Ignatian spirituality is grounded in the

An
conviction that God is active in our

Introduction to Ignatian
Spirituality: Part 1
 Saints

 0


In times of great crisis, God blesses His Church with great saints and religious
orders. This was true in the first few centuries of the Church, in the present
day, and no less true in the 16th century. The Protestant Reformation split
continental Europe along Protestant and Catholic lines. Wars abounded,
mixing political and religious motives. King Henry VIII of England officially
severed ties with the Vatican in 1534, after Parliament gave him the title of
Supreme Head of the Church of England. The “New World,” being
aggressively colonized by western European nations since the late 15th
century, presented an extensive evangelical challenge, the likes of which
hadn’t been seen since the early days of the Church.

Enter St. Ignatius of Loyola: a former soldier who, after a conversion, wanted
to campaign under the banner of Christ and His Church. He founded the
Society of Jesus in 1534 with six companions. The religious order received
formal approval from Pope Paul III in 1540. St. Ignatius’ passion and zeal for
the Church spurred the Jesuits to found schools, send out missionaries to
foreign lands, and to work to preserve the Catholic faith in the face of
Protestantism.(1)
The spiritual guidance of the Holy Spirit through St. Ignatius provided the
Church with some remarkable saints. St. Francis Xavier spread the Gospel
through India and died trying to enter China. St. Peter Faber, recently
canonized by Pope Francis, trekked throughout Germany, Spain, and
Portugal in his preaching. St. Isaac Jogues and St. John de Brebeuf sailed to
North America to bring Christ to the Native Americans—they both endured
dramatic suffering and martyrdom, but sowed the seeds of the Catholic faith.
The Spiritual Exercises composed by St. Ignatius lay out a retreat and spiritual
program for religious; still, being one of the seminal works of Christian
spirituality, there’s much that every Catholic can get from them.

There are roughly thirteen pillars of Ignatian spirituality, all of which apply to
our everyday lives.

1: God’s Greater Glory

In all humility, St. Ignatius sought the glory of God in all of his actions. The
Latin phrase ad majorem Dei gloriam (A.M.D.G.) became a motto for the
Jesuits. This is more than a slogan, however; seeking the glory of God brings
us in line with the reason for our existence. The first line of the first week of
St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises begins with: “man is created to praise,
reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul.”(2)
Everyday Life:
Wanting what God wants has been difficult for humanity from Adam and Eve
to the present day. We can look at all areas of our lives with the glory of God
in mind. Here are a few quick areas:

Does our work give glory to God? Even if we don’t work for the Church, how
we work can bring glory to God. Many jobs are never-ending opportunities to
build virtues like patience and fortitude. And, every day our conduct is a silent
witness to our faith, whether for good or ill.

Do our families bring glory to God? The union of a husband and wife echoes
the communion of the Holy Trinity, and their love should similarly echo the
Trinity: completely self-giving. And, “the family has the mission to guard,
reveal and communicate love, and this is a living reflection of and a real
sharing in God's love for humanity and the love of Christ the Lord for the
Church His bride.”(3) That’s a tall order and an impossibility, unless God is the
first priority. If sports, activities, or income come first, is the family fulfilling its
mission?
Does our entertainment bring glory to God? We live in an era of endless,
instant entertainment. The entertainment industry thrives under the mistaken,
popular assumption that it doesn’t matter what we watch or listen to. I did as
well, until I made a concerted effort to limit the types of movies and TV shows
I watched. I was amazed at how much of the content of those movies &
shows sank in... and how little I missed them. Social media and screen time
fall under this category, too. I’m terrible at this during baseball season,
football season, or when I get hooked on a game/app. So I can watch a game
for three hours... or log in to Facebook everyday... but I can’t make time to
pray for even fifteen minutes. Something is wrong!

2: Union with Jesus

Going beyond mere devotion, St. Ignatius wanted all of his followers and
students to develop a union with Jesus. This is the ultimate goal of our lives
on earth: to be as He was, to love as He loves, and to unite our hearts with
His. That was no invention of St. Ignatius. Jesus Himself wished “that they
may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also
may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. The glory
which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as
we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one”
(John 17:21-23).

The conclusion of the Spiritual Exercises ends with St. Ignatius’ famous
Suscipe prayer, of the soul enveloping him/herself into the Divine Master:

“Take Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my

entire will, all that I have and possess. Thou hast given all to me. To Thee, O
Lord, I return it. All is Thine, dispose of it wholly according to Thy will. Give
me Thy love and thy grace, for this is sufficient for me.”(4)
Everyday Life:
St. Paul begins with some good advice: “rejoice always, pray constantly” (1
Thess 5:16-17). We cannot expect to be deeply united with Jesus if we don’t
frequent the sacraments, read the Scriptures, pray daily, and live out Christian
charity.

Apart from that, I’ve found the best advice is to keep trying. Advancing in the
spiritual life so that we can arrive at a fuller union with Jesus is impossible
without a lot of effort. Putting in the time and effort in the spiritual life is half
the battle! It might mean getting up early, reserving your afternoon break for
prayer time, or finding a Eucharistic Adoration chapel to stop in on the way
home. Fight and fight and fight for spiritual progress! (cf. 1 Tim 6:12)

3 and 4: Self-Awareness & Spiritual Direction in

Everyday Life
Even though these two pillars aren’t the same thing, they’re intimately
connected in Ignatian spirituality. In being self-aware, the goal is both positive
and negative. On the negative side, we should know our weaknesses and
frequent occasions of sin. Hopefully that means we’re more careful in
avoiding sin. On the positive side, we should know what brings us life and
how we get closest to the Lord. Some may gain a lot of value through spiritual
reading; others, through youth ministry; others, through being a catechist.

The aim of St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises is “to find out what the will of God
is in regard to his future, and to give him energy and courage to follow that
will.”(5) A spiritual director can help in the discernment of the Lord’s will, provide
good counsel, notice and then steer us away from our sinful tendencies. Not
everyone has access to a spiritual director, but anyone can have a regular
confessor. The more a priest knows you, the better able he is to prescribe the
right spiritual medicine.

5: Effective Love
This pillar is rather simple, as St. Ignatius pressed effective love as the kind of
love that “should manifest itself in deeds rather than in words.” Fr. John
Hardon says it very well: “we are not mere pawns in the almighty hands of
God. We have to work out our salvation: with divine grace, of course, but work
it out no less. And if we ask where human effort is more required: in verbal
statements or in actual deeds, the answer is rhetorical.”(6)
Everyday Life:
I can give my wife flowers, or leave her a little note to tell her I love her. I can’t
give God flowers or notes in the same way, but I can do small acts of love for
Him. St. Ignatius emphasized disinterested love—focused entirely on the
other, and not done out of any selfish motivation to make myself feel good.

6. Detachment
The Ignatian principle of detachment seeks to live a healthy indifference to the
things of this world. “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they
neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these” (Matt 6:28-29).

Everyday Life:
Although the particulars of this application are different for Jesuits than for the
laity, the underlying idea is a very valuable spiritual lesson. All too often, we
get caught up in having all the things that the secular world promises will
make us happy. St. Ignatius reminds us that nothing apart from God will fulfill
us—we should "use these things to the extent that they help us toward our
end, and free ourselves from them to the extent that they hinder us from it."(7)
The only end we should concern ourselves with is heaven, and we should
look at all our material possessions through that lens. When we die, God will
not ask about our retirement account, baseball card collection, DVD library,
vacation home, or how many trips to Europe we took. Will our material
possessions help usher us to heaven, or will/are they a hindrance? If we treat
things as an end unto themselves, we self-inflict spiritual harm on our souls.
I think there are two common traps with material detachment. First, there’s a
tendency to see it as a problem for the rich. That is, only people who can
afford big houses, new cars, and large TVs have to worry about being
detached from material possessions. Not true! This presents a great
challenge to the rich, the middle class, and the poor alike. I can be attached
to my things regardless of my income level. Second, this pillar can be seen
exclusively in a negative light. That is, God wants everyone to become
mendicants and eschew material possessions of every kind. Yes, that’s a
calling for some, but not all. It’s important to remember the first pillar on the
list—AMDG—and look at detachment as something positive for the sake of
God.(8) “Seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things
shall be yours as well” (Matt 6:33). The more room in our life, the more room
for God!

7: Prayer, Self-conquest, and Reflection

This is related to pillar #3 above (self-awareness). After gaining a road map
of through self-awareness, the soul can more effectively conquer the ego, the
passions, and temptation. Since worldliness and corruption were forces
holding sway within the Church of St. Ignatius’ time, he sought to have the
members of his company “conquer oneself and to regulate one's life without
determining oneself through any tendency that is disordered."(9) Through
these things, we advance in the spiritual life. There can be no deeper union
with Christ without prayer; orienting ourselves toward God cannot happen
unless we work with grace to turn away from our concupiscence.
Everyday Life:
There are so many different methods of prayer and reflection within the
Catholic faith. They enrich the Body of Christ and provide many paths along
the same road to union with Him. If you can’t find one right away, keep
looking! You may find a treasure trove of grace in devotion to a particular
saint, the rosary, the chaplet of Divine Mercy, lectio divina, the Liturgy of the
Hours, or in the charism of a particular religious order.

A misconception regarding self-conquest: fasting isn’t just for Lent. Besides

fasting, holding one’s tongue is a very difficult battle. What’s great about this
 area of the spiritual life is that practicing restraint in one area helps out in
other areas. The reverse is also true. Having trouble with a vice, like pride?
Reflect on your habits and the state of your soul. If one vice has taken root,
there’s a good chance that others have, too.
Stay tuned for The Pillars of Ignatian Spirituality, part 2!


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ignatian spirituality, similar in most aspects to, but distinct from Jesuit spirituality, is
a Catholic spirituality founded on the experiences of the 16th-century
Spanish Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order. The main idea of this form
of spirituality comes from Ignatius's Spiritual Exercises, the aim of which is to help one
"conquer oneself and to regulate one's life in such a way that no decision is made under
the influence of any inordinate attachment." The Exercises are intended to give the
person undertaking them a greater degree of freedom from his or her own likes and
dislikes, so that their choices are based solely on what they discern God's will is for
them.[1] Even in the composition of the exercises by Ignatius early in his career, one
might find the apostolic thrust of his spirituality in his contemplation on "The Call of the
Earthly King"[2]: 91ff and in his final contemplation with its focus on finding God in all things.
[3][2]: 235

military accoutrements before the image of the Virgin of Montserrat.

After recovering from a shattered right leg incurred during the Siege of Pamplona in
1521, Ignatius made a retreat with the Benedictines of Montserrat. They introduced him
to the Ejercitatoria de la vida espiritual of Garcias de Cisneros, based in large part on
the teachings of the Brothers of the Common Life, promoters of the "devotio moderna."
From there, he spent ten months at Manresa, where he discovered The Imitation of
Christ of Thomas à Kempis.[4] Parts of the Exercises were completed later while he was
a student in Paris.

General principles[edit]
Ignatian spirituality has been described as a spirituality of finding God's will for better
decision making.[5] According to Hans Urs von Balthasar, "choice" is the center of
the Exercises.[6] Their original objective was the question of the choice of a state of life.[4]
The Ignatian process of making good decisions acknowledges that decisions are often
between two goods, understanding that the better good, or "the more" (lat. magis), is
what we instinctively want, and what God wants for us. "In all things, to love and to
serve" (Spanish: en todo amar y servir) was a motto of St Ignatius, who wanted to "be
like St. Francis and St. Dominic", though better.[7]: 24

Aspects of Ignatian spirituality[edit]

Ignatian spirituality has the following characteristics:[4]
God's greater glory: St Ignatius of Loyola—"a man who gave the first place of his life
to God" said Benedict XVI—stressed that "Man is created to praise, reverence, and
serve God Our Lord and by this means to save his soul." This is the "First Principle and
Foundation" of the Exercises. Ignatius declares: "The goal of our life is to live with God
forever. God who loves us, gave us life. Our own response of love allows God's life to
flow into us without limit.... Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want
and I choose what better leads to the deepening of God's life in me."
Union with Jesus: Ignatius emphasized an ardent love for the Saviour. In his month-
long Exercises, he devoted the last three weeks to the contemplation of Jesus: from
infancy and public ministry, to his passion, and lastly his risen life. To achieve empathy
with Jesus and a closer following of him, Ignatius proposed a form of contemplation that
he called "application of the senses" to the scenes in the life of Jesus.[2]: 121ff The Spiritual
Exercises, in 104, sum this up in a prayer that I may "love him more and follow him
more closely." There is a considerable emphasis on the emotions in Ignatius' methods,
and a call for one to be sensitive to emotional movements.[8]
Self-awareness: Ignatius recommends the twice-daily examen (examination). This is a
guided method of prayerfully reviewing the events of the day, to awaken one's inner
sensitivity to one's own actions, desires, and spiritual state, through each moment
reviewed. The goals are to see where God is challenging the person to change and to
growth, where God is calling the person to deeper reflection (especially apt when
discerning if one has a Jesuit vocation in life), to where sinful or imperfect attitudes or
blind spots are found. The general examen, often at the end of the day, is, as the name
implies, a general review. The particular examen, often in the middle of the day, focuses
on a particular fault—identified by the person—to be worked upon in the course of some
days or weeks. Since the 1970s there have been numerous in-depth studies and
adaptations of the examen to contemporary needs. This is explained below under the
title "Examen of Consciousness."[9]
Spiritual direction: Meditation and contemplation, and for instance the aforementioned
examen, are best guided, Ignatius says, by an experienced person. Jesuits, and those
following Ignatian spirituality, meet with their spiritual director (traditionally a priest,
though in recent years many laypersons have undertaken this role) on a regular basis
(weekly or monthly) to discuss the fruits of their prayer life and be offered guidance.
Ignatius sees the director as someone who can rein in impulsiveness or excesses, goad
the complacent, and keep people honest with themselves. But the director should not so
much explain but simply present the exercises, to not get in the way of God who
"communicates himself with the well-disposed person."[2]: 2, 15 If the director is a priest,
spiritual direction may or may not be connected with the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Effective love: The founder of the Society of Jesus emphasized effective love (love
shown in deeds) over affective love (love based on feelings). He usually ended his most
important letters with "I implore God to grant us all the grace to know His holy will and to
accomplish it perfectly." This love which leads us to a perfect correspondence with
God's will demands self-sacrifice—renunciation of personal feelings and preferences.
This is expressed in Ignatius' prayer in the last exercise of his Spiritual Exercises, which
remains popular among Jesuits: "Take Lord and receive, all my liberty."[10]
Detachment: Where Francis of Assisi's concept of poverty emphasized the spiritual
benefits of simplicity and dependency, Ignatius emphasized detachment, or
"indifference." This figures prominently into what Ignatius called the "First Principle and
Foundation" of the Exercises.[2]: 23 For Ignatius, whether one was rich or poor, healthy or
sick, in an assignment one enjoyed or one didn't, was comfortable in a culture or not,
etc., should be a matter of spiritual indifference—a modern phrasing might put it as
serene acceptance. Hence, a Jesuit (or one following Ignatian spirituality) placed in a
comfortable, wealthy neighborhood should continue to live the Gospel life with
indifference to their surroundings, and if plucked from that situation to be placed in a
poor area and subjected to hardships should with a sense of spiritual joy accept that as
well, looking only to do God's will.
Prayer and efforts at self-conquest: Ignatius's book The Spiritual Exercises is a fruit
of months of prayer.[7]: 25 Prayer, In Ignatian spirituality, is fundamental since it was at the
foundation of Jesus' life, but it does not dispense from "helping oneself", a phrase
frequently used by Ignatius. Thus, he also speaks of mortification and of amendment.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart, the Eucharist, and Our Lady: The Society of Jesus
has a relationship with the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary in a commitment to
spread the devotion to the Sacred Heart. Though the concept of devotion to Christ's
mercy, as symbolized in the image of the Sacred Heart, goes further back, its modern
origins can be traced to St. Marie Alacoque, a Visitation nun, whose spiritual director
was the Jesuit St. Claude de la Colombière. The Jesuits promoted this devotion to
emphasize the compassion and overwhelming love of Christ for people, and to
counteract the rigorism and spiritual pessimism of the Jansenists.
St. Ignatius counseled people to receive the Eucharist more often, and from the order's
earliest days the Jesuits were promoters of "frequent communion". It was the custom for
many Catholics at that time to receive Holy Communion perhaps once or twice a year,
out of what Catholic theologians considered an exaggerated respect for the sacrament.
Ignatius and others advocated receiving the sacrament even weekly,[2]: 18 emphasizing
Holy Communion not as reward but as spiritual food. By the time of Pope Pius X (1903–
1914), "frequent communion" had come to mean weekly, even daily reception.
Ignatius made his initial commitment to a new way of life by leaving his soldier's
weapons (and symbolically, his old values) on an altar before an image of the Christ
child seated on the lap of Our Lady of Montserrat. Also, the Jesuits were long promoters
of the Sodality of Our Lady, their primary organization for their students until the 1960s,
which they used to encourage frequent attendance at Mass, reception of Communion,
recitation of the Rosary, and attendance at retreats in the Ignatian tradition of
the Spiritual Exercises. Since the Second Vatican Council, Marian Sodalities have been
largely replaced by small Christian Life Community (CLC) cells which emphasize
the service of justice thrust that grew in the Catholic church after Vatican II.
The CLC secretariat is at the Jesuit headquarters in Rome.[11]
Zeal for souls: This characteristic of Ignatian Spirituality comes from St. Ignatius's own
intense apostolic desires and is certainly related to the purpose of the Society of Jesus,
the religious order he founded. The purpose of the Society of Jesus, says the Summary
of the Constitutions, is "not only to apply one's self to one's own salvation and to
perfection with the help of divine grace, but to employ all one's strength for the salvation
and perfection of one's neighbor."
Finding God in All Things: The vision that Ignatius places at the beginning of
the Exercises keeps sight of both the Creator and the creature, the One and the other
swept along in the same movement of love. In it, God offers himself to humankind in an
absolute way through the Son, and humankind responds in an absolute way by a total
self-donation. There is no longer sacred or profane, natural or supernatural,
mortification or prayer—because it is one and the same Spirit who brings it about that
the Christian will see and "love God in all things—and all things in God." [12] Hence,
Jesuits have always been active in the graphic and dramatic arts, literature, and
the sciences.[13]
Examen of Consciousness: The Examen of Consciousness is a simple prayer
directed toward developing a spiritual sensitivity to the special ways God approaches,
invites, and calls. Ignatius recommends that the examen be done at least twice, and
suggests five points of prayer:

 Recalling that one is in the presence of God

 Thanking God for all the blessings one has received
 Examining how one has lived the day
 Asking God for forgiveness
 Resolution and offering a prayer of hopeful recommitment
It is important, however, that the person feels free to structure the Examen in a way that
is personally most helpful. There is no right way to do it; nor is there a need to go
through all of the five points each time. A person might, for instance, find oneself
spending the entire time on only one or two points. The basic rule is: Go wherever God
draws you. And this touches upon an important point: the Examen of Consciousness is
primarily a time of prayer; it is a "being with God." It focuses on one's consciousness of
God, not necessarily one's conscience regarding sins and mistakes.[9][14]
Discernment: Discernment is rooted in the understanding that God is ever at work in
one's life, "inviting, directing, guiding, and drawing" one "into the fullness of life." Its
central action is reflection on the ordinary events of one's life. It presupposes an ability
to reflect, a habit of personal prayer, self-knowledge, knowledge of one's deepest
desires, and openness to God's direction and guidance. Discernment is a prayerful
"pondering" or "mulling over" the choices a person wishes to consider. In discernment,
the person's focus should be on a quiet attentiveness to God and sensing rather than
thinking. The goal is to understand the choices in one's heart, to see them, as it were,
as God might see them. In one sense, there is no limit to how long one might wish to
continue in this. Discernment is a repetitive process, yet as the person continues some
choices should, of their own accord, fall by the wayside while others should gain clarity
and focus. It is a process that should move inexorably toward a decision.[15]
Service and humility: Ignatius emphasized the active expression of God's love in life
and the need to be self-forgetful in humility. Part of Jesuit formation is the undertaking of
service specifically to the poor and sick in the most humble ways: Ignatius wanted
Jesuits in training to serve part of their time as novices and in tertianship as the
equivalent of orderlies in hospitals, for instance emptying bed pans and washing
patients, to learn humility and loving service. Jesuit educational institutions often adopt
mottoes and mission statements that include the idea of making students "men and
women for others",[16] and the like. Jesuit missions have generally included medical
clinics, schools, and agricultural development projects as ways to serve the poor or
needy while preaching the Gospel.
Some groups who find the Ignatian "way of proceeding" helpful include the Society of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus (RSCJ), the Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ), the Loreto
Sisters (IBVM), the Religious Sisters of Charity (RSC), the Oblates of the Virgin Mary,
and the Christian Life Communities (CLC).[17]

Important Distinction between Ignatian spirituality and Jesuit Spirituality

While both share very much in common because of their roots in St. Ignatius' Spiritual
Exercises, "Ignatian Spirituality" is quite distinct from "Jesuit Spirituality". Jesuit
spirituality is different in important key aspects from Ignatian spirituality as lived by or as
guiding the laity (in this discussion, the word "laity" refers to those who are not of the
category of "lay religious," i.e., those who profess religious vows but are not ordained
clerics.) Moreover, Ignatian spirituality which was already being promoted before the
16th century schisms, is germane to all Christians of whatever tradition or
denomination. Many non-Catholic Christians such as Lutherans, Anglicans, Baptists,
Methodists, Evangelicals have embraced Ignatian spiritual practices especially in the
latter part of the 20th century up to today. But far be it from them to say they are
embracing Jesuit spirituality.
Jesuit spirituality, or, to be more precise, Jesuits' spirituality is a species of Ignatian
spirituality as understood and practiced by every Jesuit, i.e., a member of the apostolic
religious order called "The Society of Jesus" founded by St. Ignatius. Whereas Ignatian
spirituality is very germane to the laity, Ignatius having been a layman when he started
sharing the Spiritual Exercises with people, the Jesuits' spirituality is not a lay spirituality
but a spirituality for these religious (as opposed to diocesan) priests and brothers who
profess the religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Jesuits have another
major document besides Ignatius' The Spiritual Exercises as a source for their
spirituality that belongs specifically to them as a religious order: St. Ignatius' The
Constitutions of the Society of Jesus. This document governs the religious life of the
Jesuits and therefore also shapes and even regulates the spiritual life and the
spirituality of Jesuits. Therefore, to equate Ignatian spirituality with Jesuit spirituality
would be incorrect, if only for the fact that the laity are not juridically bound by the
aforementioned Constitutions and its Complementary Norms which have implications
for their spirituality. (Jesuits endeavor to share elements of Ignatian, not so much Jesuit,
spirituality with their lay co-workers in the apostolate. [citation needed]
Spiritual Exercises