” [291]
and “Interrogation the house of Caiaphas in front of the Sanhedrin” [292].
Third Period: “Trial in front of Pilate” [293] and “Pilate sends Jesus to Herod for trial”
[294].
Fourth Period: “Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate for sentence” [295] and
“Condemnation and way to the cross” [296]
Sixth Period: “Jesus dies on the cross” [297] “The burial of Jesus” [298]
Seventh Period: This period is devoted to what can be called “Waiting at the tomb of
Jesus”229 which instead of the usual five exercises (two contemplations, two repetitions
and application of the senses) consists of two contemplations of the entire passion or an
altogether unstructured contemplation of it, meanwhile the companions are called to stop
frequently for as long as they feel it to consider the burial of Jesus and the weariness and
grief of Mary and the disciples. This period could be particularly fruitful, similar to how the
disciples might have spent that day after Jesus died, sort of remembering at the tomb of
Jesus of what events have lead to this point. The companions might wish to spend some
time also to speak with each other about whatever experiences they recall at this time.
The whole climate of this period is quiet and it is advisable to arrange it in a bit of a
relaxing manner.

229
Cf. Marian Cowan’s remarks of the Seventh day “At the tomb” in Cowan-Futrell, “The
Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” pp. 121-125.
143
 209. NOTE

As we mentioned at the first exercise on the Last Supper, all these contemplations can
be extended in time by splitting up the material assigned to it in smaller units if the
companions feel fruitful to do so. Similarly in the Seventh period the contemplation of the
passion can be divided in two parts followed by a review of the entire story, interspersed
with the reflection on Jesus in the tomb.
On the other hand, if the companions decide that for them it is better to spend less
time with the contemplation of the passion, they can do the exercises without repetitions
and without the “application of the senses”. This might be the case if the companions feel
that after an extended period of suffering or for other reasons they need to find more joy,
strength and hope again in that particular period of their life instead of staying long with
sorrowful thoughts.
The length of the Third Period depends very much on personal sensibilities and is
determined by the general rule that it is better to stay with a material as long as it is
fruitful in insights and feelings. There was a period in Christian spirituality when almost
exclusively only the passion of Christ represented a “legitimate” subject for meditation;
the theme of suffering was overwhelmingly stressed in confront with the fact that Jesus is
risen and the joyful side of life did not get enough attention. Maybe as a reaction of the
former somber attitude in spirituality there are also certain movements that one-sidedly
overemphasize joy and picture a triumphant and rosy life in Christ. For many of us it might
be indeed necessary to consider the hopeful and balanced message of Christianity,
contemplate more and more the “face” of God, which is full of mercy, tenderness,
acceptance and healing and gain a sober optimism toward life.

“Go and learn the meaning of the words ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’” (Mt 9:13)

“For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice,

and knowledge of God rather than holocausts” (Hos 6:6)

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 210-217. GUIDELINES WITH REGARD OF EATING

These guidelines represent a practical application of the Principle and Foundation [23]
and serve as a model through the examples of dealing with food of how to order the
companions’ entire life to God and should be read time to time during the Third Phase.
230
Although the Additions [73-90] in the First Phase dealt with penance in general and also
gave some advice on fasting, here in connection with the contemplation of the passion St.
Ignatius speaks in particular about temperance in food which is not exactly the same as
fasting but nevertheless a virtue not too easily obtainable. These guidelines are
particularly appropriate in the confirmation phase that follows the decision since this
choice often requires also self-denial and new order in the life of the companions. The
general tone of these guidelines is in harmony with the sorrowful and subdued climate of
the Third Phase and it presents a good occasion to try them out.
In our days when various diets and weight loss programs compete with messages
encouraging consuming more and more food and everything else competes for our
attention in the advertising industry while many people are struggling to make ends meet
even in the affluent countries and while entire regions of the world are suffering of
starvation and malnutrition the question and meaning of temperance is a real challenge
for all of us. We need in a certain degree to distinguish between diet for aesthetic or
health reasons and temperance for spiritual motives; although whatever we do for
religious reasons should be good for our general well-being too, and vice-versa, but if we
follow healthy practices or lifestyles it should not become a substitute for an authentic
spiritual life. Nowadays when overeating and abuse of alcohol is quite widespread in
different cultures the guidelines are as valid as in the time of Ignatius.
These guidelines speak of food but they apply on everything else that we are used to
indulge in, as drinking, watching the television, surfing the internet, games, gambling,
working, playing on the stock market, chatting on the phone, shopping, lounging, smoking,
taking medications and the list could be continued at length since we are very resourceful
and inventive when it comes to find things to get a bit at least addicted to it. These things
are good or indifferent in themselves (if we can speak of really indifferent things out of
some context at all), but they need to be used cautiously, The criteria for reviewing our
objects of comfort are to see if these things take away our freedom to follow the chosen

230
See Addition #10. on “Penance” which corresponds to [82-90] in the book of the
Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
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direction of our life, if these things are the source of false consolation for us, if we use
them as a sort of “painkiller” to escape reality and numb our consciousness, and to avoid
responsibility more than for an occasional relaxation. As Viktor Frankl points out in
introducing his existential analysis, in many cases of neurosis the preference for
avoidance becomes an overwhelming “presentist” attitude, a desire to live far away on an
island where there is nothing to do but lying on the sun, but for healthy persons it is
possible to take this attitude only for certain times and as a conscious choice to relieve
some pressure of responsibilities as for example during holidays and other festive
231
occasions .
The guidelines given by St. Ignatius might become one of the most significant and
highly therapeutic parts of the entire retreat experience, as they are effective means for
the companions in ordering consciously all aspects of life. By doing this they increase the
consciousness of their responsibility which is the starting point of existential analysis as
psychotherapy232. These guidelines and the temperance they aim at will provide support
233
also in the mind-fasting efforts of the companions . We suggest arranging a meeting
toward the end of the Third Phase to discuss the question of dealing with these issues and
to see how they can apply concretely these guidelines in their life personally and together.
“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God”
(1Cor 10:31)

First guideline

The basic staple food is not too tempting to raise an inordinate appetite unlike other
more delicate foods and in consequence there is less need to restrict its use. The basic
staple food is depending on the time and culture we live in, but it varies also by families
and persons. For Ignatius it was bread, while for many people it could be rice or other
grains, beans, potatoes and cabbage, fruits, manioka, while for the Inuit people it is whale
blubber and so on.

231
Frankl, “The Doctor and the Soul,” pp.22-23.
232
Ibid., p. 20.
233
We introduced the mind-fasting technique of Christotherapy in the First Phase, in
connection with the Second exercise [55-61].
146
Second guideline

The normal drink at his time was wine and Ignatius points out that there is more need
for abstinence in drinking than for eating bread. We drink a lot more variety of drinks and
need to consider carefully how we use them since some of them are addictive as coffee,
chocolate and a whole array of alcoholic drinks. Our danger is not always and primarily
alcoholism, but at least in an affluent society we are used to indulge in drinking habits
involving costly teas, juices, special bottled waters, power drinks and the list goes on,
depending what the advertisements suggest as delicious, healthy or simply necessary for
a “good” life. In this category belong also the costly juicer and water purifier some of us
might have. If we look closer we can see that these are not indispensable and that the
resources to buy these drinks could be used better. This is a point that the companions
need to examine honestly and in good humor.

Third guideline

With foods in general there is more need to be careful than with our simple staple
bread or rice. We can avoid excesses in these by different ways of abstinence, first of all
we need to try to eat simpler and cheaper foods and secondly if once in a while we eat
costly or complicated delicacies (St. Ignatius uses the word “manjares”) it should be only
in a small amount. A great variety of foods could be eliminated from our diet or
significantly reduced in frequency and amount without harming our health but benefiting
it, especially if we thin of “junk” foods, sugary snacks and desserts. From every point of
view for people in developed countries it is better to get used to eat coarser foods with
basic nutrients instead of preparing refined and complex recipes that play on our
weakness to addiction. Everyone knows what is in their area considered the food of the
poor families, which might be followed as a model.
Here we can mention also the eating-out habit, for which a similar rule might be
established, that is to go to restaurants if there is a special occasion and not to choose
fancy and rather expensive places but simpler ones. Notwithstanding the bad fame of fast
food as unhealthy, if we visit these places only occasionally - on travel for example – it
does not harm and provides complete meals at reasonable price. It seems that a special
care of eating exclusively what certain diet gurus retain as “healthy”, organic, or bio food
has the danger to become a special cult getting too much of the attention, time and effort

147
of the followers of such advice. We need to find freedom from excesses also in these
everyday concerns.

Fourth guideline

Common sense suggests that as we take away from the amount of food we can
understand where the necessary “mean” is in the quantity of food and drink. Of course we
should not take away so much to fall ill in consequence or arrive to a point when because
of loss of strength neither prayer nor work nor relationships go well since we feel irritated
or weak. Such fasting is not what is the goal, since by reducing the amount of food and
drink we want to achieve more openness for prayer. In fact the right type of deliberate
restriction in food might help to experience consolations and through such
experimentation we can discern quickly what is the optimal use of these things for us
given our life style and personal sensitivity.

Fifth guideline

For those who find it attractive it might be useful to imagine during meals to be in the
presence of Jesus and his disciples, consider how he eats and drinks and so on. This use of
imagination could help to remain in prayer during eating rendering our behavior more
harmonious; besides this we will pay less attention on the food and more to the others
around us and so on. Anyway, God with his angels and saints is present in reality at our
table even if invisibly. Here as in the entire Exercises process the continuous
contemplation of Jesus has the goal to enable us to overcome our unhealthy and self-
centered tendencies and bring us to the consciousness of ordering everything to God.

Sixth guideline

Some people might find it helpful to have spiritual reflections during meals. Let us
recall the classic image of the dining room of monks where there is silence during the
meal and one reads for the others from the life of saints and martyrs or from similar
literature. The companions might want to try it out sometimes to have such reading,
reflection or dialog during meals. There are different views however regarding the
propriety of such arrangements among spiritual writers; for example St. Francis of Sales
has the opinion that no serious matters should be discussed at table. The companions

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need to act also in this matter with the freedom to use only what promotes the main goal
to find God in all things.

Seventh guideline

We should not pay excessive attention on what we are eating and be careful not to be
carried away by our appetite and eat in a hurry. We need to arrive to a mastery of
ourselves in the quantity as well as the manner of eating. Again this is a general guideline
and the speed of normal eating for example might vary from person to person. Moderation
is the right word for what we seek here, the companions who eat hurriedly because of
their appetite might try to slow down while who never finishes a meal needs to try to
arrive to a “mean” also in this. A good measure is to see if there is something to correct if
one is always the first to finish the meal in a company or consequently is still working on it
and enjoying the food when everybody is waiting for him or her.

Eighth guideline

To find easier where is the “mean” it can be helpful to decide upon what we will eat
the next day right after dinner when we are not hungry. After such agreement, the
companions should fix also the amount to eat and not to exceed it during the meal by
second and third helpings no matter what occasions or desires arise. Rather, as the usual
advice of St. Ignatius suggests we need to go further and “to overcome better every
disorderly appetite and temptation of the enemy, if he [or she] is tempted to eat more let
him [or her] eat less” [217].

Note:

It might happen that reading these guidelines one can react by becoming too
concerned about implementing them while others might not give enough attention and
remain “immune” to change. We should remind the companions again that these
guidelines are only means to use as long as they are helpful toward our goal. When
considering this guidelines the companions might fruitfully reflect upon the “Notes
Concerning Scruples” [345-351] in Appendix C, which as we told in the introduction might
be connected with the Third Phase as an aide to discernment during the confirming
process. They might want to read in this context again also the “Guidelines to deal with

149
material goods” [337-344], which as we saw earlier is a concrete example of the third
method of decision (see in [169-189] “Arriving to a Decision”) and belongs to the Second
Phase.

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 F O U R T H P H A S E : T R A N S F O R M I N G [218-229]
Of myself I possess nothing
Of myself I am nothing
Only gift am I
Gift for the giver
Gift for the Giver
Only gift am I
Praise, Praise, Praise
The Giver
Only gift am I
Oh, who can Return the
Gift to the Giver?
Only the Giver.
Only gift am I.
Oh Praise, Spirit, who Is
And who gives.
Who Is and who Receives
Oh, Praise your Being
You fill me!
You are all that I am
More, you are All.
Oh, why do I pretend
To be, why want to
Be myself which is nothing
Oh, Mercy who Is and
Who saves us from our
Nothingness, from Nothingness
Oh, praise, oh, praise, oh All
Oh, Giver of the Gift, I love you
For you are.
(5/4/80 - John)
We arrive to the last Phase of the Exercises where the contemplations bring the
companions to experience the other side of the paschal mystery which is the resurrection
of Jesus and his appearances. If the paschal mystery is at the core of the Christian faith

151
the resurrection is the very heart of it, the event of the resurrection is the center and
cornerstone of Christian life; “…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain…” (1 Cor
15:17) wrote St. Paul to the Corinthians. The resurrection of Christ is the foundation of
Christian hope, affirming that God can bring forth positive meaning, love and life even of
the worst evil and ultimate absurdity that can happen. The Fourth Phase is intended to be
an experience of deepening faith, hope and love by helping the companions to participate
by anticipation in the joy of resurrection and it leads to ulterior confirmation and sealing
off the decision achieved during the Second Phase. The companions experience a deeper
union with the contemporary, risen Christ and the decision they just confirmed becomes
transformed into lived reality.
There is a very delicate, dynamic and important transition between the Third and
Fourth Phases, and - as in the introduction to the passion phase we have already
mentioned - this transition is similar to what the companions experienced between the
234
First and Second Phases . Using again the image of the upward going spiral these
phases cover the same ground as the first two, only on a higher level and then the whole
Exercises process gives place to the continued cycles of “turning-from” and “turning-
235
toward” on the spiraling way of growth and healing as presented in Christotherapy . The
criterion to decide if the companions are ready to enter this new Phase is the growing
desire in their hearts for sharing in the joy of the resurrection after having experienced the
passion and death of Jesus in the contemplations of the Third Phase.
This desire cannot be introduced or forced and it might happen that the inner process
of the passion phase might be not arrived to its conclusion yet. The companions need also
to wait for each other, since it is important that they experience this Phase together as
one unique and single “body”. They can find the common moment of transition in a
236
somewhat similar way to what they used in the decision process of the Second Phase . If
the companions entered in existential suffering during the Third Phase they need to wait
until it subsides and gives place to the new experience. It might happen that the
contemplations of the passion did not become as intense as to cause inner suffering and

234
Cf. Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 212-213.
235
Cf. Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 3-6. See [4] in our presentation of the Phases
where we describe the stages in the process of spiritual growth and healing and also the
introduction to the Third Phase. Cf. Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 3-6.
236
See the method of decision if the companions are in different situations as described
in “Arriving to a Decision” [169-189].
152
in this case the companions should decide if to prolong the passion phase or to move over
to the contemplation on the appearances of the risen Jesus. It is important to remember
that these experiences, the sorrow as well as the joy are gifts of the Holy Spirit to pray for
during the Exercises and not to be induced by will or performing certain techniques. The
question of moving ahead in the process needs to be considered in simplicity in a peaceful
spirit; sometimes a relatively deeper commitment and openness toward God is what the
companions receive by completing these exercises without much sensible feelings and it
should not cause worry. If the companions are doing the Exercises in the everyday life
form when there is no set date for ending it, it can be simply extended to give time for the
inner process to take place. In case of the secluded form time-limitation can lead to a
decision to begin the contemplation on the resurrection for example after the retreat in
237
the daily life form of the Exercises . Maybe the companions already began to become
familiar with the contemplation. We think that in all cases the companions should take the
“Contemplation to Attain the Love of God” [230-237] at some point also before they will
use it as the concluding moment of the Exercises, because of its importance for the entire
process as we will explain it in the presentation of this exercise. In fact St. Ignatius himself
began this Contemplation during the passion phase.
The goal of the Fourth Phase is that through the contemplation of the appearances of
the risen Jesus the companions definitely confirm their decision and through the
commitment to live it out in all circumstances to be transformed into participants of the
saving work of Christ. As the companions contemplate these encounters, they enter a
situation similar to that of the first disciples, and also they can become absorbed by Christ
in this process, or at least desire to belong totally to him. St. Paul speaks of his own
experience of being absorbed by Christ and confesses beautifully: “It is not that I have
already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my
pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession by Christ.
Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing:
forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead I continue my pursuit
toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:12-14). We used

237
In order to respect the inner process of the Exercises, Alex Lefrank for example
would end the Exercises without the resurrection contemplations: “If one has little time at
one’s disposal I consider it in general better to devote some days completely to prayerful
penetration into the Passion than to do two days of the Passion and one of the Risen Life”, in
Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 132.
153
already the analogy of marriage for this fidelity to the commitment to the decision taken
before, as faithfulness “in good and bad”. In fact, the Fourth Phase ushers the
“Contemplation to Attain the Love of God” which is also the transition into the
“aftermath”, into the everyday life, now lived with the sense of mission and with the
sensitivity to discover God in all things in trivial or in great events, in sorrow and in joy.
The everyday existence of the companions becomes mystical life, real experience of God
through love and service.
The experience of the paschal mystery in the Third and Fourth Phases offers to the
238
companions to re-live the transforming passage of the baptism presented in this way
by St. Paul in the Letter to the Romans: “…are you unaware that we who were baptized
into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through
baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the
Father, we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him
through a death like his, we shall be united with him in the resurrection” (Rom 6:3-5). Of
course as we cannot stress it enough to live and die as Jesus does not mean the external
imitation of him but to live as authentically as he did. There are as many ways to be
Christians as baptized individuals; moreover, the contemporary Christ, the risen Lord
continues his saving work through any authentically lived human life.
During the contemplations of the resurrection appearances St. Ignatius makes the
exercitants pray for the grace “to be glad and rejoice intensely because of the great joy
and the glory of Christ our Lord” [221]. The grace of this Phase is a sign of a highly selfless
attitude since it is not so easy to be in joy because of the good that happened to someone
else; it is still harder than the compassion toward a suffering person. To understand well
what this request means the companions should avoid to think that it is expected from
them to produce joy. Such attitude of trying to make the joy to happen would only block
the grace of receiving it. The companions are called here simply to pray for this grace, not
239
to induce it. Joy is an intentional emotion , which means that it is directed toward an
object and in itself cannot be willed as a goal. If the object is there, if there is a reason to
be in joy, the emotion will arise; while making it into an object by trying to achieve it
would render joy impossible. In all scenes of the appearances after the resurrection Jesus

238
Cf. Prather, “Generous Openness”, p. 88.
239
See for example in Frankl, “The Doctor and the Soul,” p. 22., and also “The
Unconscious God”, p. 14.
154
plays the role of Consoler and this consolation is the fruit of these contemplations with
more or less felt joy depending on several factors such as the general sensibility of the
companions, the actual situation they are in when doing these exercises and their
openness toward the grace.
This joy is an authentic sign of “spirit-feasting”, rejoicing with all our heart filled by the
Holy Spirit because of the resurrection of Jesus. When Christotherapy speaks of “spirit-
240
feasting” as a method , it does not implicate that it is induced by will; instead it is a gift
of God flowing from the contemplation of goodness, beauty and wisdom in something or in
someone, and the emotional rejoicing involved is caused by the reason of the good
experienced or the person encountered. We can say then in Logotherapeutic terms that
“spirit-feasting” is a special way of finding meaning by actualizing experiential values. We
have already mentioned that Logotherapy distinguishes three levels of discovering
241
meaning in life by realizing creative, experiential and attitudinal values. While the
passion phase brought our attention to the attitudinal values, to the meaning of suffering,
the contemplations of the resurrection focus on the discovery of meaning by encountering
242
the risen Jesus and sharing in his joy . The third form of finding meaning in life through
creative activity is permeating the entire Spiritual Exercises since St. Ignatius sees the
love of God as consisting in deeds and realized in generous service of him and our fellow
243
humans .
Both the sorrow asked for in the Third Phase and the rejoicing in the Fourth Phase
are graces to receive and not only emotions on the psychological level. Their effect might
be felt sadness or joy, but they are fruits of human compassion and generosity and belong
to the spiritual core of the person, where God is present in a special way. Following the
244
terminology introduced by Donald F. Tweedie we call the core of the human person the
“pneumatic dimension”(from the Greek word ‘pneuma’ meaning ‘spirit’); it complements
the somatic, psychic and noetic (from the Greek word ‘noos’ or ‘nous’ for ‘mind’) realms of

240
Cf. Tyrrell, “Christotherapy I,” p. 73-106; “Christotherapy II,” pp.126-128.
241
Cf. Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” p. 176.
242
A scriptural example of realization of experiential values in the story of Martha and
Mary (Lk 10:38-42) can be found in Leslie, “Jesus as Counselor,” pp.84-91.
243
See our presentation of the “Three Degrees of the Love of God” [165-168] and
particularly the “Contemplation to Attain the Love of God” [230-237].
244
Donald F. Tweedie, The Christian and the Couch. An Introduction to Christian
Logotherapy, (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1963) pp. 48-58.
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 245
the “dimensional ontology” introduced in the existential analysis of Viktor Frankl .
Writing about the relationship between the different spheres of the human existence
Frankl himself mentions also a fourth, all-encompassing dimension to which religion
belongs: “From the very analogy of dimensions, however, it should become clear that
these realms are by no means mutually exclusive. A higher dimension, by definition, is a
more inclusive one. The lower dimension is included in the higher one; it is subsumed in it
and encompassed by it. Thus biology is overarched by psychology, psychology by
246
noology, and noology by theology” . While Logotherapy as a secular therapy is careful
to be open for all patients independently of their beliefs and restricts itself to the
specifically human or noetic or noological (from the Greek word ‘noos’ meaning ‘mind’)
dimension, in our exercises we work first of all with our pneumatic dimension and we need
to include it in our view of the human person. The “human trinity”247 (somatic, psychic,
noetic dimensions) created on the image of the divine Trinity we find “carried” by and
existing in a fourth dimension, which is the ground of its existence and a special
dimension of communication through grace with God; in this way we might speak of a
“quaternity”. During the Middle Ages there were representations of the divine
“Quaternity”, bringing in God a human, feminine figure, often the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Might we say that God has something human in him, not only because of the Incarnation
but also as an immanent feature?
The notion of the fourth dimension will help us to see clear that although we speak
abundantly of feelings and rely on them in the “discernment of the spirits” for example,
and the effects of the Exercises encompass our whole being, its specific area where the
changes first of all take place is in the pneumatic dimension where we communicate with

245
Cf. Frankl, “The Doctor and the Soul,” pp. ix-xi. Frankl consequently uses the terms
“spiritual” without religious reference, but in the sense of the specifically human or noetic
phenomena as responsibility, will to meaning and so on. His effort of keeping religion and
psychiatry apart did not mean the denial the validity of the religious sphere which would
mean a form of reductionism against which he fought insistently but a will for clarity and to
reach out in openness to those who do not have religious faith and in consequence are in a
greater need for help in recognizing that life is meaningful in all circumstances.
246
Frankl, “The Unconscious God,” p. 13.
247
Once I saw an interesting illustration of the Star of David, composed of two
equilateral triangles; that pointing up represents the “human trinity” and the other the
divine “Trinity”. In this imagery the fourth “dimension” is this superposed divine triangle.
The illustration was intended as a symbol of Jesus, Son of David, perfect man and perfect
God. We could play with the thought that in the case of all other humans the two triangles
are more or less perfectly superposed…
156
the triune God. Frankl used the analogy of the point of perspective that lies outside of the
picture but without it the image has no correct proportions and sense of depth to illustrate
248
that God although standing outside of the human life gives meaning to it . With the
inclusion of the pneumatic dimension so to speak we draw this “point of perspective” in
our view of the human being. The inclusion of the fourth dimension from Catholic (and
from most Protestant) points of view has its foundation in the presence of the Holy Spirit in
every human being created in the image of God and particularly in the teaching about the
indwelling of the Trinity as a gift of God in the soul. Thus the pneumatic dimension is not
simply a facet of the human existence but its very core, which permeates and organizes
all other dimensions and is the source of the uniqueness of the human person and of its
communication with God. “…God himself as the abiding and holy mystery, as the
incomprehensible ground of man’s transcendent existence is not only the God of infinite
distance, but also wants to be the God of absolute closeness in a true self-communication,
and he is present in the spiritual depths of our existence as well as in the concreteness of
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our corporeal history”
Similarly to what we just said about the relationship between Logotherapy and the
Exercises, when we introduce in the Exercises methods from Christotherapy as the “mind-
fasting” and “spirit-feasting”, these are processes that originate in the pneumatic
dimension; these “techniques” consist first of all of prayer and are assisted by the
indwelling Holy Spirit who is invoked constantly while we are working on finding our way.
While classical Logotherapy should avoid the confusion with religious connotation,
Christotherapy as a holistic Catholic approach to healing and growth, deals with all the
four dimensions of the human being and the pneumatic dimension constitutes its specific
area. Although the spiritual core of the human person, the pneumatic and the noetic
dimension cannot become sick, the thirst of our hearts for God and its search for meaning
can be frustrated and originate illness on the other levels. In Logotherapy the sense of
250
meaninglessness is called “noogenic” neurosis , and in a similar way we might speak as
well of “pneumatogenic” neurosis caused by the frustration on the religious level of
existence. The noetic and pneumatic origin of neurosis might be difficult to distinguish; we

248
Cf. Viktor Frankl, Homo Patiens, (Wien: Franz Dietcke, 1950) p. 86. Quoted in Robert
C. Leslie, Jesus as Counselor, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1968)
249
Karl Rahner, Foundations of the Christian Faith, (New York: The Seabury Press,
1978). P.137.
250
See for example Frankl, “The Unheard Cry for Meaning,” pp. 22-23.
157
know how much a priori ideas can for example influence one’s religious experience and
how even one encounter with God can change the world-view of somebody. The
pneumatic and noetic dimensions are indeed closely interrelated and form the one
spiritual realm of the person; this is a very similar connection to that of the bodily and
psychic functions, which constitute one psychosomatic reality where the various
symptoms often overlap. We know also the other side, that is, when a positive change
occurs on the pneumatic level, it will influence the somatic, psychic and noetic dimensions
as well. For example, the effects of forgiveness might influence even the somatic level,
251
resulting in physical healing . The influence works also in the opposite direction as
sometimes a healing experienced on physical or psychic level can result in growth on the
252
level of faith .
The meaning of the joy and spirit-feasting as goal of the Fourth Phase presented just
now is in harmony with the spirituality St. Ignatius intended when told repeatedly that love
consists first of all in deeds, in generous and humble service, not in words and nice
affections. We need to remember that St. Ignatius was the one who broke out in tears only
by mentioning the Holy Trinity and who kissed with fervor the places in the Holy Land as
he did the supposed “footprints” Jesus left behind at the Ascension! The goal of the
Exercises is to lead the companions to a truly “holistic” spirituality and way of life, to
become “contemplatives in action”, for whom mystical experience is the love lived
concretely in the everyday life. We return to this concept of mystics in the presentation of
the “Contemplation to Attain the Love of God” [230-237].
The contemplations in this phase are on the gospel accounts of the appearances of the
risen Christ, which have a peculiar character and distinguished structure. These
encounters constitute the basis of the Easter faith; no one actually witnessed the
resurrection itself and we have no other source of knowledge about what happened on
that morning than the testimony of the women and the disciples meeting the risen Jesus.
St. Ignatius points out the general character of these accounts when calls the exercitants
to see “the divinity, which seemed to hide itself during the passion, now appearing and

251
Let us refer as an example to story of the paralyzed young man in Mark’s gospel
(2:2-12). Jesus says to the paralytic “Child, your sins are forgiven” and this healing on
pneumatic level - since it was a reconciliation with God - the young man becomes able to
get up, take his mat and go home. Cf. Leslie, “Jesus as Counselor,” pp. 55-63.
252
“For although the psychotherapist is not concerned with helping the patient to
achieve a capacity for faith, in certain felicitous cases the patient regains his capacity for
faith” in Frankl, “The Doctor and the Soul,” p. xiv.
158
manifesting itself” [223] and to consider “the office of consoler that Christ our Lord
exercises” in all encounters with him. As for the structure, at the beginning of each story
the disciples are busy with whatever they can do after the death of Jesus, then he
suddenly appears and they don’t recognize him until a particular word or gesture; at the
253
end he usually sends them out for a mission and disappears . This structure, which
probably is developed during the years of oral transmission rendering easier to memorize
the story, relives essential points in the meaning of the appearance stories and renders
them very suitable for the simple and peaceful contemplations of the Fourth Phase.
The characteristics of the appearances of Jesus shed light on the meaning of these
encounters, and analogously might apply to our experiences of faith, too. Only by analogy
however since the experience of the disciples as basis and beginning for the faith of all
following generations stands out as unique and substantially different from our personal
encounters with Christ through his Spirit. On the other side, as for the first disciples the
decisive question also for us is if we are ready to give ourselves to be absorbed by the
254
risen Christ .
In these encounters first of all we see the common characteristic of the divine initiative
as Christ is who suddenly appears to the disciples or the women engaged in their
activities. The term used for the appearances is the Greek ‘opthe’ which is a passive verb
referring or to the action of God revealing Christ or to the action of Christ showing himself
255
. This concept places the encounters with the risen Christ in the line of the theophanies
and as such they are moments of revelation of God. God makes himself known to us and
we are called to respond to his revelation. Our faith is always an answer and a response to
God, on whose part the initiative is. Christotherapy puts the conversion and healing
process in the perspective of this divine initiative, referring not only on the processes of
256
religious conversion but also on the dynamics of healing from neurosis and addiction .
What we see here on the level of faith translates to the other levels of human existence.
As Logotherapy pointed out we are not creating meaning in our life, rather we discover

253
We might put this structure in parallel with the stories of the calling of the disciples;
also there the future disciples are busy with their usual life; Jesus takes the initiative to
approach them; there is the calling word to which they answer with an immediate following
leaving everything behind.
254
Cf. Kasper, “Jesus the Christ,” p. 140.
255
Cf. Ibid., p. 137.
256
See the presentation of the Easter appearances in Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp.
213-224.
159
meanings by responding to the questions life presents to us. We are creatures called in to
existence and to respond with it and live responsibly in consequence. We are loved first
and received the commandment to love. Collaborating with God who communicates
himself one responds with the attitudes of humble listening, receptivity, “letting-be” and
thus can arrive to a stage of active passivity and transparence to the action of God or ‘wu
wei’ of Christotherapy. This last grace is what the “Contemplation to Attain the Love of
God” [230-237] aims to receive and live as a form of mystics, or, with other words the
grace of being contemplatives in action or “finding God in all things”.
We see in these stories that without the divine initiative there is no Easter faith;
neither was seeing the empty tomb the experience that raised the belief in the
resurrection. The disciples inspect the empty tomb, no one except the “beloved disciple”
who “saw and believed” (Jn 20:8) think of the resurrection, but Peter makes sure no
257
robbery happened and then they “returned home” (Jn 20:10) as if nothing happened .
They need to meet actually the glorified Jesus in order to believe and when they saw him
still were not forced to believe by some miracle as if they were dispensed from believing
by seeing. Also the first witnesses had an experience of faith; theirs was a “believing
seeing”.
Maybe the most surprising feature of the appearance stories is that the disciples often
do not recognize Jesus until he does make himself known by a sign or gesture. The
pedagogical aim of the encounters might be expressed so that Jesus teaches the disciples
to get used to this new mysterious and lasting presence, when he seems to be not there
any more, but in fact still is always with them in all things. The companions are in a similar
situation since during the contemplations of this phase also they experience the coming
and going of Jesus and learn to recognize the world as belonging to Christ, as the
258
“enlargement and extension of his Body” .
The appearance of Jesus is a moment of theophany which manifests him as the risen
Lord, yet this is not the immediate experience of God who still reveals himself as the
hidden and mysterious One. What the witnesses see in a flashing way is the glory of God
259
in the glorification of the crucified Jesus . The disciples first react by disbelief, until they

257
See the analysis of the Easter experiences of the gospel of John in Edward
Schillebeeckx, Christ. The Experience of Jesus as Lord, (New York: Crossroad, 1983) p. 417ff.
258
Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 135.
259
Kasper, “Jesus the Christ,” pp. 137-138.
160
recognize Jesus in a sign which he chose for the individual or for the situation to make
himself known. After this moment of recognition and faith Christ gives a task to perform,
imparts a mission or confirms the authority of the disciples and immediately departs.
These moments are most evident in the passage of the closing appearance and sending of
the disciples in Mt 28:16-20, which shows the “unapproachable grandeur and the non-
260
identifiable nature of Christ’s manifestation” .
In John’s gospel when Jesus appears to the disciples on the evening of the day of the
resurrection and sends them in the world, he gives the Holy Spirit by breathing on them
(Jn 20:21-23) as in the Genesis God breathed the spirit of life in the first man. Pentecost
for John is bound up with Easter; the resurrection is completed by the sending of the Spirit,
the promised Easter gift (Jn 14:16-17.25) through which the disciples become part of the
new creation, children of God born from the Spirit (Jn 1:12-13) and brothers of Jesus (Jn
20:17). We mentioned already that the experience of the paschal mystery parallels with
the transforming passage of the baptism; contemplating the Spirit as Easter gift we find a
further allusion to the Christian baptism which is also “baptism in the Spirit” (for example
Mk 1:8, Jn 1:33 and Jn 3:5) and this gift of the Spirit is associated with the forgiveness of
261
sins in the early Christian tradition followed also by John (see it in Jn 20:22-23) .
Through the contemplations the companions will be able to experience the particular
character of these encounters with the risen Jesus. After they prayed with the gospel
passages, in the light of these accounts they might wish to re-live also one of their faith
experiences and encounters with God in this form. St. Ignatius gave great freedom how to
organize the exercises of this Phase [226-228], for example leaving to the exercitants -
who are at this point already experienced in this form of prayer - the structure of the
contemplations. He advises to continue the same rhythm as in the passion phase and
even to follow a more relaxed program saying that for the secluded retreat four exercises
a day - that is one contemplation, two repetitions and one “application of the senses” - “is
more in keeping with” the Fourth Period [227]. Alongside with the aforementioned “spirit-
feasting” the companions might help the goal of the contemplations by changing whatever
is possible in their ambient, using nature to support the joyful tone of this Period, “to
make use of the light and the pleasures of the seasons, for example, in summer of the
refreshing coolness, in the winter of the sun and fire” [229].

260
Ibid., p. 139.
261
Cf. Schillebeeckx, “Christ. The Experience of Jesus as Lord,” p. 420-422.
161
 St. Ignatius did not give special guidelines for the discernment of the spirits for the
Fourth Phase, but from the similarity of the situation of this with the Second Phase where
the temptations came under the disguise of good and in exaggeration of expectations we
can say that the guidelines given for that Phase are applicable and useful also during the
contemplation of the resurrection. Also the “Guidelines for the Right Attitude toward the
Church or Sense of Church” [352-370] is generally considered belonging to the Fourth
Phase, which we recommend to the companions to read during this time. This stress on
the Church is understandable if we take into consideration that the divinity manifesting
itself in the resurrection has its “true and most sacred effects” [223] first of all in the
forming of the community of the disciples, preparing the Church to fulfill her mission under
the guidance of the Holy Spirit who takes over the role of Jesus as Consoler and Advocate
262
until he returns . Jesus is the first Advocate or Paraclete (Greek, meaning defense
attorney, or spokesman, consoler, comforter, intercessor or mediator as in 1Jn 2:1) and the
Spirit is the second who guarantees the presence of Christ in the world and the faithful
understanding of his teachings. This connection is particularly clear in the gospel of John
(for example in 14:15-31) where everything that is said about the Paraclete is said also of
Jesus and where Jesus and the Holy Spirit is presented in a successor relationship, typified
for example by Elijah-Elisha (2Kings 2:9-15): when the prophet dies his “prophetic spirit”
passes over to the successor. Thus in the history of salvation two phases can be
distinguished, first the life of the earthly Jesus and then the time of the Church animated
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by the Spirit of Christ .
The contemplations of the risen Christ place the companions in a situation similar to
the first disciples and help them to grow in realistic understanding of the Church and in
the love of the Spirit of Christ. Maybe the companions already began to become familiar
with the “Contemplation to Attain the Love of God” [230-237] during the Third Phase as
proposed there in the Notes [204- 207], but if not yet, they need to do so during the
resurrection phase. The “Guidelines for the Right Attitude toward the Church or Sense of
Church” [352-370] and the “Contemplation to Attain the Love of God” [230-237] are
intended to support the process introduced by the contemplations and should be prayed
over time to time in the Fourth Phase and as the ending exercise of the entire retreat.
262
See the remarks of John C. Futrell on the ecclesial and pneumatic character of the
Fourth Phase in Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” pp. 127-
128.
263
Cf. Schillebeeckx, “Christ. The Experience of Jesus as Lord,” p. 423.
162
Although the birth of the Church is usually connected with the event of Pentecost, the
actual process of the building this community of the faithful in the Spirit took place during
a period of time that began during the apparitions contemplated in the Fourth Phase. Let
us end our introduction with the words of Karl Rahner about this birth process of the
Church:
“It is said that the Church was founded at Pentecost. It can also be said that Jesus
established the Church by giving authority to Peter and the apostles. We hear an echo in
Pius XII’s encyclical Mystici Corporis of the view that the Church came into existence on
the cross as the second Eve and mother of all the living, sprung from the pierced side of
the second Adam who died there. These statements need not be in contradiction, for each
graphically expresses a facet of a complex occurrence which cannot be assigned a quite
determinate moment and date because it concerns a society, not a physical event. To the
nature of the Church there belongs her structure as a society hierarchically organized with
a variety of offices and authorities, and also the Spirit animating her like a soul, as well as
the manifestation of this gift of the Spirit, for she has to bear witness through history
precisely as such a Spirit-endowed society. Consequently, mention is made of the cross,
as the event in which in the Blood of the Redemption the Holy Spirit is given to mankind,
and of Pentecost, when it is made known tangibly and by testimony that this Spirit has
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truly come” .

218-225. FIRST EXERCISE: THE APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN JESUS TO HIS MOTHER

The encounter is not in the Scriptures, but to St. Ignatius it seemed obvious that Christ
will appear first to his mother after the resurrection to console her. The companions might
want to use a short presentation to aid this contemplation from [299] in the Appendix B
“The Mysteries of the Life of Jesus Christ” [289-298]. Although this is an episode most
265
exercitants never considered before, for some it became a very deep experience .

Opening prayer

Also in this Phase we use the same opening prayer as in the First Phase.

264
Karl Rahner, “The Dynamic Element in The Church,” p. 42.
265
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 132. We
encourage also our Protestant companions to take this contemplation.
163
Visualization of the history

St. Ignatius invites us at the beginning of this exercise to use our active imagination
also on the resurrection, on this unique, “meta-historical” divine event shrouded in
ineffable mystery and accessible only to faith. The companions might find their own
expression in images and words of this faith in this contemplation. The icons of the
Eastern Orthodox Church representing the resurrection might be helpful for the
companions if they can access to see one such image. These icons show the moment
when the victorious Christ descends into hell, and standing on the broken doors of its
entrance reaches out with tenderness to the weak and old Adam and Eve to help them up.
Under this central scene, which is dominated by the brilliant figure of Christ the icon
usually shows the darkness of hell full of instruments of torture, while on the sides a group
of the just and prophets from the Old Testament are waiting for their redemption.
The parallel between this representation and Michelangelo’s fresco of the creation in
the Sistine Chapel cannot escape who have seen both, although their style is totally
different; there an energetic God reaches out to the inert Adam to give him life while here
Christ leads Adam to the new creation ushered by his resurrection from death. Indeed it is
a second, new creation as St. Paul pointed out to the Corinthians: “… whoever is in Christ
is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come” (1Cor
5:17).
This image might be new for those who are used to a more “naturalistic” picture of the
moment of resurrection, maybe showing Christ emerging from the tomb, with a couple of
terrified soldiers or bright angels on the side. Yet the resurrection itself is an event no one
could witness, the icon is theologically correct in representing the faith in what the
Apostles’ Creed condenses: “He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again…”
and it tells something important about the meaning of resurrection to us. Christ elevates
our humanity weighed down by weakness, brings us to a new creation and opens the hope
for our resurrection that is not only our fate for the future but also a reality that
impermeates our present. His resurrection changed the world in which we live definitely
through a new and special presence of the Holy Spirit in it.

164
 Following this, the companions turn their imagination to see Jesus returning from the
underworld and meeting first of all his mother. The gospels did not say anything of the
appearance of Jesus to Mary, however St. Ignatius supposed that it should have taken
place because of the love between mother and son. This contemplation presents an
occasion to reflect upon the place and role of Mary in our life as our model, the “perfect
redeemed” who became our mother, too.

Visualization of the place

Now we imagine the place of the resurrection, the tomb of Christ in the rock, already
empty and then turn our attention to the house where Mary lives. As we recall from the
gospel of John, the beloved disciple took Mary with him from under the cross, so this place
should be where he stays in Jerusalem. We see the house, its rooms and the place where
Mary is on Easter morning.

Asking what we want

“Here it will be to ask for the grace to be glad and rejoice intensely because of the
great joy and the glory of Christ our Lord” [221].
This grace what we ask now is part of the general goal of identification with Christ and
with his ideals throughout the Exercises. Besides this generous joy with Christ we can be
glad also for what the resurrection of Jesus means for us, for the hope of our own life now
and of our future resurrection.

The first three points of the contemplation

These are the same as the first three points of the contemplation on the “Last Supper”
[194], that is to see the persons involved, then to hear them and finally to consider what
they do in this episode.

Fourth point: consideration of how the “divinity manifests itself”

At this point the companions consider that in the resurrection Christ’s divinity which
was “hidden” during his suffering and death now manifests itself in the resurrection and in
its effects. They reflect upon what it means for them personally, for the Church, for the

165
history of the world, and how with the glorified body of the risen Jesus humanity is taken
into God’s internal life.
The earthly life, suffering and death of Jesus is not canceled or lost but elevated,
brought into the glory of God – as the signs of the wounds on the glorified body witness it.
Similarly, everything we lived, suffered and rejoiced for is saved and remains ours forever
even if now our final state is still unknown to us. Karl Rahner writes about this reality in his
meditation on the resurrection and points out: “As long as we are on this earth, we only
have, as it were a small piece of our life in our hand for a moment, and then we lay it
down behind us – in fact, it seems to slip from our grasp almost unnoticed. But with Jesus,
the situation is very different: He possesses His life completely. Certainly, the fact that we
are getting older does not mean that we are getting poorer! What is really questionable is
the future which we do not yet have. The past is not lost – it is our final possession. But for
us, this finality is, so to speak, hidden; it has fallen into a abyss so that it cannot be
266
reached by our conscious experience” .
The same sense of life can be found in Viktor Frankl’s existential analysis of the
267
transitoriness of life . In this view nothing is meaningless or vain, no idea lost, even if in
it remained in the secret of one’s heart, but all is saved. As Frankl says, the life of each
individual is like a novel containing all the drama lived, and is incomparably greater than
any written and published story. In a beautiful passage of “The Doctor and the Soul”
Frankl uses the image of a calendar to illustrate this sense of life. The pessimist will be
sorry that it gets thinner every day while one who sees past as a safekeeper of everything
that has been, will jot a diary on each leaf and put it away gladly over the richness
contained in all the pages, of all the work done, love loved and suffering suffered in the life
that has realized already much of the possibilities as one gets older. Frankl concludes this
view of life: “Thus time, the transitoriness of the years, cannot affect its meaning and
value. Having been is also a kind of being – perhaps the surest kind. And all effective
action in life may, in this view, appear as a salvaging of possibilities by actualizing them.
though past, these possibilities are now safely ensconced in the past for all eternity, and
time can no longer change them”. He adds later: “All that is good and beautiful in the past
is safely preserved in the past. On the other hand, so long as life remains, all guilt and all
evil is still ‘redeemable’ (Scheler, Wiedergeburt und Reue)… the past – happily – is fixed,

266
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 245.
267
Cf. Frankl, “The Doctor and the Soul,” pp. 26-27.
166
is safe, whereas the future – happily – still remains to be shaped; that is, is at the disposal
of man’s responsibility” 268.

Fifth point: consideration of the role of Consoler of the risen Jesus

We turn our attention to consider how Jesus in the appearances after his resurrection
consoles the persons who meet him. Consolation is the experience through which also we
can meet now the living Christ: “What one may hope for this phase is the encounter with
the Lord…even if what is here involved is not a direct encounter, but a mediated one
269
through consolation” . We find for example a model of consolation “without any
previous cause” [330] in the encounter with Mary Magdalene when she recognizes Jesus
from his voice (Jn 20:16).
This consideration might present an occasion for the companions to reflect and share
about the consolation they bring to each other as spouses and friends and how their
relationship, mutual love and support is a place of the experience of God.

Prayerful conversation, sharing and review

In the Fourth Phase the companions can end the contemplations with a prayerful
dialog or choose the threefold prayer as in the previous phase. After some sharing and
jotting in their diary they close with an Our Father…

226-229. NOTES: ON HOW TO PROCEED

1. In the Fourth Phase we arrange the exercises on the model of the first
contemplation just described with the necessary changes according to the particular
mystery considered, similarly as we did in the passion phase. The companions can do the

268
Ibid., p.27.
269
Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 134.
167
repetitions, application of the senses and the lengthening or shortening of the material
contemplated also on the base of the Third Phase.
2. If the companions do the Exercises in the secluded retreat form, they can do four
exercises daily instead of five during this phase. The first one early in the morning,
followed by two repetitions before noon and in the afternoon followed by the application of
the senses in the evening. In this way the companions dedicate one entire day to each
appearance contemplated ending with the Ascension. The entire Phase can be lengthened
or shortened by choosing more or less of the appearances listed in the Appendix B “The
Mysteries of the Life of Jesus Christ” [299-312]. Similarly, in the everyday life form of the
Exercises, four sessions will be dedicated to each contemplated appearance of the risen
Jesus. In this way we do the contemplations of the Fourth Phase with a slower pace,
savoring the mysteries involved and letting the consolation seep into our hearts. St.
Ignatius indicates this character of the resurrection phase when says: “In making the
Application of the Senses, attention and more time is given to the more important parts
and to points where the soul was more deeply moved and spiritual relish was greater”
[227].
3. The companions can use great freedom during this phase in structuring the
individual exercises, and need not necessarily follow the five points as in the first
contemplation presented above. They can decide if they wish more or less points or no
points at all in the contemplations. Of course, they need to agree on this before entering
the prayer session.
4. During the Fourth Phase the companions need to change somewhat their ambient
to favor the climate of joy and consolation and make use of the practical guidelines of the
“Additions” [73-90] and of the “Notes” [127-131] applied of course to the thematic of the
resurrection.
In the Fourth Phase for example during the morning preparations our thoughts need to
be directed to the contemplated mystery of the resurrection and during the day we try to
call to mind joyful and pleasant topics. We might say with the expression of Christotherapy
that this is the time for “spirit-feasting” which we mentioned already earlier in the
introduction to this phase.
In harmony with the climate of the contemplations of the resurrection the companions
should not seek penances except to observe what is an obligatory fast or abstinence the
Church gives for the particular season they are in.
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 C O N T EM P L A T I O N TO ATTAIN T HE LOVE OF G O D [230-237]
This contemplation follows the Fourth Phase in the book of the Spiritual Exercises and
it serves as a magnificent crowning point of the entire retreat and as a transition to the
aftermath, which we might call the “Fifth Phase”. Since it presents a powerful and
beautiful method of prayer the companions certainly will want to use it also later, outside
of the context of the retreat. We proposed to the companions to get familiar with this
masterpiece of St. Ignatius already during the Third Phase if the desire arose for it, and
recommended to take it time to time woven into the Fourth Phase to support the inner
process of confirmation and transformation; now they take it as the beginning of the rest
of their life.
This exercise, often called shortly the “Contemplation” constitutes a frame for the
whole retreat together with the “Principle and Foundation” [23] (which precedes the First
Phase); although they are outside of the main body of the Four Phases they are present
throughout the individual meditations and the “Principle and Foundation” projects in
anticipation, while the “Contemplation” summarizes in hindsight the complete program of
the Spiritual Exercises. St. Ignatius wrote the “Principle” and the “Contemplation” in dry
philosophical and theological rather then biblical terms, and in quite different style from
the rest of the Exercises (for example there is no mention of Christ in them), and to
illustrate the richness of this exercise our approach to the “Contemplation” will include
270
also some biblical references .
As the companions enter the “Contemplation” and learn to discover its hidden beauty,
this scholastic theological exposition reveals a powerful vision of what Christian life is
about and offers the possibility of a transforming experience that will remain with them for
the rest of their life. It seems that when St. Ignatius wrote this short theological exposition,
he had in mind first of all his greatest mystical experience at the Cardoner River during his
271
stay in Manresa . He could never appropriately reveal this experience that was more

270
As an example for a presentation of the “Contemplation” that completely replaces
the scholastic terminology with an approach based on modern biblical scholarship we refer
the reader to Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” Chapter
32., pp.316-324. The approach of this well-known biblical scholar and retreat master offers a
biblical approach that first presents the historical process of God’s revelation and then turns
to consider the role of man as mediator in collaboration with the divine plan of redemption
with the grace of Christ.
271
See the episode in “St. Ignatius’ Own Story As told to Luis Gonzales de Camara With
a sampling of his letters”, pp. 23-24. A few other mystical experiences that St. Ignatius
169
enlightenment than vision, but it seems that he had an encounter with God similar to St.
Paul, who “was caught up into Paradise and heard ineffable things that no one may utter”
with the difference that Ignatius did not have the gift of powerful expression as the
272
Apostle . It seems that at the banks of the Cardoner he experienced everything
descending from the Trinity and then returning to God in orderly relationship to each
other. After this experience the flow of tears that he shed until that moment for the sorrow
over his sins from then on were transformed into tears of joy when he was just thinking or
hearing mention of the Trinity. This mystical gift of tears never left him and was so
273
abundant as to threaten him becoming blind . By his own judgment, he learned more in
this experience than in all the studies and other mystical insights in his life together. St.
Ignatius saw all creation in a new light in this experience that enabled him to find God in
all things which is the heart of the Ignatian spirituality and the goal of the
“Contemplation”.
As the title says, this contemplation is all about love and its goal is the same as the
goal of the entire retreat, to learn the love of God through an immediate communication
with the Creator: “while one is engaged in the Spiritual Exercises, it is more suitable and
much better that the Creator and Lord in person communicate Himself to the devout soul
in quest of the divine will, that He inflame it with His love and praise, and dispose it for the
way in which it could better serve God in the future” [15]. The “Contemplation” is in fact
the fruit of the decision achieved during the Exercises and it strives for the same love as
the “Kingdom of Christ” [91-99] and the “Three Types of Attitudes” [149-157] meditations.
One is able to find God in all things, not only in the beauty of nature and in loving persons
but also in a world full of contradictions and injustice, only by the grace of Christ in whom
274
God is present and can be met even in the depths of suffering and death . It becomes
clear that the “Contemplation” as with the rest of the Exercises, centers on the person of
Jesus Christ, and on the redemption received through him.
The love of God, as love always, is not a result of our efforts, cannot be produced by
will; instead we receive the love of God as a grace, a grace that is God himself. St. Ignatius

mentions in this autobiography as well are generally considered as the background of the
“Contemplation”. Cf. Barry, “Finding God in All Things,” pp. 133-136.
272
See the parallel between the experience St. Ignatius and St. Paul in Broderick, “Saint
Ignatius Loyola, The Pilgrim Years 1491-1538,” p. 182.
273
Cf. Ibid., p 317.
274
Cf. Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 271-272.
170
says that it “must descend from above” [184]; this grace is the Holy Spirit dwelling in our
hearts since “the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit
that has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). To attain the love of God means to pray for it
insistently, to prepare us for receiving it, and recognize it in the midst of the concrete
context of our lives; let it become the central guide for our decisions and actions in the
future. The love of God, finding God in all things means a living discernment for the rest of
our life. The “Contemplation” teaches a mysticism that we live not only in the immediate
communion with God in the Holy Spirit but also by discovering in everything a means to
God and by the concrete service for the sake of the love of God. The often-used
expression “to be contemplatives in action” means just this, that we are present for God
to meet him both in our hearts and in the service of others.
The scriptural contemplations of the Fourth Week end at the Ascension of Jesus and
we can see in the “Contemplation” an equivalent of Pentecost. As the companions come
out of the retreat experience they are in a similar situation as the disciples whom the risen
Jesus consoled and instructed to wait for the promised Spirit in Jerusalem before going on
their mission (Acts 1:5-8). We should recall how the encounters with the risen Jesus,
including the last one at the Ascension, typically ended before his disappearance with a
sending on mission. Instead of direct encounters with the risen Lord from then on they
could meet Jesus in their mission in the power of the Holy Spirit received at Pentecost.
Similarly, for the companions the meetings of retreat are coming to an end with a new or
renewed sense of being sent, and as the disciples also they can meet Jesus in their
mission and in those to whom they are sent with the power of the Spirit, that is, they will
be able to “find God in all things” 275. St. Ignatius wants to send out the exercitants from
the retreat empowered by a new implosion of the Spirit in a real Pentecost experience by
praying with the “Contemplation”.
The most extensive spiritual work of St. Ignatius, the “Constitutions of the Society of
276
Jesus”, shows clearly the centrality of the Holy Spirit for the Ignatian spirituality . In the
275
Cf. Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 135 where Alex Lefrank points out
that “…meeting the Lord and his mission are no longer different things that follow one
another” [italics from Lefrank].
276
Moreover, St. Ignatius was a member of the Confraternity of the Holy Spirit, a fact
mentioned by Peter-Hans Kolvenbach SJ in his talk To the General Assembly of the Christian
Life Community, Nairobi, August 4, 2003. Confraternities were the organizations of the laity
in the Church of that time. The talk is published in the magazine of CLC, Harvest Vol. 36, No.
2, Summer 2003, pp. 10-13, and can be find also online at the following address:
http://users.online.be/~sj.eur.news/doc/clc/wa2003phke.htm
171
preamble in a profound act of faith in the Spirit he declares that it is “the interior law of
charity and love which the Holy Spirit writes and engraves upon hearts” that creates and
277
guides the Society much more than any exterior constitution . The “Constitutions” are
interspersed with references to the Holy Spirit as the real guide of the Society and also in
the Exercises the pneumatic character is evident for whoever grasped the “spirit” of it,
278
even if the text does not mention the Holy Spirit explicitly . The primacy of the Spirit is
another parallel between St. Ignatius and St. Paul who presents Christian life as life “by
the Spirit” producing the “fruits of the Spirit” (Gal 5:16-23), led not by exterior precepts
but by the inner dynamism of the “law of the Spirit of life” (Rom 8:2). St. Paul does not
hesitate to say, “the letter [of exterior laws] brings death, but the Spirit gives life” (2Cor
3:6)279 and only by the Spirit can we carry out the single, new commandment of Jesus
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal 5:14). The Holy Spirit realizes the ascent of
280
humanity and the creation into the Omega Point of Christogenesis in the powerful
vision of Chapter 8 of the letter to the Romans (Rom 8:14-27). We see the primacy of the
Spirit evident throughout the four phases of the Exercises; it is particularly clear in the two
sets of guidelines for the discernment of the spirits (Appendix C [313-344]), and in the
“Contemplation”.
St. John of the Cross writes: “The Holy Spirit illumines the intellect …according to the
281
mode of its recollection” (Ascent Book II, chapter 29, paragraph 6) . What the Mystical
Doctor says here is that the Holy Spirit respects one’s psychological and spiritual makeup
and experience when guiding him or her. The interior law of the Spirit is highly
personalized, as also the discernment process of the Exercises confirms it. There are no

277
Quoted in Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” p. 226.
n. 2.; cf. also “The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus,” p.308-314.
278
Cf. Ibid., p.312.
279
St. Thomas Aquinas commenting on this statement says “By the term ‘letter’ must
be understood any line in the Scripture which remains exterior to men, even the moral
precepts of the Gospel” (Summa Theologica 1a-2ae, q. 106, a2). Cf. Ibid., p.308.
280
. See our note 3 in the “Preparatory Phase to the Exercises” describing Teilhard de
Chardin’s concept of Christogenesis. As David M. Stanley notes, Chardin undoubtedly drew
the inspiration for his optimistic, incarnational theology from the “Contemplation”. (Stanley,
“A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” pp.331.)
281
From The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, translated by Kieran Kavanaugh,
OCD and Otilio Rodriguez, OCD., (Washington DC: Institute of Carmelite Studies, 1973) p.
205. St. John of the Cross here refers to St. Thomas Aquinas, De Veritate Q, 12, a, 6:
“quidquid recipitur, per modem recipientis recipitur” that is “whatever is received, is
received after the mode of the receiver”.
172
universal solutions for concrete questions of life, but it takes a dialogic relationship with
the Holy Spirit and an arduous intellectual-emotional quest involving also the pneumatic
dimension to find our way. If in this point St. John of the Cross reflects the central idea of
the spirituality of St. Ignatius it is not by chance, since before joining the Carmelites he
studied from 1559 to 1563 in the Jesuit College of Medina del Campo. Interestingly
enough, Viktor Frankl in his study of the relationship between religiosity and
282
psychotherapy , points out that for assuring the future of religion it is not sufficient to
emphasize adherence to a particular denomination, but everyone needs to find his or her
unique way to God: “Certainly, the trend is away from religion conceived in such
denominational sense. Yet this is not to imply that, eventually, there will be a universal
religion. On the contrary: if religion is to survive, it will have to be profoundly
283
personalized” . The real “spirit” of the Exercises promotes just such profoundly
personalized religiosity since it helps the companions to find God in all things with the
assistance of the Holy Spirit present in their hearts.
We might say that the “Contemplation” is the summary of all the Exercises and also of
284
the Christian life or “perfection” with the classical word for it . As we saw at the
presentation of the examination of consciousness, “perfection” for St. Ignatius consists in
finding God in all things: “The perfect, due to constant contemplation and the
enlightenment of the understanding, consider, meditate, and ponder more that God our
Lord is in every creature by His essence, power and presence” [39]. Since God can be
found in each and every thing in consequence there is not only one way to him that is a
285
priori better than any others . It becomes still more evident why the daily examination
of consciousness introduced at the beginning of the Exercises will remain an excellent

282
Although Viktor Frankl identified himself exclusively with the medical profession as
psychiatrist, and in order to remain open to non believers sharply drew the line between
psychiatry and religion, he himself was a religious man and his logotherapy influenced the
work of several theologians like Hans Urs von Balthsar, Bernard Haering and others with
whom he enjoyed friendship, too. Most importantly Frankl had a personal connection with
Karl Rahner and seemingly influenced his theological works. This little known and surprising
connection and the influence of existential analysis on Rahner’s transcendental
anthropology, on his concept of anonymous Christians and on his supernatural existential
are explored in detail in a study of Dr. Reinhard Zaiser, “Viktor E. Frankl as a Theologian:
The Meaning of Logotherapy for Modern Western Theology,” in The International Forum of
Logotherapy, Vol. 28, No. 1, Spring 2005, pp. 4-9.
283
Frankl, “The Unconscious God,” p. 15.
284
Cf. Nigro, Op. cit., p. 46.
285
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 273.
173
means for the companions that they should bring with them in the future in order to live a
discerning life and to find God in all things.
Before presenting the “Contemplation”, St. Ignatius makes the exercitants reflect
upon the unifying character of love in two aspects:

1. “The first is that love ought to manifest itself in deeds rather than words”
[230]. For St. Ignatius love and actions are in union in the loving person and saying this he
does not deny the value of feelings or the expression of love in words, but reminds us that
love needs to lead to actions for the beloved. In the meditation on the “Three Degrees of
the Love of God” [165-168] the companions already reflected upon love that consists in
actions as generous service of God. We can recognize that love is present when it
overflows in desire to do something: “What can I do for you? What would you like me to
do?” which is followed by actual deeds. It is not different with the love of God as we are
constantly reminded in the Exercises, where similar questions repeatedly arise in the
meditations and there is a constant effort to find answers in concrete decisions.
Through the spirituality of the Exercises we learn that our work in the world does not
separate us from God, but on the contrary, even the most trivial actions can constitute the
place to meet him. “Thus action, done with love and out of love for God, far from being an
obstacle to union with God, is rather a great help to it. One’s daily work, then, performed
in continuous response to God’s continuous love, is the way St. Ignatius directs the current
of energy, the spiritual energy that has burst forth through the Exercises of the Retreat”
286
. We learn to see our daily life and love of God in unity, to have an objective experience
of God present and loving in us and through us while working, relaxing or projecting our
future. “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of
God,” (1Cor 10:31) admonishes St. Paul and St. Ignatius echoes it by stressing to do
everything for the “greater glory of God”. The sometimes stressful other times
frustratingly boring tasks at the workplace and at home, the never ending necessity of
preparing meals, doing laundry, cleaning, taking care of the finances, of the homework of
our children and of the needs of our parents, all what is involved in having a family and a
job is our meeting place with God, is real worship and liturgy in the same time. In terms of
Logotherapy we might say that the transformation of our daily life and of all its events,

286
Nigro, Op. cit., p. 46.
174
joys and sufferings into experience of God contributes to see the concrete challenges of
life as a task given to us and so discover the meaning of each situation.
The transformation of all activity in a place to meet God does not exclude, instead
presupposes also the need for extended or at least significant time spent in explicit
prayer. Through this listening to the Spirit we gain the sensibility to recognize the God in
the midst of daily life. Karl Rahner said once to a friend somewhere “I believe because I
pray”. The faith that is necessary to meet God in all things needs to be cultivated in
personal relationship with him.
From what we said it is clear that the Exercises are a source of an eminently lay
spirituality, and are a particularly adequate instrument of formation of Christians in
287
today’s world . Spiritual life will not be any more seen as a series of teaching to be
assimilated with some practices of devotion added to life but alien to it, but a living
discernment, finding God in all things which is mysticism lived in concreteness.
Karl Rahner tells that “the devout Christian of the future will either be a ‘mystic’
who has ‘experienced’ something, or [s]he will cease to be anything at all” 288, pointing
toward a personalized but not individualistic religiosity. The same Spirit who is the source
of the individual’s faith also creates communities of believers who share in a particular
creed and works through historical forms of revelation adapting to the need of times and
places. To have faith one needs to enter in a living and transforming dialog with the
indwelling God, while the fruits of this dialog are realized in the concrete deeds of love
outward. Mystical life means to love all creatures of God from the source of love in the
depths of one’s pneumatic dimension; in the core of the heart in a biblical sense that
permeates and animates one’s whole being.
We can go one step further in saying that it is a necessity for all to become mystics
in a sense; even non-believers need to be contemplatives in order to be fully human and
alive in all the dimensions of their existence. Once we arrived to accept the pneumatic
dimension on the basis of our Christian anthropology we retain it as a universally present
reality in every single human person. We know of the presence of the Holy Spirit in all
human hearts, regardless of the professed faith or non-faith of the individual and so we
know that in all authentic human acts also the pneumatic dimension is active and one
287
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 232.
288
Karl Rahner, Theological Investigations, [Schriften zur Theologie, 1954-1984], 23
volumes (New York: Crossroads, 1960-1992), 7:15 in “Christian Living Formerly and Today,”
7:3-24 [article originally published in 1966].
175
communicates with the Spirit; we might say that one enters in prayer or contemplation of
God, participates in the grace of Christ even without explicit religious faith. In other words,
the human dimension is not merely human but more than that, and in fact is permeated or
animated by the pneumatic dimension, by the indwelling Holy Spirit who is the guarantee
of the continuity of Christ’s mission in the world after his death and resurrection and
through whom Jesus Christ is present and operating in all humanity and in all the universe.
I (Kris) can attest from my personal experience that it is possible to pray and to pray very
efficaciously for a non-believer, since exactly this happened to me when I was still
agnostic. The prolonged time spent in quiet contemplation without faith and conscious
intention of prayer but with the experience of great peace led me to meet God in a way
that was never repeated later until now; since that powerful encounter I believe and from
then on I know that God is and that he is love and is with me.
The recognition of the pneumatic dimension leads to a vision of Christ’s centrality
through the Holy Spirit, to a Pneumatological Christocentrism 289, which renders it possible
to reach out effectively to people from other faiths with the means of healing and help our
faith helped us to discover without the intention of “converting” them in the religious
sense. Based on this view of the human person, we think that the Exercises can be open
even for a non-believer and the resulting spirituality is expressing an attitude that is a
basic need for fully human life. As Alex Lefrank S.J. pointed out: “what seems more
important than the expression of belief or unbelief is interior openness, allowing oneself to
enter upon the adventure of a personal search, of questioning and being questioned, in
such a way that an answer may be received that exceeds my expectations” 290. Although
the Spiritual Exercises are in service of the interior process of spiritual growth their
therapeutic and psychohygienic role is undoubtedly significant and in our opinion not only
Catholics (or not only Christians) can find enormous benefit of the methods included in this
process. All the methods and even the prayer of contemplation can be introduced in
feasible way to everyone open enough to engage in the adventure of search.
Let us finish this exploration of love with a prayer of Karl Rahner:
"I must live out the daily drudge and the day that is yours as one reality. As I turn
outward to the world, I must turn inward toward you, and possess you, the only One, in
289
See more about the concept of Pneumatological Christocentrism in Joseph H. Wong,
“Anonymous Christians: Karl Rahner's Pneuma-Christocentrism and an East-West Dialogue”
Theological Studies, Vol. 55, 1994.
290
Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service,” p. 18.
176
 everything. But how does my daily drudge become the day that is yours? My God, only
through you. Only through you can I be an 'inward' person. Only through you am I with
you within myself even as I am turning outward in order to be among things. Neither
Angst nor nothingness nor death free me from being lost in the things of the world —
to use ideas from modern philosophy — but only your love, love for you, you who are
the goal drawing all things, you who satisfy, you who are sufficient to yourself. Your
love, my infinite God, the love for you that passes through their heart and extends out
beyond them into your infinite expanses, your love that can still take in everything that
is lost as the song of praise to your infinity. For you, all multiplicity is one; all that is
dispersed is gathered into you; everything outside becomes in your love something still
interior. In your love, all turning outward to the daily drudge becomes a retreat into
your unity, which is eternal life.
“But this love that lets the daily drudge be the daily drudge and yet transforms it
into a day of recollection with you — this love only you can give me. What then am I to
say to you now, as I am bringing myself, the bedrudged, into your presence? I can only
stammer a request for your most commonplace of gifts, which is also your greatest:
the gift of your love. Touch my heart with your grace. Let me, as I grasp after the
things of this world in joy or in pain grasp and love you through them, the primordial
ground of them all. You who are love, give me love, give me yourself, so that all my
291
days may eventually flow into the one day of your eternal life” .

2. “The second is that love consists in a mutual sharing of goods” [231]. St.
Ignatius says with this that love always unites the persons who love in mutuality and
communion, which includes not only the things they have but the lovers themselves; love
is sharing of life and mutual self-communication. Although this aspect is inherent in every
loving relationship as the one that exists between friends it is eminently expressed in the
love of a married couple. We have spoken about the sacramental character of human
marriage in the “Final notes” of the meditation on the “Three Degrees of the Love of God”
[165-168] where we saw that marriage renders present the love of God in the world in a
tangible manner. In the same time this sacramental character reveals for us what human
marriage is, that it is a place to encounter and experience God. Moreover, we saw that
291
Karl Rahner, Spiritual Writings, edited by Philip Endean, Modern Spiritual Masters
Series, Orbis Books 10/04. Excerpt from “God of My Daily Routine” in Encounters with
Silence.
177
Christian marriage is an ecclesial vocation that incarnates the total character of God’s love
for a human person. Married love in such a way sheds very clear light on the communion
and mutuality created by love between the loving persons and in particular how our love
for God is called to be. Not by chance it is customary to use as a reading in weddings this
passage from the Book of Ruth: “…wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will
lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Wherever you die I will die,
and there be buried” (Ru 1:16-7). This passage (where Ruth in fact speaks to her mother-
in-law) reminds us also of the commitment to Christ spoken of in the “Kingdom” [91-95]
meditation and expresses beautifully the communion and mutual sharing of everything
involved in a love that consists of deeds rather than words.
The mutual sharing of love characterizes the Third and Fourth Phases during which
we ask the grace to share in the destiny, in the suffering and in the joy of Christ. The
unitive stage of spiritual growth and healing to which these Phases belong consists in the
mystical union with Christ, the risen and glorified Lord who also lives in all members of his
Body. This mystical love manifests itself in concrete actions and in seeking to share all the
joys and sorrows of the Beloved; it means rejoicing or suffering as the contemporary Christ
rejoices or suffers in all men and women with whom he identified himself. Praying the
“Contemplation” supports the process of mystical union, since it aims at the grace of
mutual self-giving with the indwelling Trinity, and brings us to an exchange of love with
God in all aspects of our everyday life.
Speaking of mutual sharing of goods with God we can ask, “What can we give to
God -to the Absolute- who does not need anything?” God gives everything to us
continuously, without him we would not even exist, but do we have something to give in
return? St. Ignatius answers positively to this question in the “Contemplation”; we can
give all what we are to God, all what we have received from him in gratitude. God who
does not lack anything made himself needy of our love and is happy of the sign of our
gratitude as a father or mother who keeps that little heart painted on a piece of paper by
his or her child as a treasure.
The retreatant can feel behind this remark about the mutuality of love the experience
of St. Ignatius at the banks of Cardoner; the vision of everything coming from and
returning to the Trinity. During the Exercises we needed to distinguish sharply in order to
arrive to a decision, but once this process is completed, the “Contemplation” - without the
danger of leveling differences - enables us to discover the unity of all things coming from
178
 292
God and returning to him . We are in this movement and in fact are called to enter the
inner life of the Trinity. God not only gives us things but also wants to share with us his life
as community of love in the Trinity. He not just gives us all but desires the mutuality of
love that we answer with the love received from him. God is love and when he shares
himself, he gives us his love with which we are called to give and share with others what
we have. Our mutual love with the Trinity includes all the others who are called to enter
that community. “Hence, if one has knowledge, he shares it with the one who does not
possess it; and so also if one has honors, or riches. Thus, one always gives to the other”
[231]. St. Ignatius’ point, which is based on his own mystical experiences and
philosophical-theological studies, moves toward the notion of a universal community in
293
love . The notion of the community of mutual love is at the heart of the New Testament:
“I give you a new commandment: love one another” (Jn 14:34), “This I command you: love
one another” (Jn 15:17), and the call for a universal love is there in the Sermon on the
Mount as Jesus extends the commandment of love to include even one’s enemies: “I say
to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be
children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and
causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust… So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father
is perfect” (Mt 5:44-48). Sharing in God’s life means to love as he and we directly
experience God, who is love in the act of loving. The way to love God is obey the
commandment “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who
loves me.” (Jn 14:21) and the only commandment of the New Testament is to love.
God is love and when we love, sharing in who he is, we are united with him in what St.
John of the Cross calls “union of likeness”. This union produced by love with God makes
the human person and God “seem to be one”; it is the summit of Mount Carmel and the
goal of the spiritual life. If we recall that the human person is created in “the image and
likeness of God himself” (Cf. Gen 1:26-27) we can understand why the “union of likeness”
is indeed fulfillment of human existence. Later in the “Contemplation” we will see other
aspects of the fact that the human person is created in the “image of God”.
In Chapter 5 of Book Two of The Ascent of Mount Carmel St. John of the Cross uses
the image of a window bathed in light to illustrate this “union of likeness”; if the window is
clear the sunlight comes through it so that the glass seems like to have the nature of the

292
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service,” p. 135.
293
Cf. Barry, “Finding God in All Things,” p. 132.
179
light itself although it remains distinct from it. Similarly, one “makes room for God” and
works to “deprive oneself for God of all that is not God” and will be transformed into God
“…and God will communicate His supernatural being to it that it will appear to be God and
294
will possess all that God Himself has.” .
The negative factor of detachment involved here is complemented by the positive
side of the dynamism, since this “purification” is achieved through the force of love that
conforms and directs one’s actions toward God. In order to be transformed by love in
union with God one must, “…employ all the faculties, appetites, operations and emotions
of his soul in God…”295. We see the similarity of this vision of union with God with the goal
of human existence presented in the Principle and Foundation [23] as “to love and praise
God” and “serve him with reverence” and the freedom searched in the Exercises process
is for the “more” of the love of God. St. Ignatius places more stress on the passionate and
generous service of God as a way of mystical union with God while St. John of the Cross
writes more of the mysticism of love through prayer, but evidently to live as
“contemplatives in action” one needs extended periods of explicit prayer to acquire the
sensibility for “finding God in all things”. We can add here that also the earlier mentioned
notion of the ascending spiral of spiritual growth and healing (an image evoking the ascent
to Mount Carmel) with the involved movements of “turning from” and “turning-toward”
296
and with the corresponding techniques of mind-fasting and spirit-feasting presents an
application of this great vision of the Exercises of the dynamism of union with God through
detachment and active love.
After these preliminary reflections we enter in the “Contemplation” itself. Ignatian
contemplation means that we enter in the reality contemplated in order to experience it
directly, as in the contemplations on the life of Jesus we prayed for receiving a personal
revelation of the mystery involved in the Gospel passage. Here we pray for an experience
of Pentecost, a new effusion of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and a through the Spirit a
personal experience of God. It is generally accepted that the mystical experiences of St.
Ignatius at Manresa are at the source of the points of the “Contemplation”, and he wants

294
“The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross,” The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Book II,
Chapter 5., Op. cit., p. 117.
295
Ibid., Book III, Chapter 16. p. 237. Cf. Deut 6:5.
296
See the mind-fasting and spirit-feasting in Tyrrell, “Christotherapy I,” p. 73-106 and
in “Christotherapy II,” pp.126-128. The image of spiral is introduced in Ibid., p. 6 and in
“Christotherapy I,” p.137.
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the exercitant to gain a similar experience through this prayer. Such experience is not
reserved for exceptional individuals but is something that is more often found among
“ordinary” people than we would think of at first. In the light of Karl Rahner’s above
quoted insight of the necessity to become ‘mystics’ for the future of Christianity it is
important that the companions pray for such experience with hope and insistency.
The structure of the exercise will be slightly different from the other contemplations.
After the opening prayer we have only the visualization of the place, then we ask for the
grace we seek and follow with the four points of the contemplation which ends with a
prayerful conversation of the companion’s liking. It is for the companions to decide if they
want to pray through all the four points in one session or to dedicate four or even more
prayer sessions for the “Contemplation”. If they divide it in more sessions, for example by
having woven these in the course of the Fourth or even the Third Phase, each of these
sessions will begin with the same opening prayer and preparatory steps and end with a
prayerful conversation. We encourage the companions to stay with this contemplation for
an extended time, use the material with freedom and flexibility and return to it time to
time. At the end of the retreat it is advisable to go through the entire “Contemplation” as
a magnificent closure and transition for the aftermath.

Opening prayer

We use the same opening prayer as usual.

Visualization of the place

The scene that we enter now is similar to what we presented in the “Three Types of
Attitudes” at [152]. The companions imagine themselves standing together in front of God
among all the saints and angels, each of whom is praying for them.

Asking what we want

We pray in this contemplations for an “intimate knowledge of the many blessings

received” [233] so that filled with gratitude we might love and serve God in all things.
Bernard Tyrrell sees a parallelism between the stages of the spirit-feasting process of
Christotherapy and the grace of the “Contemplation” as the prayer for it moves from the
understanding of the blessings received through the experience of gratitude to an

181
 297
overflowing of this gratitude in the desire to love and serve . The contemplative,
298
intimate knowledge we seek here refers to an experiential “knowing” in biblical sense
involving personal encounter and lived relationship. Like the “intimate knowledge of our
Lord” [104] we asked in the contemplations of the life of Jesus, it is a personal revelation,
a mystical experience of God. St. Ignatius has in mind his own mystical experience and is
299
convinced that anyone can ask for such grace in the hope that God will grant it .
The grace of the “Contemplation” includes the mutuality of love mentioned in the
introduction before. The intimate knowledge of God’s blessings and works for us results in
300
a deep gratitude , which turns life into constant Eucharist (meaning “thanksgiving”) into
a desire of thankful self-giving through service as answer for God’s love; with John Futrell’s
fortunate expression life becomes “thanks-living”301. Every gift of God is always also a self-
communication in a form or other, he gives himself first to us, and we respond with our
love and service. So the grace we seek here is “…an exchange of love, realized in mutual
self-giving, in which an habitual and formal friendship with the Indwelling Trinity is
established and lived by in and through our most ordinary, everyday activity and passivity
in and for the world”302
We cannot seize this love, it is a grace which we receive as the Spirit transforms our
hearts and brings us into friendship with the Trinity. The Trinity dwells in us and it is our
pneumatic dimension where the exchange of love first of all takes place and from there
the Spirit animates all other spheres of our existence. For the most part our exchange with
God reaches the depths, which we can call “pneumatic unconscious”. Since existence
itself is unconscious, as it cannot be made totally conscious and reflected upon, all
dimensions including the pneumatic sphere of the human being extend on the
unconscious, preconscious as well as on the conscious levels. “Pneumatic unconscious” is
that part of the pneumatic dimension where experiences, like religious conversion,

297
Cf. Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” p. 225.
298
In the Scriptures “knowledge” means nothing less than experience, and the same
word used for man “knowing” God as “knowing” his wife through the sexual relationship Cf.
Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” p. 64.
299
Cf. Barry, “Finding God in All Things,” p. 133.
300
Gratitude in the very sense is “recognition”, “re-knowing”; this is indicated by the
Italian “riconoscenza” and the French “reconnaissance” words for gratitude that have the
same root as recognition.
301
Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 130.
302
Cf. Nigro, Op. cit., p. 46.
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religious intuition or inspiration by the Holy Spirit, mystical encounters with God and
charismatic phenomena, like prophetic insights and healings as gifts of the Holy Spirit
occur. Our inner dialog with God is often unconscious even if it might have begun with a
conscious desire to pray. All prayer can reach the depths of the pneumatic unconscious
but this is more manifest and directly intended in non-conceptual contemplative forms of
303
prayer, like the prayer of the “heart” , the centering prayer or the Jesus prayer and in a
certain sense even the rosary. The Christian mystical life is the living and transforming
dialog with the indwelling God, and the fruits of this dialog are realized in the concreteness
of love outward. From this we can understand that the grace of the “Contemplation”,
which is no less than becoming mystics, means to love all creatures of God from the
source of love in the depths of one’s pneumatic dimension.
As we get more and more near to God we discover also more clearly and even
painfully his distance and otherness. The works of St. John of the Cross show most vividly
this paradoxical nature of the love of God. The first stanza of The Spiritual Canticle
expresses in a form of lyrical love poem the tension of this experience as the lover
complaints of the painful absence of the Beloved:

¿Adonde te escondiste,
Amado, y me dejaste con gemido?
Como il cervo huiste Habiendome herido;
Salí tras ti clamando, y eras ido

Where have You hidden,

Beloved, and left me moaning?
You fled like the stag
After wounding me;
304
I went out calling You and You were gone.

303
The “heart” as Hebrew biblical concept sometimes means the whole person, more
often the center of the human being, the source of all faculties not associated only with the
emotions as in Western culture and it seems to refer also to the pneumatic dimension.
304
“The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross,” (transl. Kavanaugh and Rodriguez),
p.712.
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 In the commentary to the Canticle St. John of the Cross speaks of the “hidden”
(unconscious) presence of the indwelling Trinity in the innermost being of soul (pneumatic
dimension) and so he adds to the ontological reference of the presence of God in the
pneumatic dimension an experiential characterization, pointing out that it is unconscious:
“It should be known that the Word, the Son of God, together with the Father and the Holy
Ghost, is hidden by His essence and His presence in the innermost being of the soul. A
person who wants to find Him should leave all things through affection and will, enter
within himself in deepest recollection, and regard things as though they were nonexistent.
St. Augustine, addressing God in the Soliloquies, said: I did not find You without, Lord,
because I wrongly sought You without, Who were within. God, then, is hidden in the soul
and there the good contemplative must seek Him with love, exclaiming: "Where have you
hidden?"305
We cannot grasp God, as he remains hidden and mysterious as we get near to him.
Also St. Ignatius knew this paradoxical nature of our love with the Trinity when he makes
us pray for the “intimate knowledge” of God. Our love, as Karl Rahner says, does not
“brashly intrude into God’s privacy” but becomes faithful service, praise and adoration,
306
able to come closer to God while the distance from him increases .
The grace of “finding God in all things” means that while we contemplate the face
of God, we discover him more intimately in loving and serving others. Karl Rahner refers
here to the ability of St. Ignatius to suppress the mystical experiences that brought him so
307
strongly the gift of tears in order not to loose his sight necessary for serving others .
God himself loves and serves all and through all creatures; in consequence the deepest
experience and communion with him is in the act of loving and serving others. On the
other side, we are also called to love and serve without stopping by anything but returning
to God from all creatures, seeking constantly the presence and the company of him. The
following four points help the companions to be open for this grace and present four
interconnected aspects of God’s love and invite us to answer to each of these aspects
“effectively and affectively”308.

305
Ibid., commentary to the first stanza, sixth point, p. 418. The quote of St. Augustine
is in Pseudo-Augustine, Soliliquiorum animae ad Deum liber unus, c.30:PL 40, 888.
306
Cf. Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 273.
307
Ibid., p. 274.
308
Cf. Nigro, Op. cit., p. 46 where the author refers to the summary of Father
Iparraguirre, S.J. of the four points.
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First point: God, the source of all gifts

St. Ignatius invites us in this point first “to recall to mind the blessings of creation and
redemption, and the special favors I have received” [234] and with this in a way that
reconnects to the theme of the “Principle and Foundation” [23] and to the First Phase now
enriched with all the experience of the Exercises.
This point begins with the remembrance of God’s gifts which is similar to the
309
“anamnesis” part of the Eucharistic prayer of the Mass, when the celebrant recalls the
passion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. In seeing liturgy as an efficacious
remembrance of the great events of redemption the Catholic theology follows the Jewish
tradition of the Passover Seder, in which through the account of the liberation from Egypt
(Haggadah Shel Pesach) each participant should consider himself or herself as personally
passed through the Red Sea. In the liturgical remembrance we become part of and receive
the fruits of the redemption. Although here in the exercises it is not a liturgical anamnesis,
something similar happens as the recollection of the gifts of God opens our hearts for
gratitude and for further graces.
The remembrance of the great deeds of God in the creation and redemption flows
into recollecting the personal gifts he has bestowed upon us. Moreover, not only that God
gave us existence and continuously gives us so much, but also he desires to give himself
to us. God not only is communicating with us through his grace but he is always a self-
communicating God. “…God himself as the abiding and holy mystery, as the
incomprehensible ground of man’s transcendent existence is not only the God of infinite
distance, but also wants to be the God of absolute closeness in a true self-communication,
and he is present in the spiritual depths of our existence as well as in the concreteness of
310
our corporeal history”
St. Ignatius says that we should “ponder with great affection” [234] the gifts of God;
letting also our feelings of gratitude participate in this exercise. Through gratitude the
309
“Anamnesis” is Greek word for “recollection” or “reminiscence” term used for that
part of the Eucharistic celebration. In broader sense the entire Eucharist and liturgy in
general is “anamnesis”. Plato used the term in his philosophy in epistemological sense to
describe the process of learning described in his dialogue Meno that for him was an
anamnesis of the ideas contemplated in eternity and forgotten at birth. We recognize truth
because of the reminiscence of the ideas. In consequence Socrates (and Plato) sees himself,
not as a teacher, but as a midwife, aiding with the birth of knowledge that was already there
in the student.
310
Karl Rahner, Foundations of the Christian Faith, (New York: The Seabury Press,
1978). P.137.
185
recollection becomes a personal “Magnificat” (Lk 1:46-55) in which like the pregnant Mary
at the visit to Elizabeth we praise God for the great things he has done for us.
Another prayer that expresses beautifully the gratitude evoked by God’s gifts is the
Hebrew “Dayenu” that is sung during the Passover celebration. The word means, “it would
have been enough” and as this prayer goes through the deeds of Yahweh for his people, it
emphasizes with gratitude that each of these would be sufficient for the children of Israel.
Here we list some of these verses, each ending with “it would have been enough”:
“God brought us out of Egypt, dayenu/ God cast down their idols, dayenu/ God parted
the Red Sea, dayenu/ God brought us to dry land, dayenu/ God fed us with manna,
dayenu/ God gave us the Sabbath, dayenu/ God led us to Mount Sinai, dayenu/ God gave
us the Torah, dayenu/ God led us into Israel, dayenu…”
We can compose our own “Magnificat” or “Dayenu” prayer, beginning with the gifts of
creation and redemption to mankind and then going through the history of our lives, how
God loved us into existence and recalling the events when God intervened, saved, healed
or gifted us in some other way. If the companions would like to try it, this could be a way
to give expression to their gratefulness in this point of the “Contemplation”.
The companions by recalling the great gifts of God are in a moment similar to
Pentecost when the Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to remember all what Jesus taught
them in a new and full understanding, an experience of which they came out as
courageous and efficient apostles of the nascent Church. The “Contemplation” presents
the possibility of a new effusion of the Spirit and the companions might experience the
renewal of all the graces received during the Exercises and at this first point particularly
the graces experienced in the First Phase of this retreat. It is not necessarily an
overwhelmingly felt moment, even if great emotions are not excluded. This new Pentecost
is an implosion of the Spirit in the pneumatic dimension which reaches even the
unconscious depths, and how much of it is felt depends on the point of this moment in the
life of the companions, on their personal sensibility and spiritual history.
After reflecting on all these things St. Ignatius says that “according to all reason and
justice” we ought to offer ourselves completely to God “as one would do who is moved by
great feeling”, and proposes the beautiful prayer that became the great hymn of the
Society of Jesus, called “Suscipe” after the first word of it in Latin:
“Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire
will – all that I have and call my own. You have given it all to me. To you, Lord, I return it.
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Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace. That
311
is enough for me” [234] .
This prayer is one of the climaxes of the Exercises and the companions might use this
or compose one to express their offering with their own words. We can notice that St.
Ignatius does not even mention in it our love toward God; instead, he gives expression to
the essence of love which is the self-giving reciprocity. The great generosity of God’s love
that called us in existence from nothing, that restored and healed us so many times,
evokes in us gratitude and desire to love. Since love manifest itself in mutual sharing we
want to give in return everything to God.
All we have is gift from God that we can return with gratitude but of these our liberty
and freedom is given as most exclusively ours. That the omnipotent God created us with
freedom, that he respects our free will, is the greatest gift and one of the profoundest
mysteries. The source of our liberty is in the image of God in us, in the indwelling Trinity in
our hearts and it is assured by the love of God that in a mysterious way lets us free
notwithstanding his omnipotence. The absolute God is not a puppeteer, watchmaker or
tyrant but a Father who desires his children to grow in freedom, albeit not autonomously
or separately from him but in loving communion. We might say that God retreats in order
to let us exercise our freedom; and so it happens also that as one grows in intimacy with
him God becomes experienced more and more as inaccessible and transcendent, “hidden
God”.
St Ignatius begins precisely with freedom the prayer of offering and continues with the
classical three faculties, memory, intellect and will. As Karl Rahner points out, it is “oddly
magnificent” that in the “Suscipe” the first thing offered to God is freedom, which modern
312
existential theology accounts the most basic human characteristic .
Bernard Tyrrell stresses the importance of the offering of one’s memory in connection
with the Suscipe prayer when he speaks of the beneficial effects of filling the memory with
313
authentic and good material, psalms, prayers or poems . He identifies the realization of
this offering in daily life with the practice of spirit-feasting. In fact, memorized prayers or

311
We use here the translation from David L. Fleming, S.J., The Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius: A Literal Translation and a Contemporary Reading, (St. Louis: Institute of Jesuit
Sources, 1978), p. 141. The companions might use this prayer or compose one with their
own words.
312
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 272.
313
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp.227-233.
187
poems might be helpful to cope with certain situations. Sometimes one short significant
phrase can give us vision and strength for a tract of the road of our life and it does not
need necessarily be from a canonized book; a psalm or a prayer, all good literature and all
forms of authentic art have the potential of healing and growth. Let us recall the important
role art (architecture, icons, paintings, murals, even holy cards or decorative art) and
music always played alongside with the vast literature in Christian spiritual life. As for the
therapeutic effect of literature let us refer to Viktor Frankl who spoke often of bibliotherapy
or healing through reading, quoting cases when books changed or even saved the life of
314
the reader, or helped one cope with situation of dying or imprisonment . He even
sustained that lay people can benefit from books on Logotherapy, that such reading can
amount as a form of self-administered therapy315. We might add here that we hope that
our present work on the Exercises will be verified as a source of healing and comfort to the
readers. Of course, the spirit-feasting of the memory is not complete actualization in our
life of the Suscipe prayer without the involvement of the other faculties and the actual
love and service it should generate in one or other form.
The three faculties offered with our liberty are alluding to the image of the Trinitarian
God in us and express the totality of our being including our entire psychophysical reality.
We surrender to God our bodies with its defects and merits, all our desires, impulses,
reactions, feelings, memories - even what we think of as the negative or dark side of our
personality. When through the grace of the indwelling Holy Spirit we surrender ourselves
with love completely to God we enter the inner life of the Trinity. Then we not only enjoy
the communion with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit but the love that is poured out in our
hearts (cf. Rom 5:5) will be overflowing in deeds, in generous service of God and his
creation.

Second Point: God dwells in us and in all creatures

314
Cf. Frankl, “The Unheard Cry for Meaning,” pp. 90-92. Frankl tells the case of a
person who waiting for his execution found help in Leo Tolstoy’s novel The Death of Ivan
Ilyich a story about a man who shortly before dying is confronted with the fact that he
wasted his life, but just through this insight he becomes able retroactively fill his life with
meaning. Frankl reminds literature of its responsibility of not to remain merely a symptom of
the mass neurosis of our time but to being able to help at least through evoking a sense of
solidarity with those who go through some form of the hell of suffering.
315
Ibid., pp. 144-146.
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 “This is to reflect how God dwells in creatures: in the elements giving them existence,
in the plants giving them life, in the animals conferring upon them sensation, in man
bestowing understanding. So He dwells in me and gives me being, life, sensation,
intelligence; and makes a temple of me, since I am created in the likeness and image of
the Divine Majesty” [235].
God not only is the source of all of his gifts but desires to give himself to us in each of
these, in all of his creatures. Since God is present in all we can meet him in everybody we
encounter, in everything we see, possess or use. Already in the meditation on the “Three
Types of Attitudes” [149-157] we saw that “…the things of this world are so transparent
toward God that they really only attain their true worth and purpose by revealing Him” 316.
Thus all creation instead of being an obstacle to find the divine, on the contrary, is a
vehicle of self-communication of God as not only a sign of his presence but also an
efficacious means of communion with the Trinity; in one word, everything is in fact a
sacrament.
The transcendent and absolute God is infinitely other then everything but also
immanent and intimately present in all the creation. He is not outside of the world but
lives in all creatures and in a special way in every human person who being true image of
the Trinity is also a temple of God’s presence. The companions might note that in this
point St. Ignatius describes precisely to what is called “dimensional ontology”, the
hierarchical structure of somatic, psychological, noetic and pneumatic dimensions of the
317
human person when he says: “So He dwells in me and gives me being, life, sensation,
intelligence; and makes a temple of me, since I am created in the likeness and image of
the Divine Majesty”. He points out that the source of all existence is God and that in the
human being created in the likeness and image of the Trinity, the pneumatic dimension,
the special indwelling of God animates the other dimensions.
In this point of the “Contemplation” we want not only to accept this truth
intellectually but also experience it and “feel” the sacramental character of everything,
the holiness of all things and all persons. One important aspect of this contemplation is a
deeper respect toward all creation, nature and life in all forms and toward all our fellow
humans; we become fully aware of the dignity of all human beings including ourselves as
316
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 273.
317
We already mentioned the extended “dimensional ontology” of Viktor Frankl in the
introduction to the Fourth Phase, see there the definition of the four dimensions or levels of
human existence.
189
living temples of God. This point helps us to realize also that the special presence of
Trinity, the pneumatic dimension, is not simply one further level but the core of the human
existence and animates the other dimensions. As we said earlier, when a change occurs
on the pneumatic level, it will influence the somatic, psychic and noetic dimensions as
well. Of course the somatic, psychic and noetic dimensions in their being well or not
influence the pneumatic dimension as well; it might even happen that healing on these
levels result in a new openness toward the grace of God, even in religious conversion. The
various dimensions are not compartments of which some are less important but different
points of view of the total human person that is one holistic reality, one harmonious
temple of the indwelling Trinity.
With the realization that God is present in all human hearts we can speak also of a
318
pneumatoshpere on the analogy of the noosphere and biosphere. The pneumatosphere
is not equivalent with Christianity since the Holy Spirit dwells in all humanity, but the
319
Church receives a special guidance to its mission for the salvation of all . Together and
in close relationship with the other “spheres”, pneumatosphere constitutes our

318
‘Noosphere’ is a word first coined by Vladimir Verdansky on the analogy of
‘geosphere’, the layer of dead matter, and the ‘biosphere’, the layer of living matter. Beyond
these spheres lies a further layer, the ‘noosphere’ (from the Greek ‘noos’, ‘nous’ for ‘mind’,
and ‘sphaira for ‘globe’), a figurative envelope of human thought or layer of thinking matter,
composed of all the interacting minds on Earth. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin S.J. elaborated
the concept further which he mentions first in an essay entitled Hominization (1925): “And
this amounts to imagining, in one way or another, above the animal biosphere a human
sphere, a sphere of reflection, of conscious invention, of conscious souls (the noosphere, if
you will)” (The Vision of the Past, (New York: Harper & Row, 1966) p. 63). Teilhard defined
also the term noogenesis, the evolution of the noosphere toward an ever-greater
integration, culminating in the Omega Point, the ultimate goal of history. Cf. Pierre Teilhard
de Chardin S.J., The Phenomenon of Man, New York: Harper & Row, 1975) pp. 164-166. In
our writing noosphere means the human dimension, the figurative layer formed by the
noetic dimensions or the realm of meaning in the sense Viktor Frankl gave to it in
Logotherapy.
319
For example Olivier Clement in “Jesus, the Consecrated by the Holy Spirit,” (Tertium
Millenium, No. 2, April 1998; it can be found also online at the following address:
www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/magazine/documents/ju_mag_01041998_p-17_en.html)
restricts the term pneumatosphere for the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church. In our work
the word pneumatosphere refers to the figurative layer of the indwelling Holy Spirit in all
human hearts, formed by the interacting pneumatic dimensions of all human beings. The
Teilhardian noosphere evolving toward the Omega Point (Christ) includes also our
pneumatosphere without distinguishing it from the strictly human noetic system. The term
‘pneumatosphere’ was used first by Pavel Alexandrovich Florensky (1882 - 1937) a Russian
Orthodox theologian, philosopher, mathematician and electrical engineer, sometimes
compared by his followers to Leonardo da Vinci. He was sentenced for imprisonment in
Soviet gulags where he was killed and later canonized by the Orthodox Church as saint and
martyr.
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environment and is exposed to pollution. In Christotherapy Bernard Tyrrell poignantly
describes this pollution: “Today men exist in a “noosphere”, a climate of thought that
encompasses the whole world. Through the different media, we are constantly bombarded
with “messages” about how to think and desire and feel. Many of these messages are
basically inauthentic, and yet often enough they are received and accepted without
conscious advertence. The mental atmosphere becomes increasingly polluted and
harmful, and can be the source of “diseases” of every kind. Injustice itself is a disease in
all of its oppressive forms, racism, domination of the poor by the rich”320. Because of the
intimate connection between the noetic and pneumatic dimension in the spiritual reality of
the human person, the diseases of the mental atmosphere reverberate also in the reality
of faith and religiosity in the world.
Besides this influence coming from the negative climate of thought there are also
distortions in religiosity that derive from purely pneumatic sources, which might or might
not be of preternatural character. Similarly to the collective noogenic neurosis described
321
by Viktor Frankl , we witness in our world also the influence of collective neurosis of
pneumatic origin. Although God’s presence cannot be destroyed in the human being and
the spiritual (noetic and pneumatic) core of the human person cannot become ill, the thirst
of the human heart for God sometimes can get frustrated – often because of the lack of
authentic and living faith on the part of the members of the Church. The frustrated search
for the Ultimate Meaning in God tends to manifest itself in symptoms of pseudo-religiosity
and collective pneumatic neurosis appears not only in the cults, New Age and countless
esoteric practices, and healing gurus but also in some distorted forms of Christian
religiosity as well. Since the pneumatic and noetic dimensions are closely related, also the
collective neurosis in these two spheres intertwined, for example, the mental epidemic of
distorted ideas can turn into disaster on pneumatic level. The healing of this type of
neurosis requires therapies that reach to the pneumatic sphere utilizing spiritual,
pneumatic means alongside of classical Logotherapy and psychotherapy, and more
320
Tyrrell, “Christotherapy I,” p. 95.
321
Cf. Frankl, “The Doctor and the Soul,” p. xiv-xvi. Frankl identifies the four symptoms
of collective neurosis as the plan-less, day-to-day living, the fatalist attitude, the collective
thinking and finally the fanaticism. He later refers to tests that were conducted with
“normal”, non-neurotic patients, of whom fifty percent displayed at least three of the four
symptoms and only one was completely free of all the four symptoms. Frankl adds: “We may
thus speak of the pathological spirit of our time as a mental epidemic. And we might add
that somatic epidemics are typical consequences of war, while mental epidemics are
potential originators of war”.
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importantly it needs the witnesses of authentic faith on a societal level, living communities
to which the individual can relate and turn for help.
St. Ignatius respects the personal sensibility of the exercitants when he says to do this
contemplation “…in the manner stated in the first point, or in some other way that may
seem better” [235]. The companions are free to follow their mode of thinking and feeling
to receive to inspirations of the Holy Spirit who according to the earlier quoted remark of
St. John of the Cross “…illumines the intellect …according to the mode of its recollection”
(Ascent Book II, chapter 29, paragraph 6) 322.
Contemplating in this point how God dwells in creatures we are reminded to the
mystery of his incarnation and his living among us in Jesus Christ, which was the main
topic of the Second Phase and it will in a way recall for us the graces received during that
Phase. The mutuality of love and the contemplation of God giving himself to us
unreservedly will inspire us to desire to do similarly. We then say again the Suscipe prayer
with deeper commitment and with this, so to say, we ratify repeatedly the decision made
in the Second Phase: “Take, Lord, and receive…”

Third Point: God works in all creation

“This is to consider how God works and labors for me in all creatures upon the face of
the earth, that is, He conducts Himself as one who labors. Thus, in the heavens, the
elements, the plants, the fruits, the cattle, etc., He gives being, conserves them, confers
life and sensation, etc.” [236]. The “Contemplation” grows in intensity as we proceed from
point to point; here we encounter God who not only bestows upon us his gifts, not only
gives his presence to us in everything but who also continuously labors for us in all things.
God the worker is one of the favorite images of St. Ignatius and this point is rich in
resonance with various phases of the entire Exercises process and evokes many graces
received earlier. This point first of all recalls the vision of the “Principle and Foundation”
[23], which stated that all things are created by God in order to help us to realize our
human vocation, to attain the goal of our existence in the union with God. The awe
expressed in this point in front of God’s great works in the creation resonates with the “cry
of wonder” [60] of St. Ignatius in the First Phase seeing the goodness of all the creatures

322
The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD
and Otilio Rodriguez, OCD., (Washington DC: Institute of Carmelite Studies, 1973) p. 205.
See footnote 12 of this chapter.
192
that continue to sustain and help us even if we are sinners. The whole universe is
“groaning in labor pains” (Rom 8:22) with us and is bound in solidarity with mankind and
until redemption will be completed with our bodily resurrection and God will be all in all.
We are created in the “image and likeness” (cf. Gen 1:26-28) of God the worker; in
consequence work is part of our being image of God as much as our spiritual faculties of
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will and intelligence . God gave humanity the vocation to share with him the exercise of
“dominion” over the material creation. Human work in itself is not just a consequence of
sin where its toilsome quality amounts for reparation (Gen 3:17-19); work is part of the
original design of God who placed Adam in Eden to take care of it (Gen 2:15). Still today
we are able to experience the joyfulness of creative work and enjoy its recreational value.
This theology of work renders us conscious of our responsibility for the material creation
and of our duty to conserve and to work for its redemption. It should influence our view of
human activity, civilization, culture and technology, so to see their importance as the
means and way to God. Spiritual life and work are not opposed and conflicting tasks, but
aspects of our vocation to be collaborators in the realization of the Kingdom of God.
In the third point of the “Contemplation” we ask for an experience God himself who is
working for us constantly as a laborer and as a servant to provide us with everything and
to help us reach him. From this perspective of God as the servant is understandable the
ethic Jesus taught, that the greatest is the one who serves and that service gives the
greatest honor and dignity; at the Last Supper he adds “I am among you as the one who
serves” (cf. Lk 22:24-27) and dramatizes it in the prophetic act of the washing of feet (Jn
13:1-20). It is God himself who serves us in Jesus in all his life in teaching, healing and
comforting. We are to remember here the work of the redemption we contemplated in the
Second Phase beginning from the mystery of the incarnation when he descended into the
matter in order to reach us.
Of all the labors of the creation and redemption the culminating point is the passion of
Jesus, and this contemplation renews for us in particular manner the graces received
through the Third Phase. The companions might have begun to pray the “Contemplation”
already during the passion phase if their desire to love God became so strong as to inspire
to do so. Our growing love for God needs to be expressed in deeds. The contemplation of
the passion has important lessons for our desire to do something for God in return for all
323
Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 322-324.
We rely here mainly on the insights of Fr. Stanley on the theology of work, on the
redemption of the material universe and of our role of mediation in it.
193
his labors. The spirituality of St. Ignatius calls us to find God in all things, not only through
prayer but also in our work; it calls us to be contemplatives in action. Although the word
‘labor’ expresses hardships and even pain, it does not mean simply “hard work” in the
sense that more work is better. As we contemplate Jesus’ passion and death we
understand deeper that not only activity is fruitful but also there is great redemptive value
in suffering, which might seem mere passive enduring. The third point of the
“Contemplation” recalls what we said in the Third Phase about attitudinal values and its
importance for personal growth, healing and about its fruitfulness. Contemplating God as
the worker teaches us to become contemplatives in action, which means first of all
discernment and good decisions about how much and what to do. The Exercises give us
the means to learn to work, to pray, to love and to suffer with discretion based on
conscious choices inspired by the indwelling Holy Spirit and to be present in all with our
entire being in order to be always with God, to find him in all things.
In the Kingdom meditation [91-98] the companions were called to labor with the
contemporary Christ for the realization of his Kingdom; the offering to share in his mission
and work became concrete in the decision of the Second Phase and now they can deepen
324
and express their desire to be co-workers of God with the Suscipe prayer: “Take, Lord,
and receive…”.

Fourth point: God descends in us

“This is to consider all blessings and gifts as descending from above. Thus, my limited
power comes from the supreme and infinite power above, and so, too, justice, goodness,
mercy, etc. descend from above as the rays of light descend from the sun, and as the
waters flow from their fountains” [237].
The four points of the “Contemplation” form a crescendo of intensity: first we saw all
the gifts of God, then his immanent presence in all, after it his continuous work in all for us
and now we experience his own love and life communicated to us constantly. This fourth,
most intense point is an all-embracing crowning point of the “Contemplation” and of the
entire Exercises. It summarizes and completes all graces received during the retreat and
ushers the companions to the aftermath or “Fifth Phase”. If the companions begin to take
324
Interestingly, being “co-worker” of Christ is the central spiritual theme of Pope
Benedict XVI who still as Archbishop Joseph Raztinger chose the words from to 3 John 8 “co-
worker in the truth” as the motto of his episcopate and one of his books was published with
the title “Co-Workers of the Truth” (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1992).
194
the “Contemplation” already in the Third Phase they should wait with this last point until
they enter the Fourth Phase since this last point is connected with the theme of the
325
resurrection and St. Ignatius warned not to meditate on it during the passion phase .
This point is the sweeping vision of our life as participation in the inner life of the
Trinity. We see ourselves immersed in God the Father, source of all life through the person
326
of Christ the Son and through the Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son . This vision
recalls the graces of the Forth Phase when we contemplated the risen Christ who through
the apparitions consoled and taught the disciples to recognize his new presence,
promising that he will be always with us (cf. Mt 28:20) through the power of his Spirit that
descends upon us from above (Acts 1:8).
Now we remember also how St. Ignatius said that the love of God “must descend from
above” [184], that it is the Holy Spirit himself in our hearts. With this contemplation we
ask to experience the love of God descending in our hearts in a new effusion of the Spirit;
we ask for the grace of a new Pentecost.
In the words of St. Ignatius “to consider all blessings and gifts as descending from
above” we feel the echo of his experience at the Cardoner River seeing everything
descending from the Trinity, a vision which accompanied him for all the rest of his life. In
this point we are contemplating now everything and ourselves filled with the presence of
the Holy Spirit and ask the grace that from this Pentecost experience we could bring with
them a constant awareness of the Spirit present in us and in all creation. With other words
we are seeking for the rest of our life to grow daily in the transforming union with the
indwelling Trinity.
The contemplation of “all blessings and gifts as descending from above” brings back
to us also the grace of the Principle and Foundation [23] as it renews us in the freedom
toward all created things. With other words such experience will mean for us to be able to
327
live in spiritual poverty . By this we mean that we will respect all things and everybody
since they “descend from above as the rays of light descend from the sun” and at the
same time we will raise our focus from the rays of light to the sun itself. We learn to
appreciate in them the reflection of God but will not stop at anyone instead will be able to
follow our deepest yearning for the source of all, for God himself.

325
Cf. Third Phase, [204-207] “Notes on how to proceed” 2. and 3.
326
Cf. Nigro, Op. cit., p. 48.
327
Cf. Barry, “Finding God in All Things,” pp. 133-136.
195
 We see that God is the source of all that is within us, that our “limited power comes
from the supreme and infinite power above”, our justice, mercy, goodness, truth, beauty
and love is but a ray of the infinite sun of God’s justice, mercy, goodness, truth, beauty
and love. We are drawn into God, we want to live in him immersed like a drop of water in
the limitless ocean and so we say: “Take, Lord, and receive…”.

THE END OF THE EXERCISES

“Thus everything should be attributed to God in a song of praise. Whoever can do

that, whoever can say the ‘Suscipe’ with his whole heart and soul and mean every word of
it,…he has arrived at that point where St. Ignatius wants him to be at the end of the
Spiritual Exercises. He is the kind of person St. Ignatius can send back into the world of
daily life so that he can find the living God of love there in his work, in his destiny, in his
gifts and sufferings, in life and death, in using and leaving things of this earth. If he attains
such love, he will possess God, not in opposition to the world, but as the only One who
gives value and dignity to the world”328
With the “Contemplation” we completed the program laid out for the Exercises
process in the Principle and Foundation. As we end the retreat the companions might
wonder what will remain of all the graces received how they can continue to live in
discernment for the rest of their life? We told several times that the Spiritual Exercises are
sort of a school to learn about important means to help on our way later in new situations.
We hope that such learning happened during this retreat.
What can be continued of this strong experience and what will be dropped? This
concern is probably stronger in the case of a secluded retreat as the impact with the
aftermath is sharper. We might advise to take on a rhythm of prayer and reflection similar
to a retreat in everyday life. As far as the everyday form of the retreat, once the
companions arrive to the end, the daily or weekly prayer sessions probably became
already part of their “normal” routine and they will desire to continue them in some form.
We would like to say not to worry too much but keep what is manageable with peace and
invoke the Holy Spirit for guidance on the way that lies ahead.
It is good to end the Exercises with a review session and summarize the decisions
taken that require fidelity in their realization, and these choices need to be turned into

328
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 276-277.
196
practice without delay and decisively even if they mean only a relatively small thing. In
the review session the companions need to look at which questions remained yet to be
answered and to search for the means that will be available to continue the spiritual
journey undertaken. For example, we strongly recommend keeping the practice of the
“Daily Examination of Consciousness” learnt in the First Phase because of its importance
for the spiritual growth and think it will be helpful to revisit the two sets of “Guidelines for
Discernment” and the different other guidelines given in the Appendices. The four points
of the just finished “Contemplation” surely will emerge for us often in various situations
329
with relevance and it provides us also a magnificent form of prayer to use once in
awhile for a mini-retreat.

329
Prather, “A Generous Openness. Praying the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius,”
pp. 99-100.
197
 A P P E N D I X A: T H R E E M E T H O D S OF P R AY E R

[238-260]
These additional methods of prayer might be as useful in the context of the Spiritual
Exercises as outside of it. The companions can try out at any time to see if they feel to use
330
them with spiritual benefit . No prayer method has absolute importance and we should
apply also for these the principle of St. Ignatius that if something works for us - in the
sense that it is helpful for what we are seeking - than we should keep it, otherwise we
should leave it aside without regret. Objectively these are good proven ways of praying
but each person and couple for as far as it goes should test it if it works for them
personally or for the common prayer. It happens normally that a certain kind of prayer
works for us for a certain period of time and then at some point it becomes fruitless, in
which case we might simply change for some other way of prayer.
Before beginning to pray with any of the three methods the companions need to
recollect themselves for awhile, and “either seated or walking up and down, as may seem
331
better” [239] consider what they are going to do and for what purpose .

THE FIRST METHOD OF PRAYER: A REVIEW OF CONSCIENCE

This method is a way to review shortly our conscience that can be used in order to
332
render other prayers or the sacraments more fruitful . It consists of four reflections, “On
the Ten Commandments”, “On the Seven Capital Sins”, “On the Three Powers of the Soul”
and “On the Five Senses of the Body”. It should not take a long time so it might be prayed
even at the beginning of important contemplations or meditations.

239-243. ON THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

The Ten Commandments often called also Decalogue (“ten words” of God) has its
origin in the basic Old Testament law given to the people at the Mount Sinai as described
in Ex 20:1-17 and in Deut 5:6-22 and constitutes an essential part of the basic Christian
330
For example, we mentioned these prayer methods in the introduction to the First
Phase [22-44] as part of the many forms presented in the Exercises.
331
Cf. “Additions” [73-90] 3. and “Notes” [127-131] 5.
332
Cf. “General Examination of Conscience” in the First Phase.
198
catechesis since St. Augustine. While the division and numbering of the commandments
changed during the history of the Church, the present Catechism of the Catholic Church
333
follows the Augustinian tradition .

Opening prayer

In this opening prayer the companions ask for the grace to understand better the
meaning of the Ten Commandments, to know if they failed in the observance of them and
to be free from that failure in the future.

Reflection and prayerful conversation

The one by one review of the commandments might take several minutes and the
companions need to stop and wait for each other at each commandment. Each time one
finds faults, stop to ask forgiveness and say an Our Father, then they continue to the next
commandment. It depends on the companions if they choose to do it silently, praying God
in their hearts or to share their faults so to ask forgiveness together from God and also
from each other when it is appropriate. For a married couple this “reciprocal confession”
or common examination of conscience might be a powerful means to build their
relationship.
It is not necessary to spend a long time with the individual commandments, the idea is
just to see if one has sinned against it or not. As they arrive to the end of the reflection,
the companions close it with a prayerful conversation with God as is usual in all the
exercises.

244-245. ON THE SEVEN CAPITAL SINS

The Seven capital sins are defined in the following way in the Catechism: “Vices can
be classified according to the virtues they oppose, or also be linked to the capital sins
which Christian experience has distinguished, following St. John Cassian and St. Gregory

333
See the presentation of the Ten Commandments in Catechism of the Catholic
Church, (Liguori: USCC-Libreria Editrice Vaticana- Ligouri Press, 1994) Section II of Part III,
nos. 2052-2557., pp. 498-611.
199
the Great. They are “capital” because they engender other sins, other vices. They are
pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth or acedia”334.
The companions now consider one by one the seven capital sins in a similar manner as
they did in the precedent reflection with the commandments. St. Ignatius warns that in
order to understand and to avoid more efficiently the actual faults that derive from the
capital sins (which are in reality attitudes and patterns of being or acting), it is better to
consider and seek the opposite virtues. One needs to exercise the seven virtues, so that
these could become habitual instead of the negative or inauthentic tendencies. The
companions should resolve to practice humbleness instead of pride, generosity instead of
avarice, joy for the good of others instead of envy, peace of the heart instead of wrath,
moderation or temperance instead of lust, temperance in food instead of gluttony, and joy
of the heart instead of sloth or acedia.

246. ON THE THREE POWERS OF THE SOUL

335
This classical threesome division of the human faculties on the image of theTrinity ,
speaking of memory, intellect and will originates from St. Augustine’s writings. Karl Rahner
explains the three powers in this way: “We today would say: the spirit in its self-presence,
in its self-intuition, and its self-activity…We must realize that this description has to do
with the presence of a spirit whose inner constitution is essentially transcendence toward
God; therefore, it already has a certain type of presence of God, grasp of God, and
336
capacity of doing the will of God”
The image of the Trinity in us is distorted by sin and we can experience this deformity
in the less then perfect working of our faculties. As memory, intellect and will fails, the
presence of God, the grasp of God, and our capacity to do the will of God becomes
obfuscated in our spirit. Since these faculties are touching the essence of our being as
humans, the prayerful review of the three powers will go still deeper in our hearts. The
method of the reflection is the same as in the precedent points, the companions should

334
“Catechism of the Catholic Church,” no. 1866; see also 1867. Earlier we referred to
the seven capital sins in connection with the “root sins” of the Enneagram in the Second
Phase. See it there in the “Note and repetitions of the ‘Two Standards’” [148].
335
See it mentioned in [45] at the beginning of the First Phase.
336
Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 43.
200
take the three faculties one by one, review the faults that are connected with each and
resolve to amend in the future.

ON THE FIVE SENSES OF THE BODY

This reflection is on the five senses, sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. The use of
the senses is a typical part of the Ignatian contemplation especially in “application of the
337
senses” which directs the senses one by one to the scene contemplated . We know that
also our senses are somewhat weakened by sin and unhealthy tendencies. In this
reflection we take them one by one to understand the faults that are connected with each
sense to amend their use for the future.
St. Ignatius in a note proposes that one might wish to “imitate Christ Our Lord” or Our
Lady in the use of senses, in which case one should add a prayer for this grace at each
sense with an Our Father or Hail Mary [248]. Of course, imitation is not an external
copying of an imagined attitude but inner conformation to the living Christ as presented in
338
the Second Phase .

THE SECOND METHOD OF PRAYER: WORD MEDITATION

This method consists in slow recital of the text of a prayer, psalm or scriptural passage
339
with reflection on the meaning of each word of it .

Opening prayer

The companions will address in this short prayer God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit
or Mary as it fits better with the text chosen for reflection.

Meditative recital and closing prayer

The companions choose a fitting position for the meditation. They begin then with the
first word of the chosen text, and stay with it as long as they find in it insights, feelings

337
See the application of the senses introduce it in connection with the “Meditation on
Hell” [65-71] in First Phase.
338
See the definition of “conforming” in the introduction to the Second Phase
339
This kind of meditation resembles the “lectio divina”, a well-known method of
scriptural meditation.
201
and consolations. The companions can do it together, so that one says the word loud, they
meditate and then by an agreed sign that it can go on they pass to the next word. At the
end of the meditation they share what experiences each of them had, after which in a
short prayer they give thanks for the graces received and ask what they need most at that
moment.
This method can last for an entire prayer session, going deeper and deeper into the
text repeating it more times. At repetitions the companions can stop instead of at each
word at individual expressions or phrases, or they can stop only at words that were
significant in the first recital. Other way to prolong the meditation is to take a sequence of
prayers, like Our Father, Hail Mary, Soul of Christ, Hail Holy Queen, the Creed and so on.
When we take the words one after the other, there is no need to rush to go on. If one
feels a word abundantly significant, he or she might signal it to the companion, and can
spend the entire time of the prayer with this word. At the end of the prayer they share
how it went. However, if one spends the meditation with one or two words, it is useful to
repeat the same text later to give occasion for reflecting also on the rest of the words. The
companions might even spend several prayer sessions with one text before choosing
another one.

THE THIRD METHOD OF PRAYER: MEASURED RHYTHMICAL RECITATION340

The companions choose a vocal prayer like Our Father and after an opening prayer as
in the Second Method they recite it by the rhythm of their respiration. That means that
with each breath or respiration they pronounce one of the words while mentally pray with
it. This method helps to make us conscious of our breathing and through it we are
341
reminded of the gift of life or of the spirit in us . As we are breathing in and out we
experience sort of receiving and giving the spirit, which is the essence of prayer itself.
Through this form of prayer besides reflecting on the meaning of each word, we open up
to gratitude for the gift of life and feel actually the dependence on God’s continuous life-
giving grace.

340
We advised to use this method of prayer in the Third Phase when the contemplation
of the passion causes a distress so strong that only vocal prayer remains possible in order to
persevere without consolations (see the introduction of the Third Phase).
341
Remember the Hebrew word for ‘spirit’ is ‘ruah’, meaning also breath and wind.
202
 The companions might do this prayer personally or can try to do it together,
synchronizing the rhythm of their breathing – an experience of their common life also in
this symbolical way. However, at the end they can share how it went, and give thanks
together in a short prayer.
All prayers that the companions know by heart can be prayed in this way and if they
have enough time they can take more then one prayer in a session.

203
A P P E N D I X B: T H E M Y S T E R I E S O F T HE LIFE OF J E S U S C H R I S T [261-312]

261. ADVANCE NOTES: ON THE USE OF THE GOSPELS IN THE EXERCISES

1. The companions who decide to engage in this version of the Exercises certainly will
have very different backgrounds of study and prayer experience with the Scriptures.
Extended studies of biblical theology and exegesis are not necessary for the fruitful use of
the Ignatian contemplations described in the Exercises, but some familiarity with the
contemporary scientific knowledge of the development of the individual books, of their
historical, cultural context and of their use of literary forms belongs to the basic education
a Christian should have. Such familiarity with the Bible stems from the desire to know the
origins and foundations of our faith and is necessary for an authentic scriptural prayer
experience. We believe that as for the rest, the Holy Spirit will come to the help of the
companions to do the exercises properly, and with the help of grace even if the members
of a couple have different backgrounds, this will become a common experience for them.
2. St. Ignatius was a realist taking into consideration that exercitants might be
unfamiliar with spiritual life and in particular with Scriptures. For this reason he attached
to the Exercises a series of skeletal outlines for the use of biblical texts. Of course, the
range of the contemplations does not need to be limited to these outlines and one should
use it only if finds them helpful. We present here similar outlines to use at least at the
beginning when the companions learn the Ignatian contemplation.
3. In the course of the Spiritual Exercises we encounter two distinct methods to pray
with Scripture passages:
- In the First Phase St. Ignatius uses biblical texts for meditation or discursive
342
reflection, which is done by “employing the three powers of the soul” [45] . In the First
Phase these meditations serve to acquire a sense of salvation history, to experience one’s
being sinner and broken in the context of the general sinfulness of humanity and to feel
the need for redemption. In one word the Scriptures help to put together a diagnosis.
- From the Second Phase on St. Ignatius employs the method of contemplation to
343
biblical passages . The Ignatian contemplation is not that wordless, imageless
342
Cf. “On the Three Powers of the Soul” [246] and Rahner, “Spiritual Exercise,” p. 43.
343
See the method presented in the introduction to the Second Phase and in the “First
Exercise On the Incarnation” [101-109].
204
“contemplative” prayer for which other spiritual writers use the term. In the Exercises
contemplation is a thematic prayer, employing the creative imagination of the companions
to assimilate a message that is “here and now” for them, and from which discernment,
decision, and healing of the diagnosed ill can come forth.
4. The companions might be accustomed to other ways of praying with the Scriptures
like the “lectio divina”, the “liturgy of the hours” or even the readings of the daily Mass. As
the companions enter the Exercises they need to focus on it and even if sometimes it
might be difficult to get used to the Ignatian form of prayer it is necessary to use it in
order to render the process fruitful. The Exercises is a goal-oriented method and its goal is
to achieve an ability to decide and put into practice what was decided. This process is
aided by the contemplations, which provide the companions with an intimate, experiential
knowledge of the life of Jesus Christ through the use of creative imagination. Of course, if
the companions find time for more prayer in addition to the exercises proper they might
use other methods, too.
5. In the Exercises the method of contemplation is applied on the life of Jesus, but it
can be used for any event of the salvation history contained in the Scriptures. This is a
holistic experience in which some way all our faculties participate involving also our
memories, hopes, desires and fears. Through this “putting ourselves in the picture” the
contemplated event becomes our own salvation history. It should not be seen as an
individualistic search of gratification but as personal involvement in the sacred history of
the people of God. In the contemplation we become conscious of being part of God’s
saving work and understand with our heart where is our place in it. As the companions
pray together they imagine both of them present in the contemplated scene and realize
that they are part as a couple of sacred history, that their common life is part of God’s
salvation.
This effect of contemplation is made possible by a very important quality of the
Scriptures, namely that these writings remain relevant for all ages. David M. Stanley calls
344
this the “updating tendency” of the Scriptures and it means for example, that when
Jesus uses the expression “I say to you” we can retain it as something said to us here and
now. Another example quoted by Stanley is in the Deuteronomy that was written during or
after the Babylonian exile of Israel. The author speaks to his contemporaries when he
makes Moses say to the people of the exodus in the desert: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes
344
Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 9-10.
205
and decrees which I proclaim in your hearing this day… The Lord, our God, made covenant
with us at Horeb; not with our fathers did he make this covenant, but with us, all of us who
are alive here today” (Deut 5:1-3). Similar tendency is manifest in the Jewish celebration
of the Passover where the participants are reminded to retain themselves as personally
passed through the Red Sea with their forefathers, an attitude transmitted also to the
345
“anamnesis” of the Eucharistic liturgy . It is the basis for celebrating the Eucharist
efficaciously in the context of the liturgy of the Word and because of it we can say every
Christmas “Christ is born today”.

346
262. THE ANNUNCIATION TO MARY, LK 1:12-38

- “When the fullness of time had come” (cf. Gal 4:4) the angel Gabriel appears to Mary
and announces to her the conception of Jesus. The angel indicates also a “sign” that
confirms his words: the barren Elizabeth is six months pregnant with the future John the
Baptist. Note how carefully Luke is editing his text. If we add up the time from the
conception of John the Baptist, the nine months to the birth of Jesus and the forty days
until he is presented in the Temple, counting 30 days for a month we get 490 days or 70
weeks. This is a symbolic reference to a prophecy of Daniel predicting that after “seventy
weeks” Israel’s guilt will be terminated and the Temple will be reconsecrated (Dn 9:24).
Luke uses this allusion to point out that Jesus brings the redemption and his presentation
in the Temple is the reconsecration of it.
- The answer of Mary, her acceptance of the mystery is the point where God’s action
and mankind’s response meet in unity.
- Then the angel gives an explanation of the action of the Holy Spirit as the power of
the Most High (God) that overshadows Mary. The Greek word for “overshadowing” is the
same used in the Septuagint to signify the presence of God in the Holy of Holies in the tent
of testimony and in the Exodus where we read that the glory of God came to overshadow
the ark of covenant (Ex 40:34). Luke wants to say with this allusion that Mary from the
moment of conceiving the incarnate Word of God becomes the ark of the covenant
bearing in her the divine presence.

345
See also the presentation of the concept of “anamnesis” in the First Point of the
“Contemplation to Attain Love of God” [230-237].
346
Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 114-115.
206
 263. THE VISITATION, LK 1:39-56

The pregnant Mary went “in haste” to visit Elizabeth and see the sign the angel has
given her in proof that for God nothing is impossible. John the Baptist in the womb of his
mother already acts as prophet, leaps of joy recognizing the presence of Jesus. Elizabeth
also is filled with the Holy Spirit proclaims Jesus as Lord. Then Mary praises God with the
hymn called “Magnificat” (named of the first word of the Latin version) reminiscent of the
overjoyed song of the barren Hannah for becoming the mother of Samuel (1 Sam 2:1-10).
Mary remains with Elizabeth for three months probably to help her at the childbirth.

264. THE BIRTH OF JESUS, LK 2:1-14

Luke sets the birth of Jesus in an exact historical context in order to stress the reality
of the event and speaks of an order from the emperor Augustus that everyone should be
registered in the town of their tribe. Mary and Joseph go from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the
City of David to be registered, since Joseph is from the house and lineage of David.
Mary gives birth to her son outside of the town since they did not find place in the
caravanserai. (We probably don’t need to accuse the town people with heartlessness, a
typical caravanserai with people and animals passing the night in a courtyard crowded
together probably were not the best place for a woman in labor.) The text mentions that
she wrapped Jesus in “swaddling clothes” and placed him in a “manger”, details that
create a parallel between this scene and the death of Jesus. We can see in the swaddling
clothes a reference to the linen in which Jesus was laid in the tomb and the manger
alludes to the wood of the cross where he died. The parallel suggests that this baby was
born to die on the cross for us, that the whole life of Jesus was oriented toward that final
event. Further parallel can be seen between the angels singing the glory of God at the
birth of Jesus and the hailing words of the crowd on Palm Sunday (Lk 19:38).
The “manger” is an obscure Greek word referring probably to a watering trough in
347
open fields and we can note that the text does not mention any cave or stable. The
stable and animals of our manger scenes probably come from the passage of Isaiah “The
ox knows its owner and an ass, its master’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people
does not understand” (Is 1:3). Jesus was born as homeless and lived as an outcast (Mt

347
Cf. Ibid., p 123.
207
8:20) in solidarity with the poorest, and told that we could meet him in them (Mt 25:31-
46).

265. THE SHEPHERDS, LK 2,8-20

The shepherds had a profession that was retained then of bad reputation, yet they
receive the direct announcement of the birth of Jesus from an angel in a message, which
348
amounts to a “mini-gospel”, proclaiming Jesus as Savior, Messiah and Lord . The
shepherds who then go “in haste” to Bethlehem become also the witnesses of the birth of
the Messiah. We can see in it a manifestation of Luke’s vision that the poor, the outcast,
women and children who lived on the periphery of the society are favored by God.
Another reason for this pastoral scene might be the influence of the prophecy of Micah
349
in chapter four (Mi 4:8-10) . The prophet refers to Magdal-eder, meaning “tower of the
flock”, an ancient place name (Gn 35:21) in the vicinity of Bethlehem and the Palestinian
Targum commenting on this passage asserts that it will be the place of the revelation of
the Messiah in “the end of the days”. Micah further says that the “daughter Zion” gives
birth to a child who is the eschatological king, the Prince of Peace of Isaiah prophesied of
(Is 7:10-12:6). The mother of the Messiah should “go forth from the city and dwell in the
fields” (v. 10). Luke’s narrative conserves all these associations in the setting of the
nativity scene. Chapter five of Micah begins with the verse Matthew quoted in the story of
the Magi asserting Bethlehem-Ephrathah as the birthplace of the messianic king; in verse
2 “she who is to give birth”, the mother of the Messiah is a reference to Is 7:14. The
passage then speaks of a ruler who will shepherd with the power of the Lord and he
himself will be peace (Mi 5:1-4).

266. THE CIRCUMCISION, LK 2:21

With the circumcision Jesus become officially a member of the people of Israel. In this
we can see a particular feature of the Incarnation. At this celebration he receives the

348
Luke is the only synoptic evangelist to call Jesus savior (cf. the fourth gospel uses the
title e.g. in Jn 4:42). Savior means author of healing as well as salvation healing; we might
speak of the entire work of salvation in terms of healing, as healing from sin and its
consequences.
349
Cf. Ibid., pp. 122-123.
208
name the angel gave him at the Annunciation, which in Hebrew is “Yeshuah” or
“Yahshuah” meaning “God saves” (from “Yah”, abbreviation of Yahweh and “yeshua”, to
save, to rescue alive). In the biblical culture where one’s name reveals something
essential of the person, the name of Jesus refers to his mission revealing God the Father
who wants to save all his children and realize their salvation.

267. THE MAGI, MT 2:1-12

The story of the visit of the magi in Matthew’s gospel is probably written in the literary
form of “midrash”, a form of ancient Jewish interpretation of biblical passage or a
historicization and amplification of an account embellishing it to emphasize its message.
There are real facts somewhere but the intended message of the author is on a symbolic
level not in strict historic account, and more often than not the symbolic language is more
accurate and significant than the transmission of cold data. In the contemplations we use
these texts exactly to reach their message for us here and now and not to pursue a
historical exploration.
The magi or wise man are presented as astrologers in this story, generally seen as
symbolizing the gentiles who come to faith in Jesus - in contrast with the leaders of Israel
who will reject him notwithstanding the revelation they possess. The appearance of the
star in antiquity was regarded as sign of a major event or birth of a king. Independently of
the question of whether the story is inspired by an unusual constellation, comet or other
astronomical phenomenon of that time the “star” here might be the future king himself as
in the prophesy of Balaam (Nm 24:17), on which the author depends in this text; Jesus
appears here as the guiding star of humanity. We see usually three magi in manger
scenes although in the gospel there is no mention of their number; probably it is a
350
deduction from the three gifts as well as the tradition that sees them as kings (v. 11) .
Matthew presents Jesus as a second Moses in his gospel (e.g. Jesus gave a new law
from a mountain in the Sermon on the Mount, in Mt 5-7) and the reason for this is in the
contemporary belief that the Messiah will come in the last days performing miracles like
350
The magi could not be there at the night of the birth of Jesus on the open fields as
the manger scenes suggest since they enter a “house” where Jesus lives in the time of their
visit. The two series of events on the childhood narratives of Matthew and Luke in general
contain contradictions. For example, the visit of the Magi and the flight to Egypt in Matthew
cannot be harmonized with the presentation at the temple in Luke. These texts were written
to convey religious and theological messages and not historical data. Cf. Ibid., pp. 111-112.
209
Moses. In this story for example, Herod like the Pharaoh decides to kill innocent children
but Jesus as Moses escapes the slaughter (Lk 2:16-17 cf. Ex 1:15-2:10).

268. PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE, LK 2:22-39

The offering Mary presents here for her religious purification after childbirth is that of
the poor, since the law prescribed for those who cannot afford a lamb to sacrifice “a pair
of turtledoves or two young pigeons” (cf. Lev 12:1-8). The consecration of the firstborn
was not required to take place in the Temple; this episode probably was inspired by the
presentation of the prophet Samuel by Hannah for Temple service (1 Sam 1:24-28). The
scene describes the entrance of the child Jesus in the Temple alluding to a prophecy of
351
Daniel (Dn 9:24) as the rededication or reconsecration of it . Further inspiration to this
episode is in Mal 3:1-5 where Malachi speaks of a “messenger” who prepares the way for
352
the Lord who himself suddenly will come to the Temple . Luke’s intention with these
allusions is to present Jesus as Prophet, Redemptor and Lord who at the end of time takes
possession of the Temple. In the following encounters Simeon proclaims Jesus as Messiah
(vv. 26-32) and Anna thanks God for the fulfillment of redemption in the child (v.38).

269. FLIGHT TO EGYPT, MT 2:13-18

Apart that Egypt was the place to take refuge from dangers in the land of Israel, the
episode is accounted in order to identify Jesus as the second Moses who will return from
Egypt in a new Exodus. The text still deeper presents Jesus as the Son of God. The key of
the interpretation is in the quote from Hosea in verse 15: “Out of Egypt I called my Son”
(cf. Hos 11:1). The prophet spoke of the people of Israel collectively as the “son of God”
called out of Egypt in the Exodus and Luke applies it personally to Jesus who is in a unique
way the “Son of God”. Through the Exodus the people entered with God in covenant and
in Jesus a new covenant will be stipulated.

351
See the explanation in “The Annunciation to Mary” [262].
352
The “messenger” was identified in the late Judaism with Elijah, waited to literally
return before “the day of the Lord” (Mal 3:23-24; Sir 48:10). Jesus declared that John the
Baptist was the awaited messenger (Mt 11:14; 17:10-13); see also Lk 1:17. Cf. Ibid., pp.115-
116.
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 This new covenant was foretold by Jeremiah (Jer 31:31-34), who is quoted by Matthew
in the episode of the massacre of the children in Bethlehem (Jer 31:15). The prophet in the
quoted verse says that the dead Rachel (whose tomb believed to be near Ramah) weeps
for the people of the northern kingdom, herded together in Ramah waiting for their
deportation by the Assyrians (722-21 B.C.), but in the next verse turns to the consoling
message about the “return from the enemy’s land” (Jer 31:16) ushering the promise of
353
new covenant and a law put in the heart of the people .

270. THE RETURN FROM EGYPT, MT 2,19-23

This episode continues to present Jesus as the new Moses when Joseph is warned in a
dream to return because “those who sought the child’s life are dead” (v. 20). Moses fled
from Egypt because the Pharaoh wanted to put him to death (cf. Ex 2:15) and later the
Lord told him to return there “for all the men who sought your life are dead” (Ex 4:19).
Also, by the return from Egypt “to the land of Israel”(v. 20) the promise of the new
covenant begins to be realized (Jer 31:31-34, cited in [269]). Joseph brings his family into
Nazareth and this gives occasion to a play of words with the prophesy of Isaiah that calls
the future messianic king a “bud”, “nēser” in Hebrew on the root of Jesse (Is 11:1) and
with book of Judges where Samson the liberator of Israel is called to be “consecrated” or
“nāzîr” of God (Jgs 13:5.7). Of these references Jesus emerges as new Moses, Son of
David, messianic King and Liberator of Israel, the consecrated or anointed One, or the
Christ in Greek.

271. HIDDEN LIFE OF JESUS, LK 2:51-52

We know almost nothing about the major part of the life of Jesus, except this short
remark of Luke mentions something of it. However, this “hidden” life of Jesus is certainly
354
integral part of the “totality of His messianic mission” . The Incarnate Word of God spent
thirty years in the simple, unnoticed everyday life of his kinsmen in Nazareth, immersed in

353
Ibid., p.117-118. Rachel’s grave is placed by the book of Genesis (35:19 and 48:7) in
Bethlehem, called also Ephrath, although actually it was in Ramah, six miles north of
Jerusalem. Assuming this tradition the quote means that the lamentation was so great to be
heard it in great distance.
354
Cf. Rahner, “Spiritual Exercises,” p. 156.
211
the normal relationships of that time, and this might seem to be a waste of time at first.
We can arrive however to understand that if Jesus spent the greater part of his “messianic
mission” in everyday life then it was meant to be a powerful message to us who live in
obscurity and rather in oblivion of the world.
We can say also that Jesus with his life in Nazareth “consecrated” the state of life of
the lay people, elevating it to the dignity of saving, healing and sanctifying mission. For
married couples this saving, healing and sanctifying function culminates exactly in their
marriage, in their mutual love and in all the activities involved in it twenty four hours a
day, seven days a week. In those years “Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor
before God and man” (Lk 2:52), he the Son of God has set an example of spiritual growth,
maturity and patience in front of us. Jesus in Nazareth lived in poverty and this lifestyle is
the real and only motivation for the Christian ideal of modest and in a certain sense poor
355
life .
The people of Nazareth wondered when Jesus later returned among them “Is he not
356
the carpenter…?” (Mk 6:3) suggesting that he had this profession and earned his
livelihood by simple work. This laborious life of the Son of God might be encouraging for
perseverance in our tasks and appreciation toward our often monotonous, banal and
seemingly fruitless daily work. “He was considered to be the son of Joseph the carpenter;
and He appeared without comeliness, as the Scriptures declared; and He was deemed a
carpenter (for He was in the habit of working as a carpenter when among men, making
ploughs and yokes; by which He taught the symbols of righteousness and an active
life)”357

355
Cf. Ibid., pp. 157-158.
356
The parallel passage in Mt 13:55 calls Jesus the “carpenter’s son”. It might well be
that the meaning of this remark is rather different as we think of it. Geza Vermes highlights
the Aramaic use of the term carpenter or craftsman (“naggar”) to metaphorically describe a
“scholar” or “learned man” in Talmudic sayings (Cf. Geza Vermes, Jesus the Jew, (London:
Collins, 1973) p.21.) However, the majority of wandering rabbis had to have a trade to
support their learning and teaching. Carpentry may have been that of Jesus as for example
Paul was a tentmaker. Beginning from Noah who “walked with God” (Gn 6:10) and built the
ark for the salvation of his family carpenters were retained men with knowledge of the
things of God. We see this kind of intimacy with God’s things in one possible interpretation
of the hesitation of Joseph to take with him the pregnant Mary. He as “righteous” or wise
man understood that they deal with an intervention of the Holy Spirit of God and thinks that
he should step respectfully aside. Only the command received in a dream overcomes
Joseph’s fears in front of the miracle and he takes Mary in his home and accepts the child as
his own (Mt 1:18-20).
357
Justin Martyr, “Dialogue with Trypho the Jew”, 88
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 272. FINDING THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE, LK 2:41-50

The family of Jesus went up to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover every year, (showing a
great devotion since most only went up to Jerusalem occasionally). Jesus probably the first
time went with them after he passed twelve years. This was the traditional coming of age
when the boy himself became “bar mitzvah”, “son of the commandment” in Hebrew,
which meant the assumption of religious obligations like visit to Jerusalem for the
358
festivities and to recite a blessing over the reading from the Scriptures on Sabbath . In
contemporary Jewish education the majority were able to read and write and from the age
of five or six children acquired extensive knowledge based on memorizing Scriptural
verses and teachings.
In this episode Jesus remains behind when the family leaves Jerusalem and he was
found three days later in the Temple amongst the teachers both listening and asking
questions (v. 46). Since the contemporary method of teaching included questioning to
elicit intelligent responses, so Jesus’ asking of questions may not have been just to obtain
knowledge but also to teach. Probably “they were astounded at his understanding and his
answers” (v. 48) not because the boy Jesus was in dialog with the teachers but for the
manner of it. Explaining what he did, Jesus again astonishes the listeners, saying that he
must be in his Father’s house (v. 49) calling God his Father in a special way.
This story shows Jesus’ growth in knowledge of his mission and probably presents a
moment of a sudden recognition of his unique relationship with God. It gives occasion to
reflect on our gradually evolving consciousness of mission.

273. THE BAPTISM OF JESUS, MK 1:4-11 (MT 3:13-17; LK 3:21-22)

The gospel of Matthew says that John the Baptist was preaching in “the desert of
Judea” (Mt 3:1), west of the Dead Sea along the Jordan valley. He proclaimed a rite of
baptism “for the kingdom of heaven [the reign of God] is at hand” (Mt 3:2). In John’s
expectation the kingdom of God will arrive as imminent judgment in which all sinners will
perish. His vision was in sharp contrast with the teaching of Jesus after him, who placed
358
“Bar mitzvah” is the boy himself at the age of thirteen and not the name of the feast
(lately also for girls is a ceremony when one becomes “bat mitzvah”, “daughter of the
commandment”). In biblical times coming of age meant simply to enter manhood and was
not yet the elaborate celebration as it became for today. Besides religious duties reaching
the age of majority meant also the capacity to stipulate binding contracts and to marry.
213
judgment at the end of times and proclaimed the good news that the kingdom of God had
arrived in his person as prevalence of mercy for the sinners (Mk 1:14-15).
John practiced a symbolic baptism in the waters of the Jordan as preparation for the
coming of the kingdom of God, a rite that is not to be confused with the Christian
sacrament of baptism and which was also different from the lustrations used in Qumran at
359
that time . Just like the people of Israel had prepared themselves at the Mount Sinai by
symbolic washing for the covenant with God (Ex 19:10.14), the Baptism of John preceded
360
the initiation to the new covenant of the Kingdom of God .
Jesus came to a ford of the Jordan not far from Nazareth when John baptized there (Jn
1:28). If we see the function of John’s baptism as preparatory initiation or consecration to
the coming kingdom of God, we can understand why Jesus wants to submit himself to it.
This consecration for the sinful people meant a “baptism of repentance” but for Jesus it
361
was the act of submission to God’s saving plan, without ulterior motive . In Matthew’s
gospel we read that John first declined to baptize Jesus, since he recognized in him the
“mightier one” who will baptize not with water but with the Holy Spirit. The answer of
Jesus was that he wants to “fulfill all righteousness”. “To fulfill” usually refers to a
prophecy; in connection with “righteousness” [of God] it means “to do God’s will”, and
here particularly “to act according to God’s saving plan”. Jesus ratified John’s baptism as
being “of God”, “from heaven” (cf. Mt 21:25 ff), by the fact that he came to receive it as
opening of his “public life”, consecration to the work for his Father’s Kingdom he already
felt as a boy in the Temple as his mission (see [272]).
Interestingly enough, the intensive verb meaning baptism as such, occurs only two
times in the Hebrew Testament; the first is in Naaman’s washing (2 Kgs 5:14), which is an
episode of healing, while the second instance is in the book of Judith where she washes in
the spring of Bethulia in preparation for her mission to liberate the town from the Assyrian
362
army by killing their commander, Holofernes (Jud 12:7) . We can say that the bathing of

359
Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 131-132.
360
Cf. Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, (Maclean, VA:
MacDonald Publishing Company, undated) pp. 127.
361
Cf. Ibid., pp.129-130.
362
John P. Stangle, A Search for a Structural analogy of the Christian Sacrament of
Initiation in the Culture and Cultus Of Israel, (Spokane, WA: Gonzaga University, June, 1984,
unpublished thesis for the degree of Masters of Art) p. 17.
214
Judith prefigures the baptism of Jesus as preparatory initiation to his work of liberation
from the power of Satan.
When Jesus emerged from the waters of the Jordan praying he saw the Spirit of God
descending on him and the voice of the Father proclaimed Jesus as the beloved Son. This
theophany is an acceptance of Jesus’ consecration to his mission and ratification of him as
the messianic King “the Son of God” (Jn 1:34). While in Matthew and Luke all hear the
voice of the Father, John’s gospel presents it as given to the Baptist as sign to recognize
the Messiah. In contrast, in Mark’s gospel this vision seems to be an experience of Jesus
alone, having a personal meaning for his mission. This moment (where we can
363
contemplate the Trinity together in one scene) has several associations . Peter in the
acts of Apostles refers to it as the messianic anointing of Jesus with power for his mission
of healing and liberation from the devil (Acts 10:38). We can see in this also the priestly
anointing of Jesus, as the high priest was washed and anointed for his service. The words
of the Father are a reference to the “Ebed Yahweh”, the “Servant of God” from the book of
Isaiah (Is 42:1, cf. Ps 2:7 and Gn 22:2) declaring that Jesus with suffering and glorification
will recapitulate the experiences of his people. When the gospels say that the Holy Spirit
descended on Jesus like a dove does not mean that the authors retained this animal as the
symbol of the Spirit. Rather, this imagery, which is used also in the Talmud, expresses the
closeness of the Spirit as a bird that hovers over the nest without touching it and the
“dove” might be an allusion to Israel (the dove was in fact the symbol of Israel) and to
364
Jesus as the ideal Israelite . This image is also a clear reference to the first creation
story in the Genesis that depicts the Spirit of God “brooding like a bird” over the waters of
the primordial chaos (Gn 1:2) and the authors intend to say by it that with Jesus a “new
creation” begins and he is the new Adam. One allusion might be to the dove that after the
waters of the flood receded brought the olive branch, sign of new life and to the first
covenant God made with humanity in Noah (Gn 8:11 and 9:1-17).

274. THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS, MT 4:1-11 (MK 1:12-13; LK 4:1-13)

After the baptism the Spirit led (“drove” or “threw him out” with Mark’s a more violent
expression) Jesus in the desert, a place of temptation but also closeness the God in the

363
Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” p. 133.
364
Ibid., p. 133.
215
Bible. The temptations present Jesus as fully and truly human person and provide a
realistic description of what might have been his state of mind after the great decision to
begin his messianic mission. Common human experience is to be assaulted by doubts and
hesitation after a major decision and this bears for us the message that these can be
overcome.
The forty days of fasting (in Matthew and Luke) places Jesus in line with Moses and
365
Elijah . Moses stayed on Mount Sinai with Yahweh forty days and forty nights without
eating or drinking (Ex 34:28) and received the words of the covenant, the Ten
Commandments. Elijah walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, the
Horeb (an other name of the Sinai) with the strength of the food received from an angel
(1Kgs 19:8) and received the vision of God that opened his prophetic mission (1Kgs 19:11-
13). The role of these figures respect the covenant and suggest that Jesus is the Messiah:
Moses was the giver of the covenant, Elijah restored it and the Messiah brings it to
perfection. They are also placed as contrast with Jesus since Moses and Elijah failed
personally and in their mission with the covenant while Jesus is presented as victorious in
366
both . We will see the same Moses and Elijah appear at the transfiguration of Jesus and
they can be identified with the two witnesses in the Revelations (Ap 11:4-10).
Jesus being tempted by Satan corrects the Old Testament conviction that God is the
origin of the temptations of the people and certainly contradicts the type of Messiah Israel
expected. This fact underlines that the temptation story not a myth or legend but based
on a real experience of Jesus that he himself related to his disciples. Instead of Jesus being
tormented by the devil, Satan is supposed to fall on his face totally defeated in front of the
Messiah, even the pinnacle of the Temple mentioned in the story is far from the place of
the assault of the devil but from there the Messiah was awaited to proclaim his final
367
victory . The temptations of Jesus as presented are intended to correct diagonally the
messianic expectations. In all three temptations Satan offers Jesus to follow the easy way
to convince the people by fulfilling these false expectations. The tradition waited for a
Messiah with occult powers, like to turn stones into bread or to fly in the air, and the first

365
We rely mainly on Stanley’s analysis of the temptations of Jesus in this presentation.
Cf. Ibid., pp.140-146.
366
Moses fell in anger against the people coming down from the Sinai, Elijah despaired
of Israel and fell in depression. See more aspects of this parallel in Edersheim, “The Life and
Times of Jesus the Messiah”, p. 135.
367
Ibid., p. 135.
216
two temptations suggested proceeding with these signs. On the other side, the popular
messianic image was of a world-dominator, of a victorious king – the essence of the third
temptation.
Jesus refuted the “help” offered by Satan by quoting directly from the second
discourse of Moses in Deuteronomy the most prophetic book of the Pentateuch (Deut 8:3;
6:16; 6:13) used frequently by the Apostolic Church as guide for the community.
Matthew’s literary construction stands on these three quotes and intends to present Jesus
as “the Son of God” who has the same the temptations of Israel “the first-born son of God”
(cf. Ex 4:22), but proves himself victorious where the people fell. The first temptation of
Israel in the desert was at the time of the manna (Nm 11:4-34), the second at Massah (the
name itself means “temptation”) when the people demanded water with presumption (Nm
20:1-13) and the third at the Sinai when they succumbed to idolatry with the worship of
the golden calf (Ex 32:1-8).
In wider sense the temptations of Jesus represent the challenges every human being
faces. John’s first letter calls this triple trap the “concupiscence of the eyes, the
concupiscence of the flesh and the pride of life” (cf. 1 Jn 2:16). Desires of wealth,
abundance, fame and power, or stating oneself as absolute are the stumbling blocks in the
spiritual growth as well as in psychosomatic health.
After Jesus overcame the temptations, “angels came and ministered him” and Mark’s
gospel mentions also wild beasts surrounding Jesus, showing a new Eden with the new
Adam who lives in peace with all creation in the company of angels. Already at the
beginning of his mission Jesus is shown as definitely victorious over Satan.

275. THE CALL OF THE DISCIPLES

(1) The first disciples, Mt 4: 18-22; Mk 1:16-20; Lk 5:1-11; Jn 1:35-51

After refusing the offer of the help of Satan for a “successful” messianic mission, Jesus
returns from the desert and begins his ministry by calling for the help of men, simple
people just like the companions doing these Exercises. He calls these people to be
collaborators in the work of salvations.
The stories of calling in the synoptic gospels have a stereotypical pattern, probably
crystallized in the long oral tradition that preceded the written text. These stories point to
217
the central message about the essence of Christian vocation and disregard the individual
psychological process and the practical features of the actual events. The first element is
that the future disciples are doing their ordinary job, then Jesus passes by and sees them;
in this moment comes the call itself, the immediate following of Jesus and finally the
reaction of the crowd around them.
The fourth gospel follows a different thread and first presents two disciples of John the
Baptist who are drawn to Jesus the mysterious new rabbi after their master testifies that
“he is the Son of God” (cf. Jn 1:29:34). They timidly follow Jesus and after staying with him
for a while bring their brothers and friends to their new master.
As the companions contemplate the different stories of vocation and maybe discover
similarities with these in their own experience, the meaning and message of these
passages can become more personal.

(2) Matthew, Mt 9:9-13; Mk 2:13-17; Lk 5:27-32

The call of Matthew (Levi in Mark’s gospel) follows the same pattern of the other
stories of calling but it stands apart. It seems like to have a special importance maybe
because Matthew as a tax collector by his profession at that time was considered a “public
sinner”. The story stresses the fact that Jesus calls sinners like all of us to participate in his
mission: “Go and learn the meaning of the words ‘I desire mercy not sacrifice’. I did not
come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mt 9:13). The passage from the prophet Hosea “I
desire mercy not sacrifice” (cf. Hos 6:6) could have been one of the favorites of Jesus, as
he quotes it again in connection with the story when the hungry disciples picked some
grains on Sabbath (considered as forbidden activity on the day of rest).
To understand better the meaning of mercy Jesus refers to we need to recall the words
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the Bible uses for it, each having a different semantic nuance . The Hebrew “hesed”
indicates faithful goodness and an interior commitment toward the other person and so
had also a legal meaning. When used for God, the word “hesed” always refers to his
covenant with Israel. This was a free gift of grace for Israel so much that even when the
people broke the covenant God remained faithful to it out of a fidelity to his own
goodness: “Not for your sakes do I act, house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy name,
which you profaned among the nations to which you came” (Ez 36:22). The second

368
Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Rich in Mercy (“Dives in Misericordia”, November 30,
1980), 4., footnote 52.
218
Hebrew word used in the Old Testament for mercy is “rahamim”, describing a strong
“visceral love”, the love of a mother (it derives from “rehem” meaning “womb”). Beautiful
examples for this motherly love of God can be found in the prophetic books, like this
passage in Isaiah: “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of
her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you” (Is 49:15). There are also
further expressions for mercy used less frequently in the Bible. For example, “hanan”
means a constant predisposition to be generous, benevolent and merciful, then the verb
“hamal” “to spare a defeated enemy” and also the term “hus” for pity and compassion.
Finally, the word “’emeth” for “solidity, security” meaning also “fidelity”, a concept that is
near to “hesed” as used in the Magnificat (Lk 1:50.54), but also to “rahamim” (translated
369
in Latin as “viscera misericordiae”) in the canticle of Zechariah (Lk 1:72) .
We saw that the merciful God is presented in the Bible with both masculine and
370
feminine terms; we might rightly say that God is as much Mother as Father . When Jesus
calls for mercy and love instead of outward acts of religiosity or extraordinary deeds, he
has in mind all these nuances and wants his disciples to have the same attitude as God
the Mother and Father (cf. Mt 5:43-48).

(3) The others, Lk 6:12-16; Mk 10:1-4; Mt 3:13-19

Reading the lists of the “Twelve” chosen by Jesus to be his closest disciples we see
how ordinary, insignificant people were whom he called. Neither are their names
remembered correctly. We can see in this choice and predilection an encouraging sign for
our vocation to collaborate with God’s saving work for the world.

369
Ibid., 5., footnotes 60-61.
370
In order to find expression for the motherly tenderness of God, Christian spirituality
appropriates the feminine characteristics of the divine love to the Mother of God, although
avoiding the divinization of Mary. With this caution we might contemplate a beautiful image
of the “tender mercy of God” in the Byzantine icon called “Glycophilousa” meaning in Greek
“sweet tenderly loving mercy”. The child Jesus places his hand around the neck of his
Mother, Mary caresses him and their faces touch tenderly while they gaze on each other
speaking about the mysteries of God. Glykophilousa is a more pronounced version of the
icon of the “Mother of God of Tenderness” or “Eleousa” (meaning “the Merciful”) in which
the Mother looks elsewhere not on her child. The most well known icon of the Eleousa type is
the “Mother of God of Vladimir” one of Russia’ s most venerated icons.
219
 276. THE WEDDING IN CANA, JN 2:1-11

The presence of Jesus at the wedding Cana acquires symbolic importance in the light
of the parable presenting the Kingdom of God as a nuptial feast (Mt 22:1-14). The Bible
often used the symbolism of marriage for God’s relation to Israel and more closely,
presented the final salvation as a banquet (Is 25:6). Just like the synoptic gospels proclaim
371
at their beginning, the wedding as the scene of Jesus’ first “sign” on the fourth gospel
signifies that the Kingdom is near. The mysterious bridegroom in this story who never
comes into the front might be seen as God who enters in the new covenant with his
people, while also Jesus himself can be regarded as the bridegroom of this new marriage
between man and God.
Mary is called the “mother of Jesus” without giving her name in the fourth gospel (v. 1
and under the cross Jn 19:25). She indirectly intercedes for the needs of the newlyweds
who ran out of wine. As she utters her short remark “They have no wine” (v. 3), Mary acts
as a representative of Israel, where the prophetic word and action symbolized here as the
wine ceased to exist for a while. Jesus first refuses her with rather harsh words (similar to
the outcry of the demons in Mk 1:24; 5:7). However, Mary’s faith remained unwavering
and says to the servants (other representatives of the people of Israel) using the words of
the Pharaoh during the famine in Egypt in regard of Joseph: “Do whatever he tells you” (v.
5 cf. Gn 41:55). Symbolically these two sentences of the Mother of God express her
function in salvation history, which is to intercede for the poverty of humanity and to call
372
“the rest of her children” to obedience .
The rich symbolism of the story extends to details like the mention of the six jars used
for ablutions, ceremonial washings. These jars with their number falling short of the
perfect seven represent the Old Testament in its inadequacy. Jesus orders to fill them to
the brim before he changes the water in wine, sign of the messianic abundance and an act
symbolizing the replacement of the weakness of the first covenant with the strong wine of
the new creation. The wine turns out to be excellent, the best, and no one except Jesus
Mary and the servants know from where it comes.
371
“Sign” in Greek is “semeion”. John prefers to call the miracles of Jesus “signs”
instead of “wonders”, stressing that they are symbols of the “glory”, of the hidden divinity of
Jesus. The fourth gospel accounts seven “signs” and the ultimate manifestation of Jesus’
glory is not the resurrection, but begins in the passion. Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural
Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” p. 102.
372
Cf. Ibid., pp.192-193.
220
 277. THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE, JN 2:13-25 (MT 21:12-13; MK 11:15-19; LK 19:45-48)

The second “sign” of Jesus is not a miracle but a prophetic act with a strong message.
When Jesus chased out of the Temple area all those who were selling sacrificial items and
changing money, the meaning of this is that he came to reconsecrate the Temple. Jesus
indicates this meaning when he refers to a passage of the prophet Zechariah (v. 16) which
says that on the day of the Lord, that is in the messianic time “there shall no longer be
any merchant in the house of the Lord of hosts” (Zec 14:21). The disciples seeing this,
quote from Psalm 69 a verse that changed into future tense became an allusion to the
death of Jesus: “Zeal for your house will consume me” (v. 17, cf. Ps 59:10).
Questioned about the authority to do this, Jesus answered “Destroy this temple and in
three days I will raise it up” (v. 19). This symbolic explanation refers to the replacement of
the Temple after the resurrection by the person of Jesus and by the community of the
Church, by the “temple of his body” (v. 21). This saying about the destruction of the
Temple became one of the charges against Jesus during his trials and reason for his
condemnation to death.

278. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, MT 5-7

373
The “Sermon on the Mount” is the first of the five great discourses around which
Matthew arranged the account of the ministry of Jesus, just like the book of Deuteronomy
is constructed around a series of discourses of Moses presenting the theme of the
covenant. Of this parallel the first speech addressed to the crowd receives the meaning to
be the counterpart of the Law received at the Mount Sinai. It presents the law of the
Kingdom of Heaven as a free gift of grace given in the person of Jesus Christ and not as a
374
system of morality . The foundation of this new law is that we are children of the Father
and in consequence, all brothers and sisters. From this fundamental truth follows also the
importance that Jesus gives throughout the “Sermon” to the prayer of petition, to the filial
375
trust and perseverance in asking the Father .
373
Luke has the parallel material arranged differently and gives the account of a
“Sermon on the Plain” directed only to the disciples (Lk 6:17-49), a scene more in harmony
with the general outline of the narrative of his gospel.
374
Cf. Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, p. 242.
375
Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 160 and
163-165.
221
The Beatitudes, the basic law of the Kingdom Mt 5

The Beatitudes (vv. 1-12) constitute an introduction to this discourse of Jesus

presenting the characteristic features of the Kingdom, a program of Jesus for the
realization of the law of the Spirit in Christian life. The ten sayings are in a certain sense a
counterpart of the Ten Commandments. Each saying begins with the word “blessed”
“makarios” in Greek, which literally means “happy” and in general is the adjective for a
joyful, even divine existence. In the Bible the “makarios saying” is a frequently used
literary form for praising someone.
The first four beatitudes speak particularly of those whom the Old Testament calls the
“poor” (“anawim” in Hebrew), those who recognize their dependence on God. This does
not mean necessarily a social class, but includes those who from their sufferings and
376
threatened existence learned to trust God totally . Jesus recognizes the “poor” in those
who “mourn” over their sins recognizing their responsibility, in the “meek” that face their
sufferings with patient courage, and in those who hunger for “righteousness”, a strong
377
desire for doing God’s will . The rest of the beatitudes proclaim the blessedness of the
disciples, protectors of the poor, who like the prophets of the Old Testament stand up for
social justice and peace. These new prophets are characterized as actively “merciful” and
“pure of heart”, meaning that their only master is God, they are “peacemakers” like Jesus
“the Prince of Peace” (Is 9:6) himself. The disciples who work for the brotherhood of all
mankind will be persecuted similarly to the prophets of the Old Testament but they are
blessed because like the poor in spirit they possess the Kingdom of heaven.
The Beatitudes are followed by an epilogue (vv. 13-16) that is an exhortation to follow
the mission of Jesus to become the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world”.
The rest of chapter five (vv. 17 ff.) is dedicated to compare the New and the Old
Testament. As Edersheim pointed out this part of the Sermon has a certain analogy with
378
the laws in Ex 21-22 . Jesus does not cancel the law but to “fulfill it” by turning the
religiosity of Israel toward a profound and universal relationship with the Father. God is
Father of everybody of which it follows, that all men and women are brothers and sisters
379
. This change toward universality is aimed at by a series of six antitheses characterized
by the expressions “It was said to your ancestors… but I say to you…”.
376
Cf. Ibid., pp. 160-161.
377
See the meaning of “righteousness” in [273] “The Baptism of Jesus”.
378
Cf. Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, p. 243.
222
 The renewed law is concluded by the final demand: “So be perfect, just as your
heavenly Father is perfect” (v. 48). The word for “perfect” here is “teleios” in Greek
meaning “mature”380. In biblical sense the only way to love God is acting like him. If God is
mainly characterized by the perfection that he is Father, that he loves everyone as his
children, then to love him requires growing up as much as we are able to the task to love
inclusively and taking into consideration in our arranging our relationships the “mature”
love of God toward all.

381
New religiosity, Mt 6-7

The sixth chapter continues the criticism of the law and the question here is not the
meaning of the law or the outward observance of it but the inner attitude with which to
live its precepts. The criticism extends to the three principal religious observances of
Judaism that are prophetically relevant universally in the practice of religion of all ages
in his analysis
and peoples as Edersheim stressed . These three observances are the alms or
wider sense the acts of mercy (vv. 1-4), prayer (vv. 5-15) and fasting or more generally
the relation of the physical to the spiritual (vv. 16-18). Practicing acts of mercy and
abstinence in a certain way or praying with the “right formula” of the “Our Father” still
could be interpreted externally if one does not understand the underlying spirit and filial
attitude that should guide these. Real religiosity means that we understand what
constitutes the real riches before the giving of alms (vv. 19-21), it requires a prayer that is
openness shining through the person (vv. 22-23) and undivided dedication to God (22-24),
finally it inspires real fasting that is a right view of how our needs stand in front of the
Father (vv. 25-34). The connection between these observances is that the acts of mercy
and fasting should be guided and permeated by a spirit of prayer that stems from an inner
attitude of seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, from a filial trust in the
Father who knows what we need before we ask him (v. 8).
The seventh chapter presents warnings and further teachings about the Kingdom of
God. Jesus stresses again that the Kingdom is a universal brotherhood and sisterhood that

379
Note that in the sermon of the Mount Jesus always refers to God as Father, my
Father, your Father, our Father, Father in heaven. Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural
Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 160.
380
Only Matthew uses it here, Luke has “merciful”. St. Paul applies the term “teleios”
for the Christian who arrived to the wisdom of faith (1 Cor 2:6 cf. Ibid. 162).
381
Cf. Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, pp. 243-244.
223
cannot be restricted, as we are tempted to do by our vicious judgments (vv. 1-5), then he
says that it cannot be increased by external means (v. 6), but comes from God as an
answer for perseverant prayers (vv. 7-12) and one can enter there only by strong personal
determination (vv. 13-14). The Kingdom of God is not to be preached by mere external
signs as false prophets try to do (vv. 15-16); it manifests itself not in outward manners as
expected, but in its good and true effects (vv. 17-20). Finally, the Kingdom of God once
accepted is like a solid house on a good foundation that nothing can destroy from outside
(vv. 24-27).

279. JESUS CALMS THE STORM, MK 4:35-41 (MT 8,23-27; LK 8:22-25)

At the end of a day full of teaching and healing Jesus decided to cross the Lake
Gennesaret probably to withdraw for a while. The disciples “took him in the boat just as he
was” (v.36) without eating, resting or preparations for the journey. It is not said whether
they were in such haste because the tired disciples were eager to get away from the
crowd or because they saw signs of the coming storm. The Lake Gennesaret is famous of
its frequent, sudden and dangerous storms so it is not clear what was the reason to haste
382
. Anyway, other boats followed them. Then Jesus fell asleep in the stern of “the boat”,
maybe that of Peter and Andrew or James and John put at his disposition.
The word for the “storm” in the gospel Matthew means literally “earthquake”, and
used later as one of the events at the death of Jesus; the same is used in apocalyptic
writings to accompany the arrival of God’s Kingdom, while in the Synoptic gospels it
appears in the description of the second coming of Jesus (Mt 24:7; Mk 13:8; Lk 21:11). This
allusion could give some light on the possible symbolism of this miracle of Jesus.
Jesus is presented fully human in his falling asleep from exhaustion and hunger so
much so that even the fury of the sudden storm did not wake him up. The storm is getting
stronger so much that the boat fills up and is in danger of sinking. The terrified disciples
wakened Jesus and while Mark records their words as an impatient demand (v. 38), the
other gospels account it as a request for being saved. It is unclear what they expect from
Jesus but growing in the knowledge of their master they have already a vague belief in his
unlimited power. The accounts then differ if Jesus first rebukes the sea and then the
disciples because their faith is faltering (as in Mk and Lk) or in the other way (in Mt), but

382
Cf. Ibid., pp. 276-277.
224
 383
great silence fell on the lake . The word “rebuke” is the same used to describe Jesus
silencing a demon (Mk 1:25) or ending the fever (Lk 4:39); Jesus stands in front of the
disciples now as master of all the creation. The calming of the sea is an allusion to God’s
power to control over the chaotic waters (Pss 65:8; 10; 93:3-4; 107:29) and implicitly
proclaims the divinity of Jesus. The practice of the “dominion over the sea” (cf. Gn 1:26) is
384
pointing at Jesus also as the second Adam, sinless head of the new creation .

280. JESUS WALKS ON THE WATERS OF THE SEA, MT 14:22-33 (MK 6:45-52; JN 6:15-21)

Jesus’ walking on the water follows the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand (see
[283]) and this might be helpful in understanding the symbolism of this episode. In the
fourth gospel we learn that the crowd seeing the sign of the multiplication of the bread
wanted to proclaim Jesus king, an act that he wanted to avoid absolutely since it was the
manifestation of a false messianic expectation (cf. Jn 6:15). This was a moment of crisis:
Jesus almost needed to use violence to force his disciples into the boat and make them
leave for the other side of the Gennesaret (v. 22) while he dismissed the crowd and went
up to the mountain to pray alone. The disciples might have been confused by the
excitement of the crowd and by the possibility that their master would be the long-awaited
king and were reluctant to leave - maybe they saw also that the wind on the lake was
385
already against them . They were sort of overwhelmed by agitation, symbolized by the
turbulent waters around them, when already out few miles on the Lake Jesus came on the
waters walking toward them. They thought it was a ghost and were terrified. Mark says
386
that Jesus would have passed by them, maybe to give them the occasion to call him ,
but seeing their great fear Jesus turned to them with the reassuring sentence “It is I, do
not be afraid”, and as they let him in the boat the wind suddenly died down (Mk 6:5-51).
“It is I”, literally “I am” is an allusion to the divine name (Ex 3:14) and an implicit reference
that Jesus is Son of God. According to Matthew “those who were in the boat” (maybe not
the disciples) confessed Jesus as “Son of God”. Mark’s gospel says on the contrary, that

383
Matthew uses the expression “of little faith” peculiar to Jesus in this gospel (see in
6:30 and elsewhere) rebuking the disciples whose faith is not as deep as it should be.
384
Cf. Ibid., p. 278.
385
Cf. Ibid., p. 319.
386
See a similar attitude of Jesus in the story of the apparition to the disciples of
Emmaus in Lk 24:28.
225
the disciples were completely astounded and did not understand neither the miracle of the
loaves nor this, but “their hearts where hardened” (v. 52). With this miracle Jesus tried to
teach the disciples that he is in fact King and Messiah in a different sense as the people
who was ready to proclaim him at the multiplication of the bread waited it. That miracle
has a clear reference to the Eucharist, to the “breaking of the bread” and Jesus walking on
the water shows not only that he is master of the forces of nature (cf. [279]) but also that
he can do whatever he wants with his body. This meaning is very clear in John’s gospel
where this episode introduces the discourse on the bread of life in which Jesus proclaims
that he can give his body as food for the world (Jn 6:22-59).
Only Matthew’s version has the episode of Peter walking on the water from his special
traditions about this apostle. His request “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you
on the water” mirrors the two characteristics as he presented in the gospels, doubts and
presumption. Jesus calls him on the water so as to heal Peter’s doubts and presumption by
turning them into hope: as he begins to sink, Jesus saves him but reproaches him for his
“little faith” (cf. Mt 6:30).

281. THE MISSION OF THE TWELVE, MT 10 (MK 6:7-13; LK 9:1-6)

This entire chapter is dedicated to the institution of the Twelve and their mission, and
387
while doing this it describes the life-situation of the early apostolic Church .
Matthew does not have a separate story of the choosing the apostles as the other
synoptic gospels (Mk 3:13-19; Lk 6:12-16), but presents them as a known group that
received from Jesus the commission basically to continue the same mission as himself.
The names of the Twelve differ in the four lists we have (see also Acts 1:13) - an indication
that the early Church was more interested in their function as a collegial body than in their
personal identity. The story shows that the evangelical tradition firmly believed that Jesus
during his public life indicated his intention to found a Church. This body with their number
referring to the twelve tribes of Israel symbolized the Church as God’s people and their
function was to serve the unity of the entire Church (and in fact, they did not found twelve
churches).

387
In this presentation we used mainly David Stanley’s analysis of the passage. Cf.
Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 167-175.
226
 After the presentation of the Twelve we have a discourse of Jesus that can be divided
into two sections. The first part (vv. 5-15) describes instructions for the immediate mission
of the Twelve to villages in Galilee, while the second section (v. 16 ff.) has the perspective
and historical context of the experiences of the early Church. First Jesus instructs the
Twelve to not even go near to pagans nor Samaritans (vv. 5-6) but in the second part they
are called to give testimony in front of pagans before their kings and authorities (v. 18). In
fact, Matthew’s passage gives an example how the early Church learned to resolve the
problems of their times by contemplating and adapting the tradition on the life and
teaching of Jesus. This dynamic use of the tradition is a similar technique to what we do in
the Ignatian contemplation where by entering in prayer the scenes of the gospels we
acquire the ability to find answers to our contemporary problems.
The greatest challenge the early Church faced was to pass from waiting for the
imminent return of Jesus to understanding their mission to bring the good news to all
humankind. This great struggle of the newborn Church to recognize its universal mission
with the help of extraordinary signs from the Holy Spirit is illustrated well in the Acts of the
Apostle and Paul’s letters. In the actions and words of Jesus preserved in the tradition
there were only few indications of the calling the pagans to the Kingdom (as in Mt 8:11)
besides this, the Church faced a very complex social and cultural issue with this mission.
The sending of the Twelve to the villages of Galilee served for Matthew as a symbolic act
that could explain the mission of the apostolic Church as a faithful following of the will of
Jesus.

282. THE CONVERSION OF A WOMAN, LK 7:36-50

Traditionally the “sinful woman” in this story was identified with Mary of Magdala. This
identification was based on the fact that she was exorcised of seven demons (Lk 8:2), and
so was thought to be the sinful woman par excellence. There are in fact, different
characters behind the stories and this episode is different also from the anointing by Mary
the sister of Lazarus at Bethany in Jn 12:1-8. The latter is probably the same event as the
one described without giving the name of “the woman” in Mk 14:3-9 and Mt 26:6-13.
Although the symbolism of the anointing at Bethany refers to the imminent death of Jesus

227
(see [286]), and in our story it has no such meaning, yet these episodes are often
388
interchanged because of similar elements .
A Pharisee invited Jesus teaching in the town probably out of courtesy, but with some
reservation questioned if he really is more than a simple wandering preacher as his
followers and the enthusiastic crowd believed. The woman known in the city as a “sinner”,
that is a prostitute, entered the house of the Pharisee with a totally different attitude - we
don’t know how she could get in, maybe she was known by the owner or by bribing the
servants. Probably she heard the teaching of Jesus and had come to believe in him and
now wanted to express her gratitude for the healing and forgiveness received. She broke
down in tears that bathed the feet of Jesus, which she dried with her hair and kissed. Then
she anointed the feet of Jesus with the perfumed oil she had with her, probably worn
389
around her neck in a little alabaster flask as it was customary . Nobody says yet a word,
but the disapproving Pharisee thinks ironically, if “this man” were a real prophet would
know who is the person in front of him (cf. Jn 4:19), would know that this woman is “a
sinner” and would refuse her to touch him (v. 39). Then Jesus tells him a parable of which
it is clear that he is not only a prophet who knows the thoughts of Simon but more than
that, he also has the authority to forgive sins and call sinners to the Kingdom of God.
The sharp contrast between the humble faith of this “sinful woman”, and the self-
righteous doubts of Simon might associate in us the warning directed to the Pharisees:
“Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes enter the kingdom of God before you”
(Mt 21:31). The story also lets an insight into the dynamics of the conversion that works
between the free gift of the grace of God and the human collaboration. The woman shows
these spontaneous acts of great love and gratitude because she received the forgiveness
of her sins already before entering the house, but now she receives the assurance of Jesus
that indeed her sins had been forgiven and is called into the peace of the Kingdom of God.

283. JESUS FEEDS THE CROWD, MT 14:13-21 (MK 6:30-44; LK 9:10-17; JN 6:1-15)

This is the only miracle and the only story before Jesus’ last visit to Jerusalem recorded
390
by all the four evangelists ; they present it with different accents, so it might be good to
388
For example, the host is “Simon” in Mk 14:3 bearing one very common Jewish name
and so on. Cf. Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, p. 259.
389
Ibid., 260.
390
Ibid., 312.
228
read all of them in repetitions of this contemplation. Matthew and Mark even have
doublets of the story that they preserved out of respect toward the different oral traditions
391
of the same event . These versions differ mainly in the numbers of the people fed, of the
loaves, of the fish and of the baskets for the leftovers. The numbers often are symbolic;
the first versions have twelve baskets as a reference to the importance of the Twelve
while the second versions mention seven loaves and seven baskets, probably as an
allusion to “the Seven” - to the first deacons appointed for the service of the community
392
(Acts 6:1-6) .
The miracle is evidently a prophetic act referring to the Eucharist and this explains the
393
particular significance it had for the evangelists . While the liturgy of the Mass is based
on the words of Jesus during the Last Supper, the prayer of the consecration in Roman
canon has a short phrase, “raising his eyes to heaven”, that is not found in the various
accounts of the institution of the Eucharist but comes from the story of feeding the crowd
in the Synoptic gospels (cf. Mt 14:19; Mk 6:41; Lk 9:16). By inserting this detail from the
miracle of the multiplication of the bread in the liturgical recital of the Last Supper, the
authors of the canon desired to underline and point out the connection between the two
394
events . We can see Eucharistic allusions in all the six accounts of this miracle especially
in the usage of the verbs for the actions of Jesus that are the same as in the Last Supper:
“taking” the bread (and fish) he “blessed” it (or “giving thanks”), “broke” it and “gave” it.
One more indication is that the bread has greater importance in the narratives than the
fish so much that sometimes the fish even is ignored like at the collection of the leftovers
395
in Jn 6:13 . John’s gospel alludes that it happened when Passover was near as a further
allusion to the Eucharist instituted during a Passover meal (Jn 6:4) and this fact is

391
This solicitude to save the sacred tradition has precedent in the Old Testament, Gn
12:10-20 and 20:1-18 tell versions of the same trick that Abraham and Sarah pulls first on
the Pharaoh then on Abimelech. Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual
Exercises,” pp. 179-180.
392
This might be a sign that the second versions derive from the Hellenistic tradition,
since the Seven were part of this group. Cf. Ibid., p. 181.
393
Another gospel passage with Eucharistic allusions for example is the appearance of
Jesus to the disciples of Emmaus who recognize the risen Lord in the “breaking of the bread”
(Lk 24:13-35, [303]) a story that was constructed to explain the theology of the Blessed
Sacrament in the catechetic instruction. Cf. Ibid., 181.
394
Ibid., p. 182.
395
Ibid., p. 183.
229
corroborated by the mention of the “green grass” in Mk 6:39 that is possible only early
396
spring in that climate .
Passover being near, it seems very likely the presence of many people on the roads,
and as Matthew and Mark mentions that this event took place shortly after the death of
John the Baptist, also his followers were on the search. A vast crowd came on foot and
some even preceded them running to the other side of the Lake where they wanted to
retire for a while. Jesus seeing this, felt compassion for them “for they were like sheep
without shepherd” (Mk 6:34) and begin to teach them. Then evening came and the
question arose how to feed the crowd. The disciples find that a boy has five barley loaves
and two small fish (Jn 6:9) indicating the food of the poorest people. The peculiar word for
this fish, “opsarion” means little salted or pickled fish, eaten with its bones like sardines
commonly used around the Lake of Gennesareth. This “little fish” are mentioned again in
the gospel of John, after the resurrection when Jesus appears to the disciples on the
lakeshore and repeats for them the miraculous catch of “large fish” (Jn 21:1-11, [306]).
When Jesus invites them for breakfast, he takes some of the already prepared bread and
“little fish” (Jn 21:9.13) and gives that to them, not of the “large fish”. That last humble
397
meal with Jesus reminded them certainly of the miraculous feeding of the crowd .
The gospel of John says that the crowd came only because they saw the healings (Jn
6:1-2), but they did not understand the meaning of these “signs” and after being fed by
Jesus they want forcefully make him king honoring him according to their messianic
expectations. Jesus needed to flee them and after the short episode of walking on the
water (Jn 6:16-21, see [280]) John continues with the great discourse of Jesus on the bread
of life (Jn 6:22-70), which is the presentation of the evangelist’s theology of the Eucharist.

284. THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS, LK 9:28-36 (MT 17:1-9; MK 9:2-8)

This event is presented in the three Synoptic gospels at the climax of the public life of
Jesus right after the confession of Peter (Mt 16:13-20; Mk 8:27-30; Lk 9:18-21) 398, and the
two scenes together form a diptych, a double image reflecting the good news that God

396
Cf. Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, p. 312.
397
Ibid., p. 215.
398
The fourth gospel has a different form of Peter’s confession at end of the discourse
on the bread of life (Jn 6:67-69), but follows it with the feast of Tabernacles or Booths, the
symbolism of which is present in the scene of the transfiguration.
230
personally entered human history and his transcendent presence can be experienced. On
one side of the diptych we see an act of commitment and deep faith on the part of Peter,
while the other side reveals the ineffable mystery of the person of Jesus that surpasses
any human expectation. After this turning point Jesus begins to reveal the mystery of the
suffering Messiah to his disciples. The evangelists carefully constructed into their
particular concept of gospel these two complementary passages between which the
399
connection became clear only in the light of the post-resurrection faith .
The transfiguration happened on a mountain, which is generally retained as a place of
revelation in the Bible (see the Sermon on the Mount [278]). Jesus took with him Peter,
James as John, the same three disciples present at the raising of the daughter of Jairus (Mk
5:37; Lk 9:51) and whom we see with Jesus in Gethsemane (Mt 26:37). While in prayer,
Jesus “transfigured”, his appearance changed, his face became radiant and his clothes
400
dazzling white . Then Moses and Elijah appeared and conversed with Jesus. Luke’s
narrative tells also that they spoke about the exodus Jesus should carry out in Jerusalem
(v. 31). The word exodus (“exodos” in Greek means “outgoing”) refers to his death and
resurrection and is an allusion to the exodus of Israel out of Egypt, the deliverance from
401
slavery and the covenant of the people with God . The term so rich with meaning
becomes an expression for the definite liberation and covenant for which Israel had waited
and now was about to be accomplished by Jesus. Moses and Elijah both of whom had a
very intimate experience of God represent the entire religious tradition of Israel; Moses,
the mediator of the covenant at the Mount Sinai represents the law and Elijah the greatest
prophet who renewed the covenant is the paradigm of the prophetic tradition. The scene
suggests that the history of Israel was oriented toward Jesus in whom the law and the
402
prophetic tradition reached their final accomplishment .

399
See more on Peter’s confession and the connection with the transfiguration in
Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 195-201.
400
The second letter of Peter as well as the gospel and the first letter of John mentions
this episode, all references to the apostolic testimony of experiencing the glory of Jesus (2 Pt
1:12-18; Jn 1:14; 1 Jn 1:1-3).
401
Luke uses the word “eisodos” meaning “incoming” for the birth of Jesus (Acts 13:20);
it makes clear that the “outgoing” includes not only the death but also the resurrection and
ascension. Cf. Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, p. 366.
402
For this and the following insights we rely mainly on the presentation of the
transfiguration in Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” pp.
202-205.
231
 While Jesus prayed, the three disciples fall asleep - just what happened with them in
the Gethsemane later – but were able to wake up and saw Jesus’ glory and the two men
speaking with him. Peter took the initiative and offered to prepare three tents or booths
for Jesus, Moses and Elijah to prolong the experience (v. 33). These tents are reference to
the feast of the Booths or Tabernacles, when the tradition required living during the
festival that lasted eight days in little booths made of branches of trees. The feast of the
Booths is one of three great Jewish festivals besides Easter and Pentecost; it is a
thanksgiving festival after the harvest, celebrated in an elaborate and joyful manner. Men
were clothed in white, carried branches of palms and pomegranates and sang Psalm 118,
the “Hosanna”. This feast had an eschatological connotation in the Old Testament and in
the rabbinic literature and referred to the future reign of God in the world. The
transfiguration presented with the symbolism of the festival of the Booths acquires a
meaning as a revelation of the “eschaton”, of the “end times” erupting in history. The
symbolic language is the most efficacious way to describe an experience of a mysterious,
transcendent reality and the evangelists found the rituals of this great feast the most
appropriate way to speak about the transfiguration of Jesus. The same symbolism is
applied in the book of Revelation where heaven is described as being in a constant feast of
the Booths, picturing the saints and martyrs in white robes waving palm branches in their
hands and singing the praise of God (Rev 7:9-17). The events of Palm Sunday (see [287]),
with the crowd waving palm branches and singing “Hosanna” might be another reference
to this symbolism rendering to Jesus’ entry in Jerusalem an eschatological meaning.
The story of the transfiguration continues with another deeply significant episode.
While Peter offered to prepare the booths, a cloud, biblical symbol of the divine presence
covered them and a voice declared Jesus the beloved Son of God (v. 5). The evangelists
applied here a rabbinic literary instrument, the “heavenly voice” (“bath kol” in Hebrew)
used often for describing a public or semi-public announcement of a revelation or
403
command . The same words that at the Baptism of Jesus are heard only by himself, or
by the Baptist or by everybody in the different gospels (see [273]) are now uttered in third
person and directed to the disciples in all the three versions of the story.

403
Cf. Vermes, “Jesus the Jew,” pp. 91-92 and p.205. See also the vision of Peter in
Joppa (Acts 10:10-16).
232
 285. JESUS RAISES LAZARUS FROM DEATH, JN 11:1-45

This miracle prefigures the resurrection of Jesus himself and is the culmination of the
404
series of “signs” in John’s gospel and prelude to the passion . When Jesus is told that his
friend Lazarus is sick, he delays two days to go to him saying that this illness is “for the
glory of God” (v. 4). The “glory of God” in the Old Testament indicates a theophany, a
manifestation of God’s presence in the world while in John’s gospel “glory” has a special
connotation referring to the self-revelation of Jesus “the Fathers only Son” (Jn 1:14). Jesus
by this “sign” revealed himself as the giver of life who will raise those who believe in him
(cf. v. 25 and Jn 5:21), a divine prerogative in the Bible.
Jesus raises Lazarus by calling him out of the tomb, which is a reference to the
promise: “…the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice” (Jn
5:28). The “hour” of Jesus, his passion death and resurrection got near since this miracle
led to the formal resolution of the Sanhedrin to kill him (Jn 11:53) and it remained only to
find the occasion to carry out their decision. Jesus had raised dead people before, but this
miracle happened right at the gates of Jerusalem, witnessed by many.

286. THE ANOINTING AT BETHANY, JN 12:1-11 (MK 14:3-9; MT 26:6-10)

In the chronology of John’s gospel Jesus arrives at Bethany on the Mount of Olives six
days before Passover (v.1). The leaders, “the chief priests and Pharisees” already were
searching for Jesus to arrest him at an appropriate moment (Jn 11:56-57). In this climate of
danger the people of Bethany prepared a dinner for him, that might have been a special
405
meal of Sabbath . This event is different from the anointing by the “sinful woman” in Lk
7:36-38, which has a different context and meaning (see it presented in [282]).
The accounts of Mark and Matthew name the host as “Simon the leper”, maybe he
gave room because he was someone whom Jesus healed or he had a large enough house
or for an other reason. Among the guests of this supper John’s gospel names Lazarus,
raised from death, and his sisters Martha and Mary. Martha was serving while Mary (whom
the other gospels don’t name, but call “a woman”) took some very precious perfumed oil
of genuine nard and anointed with it Jesus’ feet and dried them with her hair (in the other

404
See more about the “signs” of Jesus in “The Wedding in Cana”[276].
405
Cf. Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, p. 492.
233
two versions she poured the oil on Jesus’ head, as a symbol of a regal anointing of the
messianic king). We know that women were in Jesus’ company (cf. Lk 8:1-3) and nothing
prevents us to think that they were as well disciples of him. Mary, whom Luke presents as
the ideal disciple (Lk 10:38-42) might have been one of them. Listening to the Jesus’
teaching about his suffering and death in Jerusalem, she understood him quicker than the
men who were hindered by preconceived ideas about the Messiah. She had put aside this
precious oil and kept it for the burial of Jesus; that night, sensing how near his death was,
she performed the anointing that would not be possible if Jesus were to be executed as
406
convicted criminal . From the defense of Jesus it is clear that this anointing was not just
an excessive gesture toward the important guest at the supper but performed in view of
his death. Some of the rabbinical tradition retained that burying the dead is the greatest
act of mercy and had seen anointing not only as part of the proper burial but as necessary
condition for the resurrection. Hence of the act of Mary acquires a great importance equal
with the gospel itself as the last remark of Jesus in the version Matthew and Mark indicates
(Mt 26:13; Mk 14:9).
The significance of this act was not clear for the other disciples and some became
indignant for the waste. John’s gospel indicates as the source of indignation for Judas the
betrayer, who already might have been thinking of giving up Jesus to the authorities. He is
presented here as a greedy thief who voiced concern for the poor to whom the price of the
perfume could have been given, but in reality desired to steal it for himself (vv. 4-6). As
Edersheim points out with beautiful expression, Jesus who himself became poor that
through his poverty might make us rich, answering to this argument changed it into a plea
to help the poor. Jesus left us with a command to serve the poor in whom after his death
407
and resurrection he would be always with us .
In several aspects this supper at Bethany is the feminine counterpart of the all-male
Last Supper. Instead of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples here we have Mary
anointing the feet of Jesus who leaves his last will as the service of the poor. The rich
symbolism of this scene includes the breaking of the alabaster jar (Mk 14:3) in order to
pour the oil of which fragrance filled the house (Jn 12:3) - allusion to a complete and
pleasing sacrifice and maybe a Eucharistic reference. The act of Mary can be seen as the

406
Cf. Ibid., p 493.
407
Ibid., p. 494.
234
iconic symbol of the “feminine” ecclesial service of compassion equally important as the
preaching of the gospel and complementary to the “male” apostolic service.

287. JESUS’ MESSIANIC ENTRY IN JERUSALEM, MT 21:1-17 (MK 11:1-1; LK 19:28-38; JN 12:12-15)

All the four evangelists record this important event although from different
408
standpoints . It is presented as the unique occasion when Jesus contrary of his usual
refusal to let people call him Messiah permitted the crowd to acclaim him openly. As the
messianic entry ushered the last days of the earthly life of Jesus the time of silence was
over time for public acknowledgment had arrived. The importance of the scene is stressed
in the synoptic gospels by the fact that Jesus seemingly took the initiative to prepare the
circumstances of his entry to Jerusalem (vv. 1-3). As a prophetic act or parable-in-action it
409
intended to represent the entire work of redemption accomplished by Jesus . John’s
gospel speaks of more visits and presents the cleansing of the Temple at the beginning of
the ministry of Jesus (Jn 2:13-25; [277]), while the synoptics describe it as the first time
Jesus went up to Jerusalem during his public life according to the simplified outline of the
life of Jesus they follow. In their view Jesus enters Jerusalem in order to get in contact with
410
the sanctuary of the Temple . The author of the letter to the Hebrews in the passage
speaks about Christ as highpriest who entered the sanctuary of heaven once for all to offer
a sacrifice to take away the sins of many (Heb 9:11-10:22). The letter to the Hebrews uses
the liturgy of the day of Atonement (Lev 16:1-19) to present the redemptive work of Jesus:
by his death and resurrection Christ entered the heavenly tent of testimony and there
intercedes for mankind until one day he will reappear as the highpriest did after the
sacrifice and lead his people to the throne of God. This interpretation sheds light on the
messianic entry in Jerusalem as a symbolic act signifying of what was to come in the work
of redemption. This comprehension became possible only following the resurrection and
after lengthy reflection (cf. Jn 12:16); the disciples present at the events did not

408
Even in that detail they differ that the synoptics describe the entry from Bethphage
of Bethany and John from Jerusalem. Cf. Ibid., p. 496.
409
Our presentation of the event as parable-in-action relies mainly on Stanley, “A
Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 79-84
410
To stress this point Mark ends the story abruptly stating that Jesus entered the
Temple area, looked around and returned back to Bethany to stress the importance of the
contact with the sanctuary.
235
understand at all the meaning of it, but were probably just overwhelmed by the
enthusiasm of the crowd and happy the attention their master got.
Even if Jesus accepted the acknowledgement of being the Messiah at the same time
he tried to correct the expectation of Israel; he did not arrive as the conquering warrior
king, the awaited Son of David who makes the triumphal entrance as Messiah, but came
as the meek Prince of Peace riding a borrowed donkey. In the climate of great expectation
probably the news already had spread that Jesus would soon come to the city and hence
for example the willingness of the owners of the donkey to let the famous teacher use it
411
. Matthew remarks (v. 4-5) that this happened, to fulfill what “the prophet” had told
about the meek messianic king who would come riding on a donkey instead of the war-
horse, symbol of peace that he would bring; the actual text of v. 5 is a gloss composed of
412
two prophets, Is 62:11 and Zec 9:9, which was a usual way to use Scriptures . This sort
of royal entry into Jerusalem suggested that Jesus is a king in a very different sense whose
kingdom is not of this world as he stated it later in front of Pilate (Jn 18:36-37).
The crowd gathered around the city hailed Jesus as “prophet” because they witnessed
413
the miracle of raising Lazarus (Jn 12:17-18) . This enthusiasm explains that a “very large
crowd” (v. 8) waited for Jesus already on the road, composed mostly of pilgrims already
present for the Passover celebrations. Luke admits however that Jesus received this
welcome from the “whole multitude of his disciples” (Lk 19:37), who came with him while
the habitants of Jerusalem in general remained hostile toward the Galilean prophet. This
might explain how it was possible that just a few days later there is a crowd shouting for
414
the death of Jesus . The multitude who greeted Jesus as their king were the powerless
country people, pilgrims and disciples while his enemies were from the seat of power with
authority and means to do whatever they wanted against him. Maybe they could even to
turn excited enthusiasts against Jesus since the masses are always vulnerable to
manipulation.

411
The remark about the donkey “on which no one has ever sat” (Lk 19:29) is probably
a reference to the general conditions of consecration to God described in Nm 19: and Deut
21:3. Cf. Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, p. 496.
412
The author probably was Greek since he misunderstood the poetic parallelism in
Zechariah (a literary means mentioning “ass” twice in different ways) and speaks of two
donkeys, with confusing image that Jesus rode on “them”. Cf. Vermes, “Jesus the Jew,” p.
145. John’s gospel when quotes Zec 9:9 glosses it with Is 40:9 (Jn 12:15).
413
Cf. Ibid., p. 87.
414
Cf. Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, p. 499.
236
 The crowd waving the palm trees and singing utterances from Psalm 118, which is part
of the great Hallel (Pss 113-118) that was sung on the great feasts of Israel might be a
motive from the feast of the Booths and so indicating that the eschatological reign of God
415
arrived . Matthew paraphrased Ps 118:25-26 by inserting “to the Son of David” after
“Hosanna” which indicates that it is a later construction to underline Jesus’ being the
416
Messiah . This interpretation of the Psalm is stressed further by the demand of the
Pharisees that Jesus rebuke his disciples mentioned only in Luke’s version (Lk 19:39).
Jesus’ reply that the stones around them would cry out if the people kept silent is maybe
an allusion for the destruction of the city where only desolated rocks remained as
witnesses of his coming in the name of the Lord. The reference to the future devastation
of Jerusalem becomes clear in the episode mentioned only by Luke. When arrived to the
rocky ledge from where the city can be seen Jesus wept over it, not with quiet weeping as
at the tomb of Lazarus (“edakrusen”) but with loud lamentation (“eklausen”): “If this day
417
you only knew what makes for peace…” (cf. Lk 19:41-44) .

288. JESUS PREACHES IN THE TEMPLE, LK 19:47-48; 21:37-38 (MT 21:14-17; MK 11:15-19; JN 12:20-
50)

The synoptic gospels account that after the entry in Jerusalem Jesus went to the
Temple and drove out those who were selling and buying things there, a prophetic act that
in John’s gospel is recorded at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry as the second “sign” [277].
With this Jesus publicly claimed authority over it - something highly provocative for “the
chief priests and the scribes ”. The hostility of these religious authorities from here on
during the passion story became open, just as Jesus had predicted it (Mt 16:21; 20:18).
After the symbolic cleansing and reconsecration the Temple became a proper place for
teaching and Jesus went up there every day on this last week of his life to preach and for

415
See more about the feast of the Booths at “The Transfiguration of Jesus” [284]. Some
like Edersheim retain that the waving of palm branches signifies a welcome visitors or a
king, not necessarily tied to the feast of the Booths, and the Hallel was sung also on
Passover. Cf. Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, p. 500.
416
“Hosanna” means “save, please” and is beginning of a prayer; the use of “the Son of
David” indicates that the gloss in Mt 21:9 and 15 is not from Aramaic or Hebrew, but later
development, maybe when “hosanna” became a jubilant acclamation without its original
meaning. Cf. Vermes, “Jesus the Jew,” p. 157.
417
Luke probably refers to the destruction of the city in the first Jewish war in 70 A.D.
See also Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, p. 498.
237
the nights returned to Bethany or went to the Mount of Olives outside of the city (Lk
21:37-38). The rich content of these teachings is collected in Lk 21 and 22 (see also Mt
21:23-25:46; Mk 11:27-13:37; Jn 12:20-50).

289. THE LAST SUPPER, MT 26:20-35 (MK 14:17:31; LK 22:14-38; JN 13:1-17:26)

This contemplation can be seen as the foundation of the Third Phase of the Exercises
in a similar way as the “Principle and Foundation” [23] is for the First and the “Kingdom”
418
meditation [91-99] for the Second Phase .
When contemplating the Last Supper, we need to remember that eating together in
the ancient cultures and particularly for Semitic peoples had deep social and even
religious significance. For oriental semi-nomad peoples who lived and traveled in an
unforgiving harsh climate hospitality and sharing food was necessary for survival (and
sometimes it is also today). A common meal was not only a social event, a sign of
friendship but occasion to express mutual commitment of support and also became a form
of divine worship. This sheds some light on why the most important events in the
419
Scriptures are almost always connected with a meal . Let us just recall the episode of
Melchizedek who brought bread and wine to bless Abraham (Gn 14:18-20) or the scene of
Moses and the elders of the people eating on the sacred mountain as ratification of the
covenant (Ex 24:1-11). With this background it is understandable that Jesus chose a
sacred meal for the institution of the new covenant.
We might note also the dramatic character of the Last Supper scenes in the gospels;
the reader can easily enter in the dialogs by identifying oneself with the characters, as in a
formalized and schematic way it happens in the Palm Sunday liturgy of the passion
readings.

1. Prediction of betrayal

The Last Supper begins with a deeply disturbing episode when Jesus reveals that one
of his closest disciples would betray him: “…one of you will betray me, one who is eating
with me” (cf. Mk 14:18). The betrayer was part of the table fellowship (cf. Ps 41:10), which

418
Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” p. 213.
419
Stanley refers at this observation about the frequency of meals to a book of Solange
Hertz reflecting a housewife’s reactions to the Bible, Cf., Ibid., pp. 236-237.
238
renders his act still graver in the light of the sacredness of the common meal in the
biblical world. To express the gravity and the mystery of this act John’s gospel refers twice
to a direct influence of Satan on Judas first in the decision to hand Jesus over to his
enemies (Jn 13:2) then during the supper (Jn 13:27).
Luke mentions that during the supper the disciples argued who is the greatest among
them (Lk 22:24) maybe during finding the order of sitting or reclining around the table. It
seems like that Judas made his way to the most important place on the left side of Jesus
420
. At this place he could receive the dipped morsel from Jesus (Jn 13:25-26) and ask
easily if he is the traitor (Mt 26:25). It seems that these were moments when Judas could
give up his intentions as well as when he too received the washing of the feet, but he did
not and left before the main part of the meal with the institution of the Eucharist.

2. Washing of the feet and the new commandment (Jn 13)

The washing of the disciples’ feet is accounted only in the fourth gospel (Jn 13:1-15).
The importance of this gesture is underlined by the solemn introduction to it (vv. 1-3).
Knowing that his “hour” arrived and fully conscious of what he was to do Jesus rose and
washed the feet of all the disciples, since Judas was still present. Jesus probably replaced
the washing of the hands prescribed only for the head of the family for fellowship with this
prophetic act, transforming this external rite of distinction into a very special humble
service of love. This transformation might explain the meaning of the answer given to the
protesting Peter (v. 8): submission to this washing was meant to share with Jesus in his
service of love, to have “part” in it (instead of “part” certain translations have
“inheritance”). This mimed prophecy symbolized the work of redemption in which Jesus
wanted his disciples to have part, and it was intended also to be the symbol of the
disciples’ future participation. This participation is not totally passive; to be redeemed we
need to share personally in the saving work, in the death and resurrection of Christ (v. 10).
Those who have “bathed” and so belong to Christ don’t need to repeat it (maybe a
reference to baptism), those who have been washed fully by him are asked to have their
feet washed in the daily consecration of their life to the service of love on the example of
421
Jesus himself .
420
Cf. Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, pp.559-560.
421
Edersheim instead of the daily forgiveness of sins mentions this interpretation to the
necessity of washing the feet, Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”,
pp.562-563. Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 239-
239
 John’s gospel omitted the narrative of the institution of the Eucharist found in the
synoptics and seemingly substituted it with the washing of the feet and by the giving of
the new commandment of love that replaces all the other commandments (Jn 13:31-35).
The word for “new” here is the Greek “kainos” expressing something novel,
422
unprecedented, a creative beginning . This commandment is novel as it replaces the
two commandments Jesus mentioned as the sum of the Old Testament spirituality (Mk
12:28-34, the commandment to love God and the second to love one’s neighbor. Yahweh
revealed himself in the Old Testament not so much of fear as it often thought mistakenly
but as a God of love and asked the people Israel to love him with all her heart (Dt 6:4-5).
As St. Ignatius pointed out love manifests itself in deeds rather than in words and it
consists in mutual exchange [230-231]. How could Israel love her God, what could they do
for him, how could they give him in exchange anything for his love? They also understood
that Yahweh is transcendent, totally other (cf. Is 40:12-27) who needs nothing from his
creatures. The answer they have found in the second commandment that says to love
one’s neighbor as oneself (Lev 19:18). The people of Israel understood from this that they
should give God their mutual love as reply to the covenant given to them. The sensitivity
toward just human relations as unique feature of Israel’s faith is reflected also in the
Decalogue (Dt 5:6-21), the greater part of which actually deals with these relations and
social justice. Even the institution of the Sabbath is a measure that gave the workers a day
of rest each week and set limits to human avarice (Dt 5:14-15)423.
The commandment Jesus gave is new also as it not even mentions our love toward
424
God, only the love toward one another on the example of Jesus . It commands an
effective love modeled on the redemptive love of Jesus who opened a new and efficacious
way to love God. Since through his death and resurrection Jesus assumed in himself all
mankind, the “good news” is that we can love him in reality and truly in all our fellow
human beings. To love each other in this way is made possible through the power given in

242.
422
There is another word for “new” in Greek, “neos” that indicates fresheness,
something just made and even immature like the new wine (Mk 2:22) of which is said that
the old is better (Lk 5:39). Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual
Exercises,” p. 224.
423
Cf. Ibid., pp. 222-223.
424
St. Paul gave a similar view of the new commandment as the prophetic fulfillment of
the entire Old Testament law in the one commandment of love toward the neighbor (Gal
5:13-14; Rm 13:8-10). Cf. Ibid., pp. 223-224.
240
the Eucharist. The new commandment of love constitutes the essence of the new
425
covenant, which was stipulated through the institution of the Eucharist .
The Eucharist is a sacramental representation of the love demonstrated by Jesus and
which he asked in the new commandment. Thus the washing of the feet, as a symbolic act
of love and service signified the real meaning of the participation in this sacrament and
could replace the narrative of the institution of the Eucharist in the fourth gospel.

3. Institution of the Eucharist (Lk 22:7-20)

We conclude the presentation of the Last Supper with the institution of the Eucharist.
To enter this contemplation the companions might use the “Second Method of Prayer”
426
[249-257], the simple meditative reflection on the words of the passage . They can note
that the text of the institution is organized around four verbs that express the actions of
427
Jesus and which entered the liturgy of the Mass at the moment of the consecration: he
“took” the bread and the wine, he “blessed” them, he “broke” the bread, he “gave” them
to the disciples. The prayer with this scene can focus on these words and their connection
with the use of bread and wine for the creation of the new covenant. Bread and wine were
the most common and basic staples of the time and culture of Jesus and the choice of
these is meaningful on the importance and sacredness of the ordinary things and of
ordinary people. Jesus took the commonest food to turn it in his own body and blood by
blessing them; similarly, he consecrated us and with us the elements of our daily life to
become means of communion with God. We can apply the words of the institution of the
428
Eucharist on our personal lives and vocation as married or single, lay or priest . In the
light of this context we understand how after chosen and blessed we are also “broken”
and “given” for the world. Certain suffering expressed by the word “broken” is connected
with our lives to become instruments of grace, to be “given” as efficacious signs for the
good of others.

425
Cf. Ibid., pp. 224-225.
426
David Stanley proposed this form of praying with the words of the institution of the
Eucharist. Cf. Ibid., p.213.
427
The same verbs used in the accounts of Jesus feeding the crowd. Cf. [283].
428
David Stanley presents this reflection adapted for the life of the priest. Cf. Ibid., pp.
213-218.
241
 290. FROM THE LAST SUPPER TO THE GETHSEMANE, MT 26:36-46 (MK 14:32-42; LK 22:39-46)

The evangelists reconstructed the agony of Jesus in Gethsemane from what little they
could know about this personal experience in a similar way as they described the
429
temptations (see [274]) . Luke uses for this experience of Jesus the word “agony”
meaning, “struggle” expressing by this that the confrontation with Satan at the end of
Jesus’ life became open. Jesus lived this struggle in utter loneliness as Peter, James and
John whom he asked to pray with him, fell asleep (as at the transfiguration, see [284]). The
decisive eschatological struggle against evil was seen in the Old Testament and in Jewish
apocalyptic writings frequently as a necessary event before the establishment of the reign
of God; Jesus as Son of God must have engaged alone in this terrible trial against Satan,
430
his declared enemy .
The prayer of Jesus began with the Aramaic word “Abba” (Mk 14:36), which indicated
431
the special filial relationship with God since the term was used by children toward their
father but as too familiar like “Dad” in English it was never applied to God before. Paul
used the word “Abba” referring to the prayer inspired by the Spirit in our hearts (Gal 4:4-6
and in Rom 8:14-17). This prayer is a proof that after Pentecost the Spirit of the Son in
whom we can say “Abba, Father!” empowers us to enter the same filial relationship of
Jesus with God.
To describe the prayer of Jesus (who probably prayed silently) the evangelists used the
model of the “Our Father”, the prayer Jesus himself had taught to his disciples. The first
part of the “Our Father” expresses in a threefold manner the wish that God’s kingdom and
will would be realized fully in human history, while the second part asks for help that we
could become collaborators of God in this goal; the help we need is described as the daily
bread, forgiveness of sins and deliverance from the forces of evil. Jesus prayed three times
that not his, but the will of the Father would be done and accepted the “cup”, the fullness
of trial, suffering and death. In the same time Jesus wanted the disciples to pray to be not
exposed to the “trial” or “test” (Lk 22:40), which is the same prayer as last petition of the
429
In this presentation we rely mainly on the reflection of David Stanley in Ibid., pp.
243- 249.
430
John’s gospel does not mention the agony but describes this inner struggle in the
episode with the Greek pilgrims (Jn 12:27-30). He presents Jesus in the garden scene ([291])
not as someone in agony but at the beginning of his triumph. Cf. Ibid., pp. 243-244.
431
Matthew omits the Aramaic word and translates it with “My Father” (Mt 26:39.42),
used in the gospels exclusively by Jesus to indicate God.
242
“Our Father”: “…do not subject us to the final test but deliver us from the evil one” (Mt
6:13). This final test (or temptation) is the terrible trial that Jesus alone should have
suffered. From this prayer of Jesus we learn the inner necessity of his suffering and death
on the part of God; we cannot know the answer to the “why”, we can just arrive to accept
that it was inevitable in some way that belongs to the mystery of God.
The intensity of this moment as the struggle against the evil that accompanied Jesus’
life entered in the definitive phase in this final “hour” is indicated in various ways by the
gospels. Matthew and Mark accounted that Jesus in his sorrow and distress exclaimed that
he was near to dying (Mt 26:37-38; Mk 14:33-34), while Luke said that his sweat turned
blood from sorrow (Lk 22:44).

291. QUESTIONING IN THE HOUSE OF ANNAS, JN 18:1-24

John’s gospel does not give the name of the place of Gethsemane where Jesus was
arrested but calls it “the garden” (v. 1), as an allusion to the first “garden” of Eden. The
evangelist thus gives an original meaning to the scene presenting Jesus as the new Adam
bracing himself for confrontation with “the ancient serpent” (Rv 12:9). Satan is presented
here in Judas of whom John told that during the Last Supper “Satan entered him” (Jn
13:27). Judas led the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus ignominiously in this hidden place
(cf. Mt 26:55). Jesus confronted them and as they replied that they were searching “Jesus
of Nazareth” he declared, “I AM”, pronouncing the divine name for which the soldiers fell
on the ground (vv. 4-5)432. Jesus submitted to the arrest only after repeated confrontation,
433
not because forced but freely since this was part of the divine plan (cf. Jn 10:17-18) .
Peter who had a sword tried to stop the arrest and fight but Jesus did not allow him to
interfere with the course of events saying that he should drink the “cup” (vv. 10-11), a
theme of the agony in the synoptic gospels ([290]). Then the disciples fled since Jesus
himself gave order to the soldiers to let them go (vv. 8-9), thus demonstrating again that
he was the master of the events. The “band of soldiers, the tribune and the Jewish guards”
brought Jesus to Annas, the ex-high-priest (vv. 12-13). Peter and the other disciple

432
In John’s gospel the “I am” sayings serve to express the divinity of Jesus.
433
Cf. Ibid., pp. 255-256.
243
 434
(probably John) followed them and standing at a charcoal fire the frightened Peter
denied Jesus first time (vv. 15-18).
This interrogation during the night was an injustice in itself since Annas as deposed
high priest had no authority whatsoever to question Jesus. During this unofficial
435
interrogation Annas let his servants abuse the prisoner (vv. 22-23) committing further
shameful injustice. Then they brought Jesus to the house of Caiaphas the actual high
priest.

292. INTERROGATION THE HOUSE OF CAIAPHAS IN FRONT OF THE SANHEDRIN, MT 26:57-75 (MK 14:53-72; LK
22:54-71)

This trial should have taken place in the morning when the entire Sanhedrin gathered
around the high priest. They were not able to find other than false witnesses to support
some sort of charges against the prisoner, but for the solemn questioning of Caiaphas
Jesus gave an answer (v. 64) that provided them with something, although it is unclear if
436
Jesus actually acknowledged that he was the Messiah or denied it . Denial seems
plausible if we recall how consequently Jesus refused the type of Messiah his
437
contemporaries expected . However, Jesus continued his answer with a declaration that
combined a passage from Psalm 110 applied to the royal enthronement of the Messiah (Ps
110:1) and a paraphrase of the prophecy of Daniel on the mysterious figure called “Son of
Man” (Dn 7:13-14), a title that seemingly Jesus used for self-designation to create a
438
distance from the contemporary messianic expectations . The symbolical representation

434
“Charcoal fire” appears in the New Testament only here and in the apparition of
Jesus at the Lake Tiberias ([306]) connecting the two events concerning Peter.
435
This episode recorded only by John would not be a formal trial since trials involving
capital case could not be held during the night according to Jewish law; thus the synoptic
tradition of two trials is contradictory (see Mk 14:53-65; 15:1). John instead omits the formal
trial with the Sanhedrin, stressing his theological point that judgment belongs to God who
already condemned that assembly of men (see Jn 12:31) and to the coming Spirit who will
convict the world on three counts (Jn 16:8-10) Cf. Ibid., pp. 257-258.
436
Even Mark’s direct version “I am” (Mk 14:62), has variants that are consonant with
the other synoptics: “You say that I am”. This formulation from other rabbinic texts is more
likely a denial and a courteous refusal to continue the dialog. Cf. Vermes, “Jesus the Jew,”
pp.148-149.
437
See the temptation story in [274].
438
This title (that the synoptics use exclusively on the lips of Jesus) is an appropriate an
expression for the divinity of Christ as it points to a more-than-human character coming “on
the clouds” (otherwise “son of man” means simply man). It is an even more apt title than
244
of the eschatological triumph of Israel in Daniel is used here to describe the final
manifestation of the glorified Christ at the end of times. The Sadducean high priest and his
colleagues understood this declaration as blasphemy, a capital crime, although the words
used by Jesus could not be interpreted as such by any Jewish court and so they broke the
439
law in this already illegal proceeding . After pronouncing the death sentence the guards
and the members of the Sanhedrin adding to the shameful character of their session
began to physically abuse Jesus. This the gospels describe in a way recalling the sufferings
of the Servant of the Lord described in Isaiah (Is 50:6). While the trial went on inside, Peter
in the courtyard repeatedly denied Jesus (vv. 69-75).

440
293. TRIAL IN FRONT OF PILATE, JN 18:28-40

In the fourth gospel Pilate began the hearing with the intention to humiliate the Jewish
leaders (“the Jews” as John calls the hostile authorities) pointing out that their religious
charges of blasphemy are irrelevant for him and that they lost their right to inflict death
penalty (vv. 29-31). Probably then they came up with the new, political charge that Jesus
441
pretended to be the king of the Jews . The original charge for blasphemy was punishable
with stoning (Lv 24:16) and in this act of bringing Jesus to Pilate with a new accusation to
be crucified John sees the fulfillment of the prediction of Jesus that he will die “lifted up”
(v. 32; cf. Jn 3:14; 12:32). We can feel in all gospels a certain polemic tendency toward the
Jewish authorities as they present as more guilty in the execution of Jesus than the
Romans.
While John has the most dramatic description of the dialog between Jesus and Pilate
also the synoptic gospels report the central inquiry about the kingship of Jesus with the
442
equivocal answer: “You say so” (Mt 27:11; Mk 15:2; Lk 23:3) . The title however used in
the “Son of God”, which was used also for Israel, for kings or judges. Cf. Ibid., pp. 199-200
See also Vermes, “Jesus the Jew,” pp. 161-186.
439
The Mishnah stated that only the abuse of the Tetragram, of the name of Yahweh
accounts for blasphemy, a claim to be the Messiah created no ground for this charge. Cf.
Vermes, “Jesus the Jew,” pp. 35-36.
440
The trial in John’s version can be divided in two sections, of which this point presents
the first. The second part (Jn 19:1-16) following the scourging of Jesus is to be found in
[295]. Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 258-260.
441
Cf. Vermes, “Jesus the Jew,” pp. 36-37.
442
It can be an acknowledgement as well as denial. Matthew and Mark left it open while
in Luke’s version Pilate interpreted as a denial and immediately declared that Jesus is not
guilty of the charge (Lk 23:4). Cf. Ibid., p. 149.
245
Pilate’s question “Are you the king of the Jews?” (v. 33) was inaccurate, the real
accusation having been that Jesus declared himself “Son of God”, of divine nature, and
God’s title was “King of Israel”. The fourth gospel indicated to this distinction as Jesus
answered with a question to Pilate asking if the Roman procurator simply did not know
about the difference or had accepted the political charges (v. 34) 443. When Pilate then
wanted to hear what Jesus did to be indicted by the religious leaders Jesus explained the
nature of his kingship with understandable terms for his judge (v. 36). For the repeated
question if he was in fact a king Jesus pointed to the essence of his mission as “…to testify
to the truth” (v. 38). For this Pilate rebuffed, “What is truth?” (v. 38) posing the
fundamental question investigated in John’s gospel. For John “truth” is a reality one lives
444
or does . Jesus’ entire existence was directed toward establishing the reign of God in
human history, toward testifying to the truth that the reign of God is present in his work
and in his person. As the reign of God was inaugurated in him as incarnate Son, Jesus is
445
king not only “of the Jews” but all mankind .
This section of the trial ends with the conclusion of Pilate that he did not find grounds
for condemning Jesus and wanted to release him, by making the crowd to choose between
446
Jesus and another prisoner, Barrabbas . They preferred Barrabbas (vv. 39-40). The name
means (ironically or symbolically), “son of the father”, which simply stands for “man”. This
prisoner condemned to death was freed instead of Jesus, true “Son of the Father”.

294. PILATE SENDS JESUS TO HEROD FOR TRIAL, LK 23:6-11

This episode is recorded only in Luke’s gospel where Herod Antipas appeared more
times (9:7-9; 13:31-33). Pilate’s motive to send him the prisoner for trial might have been
to discharge the case he did not like or to show some recognition of the rights of the
447
tetrarch of Galilee with whom he had an enmity before . Luke reported that Herod and
Pilate became friends after this episode (Lk 23:12). In the Acts of the Apostles he pointed
443
Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” p. 258.
444
We might note that this meaning of truth brings it near to the notion of love, which
manifests itself in deeds rather than in words as St. Ignatius stressed it [231]. Truth and love
are the two most fundamental human realities, in a dynamic and mutual relationship with
each other that could be a theme for reflection, too.
445
See also Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, p. 596
446
See also Mt 27:15-26; Mk 15:6-15; Lk 23:18-25.
447
Cf. Ibid., p. 597.
246
out that the political leaders, the kings and princes, Herod and Pilate conspired together to
destroy Jesus just as predicted by David (Ps 2:2) and so fulfilled God’s plan (Acts 4:24-30).
Herod is presented as curious of Jesus of whom he heard a lot and wanted to meet for
a long time to see some magic performed (v. 8). Herod questioned the prisoner, but as
Jesus did not say or do anything. The accusers came along to accuse and abuse Jesus also
here. They probably brought up political charges, but Jesus being a Galilean made him
already suspicious as a rebel or zealot. Herod was disappointed in Jesus whom he thought
to be a prophet and miracle maker and now judged as a helpless idiot. He and his soldiers
abused Jesus and for mockery clothed him in resplendent clothes (a strange detail that
might be a reference to the transfiguration, [284]) and sent him back to Pilate (v. 11). As
Luke was generally concerned in his gospel to show the right attitude of becoming a
disciple, this episode served to teach that to reach Jesus not curiosity but faith is
necessary (7:50; 8:48-50; 17:19).

295. HEROD SENDS JESUS BACK TO PILATE FOR SENTENCE, LK 23:12-16; JN 19:1-11 (MT 27:19-23; MK
15:16-20)

The second part of the trial before Pilate in John’s gospel began with the scourging of
Jesus, which was interpreted by this evangelist as an attempt on the part of the procurator
to satisfy the bloodthirsty crowd. He orders this cruel punishment notwithstanding that he
just declared Jesus innocent and even without formal judgment (Jn 19:1). Scourging was in
448
fact a usual introductory part of the crucifixion, called “the intermediate death” . The
abuse followed also the scourging, as the soldiers felt free to play their vulgar mockery
with the bleeding prisoner (vv. 2-3). Pilate presented Jesus to the crowd “Behold, the
man!” John stresses that Jesus was “still wearing the crown of thorns and the purple
cloak”, while Pilate threatened to stop the trial by acquitting the prisoner of the charges
(vv. 5-6). Contrary to Pilate’s expectations the religious leaders were not appeased, but
feeling humiliated repeatedly by the procurator and seeing their messianic hopes mocked
became furious, turning their embarrassment into anger. They even confessed their real
motive that they were seeking the execution of Jesus because he claimed to be the “Son
of God” (v. 7). This statement caused the already ambiguous Pilate to be overcome by

448
Ibid., p. 600. Matthew and Mark present it as such preliminary to the crucifixion itself
(Mt 27:26; Mk 15:15).
247
fear, maybe by superstitious dread, maybe by a sense of something greater than his
understanding. We can recall the episode mentioned only by Matthew that Pilate’s wife
warned him because of a dream she had regarding Jesus (Mt 27:19) indicating a divine
message. The startled Pilate now earnestly questioned Jesus whence he came from (cf. Jn
6:25). As Pilate did not receive answer, his fear became more intense and to compensate
it sought assurance in his power over life and death. Pilate did not know that the power he
claimed was given to him by God whom the procurator was not familiar with. Jesus pointed
out that the religious authorities, the high priests and scribes, knowing God from whom
the power came and to whom they were responsible were guiltier in abusing it (vv. 10-11).

296. CONDEMNATION AND WAY TO THE CROSS, JN 19:12-22

There was an ulterior attempt on the part of Pilate to release Jesus, but then the Jewish
authorities came out with their last move, threatening to implicate the procurator himself
before the imperial tribunal in the charge of rebellion against Ceasar if he would let Jesus
go free (v. 12). This was too much for a Roman official and so Pilate formally condemned
Jesus to crucifixion. The evangelist stressed the solemnity of the moment of condemnation
by giving the exact place as the Stone Pavement or Gabbatha under the fortress Antonia
and the time as about noon on the preparation day for Passover. In the chronology of the
fourth gospel this was the same hour when in the Temple the priests began the slaughter
of the lambs for Passover, alluding that Jesus is the true Lamb of God (cf. Jn 2:19). This
theme alludes also to the Suffering Servant of Yahweh who was executed “like a lamb led
to the slaughter” (Is 53:7). John accounts that Pilate seated Jesus on the judge’s bench, as
in the thought of the evangelist Jesus is the real judge who has the right to sit there (vv.
13-14).
Only Matthew accounts that Pilate employed a Jewish rite in connection with the
condemnation (Mt 27:24), the handwashing prescribed for the elders of a town where a
murder happened but the killer was unknown, in order to free themselves from guilt (Dt
21:1-8). This rite done by a Roman justice could appeal to the Jewish leaders powerfully
and should have resulted in their declining from the death sentence. The prescribed reply
for this rite was indeed a prayer on the part of the priests asking forgiveness and to be
449
free from “innocent blood”, but the reaction in Jesus’ trial was just the opposite .

449
Ibid., p. 600.
248
 At the end of the trial Pilate threw a last cynical insult to them by saying “Behold, your
king!” after which they cried out again for crucifixion and the chief priests burst out: “We
have no king but Ceasar” (vv. 14-15). With this they practically committed apostasy and
450
blasphemy, abjuring their faith in God the only King of Israel .
As a customary part of the crucifixion the soldiers made Jesus carry part of the cross to
the place of the execution on a hill outside of the city walls called in Aramaic Golgotha or
Place of the Skull (in Latin Calvaria) because of its shape. John reported that Jesus carried
the cross on his back all alone (v. 17) and with this fulfilled the typology of Isaac who
451
brought the wood for the sacrifice (Gn 22:1-14) . While John represented Jesus as fully in
control of his destiny (cf. Jn 10:18) the synoptics mention the episode with Simon of
Cyrene forced at a certain point to carry the cross instead of Jesus (Mt 27:32; Mk 15:21; Lk
452
23:26) .
At the crucifixion of Jesus the fourth gospel gives the fullest detail of the inscription
over Jesus’ head with the name and charge “Jesus the Nazorean; the King of the Jews” (v.
19) and that it was written in three languages, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, so that many
could read it (v. 20). John’s gospel accounts the story that the chief priests protested
against the sign as an insult for them but Pilate kept it unchanged (vv. 21-22).

297. JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS, JN 19:23-27 (MT 27:35-52; MK 15:24-38; LK 23:34-46)

John describes the episode of the soldiers dividing the clothes of Jesus among them in
453
the most detailed way among the gospels ; he adds that they have cast lots for the
seamless tunic of Jesus and quotes the verse of Psalm 22 he saw fulfilled in these two

450
Cf. Ibid., p. 601 and also Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual
Exercises,” p. 260.
451
Ibid., p. 260.
452
Mark named also Alexander and Rufus, the sons of Simon, probably known to the
community for which the evangelists wrote his gospel, maybe Christians themselves. Luke
pictured Simon carrying the cross behind Jesus together with a large crowd, exemplifying a
central theme of his gospel, discipleship as taking up the cross and following Jesus (Lk 9:23;
14:27).
453
This detailed and in many ways different account from the synoptic gospels might be
due to the fact that John was a direct eyewitness of the death of Jesus. The tunic was cut
into four parts as four soldiers accompanied each prisoner to the execution. See more on the
details of crucifixion in Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, pp. 601-607.
249
actions (Ps 22:9). The mention of the seamless tunic, part of the regalia of Jewish high
454
priests (Sir 50:11) is a reference that Jesus is king and also high priest in this moment .
The mockery of the bystanders (see Mt 27:39) is a further a reference to Psalm 22
describing the sufferings of the Messiah (cf. Ps 22:7-8). The challenges thrown at Jesus
demanding convincing signs recall the suggestions of Satan in the temptation story (see
[274]) - an indication that the gospels see these people as instruments of the evil one.
Similarly to the temptations some of the verbal abuses are quotations from the Scriptures
(like in Mt 27:43 that of Ps 22:9 and of Wis 2:12-20).
The gospels recorded Jesus speaking on the cross altogether seven times (traditionally
called the “seven words” of Christ). (1) He prayed, “Father forgive them, they know not
what they do” (Lk 23:46) for the executioners first of all, though this prayer can be
extended for the authorities condemning Jesus (cf. Acts 3:17; 1 Cor 2:8) even interpreted
as a sign of universal mercy and as astounding paradigm for forgiveness (cf. Acts 8:60).
(2) There is an episode recorded only by Luke when Jesus promised to one of the two
criminals executed together with him “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in
Paradise” (Lk 23:43), echoing this gospel’s view that the destiny of a disciple is “being
with Jesus”. (3) The mother of Jesus presented as the first disciple by John appeared under
the cross a second time in his gospel after the wedding of Cana (cf. [276]). Jesus
recommended John to his mother by saying to them “Woman, behold, your son” and
“Behold, your mother” (cf. Jn 19:25-27). Mary was asked to become the mother of the
beloved disciple who represented there all the believers and thus she accepted to be
455
mother of the Church . (4) Then “…in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus
said, ‘I thirst’”(Jn 19:28). It might be a reference to Ps 22:16 (which is the most often
quoted Psalm in the passion accounts) or to Ps 69:22 “… for my thirst they gave me
vinegar”. They gave him in fact wine, which probably went sour, turned “vinegar” on the
456
hot sun, soaked in a sponge put to his mouth on a sprig of hyssop . This latter is
probably an allusion to the hyssop with which the blood of the paschal lamb was sprinkled

454
Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” p. 260.
455
Ibid., p. 260.
456
This should have been the cheap wine the soldiers had with them, not the wine
mixed with myrrh to dull consciousness, which they (maybe an association of pious women)
offered to Jesus before the crucifixion but what he refused (Mk 15:23). The mention of the
short sprig of hyssop as well as the possibility of the communication with Jesus renders it
probable that his cross was not high. Cf. Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the
Messiah”, p. 605.
250
on the doors (Ex 12:22). (5) Jesus cried out in loud voice in Aramaic “ ‘Eloi, eloi, lema
sabachthani?’ which is translated, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Mk
15:34; cf. Mt 25:46). These are the opening words of the often-quoted Psalm of lament and
trust (Ps 22:2a), but which the bystanders misunderstood, thinking Jesus called Elijah the
prophet who was believed to help in distress. (6) John accounts that having taken the wine
Jesus said, “It is finished” and dying “handed over the spirit” (cf. Jn 19:36). In the fourth
gospel the death of Jesus is the moment of glorification and by his last breath the glorified
Christ gave the Holy Spirit to the Church, represented by his mother and John. (7) In
Luke’s gospel Jesus died with the words “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Lk
23:46), which is a verse from Psalm 31 that continues with an expression of trust “you will
457
redeem me, Lord, faithful God” (Ps 31:6) .
The synoptic gospels described Jesus’ death with apocalyptic imagery, a symbolic
expression that the final age arrived. They mention earthquake (cf. Mt 24:28; 28:2),
splitting rocks, opening graves, resurrection of the saints (cf. Dn 12:1-3) solar eclipse and
that the veil of the sanctuary was torn apart. This was probably the veil of the Holy of
Holies (Ex 26:31-36) through which only the high priest was allowed to pass once a year
on the Day of Atonement; it’s being torn might alluded to the looming destruction of the
sanctuary, the end of the Old Testament or meant that the access to God is open for all.
John accounts that after the death of Jesus the soldiers broke the legs of the others but
not those of Jesus (Jn 19:31-33.36) which is an alluding to the psalmist’s depiction of
persecution of the just (Ps 34:20) and continuing the theme of the paschal lamb the bones
of which should not be broken (Ex 12:46). Jesus’ death fulfilled the prophetic element
contained in the paschal sacrifice of the lamb, realized definitely the work of liberation and
redemption. To assure the death one of the soldiers, as it was customary pierced the heart
of Jesus of which blood and water flowed out (Jn 19:34-35.37, cf. Zec 12:10). These signs
serve John to stress the reality of Jesus’ death as an eyewitness against the docetic heresy
of mere appearance, while the scene maybe contains also a symbolic reference to the
sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist.

457
Matthew and Mark recorded only that Jesus died with a loud cry (Mt 27:50; Mk
15:37).
251
 458
298. THE BURIAL OF JESUS, JN 19:38-42 (MT 27:57-66; MK 15:42-47; LK 23:50-56)

John’s gospel describes the anointing of Jesus’ body for the burial immediately after his
459
death and removal from the cross and mentions the use of a huge amount, a hundred
pounds of spices (vv. 38-39). This indicates a burial with royal grandeur according to
John’s dominant theme in the passion story of Jesus being a king. For John it was an
important enough factor to mention explicitly that the burial was performed according to
Jewish custom (v. 40). With this he intended to suggest that Jesus’ body, which in John’s
view was already glorified, remained intact for the imminent resurrection.
Matthew reports that the tomb in which they laid Jesus was of Jesus of Arimathea a
rich man (Mt 27:57) maybe a member of the Sanhedrin (cf. Mk 15:43) and secretly a
disciple of Jesus. This was a newly hewn tomb of a distinguished rich man, seen by the
women, which makes it a well identified a detail serving apologetic purposes. The gospel
of Matthew ends the account of the burial by mentioning also that the Jewish authorities
fixed a seal on the tomb and placed a guard there to secure that nobody could steal the
body (Mt 27:62-66).
The gospel of John has a different, symbolic remark regarding the burial place of Jesus.
He says, it was a new tomb nearby in “a garden” which is an allusion to Jesus as new
Adam placed in a garden. This new garden is different from the place of the agony that
symbolized the first Eden (cf. [290]), it is a sign of the future heavenly paradise where
Jesus on the cross promised to bring with him the penitent thief (Lk 23:43).

299. THE APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN JESUS TO HIS MOTHER

We can feel the devotion of St. Ignatius toward Our Lady, as he wanted to include the
encounter of the risen Lord with his mother in the mysteries of the life of Jesus - the only
contemplation in the exercises that is not based on the gospels. He argues: “Though this
is not mentioned explicitly in the Scriptures it must be considered as stated when
Scripture says that he appeared to many others” ([299]). The appearance of Jesus to his
mother is a realistic supposition as the gospels record that he appeared first not to the

458
Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” p. 261.
459
The synoptic gospels omit this anointing that was part of the Jewish funeral process,
but account that the women went to perform it to the tomb on the morning of the
resurrection.
252
disciples but to the women who were closest to him in affection (Lk 24:10). These were the
women who accompanied and served him on his travels (Lk 8:1-3), stood with him at the
cross as witnesses of his death (Lk 23:49) and took care of his body for the burial (Lk
23:55-24:1). The contemplations of these appearances might stress again to the
companions the importance of emotions, warmth and care in the bond with Jesus Christ
who is now living as the risen Lord and in the same time mysteriously identified with all
humanity.
The scene of the risen Jesus with his mother touches deeply the religious feelings of
many believers. Let us account here a personal experience of Kris who was present in one
Easter celebration in the town of Nicosia in Sicily, Italy. It is customary there to represent
on the morning of Easter Sunday on the main town square the encounter of Jesus with his
mother Mary as the much-awaited high point of the celebration. They carry out of the
church the statues of the risen Jesus and Mary to the opposite sides of the square, then
amidst growingly intense sound of many drums strong men from certain confraternities
bring them together until their arms touch each other. Then the entire crowd explodes in
cheers, people embrace each other and exchange joyful greetings. Resurrection became
reality again.

300. APPEARANCE TO MARY OF MAGDALA, JN 20:11-18

This apparition is described only in John’s gospel (Mk 16:9-11 mentions it shortly).
460
Mary of Magdala went to the tomb of Jesus together with some other women on the
“first day of the week” after the Sabbath (Jn 20:1), which meant by Jewish calculation the
“third day” from the death of Jesus. The “third day” has rich scriptural allusions and in
particular a reference to the resurrection of dead in the book of Hosea (Hos 6:2)461.
These women were the first to discover that the tomb was empty (see [301]). The fact
that they sought the tomb in order to perform an anointing shows that they did not expect

460
In this all four gospels agree. See Mt 28:1; Mk 16:1; Lk 24:10 and although Jn 20:1
names only Mary of Magdala as most prominent of the group of women, in v. 2 she used the
plural “we”.
461
The “third day” appears also in Abraham’s sacrifice (Gn 22:4) and in the story of
Joseph and his brothers (Gn 42:17-18). In contemporary Judaism it was supposed that the
soul of the dead parted from the body on the third day from the death and relatives visited
the grave up to the third day to assure that the deceased is really dead. Cf. Edersheim, “The
Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, p. 605.
253
the resurrection at all. This lack of expectation is confirmed by their sorrow, by the fear
the women experienced at the tomb of Jesus (Mk 16:8) and by the doubts of the disciples
who did not believe the story of the women (Lk 24:11) or as in John’s account they went
home after seeing the empty tomb as if nothing happened (Jn 20:10). The attitude of the
disciples (both men and women) might have been caused that they had a different
462
concept of resurrection and perhaps waited Jesus returning gloriously in his Kingdom .
The sorrow, doubts and fears might have been expressions of lack of faith and these
accounts conveyed criticism of certain disciples and in the same time (mostly in Mark’s
gospel) might have served to give hope to Christians who lost faith or became apostates
during the persecutions: also these important authoritative figures failed, but it was never
463
hopeless to regain faith .
Mary of Magdala reacted to the empty tomb by assuming the body was removed and
not even seeing the risen Jesus was enough, only when she heard his voice did she
recognized him (v. 16), an allusion to the figure of the good shepherd who calls the sheep
by name and they recognize his voice (Jn 10:3-5). Mary came to faith in the resurrection
and received from Jesus the mandate to announce the good news to the disciples. The
words of Jesus to Mary reflect John’s theological view in which resurrection, ascension,
glorification and the sending of the Spirit forms one event. Jesus’ answer first suggested
that soon after this encounter he would ascend to the Father and then he sent Mary to
prepare the disciples for receiving the gift of the Spirit (v. 7)464.

462
The apparitions are described in a form that would not be acceptable in the Jewish
tradition, a fact that indirectly supports the authenticity of these accounts. Cf. Ibid., pp. 619-
620.
463
Mark might have written to a community where apostasies happened during the first
Roman-Jewish war in 66-74 A.D. Mark especially is a critic of the inner circle of Peter, John
and James (Mk 14:32-42), while John underlines of the lack of faith of Peter (who saw the
burial clothes but did not come to faith in contrast with the beloved disciple, Jn 20:3-8), of
Mary of Magdala (who saw the empty tomb but thought that the body was removed, Jn
20:13.15) and of Thomas (who needed to touch Jesus to believe, Jn 20:25; [305]). Cf.
Crossan, “The Birth of Christianity” pp. 556-562.
464
Only from Jesus’ answer do we know that Mary was holding onto his feet, like the
women in Mt 28:9. The verse alludes also to Ru 1:16 and expresses that the Father of Jesus
became the Father of the disciples; hence he called them “my brothers”.
254
 301. APPEARANCE TO TWO WOMEN, MT 28:1-10

In the description of the events in this passage Matthew depends on Mark (Mk 16:1-8)
but he changed his source significantly and added some own material to it.
Matthew describes the scene with signs of divine presence and of arrival of the final
age: an earthquake, an angel descending from heaven to roll away the stone like lightning
in clothes white like snow (2-4). He rendered the text less critical toward the women than
Mark by saying that they went to see the tomb (v.1) without mentioning the intention of
anointing the body of Jesus (Mk 16:1).465. Mathew changed the disobedience of the women
in Mark to obedience (Mt 28:8 cf. Mk 16:8) and says that they quickly went away from the
tomb (instead of “fled”) fearful yet overjoyed (instead of “trembling and bewilderment”)
and ran to announce the good news to the disciples as the angel ordered them (instead of
“they said nothing” disobeying the command)466.
Matthews own account continues by saying that these women suddenly met with Jesus
on their way and as they embraced his feet and worshiped him; he confirmed their mission
467
to go and give the good news to the disciples (vv. 9-10) . In Matthew the disciples are
told to go to Galilee, to return from Jerusalem to the place where they received their first
call. The choice of Galilee, the borderland, where poor and mixed people lived as the
center of their activity is significant for the understanding of the basic message of the
gospels (see [307]).
We saw in this contemplation particularly great differences in the view of the events in
two of the gospels. This example stresses how often the sacred writers used their sources
with freedom in order to express different truths according to their sensitivity and the
need of their communities to whom they addressed their work. The differences in the
gospel accounts rather than decreasing the value of these accounts serve as indirect proof

465
The wish to perform this rite was an act of love toward Jesus but sign of lack of faith
in the resurrection (see above [300]). Their failure to believe in this is contrasted with the
faith of the woman in Bethany (whose name Mark does not mention, see Mk 14:3-9 and cf.
[282]), who believed in the resurrection and for this reason performed the anointing for the
burial of Jesus then since it would not be possible later when Jesus would have risen from the
dead. Her act of faith is praised in an unparalleled way as equivalent with the gospel itself
(Mk 14:9). Cf. Ibid., p. 558.
466
Ibid., p. 560.
467
John’s account of the appearance to Mary of Magdala in Jn 20:17 depends in part on
these verses, cf. [300].
255
of authenticity and notwithstanding the contrast between them these are equally inspired
writings and part of the canonic books of the Scriptures.

302. APPEARANCE TO PETER, LK 24:34

Luke’s gospel mentions this apparition of Jesus to Peter alone in conformity with Paul’s
list of appearances (cf. 1 Cor 15:5), without any details of it. Earlier Luke speaks of the
general disbelief of the disciples hearing the story of the women (v. 11) and presents Peter
running to the tomb of Jesus alone and that he saw the burial clothes with amazement (v.
12). The fourth gospel has both John and Peter running to the tomb (Jn 20:2-10), and
accounts that Peter entered and “carefully examined” (“theoorei” in Greek) the clothes (Jn
20:6) but in contrast with the “other disciple” who saw and believed (v. 8) nothing is said
about the faith of Peter, just that they went home as if nothing happened (v. 10). This
scene continues the contrast between Peter and John implicitly present in the story of
Peter’s denial (Jn 18:15-16)468. John’s gospel particularly stresses the lack of the faith of
three disciples, Peter, Thomas and Mary of Magdala (cf. [301]), of whom the last two were
presented meeting the risen Jesus in personal encounters, while instead of accounting the
special apparition to Peter this gospel has the dialog during the apparition on the Lake
Tiberias when Peter’s authority was restored (Jn 21:15:19; cf. [306]). From the short
account of Luke we learn of a special apparition in which Peter evidently arrived to faith in
the resurrection. Luke presents Peter in the Acts shortly after this as preaching with
certitude about the risen Lord and leading the first community of the Church. The
character of Peter as presented in the gospels is very rich and if the companions choose to
do this contemplation they might use various scriptural passages about Peter in order to
help to enter the scene of this apparition.

303. APPEARANCE TO THE COUPLE FROM EMMAUS, LK 24:13-35

This encounter with Jesus has its peculiar character among the apparition stories. The
two disciples who left Jerusalem on the afternoon of Easter Sunday to go to the village of

468
Then we learned that Peter denied Jesus three times while nothing is said about John;
at the tomb it is said explicitly that the other disciple believed but nothing about Peter. Cf.
Ibid., 566.
256
 469
Emmaus were Cleopas and an unnamed companion, probably his wife (v. 18) . The
couple was part of the circle of disciples who followed Jesus at least part of the time and in
this scene they were returning home disheartened.
Similarly to other apparition stories the pair did not recognize the risen Jesus when he
joined them on the road. The moment of recognition however did not happen even when
he began to interpret the Scriptures and explained them the idea of the suffering and
glorified Messiah (vv. 25-28). There is no overwhelming miraculous event as was the vision
of Saul on the road to Damascus (cf. Acts 9:1-9). Only when they invited Jesus to stay in
their home and share their meal with them were their eyes opened and they recognized
(vv. 31-32). Without the invitation and the shared meal Jesus would have remained a
stranger for them, notwithstanding that they heard the scriptural explanation from him on
suffering and resurrection.
This story that has a catechetical character with strong Eucharistic reference and
might have served as a paradigm of the catechumenate. We see in it a symbol of the
theme of our presentation of the Exercises for companions, a paradigm of the journey of
growth and healing included in “Finding Our Way Together”. The companions as the
couple from Emmaus walk along with the risen Jesus, while learn to understand salvation
history and their place in it. They will experience slow growth and moments of “peak
experiences”, high intensity encounters with the living Jesus, who can be reached only and
exclusively by offering a shelter and sharing a meal with some stranger. They learn that
theology and prayer is not sufficient; Jesus the risen Lord is recognizable only in practicing
justice and in living communion with others. They discover the sacramentality of the
everyday life, as the ordinary becomes the place for the extraordinary and divine. Not
unlike the couple that set out after this encounter at once back to Jerusalem to
communicate their experience to the others (v. 33), the companions might feel the desire
to share in some form what they received during this retreat.

469
Cf. Crossan, “The Birth of Christianity” p. xi. The contemporary patriarchal culture
makes this interpretation plausible and we adopted it as one very befitting to our present
work. The general presentation of this scene shows two male disciples; the companions
might choose the scene and personages, as they feel more fruitful for their contemplation.
257
 304. APPEARANCE TO THE DISCIPLES, JN 20:19-23 (MT 28:16-20; MK 16:14-15; LK 24:36-49)

This appearance to the disciples that constitutes the base of official apostolic
testimony is recorded in all the four gospels although with some different details like that
Matthew places it in Galilee while the other evangelists in Jerusalem. It is important to
note that in Luke’s version besides the “eleven” there were present others with them
when Jesus appeared (Lk 24:33-36) signifying that the mandate to preach and the promise
470
of the Spirit was addressed to the entire community not only to the apostles . The
general attitude of the disciples was fear and lack of faith in the resurrection
notwithstanding the apparitions already witnessed and the familiar greeting of Jesus
471
conferring peace on them (v. 19, cf. Jn 14:27) . Only after witnessing the reality of the
risen body of Jesus and seeing his wounds (v. 20)472 they arrived to understand the
meaning of resurrection as it happened and opened up to joy (v. 20 cf. Jn 16:27). The
wounds have great importance in this scene for showing the identity of Jesus to the
disciples and beyond it they stress the continuity with the past that is not canceled or
denied but receives full meaning in the new risen life.
Jesus then sent the disciples as the Farther had sent him, meaning that he gave
mandate to continue his own mission. The moment of this solemn mandate is the central
theme of this apparition in all four gospels with different emphases. Mark describes the
signs that authenticate the preaching of the disciples (Mk 16:17-18) and Matthew ends his
gospel with this scene and Jesus promising to be present until the end of age (Mt 28:20).
Luke accompanies the mandate with the promise of the Spirit and with the order to remain
in Jerusalem and so prepares the scene of Pentecost (Lk 24:49). John follows it with the
immediate giving of the Holy Spirit symbolized by Jesus breathing on the disciples (v. 22
cf. Gn 2:7) since this evangelist sees resurrection, ascension and conferring the Spirit as
one event (cf. [301]), and ends the scene with the disciples receiving power to forgive sins
(v. 23).

470
Cf. Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah”, p. 628. Luke presents
similarly the entire community present at Pentecost (Acts 2:1) and quotes the prophet Joel
speaking of the universal outpouring of the Spirit upon all mankind (Acts 2:17 cf. Jl 3:1-5).
471
They stayed behind locked doors because of fear (Jn 20:19) and were terrified seeing
Jesus thinking him a “ghost” (Lk 24:37); in Mark Jesus even rebukes them for their unbelief
(Mk 16:14).
472
Lk 24:40-43 also says that Jesus ate in front of them.
258
 305. APPEARANCE TO THOMAS, JN 20:24-29

This apparition is accounted only in fourth gospel. The story presents Thomas’ lack of
faith in contrast with the beloved disciple who believed at the empty tomb (cf. v. 29 and Jn
20:8; [301]). It is also a powerful story of healing in which the risen Jesus not only helped
Thomas to believe in the bodily resurrection but conveyed reconciliation to him.
Thomas wanted personally verified evidence of the risen body of Jesus (v. 25) and he
obtained it not only for himself but also for all later believers. The disciples stayed behind
locked doors, closed in and maybe also symbolically searching defense from any
disturbance when the risen Jesus appeared there with his wounds (v. 26). He made
Thomas put his fingers in these wounds and open up to faith and reconciliation with the
painful events of the precedent days (v. 27). Thomas answered with the most complete
profession of faith of the gospels that prompted Jesus to give a new beatitude for the
future generation (v. 28)473.
The scene with Thomas has a meaning for the healing of human relationships even on
societal level. Healing requires getting in touch and express solidarity with the wounds of
injustice inflicted at least implicitly by us on the body of Christ who identified himself with
474
the poor .

306. APPEARANCE TO THE DISCIPLES AT THE LAKE OF TIBERIAS, JN 21:1-23

This apparition belongs to the epilogue of the fourth gospel that seems to be a later
addition. Lake Tiberias is another name for the Lake Gennesareth in Galilee and is used
only by John. The disciples or at least the seven mentioned in the story went back here on
the place of the beginning of the ministry of Jesus. They also returned to their original
profession as fishermen, it is not said if temporarily or definitely (v. 3). When Jesus
appeared they did not recognize him neither when he gave instructions that led to a
miraculous catch of “large fish” (vv. 4-7) reminiscent of the one at the call of Peter (Lk 5:1-

473
The profession of faith of Nathanael is similar with an analogous answer (Jn 1:49-51).
Cf. Ibid., pp. 629-630.
474
The connection between woundedness, social justice and healing is presented in a
strong way in an article of Roberto S. Goizueta in America entitled “The Crucified and Risen
Christ. From Calvary to Galilee,” Vol. 194 No.14, April 17, 2006. pp. 10-15.
259
11; [275])475. The “beloved disciple” was the one who from this “sign” recognized Jesus
and told it to Peter who jumped in the lake to arrive first (v. 7); a detail that
characteristically to the fourth gospel puts these two disciples in contrast ([301], [302]).
The mention of the “charcoal fire” (v. 9) on the shore creates an allusion to Peter’s denial
(Jn 19:15-18; [291]) while the fish and bread refers to the miraculous feeding of the crowd
(Jn 6:1-15; [283]) and the shared meal has a Eucharistic significance (v. 13).
The scene continues with an account of Jesus testing Peter three times questioning
him about his love (vv. 15-17), a dialog interpreted traditionally as the validation of Peter’s
mission and universal jurisdiction. Jesus presented also in this apparition in the role of
consoler; the strong reference to the triple denial of Peter although painful but with the
corresponding triple confirmation of the trust in him constitutes a powerful process of
healing and reconciliation deeper still than the encounter with Thomas ([305]). The final
dialog about the fate of Peter and John shows that this passage was written after the
death of both, the first as martyr and the second after an especially long life (vv. 18-23).

307. APPEARANCE ON THE MOUNTAIN IN GALILEE, MT 28:16-20

This is the final scene in the gospel of Matthew that ends the story where it began, in
Galilee. After the reconciliation with the disciples Jesus ordered them to return there to
meet him again (Mt 28:7.10). “Galilee of the Gentiles”, where Jesus lived and worked most
of the time and where he gathered after the resurrection the new community to give them
a universal mission has a special significance as a despised borderland with mixed people
of bad reputation. The rabbinic literature ridiculed the speech of the Galileans (the
particular Aramaic dialect that Jesus spoke), it generally considered the people ignorant of
the law and proper religious rites, racially and culturally impure because of their contact
476
with pagans . However, God chose for the place of the incarnation and of the beginnings

475
The difference between the “large fish” and the “little fish” (opsarion) is mentioned
above in the story of feeding the crowd in [283]. The number 153 of the fish in v. 11
probably had a symbolic meaning which is not clear. St. Jerome sees in it a reference to Ez
47:9-12 where there are fishermen along the waters flowing from the Temple (Chirst being
the new Temple). It could mean the great number of people the disciples will convert and
the fish catch might be even reference to the sacrament of baptism. St. Jerome Cf. Raymond
E. Brown, S.S. New Testament Essays, (Garden City, NY: Image Books, Doubleday, 1968) p.
103-104.
476
For example Jn 7:41-52 shows very clearly this negative attitude. Cf. Vermes, “Jesus
the Jew,” pp. 52-57.
260
of the Church this borderland of lowly and rejected people and the risen Jesus promised
there to be always with the disciples (v. 20). The risen Jesus can be seen and encountered
truly in the rejected and poor of the world, reached by touching the untouchables, the
people with whom he identified himself. There is a powerful healing involved in letting
down the walls of division and exclusion ; it is a healing that makes one participate in the
477
resurrection .
The eleven disciples gathered on a mountain (v. 16), symbolic place of divine presence
and revelation (see [278]). As Jesus appeared they worshiped him but some had
478
“doubted” (v. 17; cf. Mt 14:31), their faith was not enough deep . The risen Christ is
presented in this scene as the real master of history, possessing universal power and
giving a universal mission to the disciples to baptize and to teach (vv. 19-20). When he
was to part from his disciples definitely, he promised to remain with them until the end of
human history. Matthew’s gospel ends in this way with a reference to Jesus as Emmanuel,
with the name given to him before his birth (Mt 1:23). He is now and forever “God is with
us”.

308-311. MORE APPEARANCES

To prolong the Fourth Phase St. Ignatius proposed from the list of six in the First
Letter to the Corinthians (1Cor 15:3-8) three apparitions for contemplation (vv. 6-8): “After
that he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once…” (v.6); “After that he
appeared to James…” (v. 7) and “Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to
me [St. Paul]…” (v. 8).
St. Ignatius brings for the contemplation other apparitions also from the tradition
“He appeared to Joseph of Arimathea, as may be piously believed, and as read in the Lives
of Saints” [310]; “He appeared also in soul to the Fathers in limbo; He appeared to them
likewise after He had taken them from there and assumed His body again” [311]. This
latter apparition refers to the passage of the Apostolic Credo stating that Jesus

477
The theological significance of Galilee is presented in a compelling way in the article
quoted earlier by Roberto Goizueta, “The Crucified and Risen Christ. From Calvary to
Galilee,” pp. 14-15. He quotes the Chicana writer Gloria Anazaldúa saying that the border is
“una herida abierta”, an open wound of Christ; through touching these wounds there is
reconciliation and healing (cf. Is 53:5 and [305]).
478
This might be a reference to the need of the Pentecost that would transform them
definitely.
261
“descended into hell”. Eastern Orthodox iconography uses this moment for representing
the resurrection and such representation might be very useful aid for the contemplation
479
.

312. THE ASCENSION OF JESUS, ACTS 1:1-12

Luke ends his gospel where he began it in Jerusalem and with the scene of Jesus
taking leave from the disciples and ascending to heaven (Lk 24:53; cf. Mk 16:19-20). In
John’s gospel there is only an allusion to the imminent ascension in the scene of the
appearance to Mary of Magdala ([301] cf. Jn 20:17).
The Acts of the Apostles takes up again the event of the ascension in a more detailed
way as marking the end of forty days of apparitions and instructions to the disciples (vv. 1-
3). There is a repeated mention of the order of Jesus to remain in the city, but wait for the
promised Holy Spirit (vv. 4-5; cf. Lk 24:49). The disciples then witness Jesus’ ascending to
heaven, a scene modeled on the typology of the taking up of the prophet Elijah in front of
Elisha (2Kgs 2:9-15). Elisha was told of being able to have a double share of the spirit of
Elijah if he saw his master taken up to heaven, and likewise the community of the disciples
480
inherited the Spirit of Jesus . The text says that Jesus was taken up by a “cloud”, with an
imagery inspired by the vision of Daniel on the mysterious “son of man” ([292], cf. Dn
7:13-14), and points out that he will return (vv. 9-11) but the time of this second coming
will not be revealed to anyone (v. 7). The cloud mentioned here is symbol of the divine
presence and also frequently used in biblical and rabbinical writings as an image for
481
“heavenly transport” .
The departure of Jesus is in the same time the beginning of his new presence as he
promised to remain with the disciples forever ([311], cf. Mt 28:20). He is not confined to a
physical body and is more deeply involved in our world than when he walked on the roads
of Palestine with the little group of followers. The new presence of Christ is made possible
through the Holy Spirit, whose power enabled the disciples to announce the good news of
the kingdom of God and be witnesses to the entire world (v. 8). Jesus is now the glorified

479
We described earlier this type of icon in the First exercise of the Fourth Phase [218-
225] under “Visualization of the history”. The companions can see it online for example at
http://www.iconsexplained.com/iec/lib/02356_resurrection.jpg
480
Cf. Vermes, “Jesus the Jew,” p. 41.
481
Cf. Ibid., pp. 186-188.
262
Lord who lives with the Father, but in the same time in a mysterious way he is identified
with all mankind. Christ’s presence sanctifies also the whole creation, rendering sacred
what was thought profane. The mystery of the ascension means that through the new
presence of Christ one can access God in common human experience and love him by
loving others. This is the good news of Christianity to proclaim “to every creature” (Mk
16:15)482.

482
Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” pp. 228-229.
263
 A P P E N D I X C: G U I D E L I N E S FOR D I S C E R N M E N T [313-370]

313-327. GUIDELINES FOR DISCERNMENT FOR THE FIRST PHASE

313. INTRODUCTION

St. Ignatius presented two sets of “rules” in the appendix of his book to help
understand the psycho-spiritual reactions of the exercitant and to deal with them during
the the Exercises. The guidelines we present here are the Ignatian rules somewhat
adapted to modern language where the original text requires interpretation. The first set
of guidelines is more suitable for the First Phase [313-327], while the second set is
appropriate for the Second Phase [328-336]. St. Ignatius did not give special rules neither
for the Third nor the Fourth Phases, but according to the character of the situation in
which the companions find themselves they need to apply the guidelines already learned.
Besides this, the “Notes Concerning Scruples” [345-351] might be connected with the
Third Phase and the “Guidelines for the Right Attitude toward the Church or Sense of
483
Church” [352-370] with the Fourth Phase . One of the main goals of the Exercises
process is to learn discernment and once the companions become familiar with
discernment during the Exercises they will find it necessary and useful to live a discerning
life in the aftermath.
Before discussing the individual guidelines we need to put forward a series of
definitions and clarifications. (1) In the expression “discernment of the spirits”, the word
“spirits” refer to various interior movements spontaneously occurring in the affectivity of a
person and it does not mean necessarily angels or devils, although preternatural forces
might be behind the psychological events. St. Ignatius in a simple way says that the
inspirations or “spirits” are or from God or from the devil, while we distinguish here a third
source that is our own self, our human reality. Moreover, our self can be in different
dispositions toward good and our thoughts and sentiments are always in interaction with
484
various spiritual influences . Independently of what we think of the sources, the
483
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 120. (The “Guidelines to deal with
material goods” [337-344] as we saw in [169-189] “Arriving to a Decision” is an example of
the third method of decision and so fits in the Second Phase).
484
Cf. Nigro, Op. cit. p. 49.
264
common characteristic of these interior movements is a passive quality, as they seem to
“invade” us. The crucial task is to recognize the presence of these interior movements and
even if one does not believe in preternatural forces one can successfully use the method
485
of discernment . Keeping in mind this distinction, we will continue to use the personified
486
language and speaking of the action of various “spirits” .
(2) “Discernment” is the technical term for dealing with these often-conflicting and
ambiguous movements, “sorting them out” and distinguishing which of these moves us
toward God and which pushes us further from him. We need to learn which impulses are
for our good and which are (on the long run at least) harmful in order to actualize in
specific concrete situations the general principles of human (or specifically Christian) life.
Discernment was always an important part of Christian spirituality; Ignatius’ great
contribution to it was to give a practical method for individual and for communal
487
discernment .
(3) The discernment of the spirits (or spiritual discernment) serves not only to
distinguish interior movements during prayer but it is also prompted by the needs of our
life and so it is essential for finding our way. It is evident during the Exercises in the
everyday life form where everything becomes “exercise” and we are in constant contact
488
with concrete situations requiring decisions and alternating interior movements .
Discernment provides a means to use for everyone and not only for specialists in
489
spirituality . St. Ignatius himself was at the beginning of his conversion quite ignorant of
theology and spiritual life, laying wounded after the battle at Pamplona when began to
discover certain “patterns” in his feelings. When daydreaming about himself as a famous
knight fighting gloriously, his joy vanished after returning to reality and a certain sadness
arose instead. On the contrary, when he phantasized about following the example of
saints (whose life he read only because his usual romances about knights were not

485
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 143.
486
The guidelines will remain valid if somebody wants to consider the use of the terms
angel, evil spirit and devil as metaphorical. We will refer to the angels, to the evil spirit or to
the devil for sake of simplicity with the masculine pronoun “he”.
487
See more about the history of discernment in Christian spirituality in Cowan-Futrell,
“The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” pp. 139 ff. There is a chapter about
biblical discernment in Thomas H. Green, S.J., Weeds Among the Wheat, (Notre Dame, IN:
Ave Maria Press, 1984) pp.21-53.
488
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 181 ff.
489
Cf. Barry, “What Do I Want in Prayer?,” pp.124-125.
265
available there) and imagined himself doing great things for Christ, his joy remained with
him. So he began to discern the first desire as coming from the devil, the other from God
490
and this experience became the very heart of the Spiritual Exercises .
(4) Discernment is based on the conviction that God is personally interested in our
good and involved actively in our lives. We know for sure that the “will of God” is that we
make good decisions and choices. With the help of discernment we collaborate with God
who wants that we choose what is good but respects our free will and permits us to decide
to choose whatever we want. After this observation we can speak of discernment as
491
seeking the will of God in concrete situations . (5) In the discernment of the spirits we
utilize the same faculty of imagination and pay similarly special attention to arising
emotions as in the contemplations of the Exercises where the affective involvement gives
492
us deeper “experiential” knowledge of the contemplated mysteries . (6) During the
Exercises we learn the discernment as St. Ignatius puts it “to some extent” [213] in order
to become discerning persons and discerning couples throughout the rest of our lives.
Discernment does not mean arriving to a complete and absolute certitude but there
remains there in it the possibility of error; hence the necessity for constant openness to
493
further inspirations . Discernment is not just fruit of our efforts but it is a gift from the
494
Holy Spirit for which we ought to pray constantly even as we learn to use these

490
Cf. “St. Ignatius’ Own Story,” # 6-8. pp. 9-10. He says later that God treated him as a
schoolmaster teaching a young pupil at that time (Ibid., # 27, p. 22). See also Green,
“Weeds Among the Wheat,” pp. 92-93.
491
We might see a certain similarity between seeking God’s will and the quest for
meaning in life as logotherapy presents it: we are questioned by life constantly and need to
answer to these challenges in order to realize the unique meaning of each given moment.
Cf. Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” pp. 171-173.
492
St. Ignatius constantly uses the word “mirar” meaning to look at attentively to
express the prayerful deep reflection that excludes prejudices and assures the freedom of
choice. In his vocabulary the key word for discernment is “sentir” referring to a “felt-
knowledge”, an affective and intuitive insight that leads to the final decision that he calls
“juzgar”. Cf. Nigro, Op. cit. p. 56-58. Here the author quotes from a study on the Ignatian
vocabulary from “Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuits,” of John Carroll Futrell, S. J. published
in Ignatian Discernment Vol. II, No. 2 (April, 1970).
493
See the usage of the word “parecer” in the language of Ignatius, meaning an opinion
of a certain degree of certitude in ibid., p. 56.
494
“Discernment of the spirits” is listed among the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Cor 12:10. The
Spirit renders possible to judge everything through revealing to us the “mind of Christ” (1
Cor 2:10b-16).
266
guidelines. (7) We will present the original guidelines of St. Ignatius grouped according to
495
an outline based on their structure for better understanding .

314-315. OUR FUNDAMENTAL OPTION

The first, basic discernment is to recognize our fundamental orientation regarding God
and mankind. It is understandable that if the influence of the spirit goes along with our
basic orientation then the effect will be smoother, causing less friction since it is
compatible with our inclinations. If we generally do not try to seek God, justice and
honesty, then disturbing pangs of conscience will come from the Holy Spirit while
rationalization and a deceptive peace (we might call it also pseudo-consolation) from
ourselves or from the evil spirit. On the contrary, if we are ordinarily trying at least to seek
God, justice and honesty then gentleness will mark the inspirations coming from the Holy
Spirit, while disturbing anxiety and doubts will derive from our resistance or from a direct
496
temptation of the evil spirit . This does not mean that we don’t have sins or don’t resist
God’s inspirations but that our basic option is for good. All the following guidelines are
addressing the second category of people (only in [335] will we return to discuss again this
fundamental difference). We are optimistic that most people are in this category and even
if one cannot state with absolute certainty what is our fundamental option, one might
hope at least that he or she is searching what is good.
To distinguish between the interior movements or spirits we should see the fruits of
497
them as listed by St. Paul in Gal 5:19-25 . This is criterion for discernment that can be
found in the saying of Jesus about the trees and their fruits regarding the recognition of
the true prophets from the false ones (Mt 7:16-18). In discernment we aim at
understanding the origin of the spirits from their fruits; that is, from the orientation
towards which they move us. With other words, discernment is the “testing of the spirits”
(cf. 1 Jn 4:1-6) whether they come from God or not. Once we learn the origin of the interior
movements we can choose the good ones and reject the bad ones.
Since the discernment of the spirits uses as raw material our feelings, we should
remain constantly in touch with the interior movements of affectivity. Discernment means
495
Our outline is similar to the one proposed by John C. Futrell. Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The
Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 140.
496
See also [329]. Scruples (cf. [345-351]) are also in this category of disturbances.
497
Cf. Rom 1:29-31; 1 Cor 6:9-10
267
that we learn to distinguish between feelings of normal sensitivity depending on our
psychology and on the entirety of daily activities and feelings that are connected with our
faith. Feelings of faith flourish during the Exercises in everyday life since our perception as
a gift of the Holy Spirit becomes sharper to discover the presence of God and focus on it in
the reality of actual living and not only just in prayer. Thanks to this experience we
understand that God’s action in us is not independent from our psychological reality but
498
everything is “psychological” and “spiritual” in the same time .
To use the expression of Origen who first developed a doctrine of the discernment of
spirits, the various spirits move us “in principale cordis nostrae”, “at the bottom of our
499
heart” . When we make discernment we listen to these depths and not to the more
superficial levels of affectivity. In the practice of “Daily Examination of Consciousness”
[24-44] we not only become aware of these interior movements but also have a tool to
resist the ones taking us further from God where we are most vulnerable. This is of the
greatest importance, since the evil spirit will attack us most forcefully where our weakest
points are (see [327]).

316-317. CONSOLATION AND DESOLATION

Consolation is a positive experience of joy and peace and is the same fruit of the Spirit
described by St. Paul (Gal 5:22-23), and promised by Jesus (Jn 15:11 and Jn 14:27). This
spiritual joy and peace is not just a good feeling arising from pious thoughts of self-
satisfaction, but it is oriented toward God and the good of humanity; as St. Ignatius says in
his Autograph Directory consolation is “every interior movement that leaves the soul
500
consoled in the Lord” . Since joy and happiness stems from the union with the beloved,
spiritual consolation is basically identical with the union with God. Consolation is a grace of
the indwelling Trinity, of the Consoler Spirit and is experienced in the measure of our love
501
for God and others . Accordingly, St. Ignatius in his definition distinguishes three levels
of consolation. The highest level is a profound communion with God that occurs in the

498
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 190.
499
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 142. Other
expressions to describe this depth of our spirit might be the center or the core of our being
where the Holy Spirit dwells (pneumatic dimension).
500
Directoria Execitiorum Spiritualium, 1540-1599, #18, quoted in ibid., p. 144.
501
Cf. Nigro, Op. cit., pp. 62-63.
268
depths of the spirit – at the bottom of the heart – that is “inflamed with the love” for God
and for his sake and in him loves all his creatures. The next level is a genuine gift of tears
caused by sorrow of compassion or by joy because of true love and desire to serve God.
The basic level of consolation is “every increase in faith, hope and love”, since these three
virtues unite us with God. This last is the foundation of the other levels, too.
Very different things can evoke consolation, but the common character of these is that
they are bringing us closer to God. Consolation does not exclude the presence of suffering
and trials but on the contrary the crosses embraced with love are cause of true
502
consolation . In the language of logotherapy, we find meaning not only in the creative
and experiential values but most importantly in realizing attitudinal values; that is that
503
human life can be fulfilled also in suffering .
Desolation by the definition of St. Ignatius is just the opposite of what was said of
consolation, it is “from the evil spirit and his gifts, such as war against peace, sadness
504
against spiritual joy… wandering of the mind in base things against lifting up the mind” ;
it is a disturbing, complex negative experience. Desolation is not just feeling somewhat
down or depressed but always marked by the loss of faith, hope, love and inner peace at
the bottom of heart. The negative feelings of desolation and the “thoughts” 505 inspired by
them are always temptations. Even if it was not caused by direct influence of the evil spirit
but produced by our own human reality, Satan exploits this situation for discouraging us
from perseverance and turning us away from God.
Discernment uses these affective experiences as raw material for making an
intellectual judgment and arriving to a decision to act according to this conclusion in the
future. Thus the process of discernment involves the entire person, affectivity, intellect
and will. It involves also the entire dynamics of human and social relationships even in
personal discernment but most evidently in the case of communal discernment (as when a
couple or a group discerns together). In this sense we might speak of existential
discernment, touching the whole existence and the entire spectrum of human life. In a

502
Cf. Ibid., p. 63.
503
Frankl, “The Doctor and the Soul,” p. 84 ff.
504
Directoria Execitiorum Spiritualium, 1540-1599, #12, quoted in Cowan-Futrell, “The
Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 144.
505
St. Ignatius in [314] uses the classic term of “thoughts” for the interior movements
toward actions. Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” pp. 144-
145.
269
retreat in everyday life the alternations of consolations and desolations are colored by the
influence of the events that go on constantly. For example in the middle of consolation
negative feelings can appear due to circumstances, but these become desolation only if
506
recognized as movement away from God .

318-327. HOW TO DEAL WITH DESOLATION?

The first set of the guidelines are dealing mostly with the case of desolation since the
First Phase is a time of beginning and conversion when the companions might feel
overburdened and normally are tempted mainly by discouragement, fear, doubt and
anxiety. This situation of desolations is characteristic of other “beginnings” or turning
507
points in life, when these guidelines should be applied in the discernment process .
Since desolation will require steadfastness against the temptations these guidelines
508
notwithstanding the different situation could be applicable also in the Third Phase .
These guidelines teach to recognize consolation and desolation, to resist temptations
and to grow spiritually through this experience. They have a clear pedagogical function in
the Exercises preparing the companions to approach the decision phase when they will
509
use the second, more sophisticated set of guidelines [328-336] .

318. Never make any change when in desolation

Desolation never comes from God (since we should keep in mind that these guidelines
are for people with a fundamental option for good, cf. [313-314]), and so the thoughts that
arise from such experience will not lead toward him). It makes understandable that the
510
most important guideline is the warning against decisions while in desolation .
Desolation is a situation like that of a sailboat that got in dense fog on the open waters
when it is not wise to change direction. In the desolation our guide is not the Holy Spirit,

506
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 192.
507
For example the “dark nights” of St. John of the Cross are such “beginnings” in
spiritual life when one’s prayer life changes dramatically. Cf. Green, “Weeds Among the
Wheat,” p. 107.
508
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 121.
509
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 145.
510
Thomas Green S.J. says that even if people forget everything else they ever learned
about discernment, this one rule they should remember nevertheless. Cf. Green, “Weeds
Among the Wheat,” p. 108.
270
but the evil spirit directly or indirectly through our weakness and confusion. Any change of
former decisions that were made under the guidance of the Holy Spirit could be harmful,
as it would be inspired by false arguments. The companions must be able to hold on to
former resolutions with faith even if this is the time when people generally are most
compelled to make changes. The spontaneous reaction is to try to get rid of the
desolation, to end this negative experience by some change, but we need to wait until we
are out of the fog, until consolation returns to make new decisions. The thought that
consolation will return, that our situation will not remain the same forever, is a real source
of strength that helps to persevere in hard times without hasted steps.

319-321. Work against the desolation

St. Ignatius’ advice is to work actively against (“agere contra” in [16]) the loss of faith,
hope and love involved in desolation, to do just the opposite what it suggest. It means
511
maybe to desire strongly what in desolation seems to be disagreeable . During the
Exercises desolation might take the form of temptation to shorten prayer sessions, skip
the examination of conscience, or to abandon all the entire retreat project. Prayer might
seem as useless waste of time because one feels a hopeless case or because there are so
many urgent things to do. The answer is invariably to resist these temptations with
perseverance; we might insist “more” on prayer (note that the stress is not on “more
prayer”, but “more on prayer”) or find a “suitable” way of penance. This advice goes back
to the Scriptures stating that “prayer and fasting” has the force of exorcism (Mk 9:29).
Prayer and penance were always considered by the tradition as powerful weapons in a
512
spiritual life seen as struggle against the devil . The stress is on “suitable” penance,
something that works against the particular desolation. If we are tempted to shorten the
prayer, we should add one extra minute to it and if we experience desolation in the form
of restlessness, the right penance might be to seek rest and relaxation.
When we are in desolation, recalling some insights might be helpful in coping with it.
As St Ignatius says in [320] we should reflect upon that even if God never causes

511
See what we call the “prayer of paradoxical intention” in [157]. It refers to the
logotherapeutic technique presented in the “General Guidelines to the Exercises” [16] in the
“Preparatory Phase”. See also [350].
512
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 146. See
more about penance in the Additions # 10 [73-90] in the First Phase and also the
“Guidelines with Regard of Eating” [210-217] for the Third Phase.
271
desolation, he permits it as a “testing” in order to try us and help us to grow spiritually
while we resist the various temptations ([322] has more about what this “testing” means).
With strong faith we should believe that God’s grace is present in the bottom of our heart,
he never abandons us even if we don’t “feel” his presence and help. That God gives us
always “sufficient grace for eternal salvation” (cf. [320]) is an article of faith that we might
be tempted to doubt during desolation, and as we should act against the temptations in
the same way we should cultivate thoughts of faith and hope to contradict desolate
513
thinking .
St. Ignatius in [321] summarizes what was said about the right attitude toward
desolations: (1) we must be patient (2) work against the inspirations arising from the
desolation, persevere in prayer, even make penance and examination of ourselves (3)
while we should remember that consolation will return surely. In this way we will be able
to draw something positive out also of this negative experience.

322. Seek the cause of the desolation

Besides holding on to our former decisions and working against the desolation it is
helpful to try to seek why we get into it. We should pray for understanding the causes of
desolation and see why God had permitted it. Generally we are able to bear a suffering
better if we can find a reason for it and it is true also for the desolation. If we look back to
the last time when we were in consolation we might find out what had led to desolation in
514
that time . In this way we might discover a certain pattern in our desolations and this
understanding might even lead to consolation. It can happen that we experience enough
peace in the middle of suffering to see what we should do about it. This understanding is
very important in our daily life that requires of us decisions almost constantly.
St. Ignatius distinguishes three main reasons why God allows desolation. (1)
Examining ourselves regularly we can discover that it was caused by our own fault,

513
Cf. Green, “Weeds Among the Wheat,” pp. 110-111. This guideline serves also as a
good example of the “mind-fasting” and “spirit-feasting” of Christotherapy which we
presented in the First Phase, in [55-61] under the first point of the exercise.
514
Cf. Barry, “What Do I Want in Prayer?,” pp.129-130.
272
 515
negligence, tepidity and resistance to God’s grace . (2) If we don’t find fault in our
conduct, the desolation might be a “testing” or (3) a passive purification by God.
We can see that only one of the three possible causes go back to our own
shortcomings. The desolation ensuing however should not be seen as a punishment from
God, but as a warning sign to recognize our responsibility for it and try to amend. The
other two cases might be called also “educative desolation”, trials similar to that of Job in
the biblical story searching the answer for the suffering of the just. The Book of Job makes
clear that Satan caused Job’s suffering, but he could not act without God’s allowing it. The
biblical author says that God permitted this “testing” to prove the fidelity of Job for some
mysterious reason. The book presents a speech of God (chapters 38-41) in which he points
out that Job who has understood so little of the mysteries of the universe cannot presume
to comprehend the ways of God dealing with him and think to be abandoned. The meaning
of the suffering of Job is beyond his comprehension and so the book ends with a call to
516
trust toward God . This conclusion recalls the way how logotherapy recognizes that the
answer to the question of the final meaning of life and suffering goes beyond
comprehension to a higher than human dimension to the realm of the so-called supra-
517
meaning .
The “testing” mentioned by St. Ignatius’ as second reason might be recognized as an
experience when God wants that we show fidelity in his service even when no sensible joy
comes with it and that we seek him for himself not for the consolations. This experience
can be paralleled with the “night of the senses” of St. John of the Cross. We can use also
the analogy of the bond of marriage that is promised “for better or worse” to explain why
God permits this “testing”. The bond of the couple grows by passing the periods of
“worse” as they learn to love each other unselfishly, with a proven and stronger bond of

515
For example the understanding that desolation occurs because the sort of job one
has is in conflict with his or her unique talents and call, might mean that this person needs
to change occupation if it is possible and when peace returns. During the Exercises we need
to do regular reviews based on the Additions [73-90] of how faithfully we are proceeding
with it. This review of the Exercises is similar to the review of the past day in the
Examination of the Consciousness [24-44].
516
Cf. Green, “Weeds Among the Wheat,” pp. 112-113 and p. 299.
517
“This ultimate meaning necessarily exceeds and surpasses the finite intellectual
capacities of man; in logotherapy we speak in this context of a supra-meaning. What is
demanded of man is not, as some existential philosophers teach, to endure the
meaninglessness of life; but rather to bear his incapacity to grasp its unconditional
meaningfulness in rational terms. Logos is deeper than logic.” (Frankl, “Man’s Search for
Meaning, pp. 187-188).
273
love. Similarly, desolations are times of “worse” in which our love toward God can be
518
strengthened .
The third case is a very deep desolation distinguished by the surrender to God without
whom we are nothing and accompanied by the insight that everything is grace. This is an
emptying out of ourselves, an experience of spiritual poverty as we realize that there is no
technique by which we can produce grace and experience of God. This surrender to the
gratuity of God’s love is comparable to the “night of the spirit” described by St. John of the
519
Cross .
Both of these experiences can be sources of greater union with God. We think that
these types of desolation might be more characteristic of the Third Phase of the Exercises
when - as we told in the introduction to it - the companions might experience a lesser or
greater degree of distress and desolation. The response we should give to the second and
third type of desolation is similar, we should persevere in good and trust in God patiently
until consolation returns.

323-324. When in consolation prepare for desolation

We never remain in the same psycho-spiritual state but consolations and desolations
alternate in all our life. The constant tension between suffering and joy has a deep
meaning as our participation in the paschal mystery of passion and resurrection. On our
way of union with Christ we go along the spiral of spiritual growth and healing that
although slowly rising to higher levels, covers repeatedly the same terrain, signaling
520
periods of desolation and consolation .

518
Cf. Ibid., pp. 117-118. Thomas Green in his presentation uses also the analogy of the
“testing” of the steel that gets stronger by this process of refining.
519
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 148.
520
See our introduction to the Third Phase where we point out this relation to the
paschal mystery and refer to the concept of spiral as image of the conversion process from
Christotherapy (Cf. Tyrrell, “Christotherapy II,” pp. 3-6). A similar view of the alternating
desolation and consolation is presented in Nigro, Op. cit., p. 65.
274
 In times of desolation it is consoling to remember that peace and joy will return and on
the other hand, when in consolation we should remind ourselves that desolation would
521
come again and prepare ourselves to face it. During consolation we can look back with
peace at the pattern of how usually we get into desolation and draw a plan to stop the
process. For example, a typical pattern is to go from guilt to anger and then to depression,
but if we have a plan we might remedy it and the next time will not go all the way into
desolation. This plan is analogous with the “suitable penance” of [319], and it means that
we try to find a way to heal exactly where we are wounded psycho-spiritually. To draw
such a plan requires reflection, self-knowledge and the active use of phantasy to picture
how we enter usually in desolation and imagine how we will deal with it actually in the
522
future .
For married couples it is extremely important to learn for example what is the pattern
of their conflicts. When they both enjoy consolation is a time when they can face the
pattern of the usual course of events that brings them to conflicts without entering
actually into a fight about the matter discussed. The companions can arrange a “feedback
session” like that one presented in the Fourth Exercise of the First Phase [64] and
mentioned again in the Second Phase [135] (“Introduction to the consideration of different
states of life”) with particular attention given to the pattern of their common desolations.
Sometimes a little change in attitude is enough to change the course of events.
Further, in time of consolation it is necessary to remember that it is entirely a gift from
God and that it is not something we should selfishly appropriate to ourselves. During
consolation we should guard ourselves from spiritual pride; instead, we should be humbled
by the thought how little we could do against desolation without the help of God.
On the other hand we should not forget that God is with us also in times of desolation
and always gives enough grace to overcome every difficulty; if nothing else remains still
we have freedom to choose the attitude with which we face the situation. We should find
strength not in ourselves but in our “Creator and Lord” [234] and learn humility, which is
the truth of our weakness and of the goodness of God. The most beautiful expression of

521
We mean by this not during the time of lack of emotional movements or “tranquility”
of the third method of decision ([177]; see in “Arriving to a Decision” [169-189]).
522
In the presentation of the second method of decision (see in “Arriving to a Decision”
[169-189]) we referred already to the book of Dr. Maxwell Maltz entitled
“Psychocybernetics” that has examples of the creative use of imagination in exercising for
better performance in a future task.
275
humility in time of great consolation is the “Magnificat” of Mary (Lk 1:46-55). In
consolation we should pray for the gift of a similar humility to avoid exalting ourselves in
good times, as we should recall the graces of God to not loose hope in desolation and so
seek always to balance ourselves.

325-327. How desolation works?

We saw earlier in [322] that understanding the causes of desolation helps to deal with
it; if it was for own fault we can confess and make remedy. If we know that God permitted
it for our growth we can submit ourselves patiently and trustfully. We know however that
the evil spirit’s goal is in causing directly or using indirectly our desolations. St. Ignatius
who himself suffered from the deceits of Satan so much to be tempted to commit suicide
illustrates with three powerful analogies how treacherous is the activity of this “enemy of
523
mankind” . The images although bearing the marks of the culture and time of their
author, bring an important lesson in order to help to recognize the character of the tactics
of the evil spirit.
First St. Ignatius compares the devil’s attack to that one of an angry woman [325].
This image seems strange and sounds sexist to us, but the point of what it wants to say is
that the evil spirit is powerless and weak (like a woman would be against a man and
mostly were she in the society of St. Ignatius). As a weakling before strength he will rely
on threats, and seductive and scary and manipulative tactics to torture the person who
does not stop him with determination. The evil spirit is powerless in front of the grace of
God and he becomes a tyrant only if one gives him foothold through ignorance, fear and
useless anxiety by which “men enter the realm of a chained dog” (using St. Augustine’s
524
expression) . The lesson is that if we act with determination, trusting in the power of
God and in the name of Jesus then the evil spirit will fall back on flight, the desolation will
cease.
The second image St. Ignatius presents, he took from the court life he knew well. He
says that the devil acts like a false lover who tries to seduce a lady with empty promises
and asks for secrecy to keep his solicitations hidden from the father or husband [326]. It
means that the desolation sometimes comes with the temptation to hide these interior
523
Cf. Green, “Weeds Among the Wheat,” p. 119. See also “St. Ignatius’ Own Story,” #
24, where he accounts that during his stay in Manresa because of tormenting thoughts he
was frequently tempted to throw himself into an excavation to end his life.
524
Cf. Nigro, Op. cit., p. 66.
276
movements from our spouse or companion, friends and spiritual advisors for fear that they
might not understand. When we are alone with the desolation, the situation gets worse. As
the evil spirit wants us to keep his inspirations secret, the right attitude is to work with
openness against this desire of secrecy. This advice is an application of the “working
against” principle in [319]. Sometimes already the decision to reveal our psycho-spiritual
experiences brings peace and relief. Sharing this situation with someone will require
humility that opens us for the grace of seeing the tactics of the devil and resist his
inspirations. Moreover, asking advice from experienced people when we are in anxiety and
525
disturbance is a sign of the virtue of prudence .
The last image St. Ignatius took from his military experience, and he compares the
devil’s tactic to that one of an army commander who before attacking a fortified
stronghold explores the defenses and chooses the weakest point for the assault [327]. The
evil sprit will choose for attack our weakest areas where we are most vulnerable for
desolation. This is an insight that goes back to Scripture (see Eph 6:10-20) St. Anthony of
526
the Desert and other masters in the tradition of spirituality . The advice is clear: we
need to work against this tactic. We need to identify these areas for example through the
constant practice of the “Daily Examination of Consciousness” [24-44] then we can ask for
healing from God and also be ready to resist the psycho-spiritual movements away from
God where we know ourselves to be most weak and wounded.

Conclusion

These guidelines apply to the First Phase of the Exercises when the companions
deepen their knowledge of God and of themselves both as individuals and as a couple, and
realize more acutely the necessity to be redeemed. However, these guidelines and in a
special way the last three describing the general tactics of the evil spirit remain with them
throughout the entire Exercises process. This is particularly true in the everyday life form
where the discernment process is applied to questions arising from the concrete and
ongoing reality of living 527.
The companions need to keep these guidelines of discernment for the aftermath of the
Exercises, mostly for periods when they need to return to the basics and renew their

525
Ibid., p. 66.
526
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 141.
527
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 196.
277
spiritual life. As they go through repeatedly the discernment process it is useful to keep a
diary in order to see their accumulated experiences and later be able to draw from this
528
rich source of learning .

328-336. GUIDELINES FOR DISCERNMENT FOR THE SECOND PHASE

328. INTRODUCTION

St. Ignatius says of the second set of guidelines that these are for “a more accurate
discernment” and more suitable for the Second Phase. While in the First Phase
temptations were typically desolations, as the companions now proceed in the Exercises
they are tempted “under appearance of good” [10], in the form of consolations. It happens
because once the companions learned how to deal with desolations the devil changes
tactics, disguises himself and produces false consolations in order to lead them away from
529
God . However, desolations will happen also later in life, mostly when the companions
face new challenges, and the evil spirit tries to find vulnerable points to tests the limits of
their perseverance and commitment. With desolations or with false consolations the evil
spirit will try to bring the companions under his “Standard”, to accept his value-system
530
and settle down in mediocrity or worse, and so he could block their growth toward God .
The great meditation on the “Two Standards” [136-148] provides an illustration to the set
of guidelines for discernment for the Second Phase since it presents in a powerful way this
531
strategy of the evil spirit . Because of the possibility of false or pseudo consolation these
guidelines will serve to discern false consolations from the genuine inspirations of God.
These guidelines are useful not just in the context of the Exercises, but later as life
constantly demands decisions from the companions (most often in the form of choosing
from several “good” alternatives) and they will need to use careful discernment in order to

528
Cf. Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” p. 192.
529
We continue to use a personified language for the source of temptations keeping in
mind that the expression “evil spirit” stands for all forces against God and includes our own
human reality, resistance, scruples and similar as well as the literal devil.
530
Green, “Weeds Among the Wheat,” pp. 125-126.
531
Cf. Stanley, “A Modern Scriptural Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” p. 251. and
see also Nigro, Op. cit., p. 67.
278
avoid deceptions stemming from their own human weakness or directly from the evil
spirit.

329. CHARACTERISTIC WAYS OF ACTING OF GOOD AND EVIL SPIRITS

532
St. Ignatius says that “God and his angels” give always consolation, “true
happiness and spiritual joy” and cast out any disturbance and sadness caused by the evil
spirit. On the contrary the evil spirit tries to disturb such consolation by false reasons and
subtleties deceptions. This guideline presents something similar to the basic
characterization of the spirits in the first set of guidelines (cf. [314-315]), with two
differences to note. First, this guideline already addresses people who have the
fundamental option toward good and so there is no mention of the stings of conscience
from the Holy Spirit. In persons on the illuminative way (where the Second Phase belongs)
the indwelling Trinity works always through peace and joy, the fruits of the Holy Spirit (cf.
Gal 5:22). Consequently anxiety, fear, doubt and disquietude are directly or indirectly from
the evil spirit. We should note also that St. Ignatius added the word “true” to the
description of consolation. God gives always true consolation and “spiritual joy”, a joy from
the Holy Spirit, abiding in the depths of the human spirit. This “spiritual joy” is “at the
bottom of the heart” at the center of our spirit, communicated by the Holy Spirit and even
if it often overflows as sensible joy, it is not incompatible with suffering, instead it should
533
remain with us during the trials of our life .
This guideline warns us that caution is necessary as we experience consolation.
Desolation is always from the evil spirit but, since the devil will use the tactic of deception
by emulating the action of the Holy Spirit, some ‘consolations’ mimic the real thing. The
evil spirit can produce enthusiasm for great projects, deep insights, religious fervor,
miracles, healings, visions and locutions in order to derail us from our way. The goal of
discernment consequently is to distinguish the true consolations of the Holy Spirit from the
false ‘consolations’ of the evil spirit. St. Ignatius assures us that we are able to do this

532
Although St. Ignatius mentions “God and his angels”, it is not a necessary distinction
and we can simply say that true consolation comes from the Holy Spirit.
533
Cf. Ibid., 67-69. Here the author gives a detailed analysis of “spiritual joy”. In the
context of suffering and joy he quotes John English’ profound saying that there is a kind of
consolation even “in the humiliation of not being a good sufferer”, but if we are not able to
find consolation in the midst of the trials of Christian life, then we ought to do more
discernment for the causes of this lack of spiritual joy.
279
discernment with the help of these guidelines since the devil’s imitations of the true
consolations never can be perfect and the “serpent’s tail” under the shiny garments of an
534
angel will betray him in all of his works of forgery . In discernment always we need to
see the orientation of the experience if it brings us closer to God or on the contrary will it
lead us away from him? In this phase the art of discernment involves the recognition of
subtle differences in the course of the experience, as we will see later.

330. CONSOLATION WITHOUT PREVIOUS CAUSE

Sometimes we are in a certain sense prepared to receive consolation, maybe we are in

an extended period of quiet and satisfying prayer or similar. It can happen however that
the consolation cannot be explained by our acts or the circumstances are not supporting
such experience or even the conditions are by every means against our having peace and
joy. St. Ignatius calls this consolation without “previous cause” that is without a known
interior or exterior explanation to it. This type of consolation can be only from God, since
only the Creator can communicate immediately with our spirit. The evil spirit cannot
counterfeit this experience, since as a creature he has no ability to act on our spirit
without the mediation of other created beings, as for example a loving person, nature or
the Scriptures.
In a sense, every true consolation is without cause, since as a grace it is always a free
gift of God that we cannot produce with our will or with any “technique”. Nevertheless, on
the practical level the consolation without previous cause has a distinct character of a
unique peace, it is always a passive experience of being gifted, it is felt as immediacy,
gratuitous and accompanied by the perception of a mysterious but real presence of
535
Another . In the case of a consolation without previous cause discernment means to
identify this self-validating experience. We need to examine the experience in the context
of our life in order to be able to identify it as a special consolation without previous cause.
In the Second Phase the first method of decision, the “revelation” or “breakthrough of the

534
Cf. Green, “Weeds Among the Wheat,” p. 128. The Ignatian expression “serpent’s
tail” designates the trail of evil recognizable in the results of the temptation and refers to
the devil with the biblical image of serpent or snake. The original in [334] is “de su cola
serpentina”, “by his serpent’s tail”; this form can be found in the translation of Elder Mullan,
S.J., while Luis Puhl, S.J. used the expression “by the trail of evil”.
535
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 158.
280
 536
Spirit” [175] presents an experience similar to the consolation without previous cause .
St. Ignatius confirms (surely on the base of his own experience) that this type of
537
consolation exists and in our opinion it is more frequent than one first thinks . Karl
Rahner retained that this unique experience is in fact the core of the Exercises, drawing
538
much attention to it in the literature on discernment . Consolation without previous
cause is a direct experience of the gratuity of God’s love toward us that evokes the
response of our love and this dialog is what the dynamics of the Exercises process aims at.
John English says that the consolation without previous cause is “an experience of the
presence of God that takes over our whole person. I describe this experience as the
confluence of two things: a passive experience of the unconditional love of God and an
active experience of unconditional response to this love. Such a Consolation is self-
539
authenticating and cannot be doubted” . This type of consolation has something of the
“falling in love” experience with its unexplainable and self-evident character. There is
something mysterious or divine in the moment when a couple recognizes in each other
that they met the “right” person for them; this is an overwhelming experience that evokes
profound gratitude, joy and humility for being gifted with a companion similar to the
consolation of God. For some people their moment of conversion or their “call” for a
particular vocation was experienced this way as a profound self-evident consolation. It can
happens when somebody is busy doing laundry, preparing dinner, overwhelmed by phone
calls and other duties that require care, does not even think of God but suddenly perceives
a deep sense of his loving presence, a “kiss of God” and responds with gratitude and joy.
The companions may be able to find examples in their experience.
We want to mention here St. Therese of Lisieux who at the end of her life amidst the
most painful and hardest sufferings, dying of tuberculosis at the age of 24 in a time when
there was no cure for this disease and passing through a log dark night of doubts and

536
See it in “Arriving to a Decision” [169-189].
537
The remark of St. Ignatius in [15] that the spiritual director (the role that in our case
the companions play for each other) “should permit the Creator to deal directly with the
creature” might be sign that he thought of this consolation as a probable experience during
the Exercises.
538
Cf. Green, “Weeds Among the Wheat,” pp. 128-129. See also Cowan-Futrell, “The
Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 157. For a presentation Karl Rahner’s
philosophical interpretation of this type of consolation see the already quoted work entitled
“The Dynamic Element in The Church”.
539
John J. English, S.J., “Mysterious Joy of the Poor and the Complex Causes of
Consolation,” Review of Ignatian Spirituality [CIS], no. 85 (Rome: 1997), pp.74-75.
281
temptations against her faith in God arrived to say “I do not regret having surrendered
myself to Love” and died with the words “My God, I love Thee!”540
For another expression of consolation in adverse situation let us refer to the short
exhortation of St. Francis of Assisi “on the true and perfect happiness”. He describes that
true gladness is not in the growth of his order or the in the wonders the friars can
accomplish, but if he would return home barefooted at night in wintertime, bleeding from
the icy roads and hungry, moreover as he knocks for a long time at the door, the brothers
call him an idiot then chase him away, and if he “will have had patience and will not have
541
been disturbed, that in this is true gladness and true virtue and soundness of soul” .
Seems like that St. Francis spoke of experience.
The consolation without previous cause is the presence of the Holy Spirit made
possible to experience also affectively. Even if this consolation is surely from God and
“there cannot be deception in it” [336] we need to be careful with the period that
immediately follows such experience. This time is often called “afterglow”, when the
experience of the Holy Spirit already is passed but the peace and joy of it still endures for
a while and even remains very deep. This is a vulnerable time when the evil spirit already
can influence our reactions, thoughts and feeling. First of all we need to distinguish the
actual consolation from its afterglow and then the inspirations received during this time
need to be discerned carefully since these are already “caused” consolations. We will
discuss this case in [336].

331-335. CONSOLATION WITH PREVIOUS CAUSE

The following guidelines address the other type of consolation, when there is a known
“cause”, that is the events, circumstances or our own actions support the grace. Most of
our consolations are such mediated experiences and especially all the meditations and
contemplations of the Exercises rely on the use of our phantasy, intellect and will in order
to find our way with God.

540
Soeur Thérèse of Lisieux edited by Rev. T.N. Taylor (London: Burns, Oates &
Washbourne, 1912; 8th ed., 1922) containing the Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux
(The Story of a Soul) and in its epilogue describing her final illness, her death, and related
events. (Available at the Gutenberg Project, www.gutenberg.org in electronic version)
541
From “The Writings of St. Francis of Assisi”, (Translated from the Critical Latin
Edition, edited by Fr. Kajetan Esser, O.F.M., The Franciscan Archive, 2000) find online on
www.franciscan-archive.org.
282
331-332. Be very aware and cautious with consolations with previous cause.

When there is a previous cause, the consolation from it can come from God as well as
from the evil spirit and it needs to be discerned carefully (as we saw it already in [329]).
We don’t need to question if the consolation is of supernatural character or given through
our natural faculties; the task of the discernment is to see what is the source of the
542
consolation, if it is God who speaks to us through the experience or not .
Both the Holy Spirit and the evil spirit can be the source of such consolation, but as St.
Ignatius says “for a quite different purpose” [331]. While the Holy Spirit uses consolation
for our progress in good, to bring us closer to God, the evil spirit gives false consolations in
order to lead us imperceptibly away from God, from good to false ways. The “good
feeling” of “being up” and filled with enthusiasm is not enough to recognize the action of
God in the consolation. The underlying principle of all discernment is stated here: both the
good and the evil spirits adapt themselves to the persons they try to influence but with
543
contrary purposes . The basic guideline corresponding to this principle is to be cautious
and to examine all the elements of the consolation with previous cause and to detect the
orientation of the entire experience, if it helps us toward God or brings us away from him.
St. Ignatius says that the evil spirit used “to assume the appearance of an angel of
light” [332] in order to trick us into following his own designs. The expression is from St.
Paul who said “…Satan masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14). The reason for
this masquerade is that if we are people with a basic orientation toward good we will not
be tempted by what is obviously bad and if we had already learned to recognize him in
discouragements and fears he needs to choose new tactics and tempt us “under
544
appearance of good” [10] using our same desire for good to derail us . He knows our
weak points where we are vulnerable for deception; interestingly often these will be the
points that we think we are good at the most. The evil spirit tries to allure us to bring what
is good just a bit “too far”. St. Ignatius himself experienced these false enthusiasms early
in his conversion, and the excesses in penances and fasting brought him in consequence
suffering from stomach problems for his entire life.
Going too far in doing good things is always destructive. If one loves to pray, the evil
spirit will “inspire” him or her to pray too much, maybe thinking to be better than others
542
Cf. Green, “Weeds Among the Wheat,” p. 134.
543
Cf. Nigro, Op. cit., pp. 70-71.
544
Cf. Green, “Weeds Among the Wheat,” p. 135.
283
and in the meantime neglecting necessary duties, shorten his or her time for rest, so that
after a while this person ends up exhausted, bitter and disappointed. The companions
surely can find similar examples from their experiences. In this way helpful people become
possessive and restless until they collapse, the perfectionist begins to be intolerant with
others and the person who loves and seeks justice will be overworked and overtly
judgmental with bitter resentments. Church people can fight with great rancor and rage
about what is the right way to conduct liturgy, how to use their resources and so on. Sad
examples from history like the Crusades show how “holy” intentions can bring to
horrendous results even on the scale of entire societies.
Again, the basic guideline in recognizing the false consolation is to see its orientation.
No matter how “holy”, good and noble is the inspiration emerging in our desires, if it
brings us toward evil or just toward what is less good than what we had before, or if it
causes us to be too tired, weakened and lose our inner peace we enjoyed at the beginning
of the consolation, it should be suspected to be a temptation. The discernment on such
consolation is to examine what would be the final result, the “fruit” of this inspiration.
Because the devil presents itself as an “angel of light” we should be aware, very careful
and before following an inspiration we need to verify if it leads toward God or away from
545
him, if it brings us to humility or to pride .

333-334. How to discern a consolation with previous cause?

In the following two guidelines St. Ignatius describes more in detail the way to discern
this type of consolation. First of all, we should always look at “the whole course of
thoughts” and if we find that “the beginning, the middle and end” of the experience is all
wholly good then it is from God [333]. If in any of the phases it has something dissonant or
disharmonious, something of the “tail of serpent” betraying the presence of the evil spirit,
we should mistrust the entire experience and should not follow the inspirations coming of
it. The “beginning” might be a desire to do something that is good in itself but goes
against the context of our life, for example if a mother of five decides to pray five hours a
day, or if a husband goes out at nights for very important and holy meetings and similar
inspirations that go against the obligations of the one’s state of life. The “middle” refers to
the actual time of the consolation when the accompanying feelings might unveil pride and
thoughts speak of self-centeredness, self-satisfaction in how good we are. One sign of a
545
Cf. Nigro, Op. cit., p. 71.
284
consolation that is not fully from the Holy Spirit is if we feel irritated if interrupted in it by a
request. This will happen often and it does not mean necessarily that we are hypocritical,
only a reminder that we are susceptible and far from perfect. The important thing is to be
careful to not follow an inspiration that comes with a negative tone in our feelings. Finally,
the “end” where the consolation leads us as we told above might be something outright
bad or just less good, or distracting us from our goal, or weakening and upsetting and so
disqualifying the entire experience. Such upsetting experience can be making hastened
resolutions after a good prayer on things that are beyond our capabilities, like to promise
not to become angry anymore with someone. Not only that such promises will end in
frustration and discouragement but the desire of an unreachable goal also renders us
546
constantly dissatisfied with our real life . It might happen that we decide hastily without
careful examination to join a group or movement because we had a good experience with
them, but it ends up with a nightmarish life of which it is maybe hard to get out because
the strong first commitment. Another example might be that we begin to feel love and
solidarity for the poor and want to go to serve them fist handed in far away lands, but not
all of us is adapt for this direct service and we can end up with discouragement. There are
different ways to help the poor, maybe locally to work with the homeless, at a soup
kitchen, or helping organizations that support such services financially and similar.
This guideline can be summarized also in the maxim that “the end does not justify the
means”. To use bad means in order of something good is an example of the kind of
temptation we are discerning here. Our desire to achieve something good might lead us to
harmful and evil ways so that the means might disqualify the end that seemed noble at
the beginning. We cannot wage wars to achieve peace or commit injustice for the sake of
justice. Also the inner attitude with which we work for a noble cause could render the
whole project vain; if we become violent or self-righteous or despise others while doing
great things with real sacrifices, that shows that we are using wrong means to the good
end.
In the next guideline St. Ignatius advises us to “review immediately the whole course”
of an experience in which we discovered the “serpent’s tail” [334]. Such experiences have
educational value, as we observe the course of the consolation in retrospective we are
able to recognize where the trouble began and learn of it. We should look at what was our

546
Thomas Green has more examples of possible pitfalls in “the beginning, the middle
and end” of a consolation. Cf. Green, “Weeds Among the Wheat,” pp. 137-140.
285
original thought, what means we used, which attitude we had and where did it lead us. We
need to become reflective and observant in order to learn the patterns that influence our
decisions. This advice of Ignatius is reminiscent of the saying of Socrates that “the
unexamined life is not worth living” and the principle of learning from our mistakes
547
suggested in it is valid for every aspect of life . In this work our invaluable help is the
“Daily Examination of Consciousness” [24-44], which leads to deeper self-knowledge
548
personally and as a couple if practiced faithfully . The other invaluable means is to keep
a diary, jotting down after the exercises or at the end of our days the interior movements
we experienced. With the help of this practice the “enemy of our progress and eternal
salvation” [333] becomes our teacher to help us to grow in responsibility and to discern
better in the future.
These guidelines recall also the “Two Standards” [136-148] meditation, which presents
these two conflicting value system that moves us individually and as a couple underlining
the necessity to be clear which we choose carefully since the evil forces can attract us
imperceptibly under their “standard”. All this might seem very complex and even
discouraging, but with time and patience we can advance in the art of discernment and it
becomes integral part of our daily life.

335. Authentication of the discernment process

From the end of a consolation we might discover that what seemed good at the
beginning was a temptation [333] and from its progression we can learn how to discern
better in the future [334]. St. Ignatius, after describing how we should examine the entire
course of a consolation returns to the consideration of the beginning of such experience
549
. He says in this guideline that the action of good and evil spirits can be detected at the
beginning of the caused consolation by the particular character of these interior
movements. In a person whose fundamental option is for good the action of the Holy Spirit
will be like “a drop of water penetrating a sponge” quiet, gentle, delicate and delightful;
on the other hand, the evil spirit’s action will be like “a drop of water falling upon a stone”

547
Cf. Ibid., p. 147.
548
Nigro, Op. cit., p. 71.
549
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 155-156.
286
 550
[335], characterized by a certain noise and disturbance . Both images are of a drop of
water but there is a subtle difference of nuance between the two actions. The discernment
process in committed people is all about nuances and subtleties.
This guideline is based on the principle of compatibility of the particular spirit with the
fundamental choice of a person; in consequence in a person whose fundamental option is
not for the good but is “going from bad to worse” the action of the spirits will be the
opposite. This remark brings us back to the basic distinction of [314] in the guidelines for
the First Phase where it was said that the good spirit or conscience would disturb such
person in order to shake him or her up from the deadly course of evil.
The essence of this guideline is that the action of the Holy Spirit has the hallmark of
the peace (the third fruit in the list of Gal 5:22-23) of which it can be always discerned. In
consequence, the presence of peace or the lack of it is one of the most important means
551
of discernment . Interior peace is in fact the Holy Spirit who has been given to us and in
him there is no deception (cf. Rom 5:5); this peace is always the signature of God, a sign
of his action in us. So we can say that the peace residing in the core of our spirit, “at the
bottom of our heart” (or the lack of it) serves to authenticate or to confirm the outcome of
our discernment process.
Of course, a married couple needs to engage in this process together and follow the
course of the experience for both of them. If it is all the way good for both from the
beginning to the end then they can follow an inspiration born of a particular consolation
given to them (or at least to one of them, when the other companion actively helps to
discern it). If the consolation gives a sudden enthusiasm of one spouse to begin a new
project as for example to join a certain group but it leaves the other with disappointment,
it is better to wait and see which course their feelings will take. The good of the marriage,
the stability of their relationship should come before of everything else.

550
St. Ignatius description of the action of the spirits can be traced back to the second
century writing, the “Shepherd of Hermas” (c. 140-150 A.D.). In the Sixth Mandatum it says
that “…the angel of righteousness is delicate and bashful and gentle and tranquil” while “…
the angel of wickedness …is quicktempered and bitter and senseless, and his works are evil,
overthrowing the servants of God…Whenever a fit of angry temper or bitterness comes
upon thee, know that he is in thee” (2:2-5), quoted in Ibid., p. 154.
551
Nigro, Op. cit., p. 72. Father Nigro here quotes from Thomas Merton’s “Ascent to
Truth” a beautiful description of the action of the Holy Spirit in our hearts saying that the
inspirations of the Spirit of God are quiet and most of the time they tell us to be still; they
free us from ambition and render us more humble; they are not grandiose but simple; they
lead to obscure but happy paths and they give a sense of liberation, “for He is the Spirit of
Truth and the Truth shall make you free” (cf. Jn 14:17 and 8:32).
287
 With time the companions learn to recognize and name their feelings and will be able
to speak about them with each other. Any little step in this direction is helpful in the
common discernment process and for their relationship in general. Also they will gradually
understand their patterns of common consolations, they will be able to recognize when
they have an accord of intent and both of them enjoys peace. There will be characteristic
patterns of each in regard of the false consolations, too. These are normal part of life and
a bit of humor might be helpful to deal with these moments. One of the most important
means for this common learning process is the “Daily Examination of Consciousness” [24-
552
44] done together .

553
336. THE HERMENEUTIC CIRCLE OF DISCERNMENT

The consolation without previous cause as told in [330] is without doubt from the Holy
Spirit and so it does not require further discernment, but as St. Ignatius warns us in this
present guideline we should carefully distinguish the experience itself from the period that
immediately follows it, from the “afterglow”. In this time we are extremely vulnerable for
deception since sensible consolation still lasts but we are already under the influence of
the various spirits and of our own reasoning. It is easy to arrive to the decision that God
told us to do something although it was just our own thought or a pious deception from
the evil spirit.
The distinction of the actual experience from its afterglow requires attentive reflection
and the recognition of the dividing line where the peculiar passive and gifted character of
the consolation without previous cause gives place to an experience of different quality.
Thomas Green uses the analogy of a glider pulled by a jet to illustrate this dividing line.
552
Read more on communal discernment for companions at the end of the chapter
“Arriving to a decision” [169-189].
553
The expression “hermeneutic circle” means “circle of interpretation” and originally
refers to the understanding of some text. The meaning of the text is to be found in a
movement back and forth between the parts and the whole of the text – hence the circle –
while the interpretation must take into consideration also the cultural, historical, and literary
context. The concept of “text” later has been extended beyond written documents to
include, for example, speech, performances, works of art, and even events. In the
philosophy of Heidegger for example the hermeneutic circle refers to the interplay between
our self-understanding and our understanding the world. The hermeneutic circle is no longer
just a philological tool, but entails an existential task with which each of us is confronted; it
deals with the meaning—or lack of meaning—of human life. In the discernment process the
“text” is given in our consolation that requires interpretation to see if it contains a true
inspiration, a “word of God” for us.
288
From the moment the jet releases the glider it will still cruise on high for a while
depending on skill of its pilots and driven by the winds. It might seem to fly on its own
power or still be pulled by the jet but in reality it will go because of the momentum
554
received and exposed to the various currents of air . As a scriptural example of the
afterglow experience may think of the scene of the Transfiguration of Jesus (Lk 9:28-36).
Right after seeing Jesus in his glory Peter still under the effect of the powerful experience
begins to reason that it would be good to prolong it, to remain there on the mountain and
he even proposes to build tents for Jesus, Moses and Elijah.
The afterglow is a period when one is particularly open for various influences and is
driven to make hasted resolutions. The inspirations of God are realistic, reasonable and
viable while resolutions made in the afterglow often are not realistic and have the mark of
rushing ahead of our capabilities. We may discover also certain pattern in our enthusiastic
exaggerations and this understanding will be helpful to avoid falling into this type of
temptation. As an example of this type of resolution we can recall that Peter at the Last
Supper under the influence of the strong experience promised enthusiastically to die with
Jesus even after had been warned of the vulnerability of his faith and strength (cf. Mt
26:31-35).
St. Ignatius stresses that all inspirations and resolutions that we make in the time
immediately after the consolation without previous cause should be carefully examined
before accepting and trying to realize them. The inspirations of the afterglow period need
to be discerned by the same guidelines as any other “caused” consolation as described in
[332-335].
The consolation without previous cause itself does not need discernment, “there can
be no deception in it” [336], since the hope given by the love of God poured out into our
hearts through the Holy Spirit never disappoints (cf. Rom 5:5). The importance of this type
of consolation is in the fact that it is given in the center or inner core of our being, “at the
bottom of our heart”, where our conscience resides and it cannot be manipulated. This
center of the person is the final “organ” of discernment, where the final judgment about
any experience is spelled out.
We distinguish two types of consolation but these are intimately connected with each
other in the discernment process. The consolation without previous cause is closely
followed by the afterglow experience that should be discerned as a caused consolation. On
554
Cf. Green, “Weeds Among the Wheat,” p. 133.
289
the other hand when the consolation is clearly caused by internal or external factors, at
the end we arrive to the authentication of our discernment and as we saw it in [335] this
relies on the criterion of the interior peace “at the bottom of the heart”, on the infallible
presence of the Holy Spirit in us. This reciprocal relationship of the two types of
consolation and the movement by which they authenticate, confirm and explain each
other might be called the hermeneutic circle of the discernment process.
The practice of the discernment of the spirit along this hermeneutic circle moving
slowly ahead puts us in touch with the center of our being, with the presence of the
indwelling Spirit in us. Our discernment is not only the result of our efforts but also and
first of all is a gift of the Holy Spirit whom we should invoke to assist us. As we get in touch
with our center, then we learn to live a discerning life, then discernment will become
habitual. This discerning love is the same gift of communion with God and of “finding God
in all things” presented in the “Contemplation to Attain the Love of God” [230-237] as the
program for the rest of our life after the Exercises ended (the “Fifth Phase”). The most
perfect icon of this gift of life in communion with God is the Virgin Mary who is called also
“Immaculate Conception” meaning that in her everything is moved exclusively by the Holy
Spirit in a degree that made the incarnation of God possible in her in a unique and
unparalleled way. May she be our intercessor for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our
discerning life!

337-344. GUIDELINES TO DEAL WITH MATERIAL GOODS

This set of guidelines is still connected with the Second Phase and belongs to the
context of the decision making process described in “Arriving to a Decision” [169-189]. In
the preceding “Guidelines for Discernment for the Second Phase” we dealt first with the
consolation without previous cause ([330] and [336]), which is an experience related to
the first method of decision or “revelation” [175], then we discussed the consolation with
previous cause [331-335], which is connected with the second method of decision called
also “discernment” [176]. The following guidelines logically enough will represent a
555
concrete example of the third method of decision or “reasoning” [177-188] and they
will be very helpful always in the daily life of the companions.

555
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 80 and p. 96.
The third method is useful also whenever a decision should be made in a limited timeframe
that does not allow waiting for the psychological movements.
290
 The process of the Exercises leads toward the inner freedom toward all created things
described in the “Principle and Foundation” [23] and this freedom translates on how we
deal with material goods, including money, time and energy. In addition, during the
Exercises we practice the discernment of the spirits so that it becomes habitual discerning
and will extend to all areas even to our financial matters. The Exercises at different points
556
touches the attitude toward material goods, riches and poverty and now in this section
St. Ignatius speaks of a “ministry of distributing alms” [337] that is of how to administer
our various goods with generosity and balance. The first part deals with guidelines of our
own resources [338-342] then we discuss some aspects of taking care of other people’s
goods [343] and at the end give a general summary of the guidelines [344]

338-342. Our own goods

St. Ignatius begins with the problem of how to administer to persons to whom we are
attached, like our friends and relatives [338] which is understandable since we certainly
have more difficulty to be objective and fair toward them then with strangers. Married
couples usually are involved with their various friends and families, with the in-laws,
brothers, sisters and their children, and with their respective conflicts, which creates a
pretty complicated situation. This complex net of relationships, our love and sometimes
difficulties that we have with these persons makes it harder to see clearly how much of
our money, time and energy we should spend on them.
The general guideline to deal with this problem is our love, and giving should be
always motivated by our love of God and also love of these persons more because of him
([338], cf. [184]). This sounds like a quite abstract principle, but the next three guidelines
([339-341] corresponding to the three considerations supporting the decision in the third
557
method in [185-187] ) clarify what it means to be motivated by the love of God instead
of our bias in our giving. In this way we avoid to spend on our relatives and friends time
and effort that otherwise would be necessary for other purposes, maybe simply for
ourselves as a couple. The primary vocation of a married couple is to build their marriage
and any help to their respective families should not jeopardize their commitment to each

556
For example let us mention the “Two Standards” [136-148] and the “Three Types of
Attitudes” [149-157] meditations along with the contemplations of the life of Jesus. The
“Guidelines with regard of Eating” [210-217] at the end of the Third Phase are about
temperance and moderation providing help to order consciously all aspects of life.
557
See in “Arriving to a Decision” [169-189].
291
other or their common spiritual growth, the service of God and work in good projects. This
guideline is an important application of the “Principle and Foundation” [23] on family ties.
The basic law of human marriage is formulated in the book of Genesis: “…a man leaves
his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body” (Gn
2:24)558. We need to find a balance between this and the fourth commandment: “Honor
your father and mother…” (Dt 5:16), taking in consideration also that Jesus placed this
commandment in importance after the commitment to the Kingdom of God (Lk 14:26 ff).
Our own vocation should come first and regulate also our family obligations (see also Mt
12:49).

339-341. Three considerations

The following guidelines will help us to take a certain distance from the problem and
decide with more objectivity. First, the companions should imagine a person or still better
a couple whom they don’t know personally but and for whom they wish the best in
everything. The same advice the companions would give to these persons they should
follow themselves, not more and not less ([339]; cf. [185]).
Next, the companions need to imagine the moment of their death and consider what
norm they would wish to have followed in dealing with their resources. They need to act
according to the same norm now so that they would be glad at the end ([340]; cf. [186].
As a last exercise the companions need to imagine themselves before God at the last
judgment and consider carefully which behavior they would wish then they had in taking
care of their goods. The behavior they would wish to have had they should adopt now
([341]; cf. [187]).
Summing up what is said until now, if the companions find out that they have bias
toward somebody to whom they consider to give of their goods, money, time and energy,
they need to wait and apply the precedent three guidelines to the question. They need to
ponder their feelings until they see in conformity with these considerations that their
action is objectively good [342]. This will mean also that their giving is motivated by the
love of God and not by excessive attachments (cf. [338]).

343. Goods of others

558
This is true in both ways, applies also for the woman even if Scripture mentions only
the man.
292
 The companions (or one of them) may be called sometimes in their life to work in an
aid organization, a charity, as a trustee or providing similar service. This means to deal
with the goods of other people, for example in a charity to receive and distribute money,
clothing, food or labor. It is acceptable to use some of these resources in certain
circumstances for the workers themselves. There exists however the temptation of excess
because of the access to these goods and to keep the best or too much for ourselves. Not
even speaking of scandalous cases when people got rich by raising money for the poor
there are signs if an organization stocks up goods instead of giving it away and trying to
help the flow of goods. There are also some sad victims of such a temptation; it happened
(in a case where John was involved personally) that a homeless person who has been hired
to help out with other homeless, accumulated all sort of things he could in his room and
areas he was responsible for so when he died it seemed like a warehouse and needed a
great cleanup. Administering the goods of others in charity work will require moderation in
the decision of what can go to the workers and what should go to the needy. In general,
the right way of serving can be found by applying the three guidelines given before.

344. Summary

As a general norm St. Ignatius advises that in all matters of our household and our
personal needs we should keep the expenses at the minimum possible, with an attitude of
saving in everything. He adds that as we practice self-control (or we might call it also
asceticism) in life our model should be “our great High Priest, model, and guide, Christ our
559
Lord” .
The guidelines continue that this “same consideration applies to all stations in life, but
attention must be given to adapting it to each one's condition and rank” [344]. Evidently,
the “almsgiving” of a working family with children, or of a retired couple living on Social
Security should be different from that of a CEO of a great company, or a little business
owner, or a college student and so on. The difference could be enormous in resources,
obligations and other conditions and it should be reflected in the way and amount of what
each could give.

559
Interestingly, St. Ignatius here refers to a decree of the third synod of Carthage (397
A. D.) where St. Augustine was present that “the furniture of the bishop should be cheap and
poor”.
293
 St. Ignatius says that the important thing is not to give away money, but to have some
guideline set up for ourselves, a “policy of giving” we might call it. He distinguishes
between donations to the poor and the church and the needs of one’s household and
personal needs. The companions need to take in consideration these different elements in
their policy. For example, we receive many letters with unsolicited requests for donations
from religious and other organizations we don’t know and never contacted before. Our
general policy is not to answer to requests from places we don’t know otherwise; we
prefer to support initiatives we know from personal contact. To choose which organization
to support, it might be helpful to get information how they are serving the poor and needy;
it is better to give where we know the help goes directly to the poor or to someone who
actually works with them.

345-351. NOTES CONCERNING SCRUPLES

These notes are intended to help understanding and dealing with scruples. They may
560
be read in connection be with the Third Phase and they are certainly useful also outside
of the context of the Exercises. First we will distinguish two types of scruples and the
corresponding way to deal with them [346-348], then turn to the question of lax and
delicate conscience [349-350], and finally touch the importance of spiritual freedom in
religious matters [351].

346. False scruples

Often it happens that people are disturbed by what they call scruples but in fact they
fell victims of an erroneous judgment, thinking something to be a sin that is not. St.
Ignatius gives an example that can be understood in the culture of his time: he says one
might step by chance “upon a cross formed by straws” (maybe decorating a pavement)
and think to have sinned, although there is no sin involved. In our time one might think to
have sinned by eating meat on a Friday of ordinary time although abstinence is no longer
obligatory except in Lenten time, otherwise it is exchangeable with other forms of
devotion or charity. Similarly, one may feel guilty for missing the Holy Mass on Sunday
while traveling or sick notwithstanding that there is no sin in it.

560
Cf. Lefrank – Giuliani, “Freedom for Service”, p. 120. These notes may become
helpful in connection with the “Guidelines with regard of Eating” [210-217].
294
 The way out from false scruples is to find out the truth and reject the erroneous
judgment. Maybe in our times people often fall in error the other way and don’t think to
commit sin when they participate in destructive activities such as wasting resources,
polluting the environment or when they serve injustice at least indirectly by working for
projects that harm, abuse and exploit others (se also [350]).
A married couple might need to do research for the truth together. If one of the
companions is in error the other should help him or her with patience and understanding
to arrive to the truth.

347-348. Real scruples

Real scruples mean restlessness of a disturbed conscience where an awkward

“doubting and not doubting” continues without end in sight. This conflict in our conscience
between different authorities is a temptation. The more delicate is one’s conscience, the
561
more susceptible the person will be to the agitation of inconsequential thoughts . St.
Ignatius himself had experience of scruples and accounts in his autobiography that after a
general confession of his past life he was tormented with doubts of whether he made it
well enough, to the point that, “he was seized with a disgust of the life he was leading
and had a desire to be done with it”. He adds that this temptation of ending his life “was
our Lord’s way of awakening him as it were from sleep”, and saw clearly that the scruples
were from the evil spirit. He decided with great clarity never to confess his past sins again
562
and this finally freed him from those scruples .
While the false scruples simply need to be rejected in order to get free of them, the
real ones are much more difficult to deal with. They might have however an educational
value for those who go through them and learn from them while weighing the conflicting
sides. This process bears similarity to the second method of decision [175-179] where the
fluctuating consolations and desolations lead us through the discernment to better
563
understanding . The companions need to help each other with support and compassion
in periods of scrupulosity since these can cause significant spiritual distress. For example,
if one is too critical with oneself, continuously censoring, analyzing and correcting every

561
It should not to be confused with mental illness, obsessive-compulsive personality
disorder, or other psychological pathologies.
562
See “St. Ignatius’ Own Story,” # 22-25.
563
See in “Arriving to a Decision” [169-189].
295
action he or she tries to take, it can become a form of scrupulosity, in which case a spouse
564
might be very helpful to move toward more spontaneity .

349-350.Conscience and its education

The evil spirit is very clever to discover if our conscience is lax or delicate and will use
this information to attack us accordingly [349]. Just as the last guideline on how desolation
works [327] pointed out the devil will attack our weakest points. If one has a delicate
conscience the evil spirit will seek to make him or her more excessively sensitive, he will
encourage the analytical and perfectionist person mentioned before to be more reflective
and anxious. Thus one who would not consent to real sin will see sin where there is none
as in a passing thought; this person will be upset and disturbed constantly, but will think of
oneself as very virtuous. On the contrary, if one has a lax, permissive conscience, the evil
spirit will seek to reinforce this tendency, rendering one more and more shallow and
unreflective. As St. Ignatius says, if such person was easygoing on some sin, they will be
encouraged to be light on more and more serious ones, maybe thinking of it as a form of
freedom or spontaneity. The devil will try to make virtue of the vice and in the same time
press our virtues to the point of becoming vices to bring us further away from God.
The advice of Ignatius is to work against the evil spirit (cf. [319-321]), to “act in a
manner contrary to that of the enemy” [350]. It means to seek self-knowledge and
balance; if one is tempted toward laxity they should try to have a more delicate
conscience and if one excesses in sensitivity, should firmly moderate himself or herself in
order to find peace. Conscience is the ultimate forum where our responsibility and
freedom governs our actions. It is extremely important to educate our conscience toward
moderation and balance and to inform ourselves about the truth. To the education of the
conscience belongs for example learning about the developments of theology, of our
Church’s standpoint on contemporary questions and reflect upon them in a responsible
manner. To return to the example mentioned above about the abstinence of meat on
Lenten Fridays, it will be evident that eating a luxurious seafood dinner even if formally in
the rule, in reality contradicts the spirit of it. Such formalism and narrow-mindedness is to
restrict the question of right to life to the question of abortion without raising the necessity
to just distribution of resources and eliminate wars - since one should know that poverty,
lack of healthcare and armed conflicts take away so many lives in our world.
564
We found this example in Green, “Weeds Among the Wheat,” p. 148.
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351. Freedom of conscience

This very important note on freedom of conscience is the heart of discernment and of
Ignatian spirituality in general. It says to take the risk to live by our conscience, that we
are free to follow our inspirations in everything except where it is explicitly forbidden
ethically.
St. Ignatius speaks here to “devout” persons, that is to those who not only have the
fundamental option for good but committed themselves to live it (cf. Kingdom meditation
[91-99]) and been educated for a while in prayer and discernment like the companions
who arrive to this point in the Exercises. If such person or couple “wishes to do something
that is not contrary to the spirit of the Church [note that St. Ignatius says the “spirit” of the
Church!] or the mind of superiors [for married couples it should be the consensus of the
spouses] and that may be for the glory of God our Lord, there may come a thought or
565
temptation from without not to say or to do it” . The “temptation without” refers to our
reasoning or to direct influence of the evil spirit. St. Ignatius says that we will experience
various sorts of thoughts against what we decided “at the bottom of our heart” as a good
thing to do or to say. These thoughts might argue that we are acting out of vainglory or for
some other selfish or inadequate reason. If this happens we should pray “to our Creator
and Lord” and if we see that our inspiration is in accord with the service of God or at least
not opposed to it then we “should act directly against the temptation”.
This note already connects us to the following “Guidelines for the Right Attitude
toward the Church or Sense of Church” [352-370] and the freedom it speaks of is far from
any “blind obedience” or from the security found in doing only what one is explicitly told
to do. This attitude is based on the trust in God who cares for us, who dwells in our hearts
and wants that we use our faculties given by him to find our way. St. Ignatius says that we
should take risks with our initiatives creatively and not just be playing safe under the cloak
of “obedience”. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit of truth will set us free not that it will
keep us safe (cf. Jn 8:32). Of course we need to inform and educate our conscience

565
We may observe in this description of the situation the conditions that should
accompany the use of freedom. It recalls the frequent warning of Viktor Frankl that without
responsibility freedom may degenerate into arbitrariness. Being free is just one aspect of
human life, while being responsible is the other and indispensable side of it. Cf. Frankl, “The
Unheard Cry of Meaning” p. 60.
297
beforehand and also understand the amount of risk we can take responsibly. Our decisions
are not absolutely sure but we should accept this fact, and if we know that our inspiration
is good and not contrary to God then we should follow it. Even if we would make a mistake
we can keep our peace since we cannot offend God by trying to please him. St. Ignatius
advises us to answer the temptations with the words of St. Bernard: “I did not undertake
this because of you, and I am not going to relinquish it because of you” [351].

352-370. GUIDELINES FOR THE RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CHURCH

The title of this chapter derives from the expression of St. Ignatius “para el sentido
verdadero” meaning “for true feeling, attitude” toward the Church. We use “attitude” and
“sense”, because the usual English translation, “thinking with the Church” is sort of
misleading, stressing only an intellectual adherence. The word “sentido” is a cognate of
“sentir”, which is one of the key words in the vocabulary of St. Ignatius and it refers to a
566
“felt-knowledge”, “love-knowledge” or knowing with the heart . This “sentido” or sense
of Church is more a way of existing than just thinking; it is an affective bond and personal
love toward the human and historical community of the living Church. Of course it involves
also an intellectual knowing of the Church, its history, its authentic teaching and its clearly
defined position on various controversial issues, and so on. The attitude we are speaking
of is not an adhesion against reason, but judging everything with a loving heart, taking
positions with responsibility and sharing in the life of the Church, even in its problems,
crises and vulnerabilities.
The time to read these guidelines is in the Fourth Phase during a period of consolation,
when the dynamics of the Exercises brings the companions toward a love of the
community of the Church. These considerations are extremely important in our times
when serious challenges try our ecclesial mentality and relationship with the hierarchical
Church and also because they are crucial for our individual discernment. The function of
the sense of Church in finding what serves the entire community best is similar to the role
567
of the feelings in the discernment of different spirits .

566
Cf. [313] under (5) and the footnote on the importance of “sentir” in Ignatian
vocabulary. This ideal goes back also to the notion of scholastic theology that knowledge is
perfected in love. See also Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,”
pp. 167-169. Bernard Tyrrell maybe having in mind the Ignatian “sentido” speaks of the
“love-knowledge” character of religious conversion, in Tyrrell, “Christotherapy I,” pp. 14-16.
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353. General principle of the sense of Church

The general principle St. Ignatius gives is that we should put aside our personal
judgments and to hold ourselves (animo)568 ready to obey the hierarchical Church. It
means to take habitually the declared position of the Church and obey it whenever it is
possible, defending it publicly although with respect toward the opposing side in
controversial issues. This obedience to the Church and our intellectual integrity requires
that we listen, pray and reflect seriously on the matters involved.
Obedience to the Church does not mean to pass over its sins and defects, but that we
should seek constructive ways to deal with these problems while trying to avoid being
569
overtly critic about them in the public . St. Ignatius calls the hierarchical Church “our
holy Mother” and this may serve as an analogy for how to relate to the excesses of it. One
sees well the defects of his or her mother and tries to help her by dealing with her
570
difficulties, even by confronting her but defends her from the criticism of others . We
might say that this principle is about being in love with the Church, not about defending
our personal position. The principle of obedience and that one of the freedom to follow our
571
conscience given in [351] together will help us to find balance in our actions .

354-364. More guidelines on the attitude toward the Church

567
In fact St. Ignatius says in [313] that the guidelines for discernment serve in some
way to “sentir” and understand the different movements. Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual
Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” pp. 167-168 and p. 174.
568
The word “animo” means here the whole person. Cf. Ibid., p. 176.
569
St. Ignatius was disturbed by the sarcastic criticism of the great humanist scholar
Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466 – 1536) toward the Church and the pope
particularly. That did not mean that St. Ignatius did not see the serious problems of the
Church of his time and did not address these, even with respect to popes. Cf. Ibid., 177.
570
This analogy is from George E. Ganss, S.J.; see ibid., p. 176.
571
Let us refer in this context to the example of the Oscar Romero, assassinated
Archbishop of San Salvador whose episcopal motto was “Sentir con la Iglesia”, that is,
feeling and thinking with the Church. He chose this motto from the Spiritual Exercises and
lived his loving dedication to the Church in a painfully complex situation characterized by a
strained relationship with the Vatican. In his understanding the Church did not mean just the
hierarchy - to which he was always obedient - but the people who form body of Christ and
who are in need of liberation. The teaching of the same hierarchical Church demanded him
to care for the oppressed and the poor and Romero accepted the conflicts, even the death
that came as consequence of his being one with this suffering Church. Read more in the
excellent monograph of Douglas Marcouiller, S.J, entitled “Archbishop with an Attitude:
Oscar Romero’s Sentir con la Iglesia,” Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuits 35:3, (May 2003)
pp. 1-52.
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 After this general principle St. Ignatius described some of characteristics of the sense
of Church. We summarize in the followings these guidelines adapted somewhat for
572
contemporary ecclesial situation . (1) We should regard highly the sacraments of the
Church, recommend them and receive the graces of healing and growth communicated in
them, especially in the Blessed Sacrament and in the sacrament of reconciliation. (2)
Besides the regular participation in the Eucharist we need to live a life of prayer by daily
prayer time personally and as a couple. Other communal forms of devotion like prayer
groups are also important means of participating in the life of the Church. (3) In the spirit
of the Second Vatican Council it is necessary to have a positive attitude of appreciation
toward all ecclesial vocations, like marriage, religious life, priesthood and so on, since all
are given for the edification and service of the entire community. All vocations are
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modalities of the same call and one fundamental vocation to holiness of all Christians .
(4) We should be aware of the communion of saints, cultivate the friendship with those
who successfully lived their life and preceded us to heaven. We should learn of their
example, know their lives and writings which constitute such a rich source of education
and we need to ask also their intercession for us. (5) In connection with the communion of
saints we can mention also the Church’s “option for the poor” and its implications.
Working for just distribution of goods, food, shelter, water, sanitation, education and
healthcare, promoting peace and disarmament is an essential part of being Christian, not
a secondary issue. As the gospel reveals (cf. Mt 25:31-46) at the judgment of God we will
respond only on our concrete acts of love toward the needy and of nothing else. With this
we don’t deny the importance of other aspects of ecclesial life since we need these for the
education of our conscience, for our healing and growth in the Spirit. The “option for the
poor” means also to become acquainted with the social teaching of the Church and make
it our own. (6) In general, we should know and appreciate the declared position of the
Church presented in the authoritative documents of the magisterium, especially the
teachings of the Second Vatican Council and of the last popes on contemporary issues. A

572
Our summary does not claim to be complete and it applies for Catholic individuals or
couples, but we think that companions belonging to other denominations can successfully
make a similar outline for their communities.
573
In this context read “Universal Call to Holiness”, Chapter V of the Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Lumen Gentium) paragraphs 39-42. It says
“The Lord Jesus, the divine Teacher and Model of all perfection, preached holiness of life to
each and every one of His disciples of every condition.” (Lumen Gentium, 40).
300
good sense of Church means to hold oneself (animo) ready to seek reasons to support
574
these positions rather then for attacking them [361] . (7) An informed and educated
sense of Church and knowledge of at least basic contemporary theology will be helpful
also to choose from the numerous movements, groups and activities of the Christian
community according to our personal sensitivity and also to discern the authentic forms of
devotion from the inauthentic or superstitious ones. (8) St. Ignatius mentions also the fasts
and abstinences prescribed by the Church and visits to churches and similar, which are
also worthy means of spiritual growth. (9) Finally we arrive to the question of how to relate
to authority in the Church to which St. Ignatius dedicated the guidelines [362-364]. First
he advises that we should treat people who have authority in the Church with a
spontaneous tendency to be in favor of what they do or say rather than to be ready to
criticize them hastily in public. St. Ignatius did not deny that sometimes they are to blame
as their actions “may not have been praiseworthy” [362] (of this he had enough first-hand
experience), but stresses that we should restrain ourselves from causing scandal by
575
speaking against them publicly . St. Ignatius says in a practical and realistic way that if
we see wrongdoing in the authorities of the Church then we should search for constructive
means to handle this, as “it may be profitable to discuss their bad conduct with those who
can apply remedy” [362].
This attitude will require two things from us; first we need to reflect on our
spontaneous tendency in speaking publicly and secondly, we need to study enough
theology to be able to reflect on the issues involved in an educated manner. As adult
Christians we need to raise our level of knowledge of faith at least to the level of our
general education and remain interested in good contemporary theology, read biblical
studies and historical works in order to be able to form a correct opinion of our own. We
think here the study of the works of theologians in the stature of Karl Rahner in our times
and of the achievements of modern biblical theology besides of the great contributions of
the Second Vatican Council on how we understand of the Church, its relationship with the
world and so on. St. Ignatius mentions the works of the fathers of the Church and the

574
Cf. Cowan-Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 170.
575
St. Ignatius here has in his mind again the harshly critical attitude of Erasmus that
disturbed so much his disciplined and obedient spirit and which he considered speaking evil
of superiors in their absence, something that did great harm to the listeners. Cf. Cowan-
Futrell, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” p. 170. In his later life St. Ignatius
would not even handle the writings of Erasmus because they “froze the spirit of his soul”
(Monumenta Historica, “Monumenta Ignatiana: Exercitia Spiritualia,” Madrid, 1919, p. 131).
301
scholastic theologians and adds also the writings of saints, as worthy for praise and study
576
[363] .

365-370. Controversies

In the last guidelines St. Ignatius refers to several concrete issues that were
challenging the Church of his time, particularly the criticism of Erasmus and the spreading
ideas of Luther. Of these issues the question of obedience to the authority of the Church
[365] is still relevant today. We can see that St. Ignatius advises to be aware of the
defects of the Church and do about them something not to accept everything blindly. He
says in the ill-famed sentence, “What seems to me white, I will believe black if the
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hierarchical Church so defines” [365] which is not at all a call for blind obedience; we
can understand it well only on the level of faith. The mysteries of faith surpass our limited
human intellect; they are paradoxical (think of the Trinity, of Jesus as being wholly God
and wholly Man, or of the Eucharist), not fully understandable with rational mind and yet
578
the believer must hold on to them as defined content of our faith . We stress that this is
valid only for the defined mysteries of faith, and not for every position of the ecclesial
authorities that can be arguable. Our obedience should be lived with the freedom of
conscience described in [351] and it requires also reasoning and confrontation along with
listening and obeying to God who guides us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. St. Ignatius
points out at the end of this guideline that same Holy Spirit who is guiding “our holy
Mother Church” in its clearly defined positions and guarantees for the truth of them,
guides each individual giving him or her faith and love toward the community of the
Church, the Spouse of Christ. Our adhesion does not mean just an intellectual acceptance
of a doctrine, but it is a union with and a deep love toward the Church.
The companions themselves will be able to point out several controversial issues of
our days and reflect upon these in order to form a position of their own. Sometimes and in
certain areas the new attitude toward the Church will challenge them strongly and call
them for conversions, intellectually, affectively and in the social-political sphere

576
In this guideline St. Ignatius partially reacts on the attacks of Erasmus against the
contemporary scholastic theology.
577
Ignatius’ expression is a rhetorical riposte to Erasmus who wrote in the context of
the approval of some assertions of the archconservative Noel Beda that “black would not be
white if the Roman Pontiff were to say so, which I know he will never do” Cf. Ibid., p. 177.
578
Cf. Ibid., p. 171.
302
demanding from them prayerful discernment. For example, contemporary social and
political issues require that they re-interpret sin, which has become extremely
individualized in the last centuries. The companions need to understand the social
dimension of sin and face the fact that our cultures are steeped in it. Examples of
challenges are the issues of right to life which needs to be interpreted much broader and
extended from the question of abortion and euthanasia on issues like the injustice and
horrors of wars and the lack of necessary resources that kill so many on our planet today.
Finally, in the Church itself there is the problem of the still widespread clericalism,
questions about the role of women and of the formation and admittance of lay people in
positions of responsibility in the Church and of the use of authority in general.
Summarizing these guidelines we can say that the companions need to establish a
habitual positive attitude toward the Church as even if it seems to fail to embody the
gospel it should represent this to the world and they need to guide themselves (and
maybe others) to live and work within the ecclesial community even amidst complex,
confusing and controversial situations.

303
 REFERENCES

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES

Throughout the book we use “The New American Bible” (Iowa Falls: World Publishing
Co., 1987) if not indicated differently

BOOKS

Anonymous Authors, Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition (New York: Alcoholic

Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1976)
Anonymous Authors, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Fifty-ninth Printing (New
York: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1999)
Roberto Assaglioli, Psychosynthesis, (New York: Viking Press, 1971)
William A. Barry, S.J., Finding God in All Things, (Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 1991)
William A. Barry S.J., What Do I Want in Prayer?, (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1994)
James Broderick, S.J., Saint Ignatius Loyola, The Pilgrim Years 1491-1538, (San
Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1998)
Raymond E. Brown, S.S. New Testament Essays, (Garden City, NY: Image Books,
Doubleday, 1968)
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin S.J., The Phenomenon of Man, New York: Harper & Row,
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Pierre Teilhard de Chardin S.J., The Vision of the Past, (New York: Harper & Row, 1966)
Marian Cowan, C.S.J.-John Carroll Futrell, S.J., The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of
Loyola. A Handbook for Directors, (New York: Le Jacq Publishing, Inc., 1982)
John Dominic Crossan, The Birth of Christianity, (San Francisco: Harper, 1999)
Will Durant, Caesar and Christ. A History of Roman Civilization and of Christianity from
their Beginnings to A.D. 325 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1944)
Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, (Maclean, VA: MacDonald
Publishing Company, undated)
David L. Fleming, S.J., The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius: A Literal Translation and a
Contemporary Reading, (St. Louis: Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1978)
Viktor Frankl, The Doctor and the Soul, (New York: Knopf, 1965)
Viktor Frankl, Homo Patiens, (Wien: Franz Dietcke, 1950)
Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, (New York: Washington Square Press, 1963)
304
 Viktor Frankl, The Unheard Cry for Meaning, (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978)
Viktor Frankl, The Unconscious God, (New York: Washington Square Press, 1985)
Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography, (New York: Pocket Books, 1940)
Thomas H. Green S.J., Weeds Among the Wheat, (Note Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria
Press, 1984)
John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994)
Walter Kasper, Jesus the Christ, (New York: Paulist Press, 1977)
Alex Lefrank, S.J.-Maurice Giuliani, S.J., Freedom for Service. Dynamics of the Ignatian
Exercises as Currently Understood and Practiced, (Rome: World Federation of Christian
Life Communities, 1989)
Robert C. Leslie, Jesus as Counselor, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1968)
Mark Link, S.J., Challenge 2000: A Daily Meditation Program Based on the Spiritual
Exercises of St. Ignatius. (Allen, TX: Tabor Publishing, 2000)
Bernard J. F. Lonergan S.J., Insight. A Study of Human Understanding, (San
Francisco:Harper and Row, 1978)
Maxwell Maltz, M. D., F.I.C.S., Psychocybernetics, (New York: Simon and Schuster,
1960)
William W. Meissner, S.J., M.D., To the Greater Glory: A Psychological Study of Ignatian
Spirituality, (Milwaukee: Marquette University Press, 1999)
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Ignatius, (Petersham, MA: St. Bede’s Publications, 1992)
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University Press, 1951)
Karl Rahner, Foundations of the Christian Faith, (New York: The Seabury Press, 1978)
Karl Rahner, Spiritual Exercises, (New York: Herder and Herder, 1965)
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305
 Richard Rohr-Andreas Ebert, Discovering the Enneagram. An Ancient Tool for a New
Spiritual Journey, (New York: Crossroad, 1990)
Edward Schillebeeckx, Christ. The Experience of Jesus as Lord, (New York: Crossroad,
1983)
John F. X. Sheehan, S.J., On Becoming Whole in Christ, (Chicago: Loyola University
Press, 1978)
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Washbourne, 1912; 8th ed., 1922)
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(Chicago: The Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1967)
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letters, translated by William J. Young, S.J., (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1980)
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and Otilio Rodriguez, OCD., (Washington DC: Institute of Carmelite Studies, 1973)
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ARTICLES, MANUSCRIPTS, THESES, TALKS AND CHAPTERS IN BOOKS

Olivier Clement, “Jesus, the Consecrated by the Holy Spirit,” in Tertium

Millenium, No. 2, April 1998
(www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/magazine/documents/ju_mag_01041998_p-17_en.html)
John J. English, S.J., “Mysterious Joy of the Poor and the Complex Causes of
Consolation,” Review of Ignatian Spirituality [CIS], no. 85 (Rome: 1997)
Roberto S. Goizueta S.J., “The Crucified and Risen Christ. From Calvary to Galilee,” in
America Vol. 194 No.14, April 17, 2006
Peter-Hans Kolvenbach SJ, To the General Assembly of the Christian Life Community,
Nairobi, August 4, 2003, in Harvest Vol. 36, No. 2, Summer 2003 pp. 10-13. (or at
http://users.online.be/~sj.eur.news/doc/clc/wa2003phke.htm)

306
 Mark Link, S.J., “The Life of St. Ignatius,” Contact Magazine, 2003 Winter Edition of the
Chicago province of the Society of Jesus (http://www.jesuits-
chi.org/contactmagazine/2003winter/ignatius.htm)
Douglas Marcouiller, S.J, “Archbishop with an Attitude: Oscar Romero’s Sentir con la
Iglesia,” in Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuits 35:3, (May 2003)
Armand Nigro, S.J., “The Grace of Discernment of Spirits. Part V. The Practice of
Discernment. Ignatian Rules for the Discernment of Spirits in the Light of the Spiritual
Exercises” Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington, undated manuscript
Karl Rahner, “Christian Living Formerly and Today,” 7:3-24 [article originally published
in 1966] in Theological Investigations, [Schriften zur Theologie, 1954-1984], 23 volumes
(New York: Crossroads, 1960-1992), 7:15
John P. Stangle, A Search for a Structural analogy of the Christian Sacrament of
Initiation in the Culture and Cultus Of Israel, (Spokane, WA: Gonzaga University, June,
1984, unpublished thesis for the degree of Masters of Art)
St. Francis of Assisi, “On the true and perfect happiness” in The Writings of St. Francis
of Assisi, translated from the Critical Latin Edition, edited by Fr. Kajetan Esser, O.F.M., The
Franciscan Archive, 2000, online on www.franciscan-archive.org
Joseph H. Wong, “Anonymous Christians: Karl Rahner's Pneuma-Christocentrism and
an East-West Dialogue” Theological Studies, Vol. 55, 1994)
Dr. Reinhard Zaiser, “Viktor E. Frankl as a Theologian: The Meaning of Logotherapy for
Modern Western Theology,” in The International Forum of Logotherapy, Vol. 28, No. 1,
Spring 2005, pp. 4-9.
Authors’ web site: Spiritual Retreats for Married Couples
www.marriageretreats.webs.com

CLASSIC WRITINGS

Didache, in Alexander Roberts-James Donaldson, The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers.

Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (New York: Scribner's 1908-11)
Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho the Jew
Plato, Meno
Pseudo-Augustine, Soliliquiorum animae ad Deum liber unus, c.30:PL 40, 888
St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica 1a-2ae, q. 106, a2
St. Thomas Aquinas, De Veritate Q, 12, a, 6

307
 Monumenta Historica, “Monumenta Ignatiana: Exercitia Spiritualia,” Madrid, 1919

CHURCH DOCUMENTS AND ENCYCLICALS

Catechism of the Catholic Church, (Liguori: USCC-Libreria Editrice Vaticana- Ligouri

Press, 1994
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Lumen Gentium)
John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation “Familiaris Consortio”, (Rome, 1981)
John Paul II, Encyclical “Dives in Misericordia”, (Rome, 1980)

308