Ignatian Communal Discernment. Seeking God s Desire for a Group or Community

Transcription

1 Ignatian Communal Discernment Seeking God s Desire for a Group or Community

2 The Founding Fathers of the Jesuits gathered to prayerfully reflect on God s desire for them as a group: Remain together? Work on their own? Take a vow of obedience to one of their members for the good order and clarity of their future service? Vow only to the Church and service to the Pope individually? The model

3 Preconditions for making the discernment Stage ONE Intense prayer, celebration of the Eucharist, Reconciliation if necessary over a significant period of time Fasting and other penances Renewal of the Graces of the First Week by all participants Conversation and sharing deeply of the graces of the first week Careful personal discernment on a daily basis Stage TWO Renewal of the graces of the Second Week Gathering all information that is necessary to know (social, economic etc.) and analyze Renewal of their own deep affection and trust Sharing of mind and heart regarding information

4 Context for Discernment of God s will 1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 th // // /

5 Reviewing the Stages of Grace Preparation Stage discovery of Love First Week Discovery of patterns of sin, ways we are broken, sinful, disordered, disorganized Second Week Discovery of the way of God ( I am the Way) and responding to the Call of Christ to Companionship Third Week Discovery of the COST of the way Fourth Week Discovery of the REWARD of the way

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7 Preparation Stage God The Principle and Foundation: God is creator of all creation and redeemer Scripture texts which invite the exercitant to hear, feel, KNOW and understand the quality of God s love for him/her. The Discovery of Love: Absolute and undeserved Exercitant: is attracted to love but frightened by it s power

8 The First Week: Sin and Grace 1 st Meditation: Cosmic Sin Angels, first parents, the sin in the world today with colloquy with Jesus on the Cross: What have I done, what am I doing, what ought I to do? 2 nd Meditation: My own patterns of sin: grateful colloquy with God 3 rd Meditation: A repetition on 1 and 2 with colloquies to Mary, Jesus and God 4 th Meditation: A resume of 1, 2, and 3 remember what you have known and experienced 5 th Meditation: A consideration of hell or the ultimate consequence of sin. Crucified Christ: compassionately liberates the exercitant Exercitant: Discovers lack of freedom in self and culture: attracted but afraid...

9 The First Week of a Community Sinful Social Structures in the world, in our nation, in our culture and in our community Face the truth, repent your dis-graced part enter into prayer, share with companions, seek forgiveness

10 Constant question of prayer before Christ Crucified What have we done, what are we doing, what ought we to do?

11 Gathering the data about ourselves What has and has not worked? What patterns of behavior have to change? What do we need to be imagining about doing differently? What resources and support do we need? Who can help us and how? How do we exercise accountability?

12 Don t move ahead of the Grace Stay where God is asking us to be together Be faithful about the task Repetition/ repetition / repetition Expect ups and downs (look for them) Stasis is usually a sign of avoidance of call or challenge PRAYER, PENANCE and SACRAMENTS