Stopping to Think. Brian Grogan SJ

Transcription

1 Brian Grogan SJ

2 LESSON ONE STOPPING TO THINK! A. INTRODUCTION Begin with Yourself! Where do we start? Perhaps surprisingly, we start with yourself, just as you are and where you are. Beginning where you are is an Ignatian insight! We can always start there because God is there too. Ignatian spirituality can enable you to do what Ignatius did in his day, that is, to make sense of your life experiences, by interpreting them in the light of God s dreams for yourself. Introducing Ignatius Ignatius is your dialogue partner as you ask: What s my life all about?! Ignatian spirituality was crafted painstakingly by a sixteenth-century Basque, Ignatius of Loyola, as he struggled alone to make sense of his disjointed and seemingly pointless life, in a world as chaotic and fragmented as our own. Only when wounded in 1521, at the age of thirty, did he stumble on the fact that God had dreams for him and needed him. So he abandoned his courtier life, and as a destitute pilgrim he walked some 12,000 km of the unpaved roads of Europe, always trying to follow God s beckoning. For eleven years, , he studied arts and theology, without knowing where these would take him, though he acknowledges that God kept on trying to teach him, as a school-teacher teaches a child. He was ordained priest only at forty-six, founded the Jesuits at forty-nine, and for his last fifteen years, , was the first superior of the Jesuit Order. But the Jesuit Order was not his only legacy to the world, for throughout his mature years he was quietly developing a spirituality a way of living out his life before God - which would prove relevant for persons of any time, place or circumstance. Were the Jesuit Order to be suppressed again, as it was between 1773 and 1814, Ignatian spirituality would continue to thrive as his second great gift to humankind. This spirituality is now firmly embedded among the People of God everywhere, and is accessible primarily not by prolonged study, nor by travel to Ignatian places, nor by ascetical exercises, but by simply attending to your own inner world. 1

3 He Stopped to Think Because most of us struggle for meaning as Ignatius did, Ignatian spirituality has a perennial appeal because his insights can become ours too. Thus, while Ignatius story is interesting in itself, more important is the fact that his experiences can have both an intimately personal and a universal resonance. As the Introduction to the Penguin Classics 2004 edition of Ignatius Personal Writings says: His influence on the development of spiritual awareness has been unique. His own spiritual awareness began at thirty when he stopped to think and began to attend to the contrasting movements of his heart. He noticed that certain thoughts and images brought him lasting joy and energy, whereas others left him feeling dry and discontented. He interpreted the first set as coming from that lifegiving and sustaining source whom we call God, who endlessly draws us to life, joy, peace and purpose. It was at this point that his life took off: God had emerged from the shadows, and from then on Ignatius tried to keep God before his eyes, and to notice God s leadings. Awareness This spiritual awareness can also grow in you because Ignatian spirituality centres not on a set of pious practices or on Ignatius himself, but on meeting God in your personal experience. By cultivating a reflective life, you allow yourself to be encountered by God in the messy, changing and often absurd world in which you live. The impact of encountering God is transforming: it brings inner joy and peace, and also opens you up to horizons of compassion and concern for your world. For more on this, see: Grogan, B., SJ: Alone and on Foot: Ignatius of Loyola. Dublin: Veritas, 2008, Introduction, pp B LESSON CONTENT Since the focus of Ignatian spirituality is firmly on you rather than on some package of external knowledge we invite you to put some questions to yourself. We want to work along together with you, not according to the banking theory of learning, which presumes an empty head in the learner, but according to the dynamics of adult learning. Adults have their own view of things, their philosophy of life, their operational theology, their interests and antipathies, their personal questions, etc. They have a lifetime of wisdom and experience, and they want to add to that or query it in order to move on better. This describes you too! So ask yourself: What hopes and expectations do I have of this course on Ignatian Spirituality? Please jot it down for yourself in your diary, it might be interesting to discuss this with others in a group, or revisit it at a later stage. 2

4 Next question: What fears do I have around this course? Do you worry about what you may be letting yourself in for? Do you feel you might be forced into something that does not fit you, or that you might have to move at someone else s pace rather than your own? Do you, as most of us do, dread to encounter the living God, who may make demands on you? Your Questions about the course At this point in this Lesson, it is your turn to ask some questions, and it is only respectful to you that we should set out our stall in response. Whether you are studying for your own sake, or hold or are taking on a role in a Jesuit organisation, we believe in freedom of information about ourselves. There is a great range of information available about the Jesuits and Ignatian spirituality, so these Lessons are intended as stepping stones and signposts towards your particular goal. They should provide direction and encourage your personal study and reflection, as your time and energy permit. Thus, your questions are important. A few of the more frequently asked questions are taken up here. Who are the Jesuits? To discover what others say about us, let s try Wikipedia. There we find: A Roman Catholic order founded by St Ignatius of Loyola in 1534 to defend Catholicism against the Reformation and to do missionary work among the heathen; it is strongly committed to education and scholarship. This is pretty bad: let s try the Hutchinson Encyclopedia, 1990: Jesuit: a member of the largest and most influential Roman Catholic order, aka the Society of Jesus, founded by Ignatius Loyola 1534, dissolved 1773, re-established This too is historically weak and lacks soul! So what do you say about yourselves? The Jesuit Order was founded by St Ignatius of Loyola in Currently we are a group of almost 18,000 men, spread across the globe, in more than 105 countries. Each of us has responded to what he believes to be a personal call from God to serve the world and the Church through the Jesuit Order. 3

5 And what do you do? In two words we might say: Whatever helps! If asked for four words we would quote the Jesuit motto: Ad maiorem Dei gloriam we try to act always for the greater glory of God. Our intention is to serve the world and the Church in whatever ways we can, according to our gifts and skills. While Jesuits have been traditionally known as educationalists, and many of them are so engaged, there are no set categories of work proper to the Order. Ignatius wanted his men to be ready for everything, anywhere - wherever the needs are greatest, wherever there are people who have no one else to serve them. Pope Benedict XVI asked us to labour at the frontiers where faith and cultures confront one another. The Church needs you, relies on you and continues to turn to you with trust, particularly to reach those physical and spiritual places which others do not reach, or have difficulty in reaching. Allocution to the 35 th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus, 21 Feb Why do you do what you do? What makes you tick? Since the Second Vatican Council, , when uniformity of dress etc., began to disappear, questions around our identity have come from within as well as from outside the Order. We have churches, educational institutions, apostolates, retreat houses etc.; we are educators, preachers, scholars, scientists, astronomers, missioners and so forth, but again, these are some of the things we do, and don t tell what we are. We have Constitutions, but of themselves they are not a way of life. The Spiritual Exercises: Closer to the heart of the issue is the fact that we try to live out of the Spiritual Exercises, which we make in their full form over 30 days, at least twice in a lifetime. These Exercises help to create our common identity. St Ignatius composed them to help others experience what he himself had undergone the transforming experience of being captivated by the Jesus of the Gospels. Ignatius wanted followers who would be won over to Jesus Christ not only in mind and will, but in imagination, affectivity and emotion, to the point that from then on, they would live solely for the Lord and be ready to go to the ends of the earth to help others, if that same Lord asked it of them. This tells a lot about us, and explains that restless mobility which can be disconcerting to those with whom we work, who often feel we should be more stable and predictable! Ours is not an itch for change and novelty for their own sake: rather, God enjoys doing new things (Isaiah 48:6) and we try to catch on and respond to what emerges from the divine imagination! 4

6 The ongoing articulation of our identity is crucial. Jesuit delegates worldwide gather periodically to review where the Order is at, and to plan its response to an emerging world. In 1975 they stated that to be a Jesuit is to be a sinner, yet called to be a companion of Jesus as Ignatius was (Decree 2:1). Twenty years later, our identity was expressed in the following terms: We are servants of Christ s mission. Most recently, in 2008, our identity was couched in terms of relationships. Previous articulations are not denied but presumed, and now we say that We know who we are by looking at Christ. In other words, we do not possess an identity of our own in which we can take security: instead we are caught into a divine relationship that possesses us. Nor are we a group of independent individuals, but are united together as companions with Christ for the sake of the world. Since Christ is not removed from the world, we get to know him and deepen our friendship with him by getting to know and love the poor of the earth: they are his special friends, and with them he identifies. Christ is to be our one constant point of reference; all else is fluid and open, as we dance with God whose imagination and love for the world is limitless. In a later Lesson we will take up again this issue of Jesuit identity, which is so important for those members of the People of God whom we privileged to have as our Partners in Mission. Unless our partners are helped to catch on to our current understanding of who we are, the dance will fail, because they and we will be out of step with one another. You may wish to read for yourself the Decrees of General Congregation 35, especially Decree Two, which is titled: A Fire that Kindles Other Fires: Rediscovering our Charism. Properly speaking it is not a Decree since identity cannot be legislated for; rather it might rather be called A Contemplation on our Relationships, Divine and Human. It is a document to be savoured and prayed over rather than debated. Back to Yourself So much about the Jesuits as of now. We invite you at this point to do as Ignatius did; to stop and think about where you re at in life, and how God may be beckoning you! Take your time: don t rush! Enter into the experiences provoked by the questions that follow below, in order to get to know your own unique self in relation to God. Note that Ignatian Spirituality is a heart-issue rather than merely head-knowledge. It is self-involving, challenging and transforming, and also highly rewarding! Ignatius notes that It is not much knowledge that fills and satisfies the soul, but the intimate understanding and relish of the truth (Spiritual Exercises 2). We wish you that intimate understanding of your own life. So, where are you? You may be female or male, younger or older, more or less rich in the world s goods, married or single, Catholic or other... Stop to think for a bit about this. Who am I? Where are you in your life s journey? Student, married, parent, employed, successful, lonely, happy or dissatisfied? How would you name your prevailing mood? Stop again to think about this, and notice the resonances that your thoughts bring you. 5

7 Where are you in regard to your world? Are you happy in life, or do you live in quiet desperation as Thoreau puts it? Does the TV News get you down or leave you unmoved? Do you wonder what mark you can make on life? Do you see yourself as significant or do you doubt that you can make a difference? Where are you in regard to God? How would you describe your relationship with God? Strong or weak; comfortable or awkward; intimate or distant; active or passive? Reflect on a significant decision you made recently. What did you want? What values did you bring to your choice? Who was significant for you in the process of the choice? Respect your findings in regard to the above self-reflection. Take time, as Ignatius did, to notice and to ponder the moods that come up in your inner world: hopes and fears, joy and sadness, energy, satisfaction or disenchantment, and so on. This is where you re starting from! This is the place of grace where God meets you. An image: The image of beginning a pilgrimage may be helpful at this stage. Ignatius often referred to himself as the pilgrim. Take these first miles at your own pace; go gently on the hills, and enjoy the downward slopes. Move on to the next lesson only when you feel ready. This picture is courtesy of the following site: 6

8 C. REFLECTION You might begin to practice the Review of Consciousness which followers of Ignatius use to keep on track while leading busy lives. Ignatius himself would take moments out in a busy day to check whether what he was up to matched what God had in mind! While the Review can take as much time as you give it, if you re driving home late after a tough meeting, you might simply say: Hi, God! It s me. I m feeling exhausted. But thanks for what went well; sorry about my harshness to X. I ll try to do better the next time, with your help. Keep an eye on me and on all those I love. Thanks. Good night! The structure of the Review is open, but may include the following: Settling: You and God sit down together, as two friends might meet at evening time to chat over their day. In God s company, you rummage back over the day s events, to try to find where God was in it. Gratitude: Thank God for the good things the good of others to you and the good you have achieved; be grateful for your health, your gifts and energy; for the beauty of nature, food, drink, home, good company, etc. Include any happy surprises that came your way. All that is good comes ultimately from God, so God can be discovered all around, quietly providing for you. Noticing: Ask for sensitivity to notice where God was active in your choices. Was God asking something of you, and if so, did you notice at the time and respond? Apology: Ask forgiveness if you made life hard for someone, or spoiled something. Did a dark mood overtake you? Planning: End by looking ahead with God to the challenges of the next day. Listen to God thanking you for your efforts in this day that is ending, and ask God s support for the time ahead, as you try to help others in your own God-given corner of the world. 7

9 D. RECOMMENDED READING For now, the essential reading is simply the pages of your own story, rather than books and articles. Contemplate your own life, without judging it. Contemplation has been described as A long loving look at the real, so the invitation is to take a long, loving look at the reality of your own life. You may be helped, however, by dipping in to the following: Munitiz, J., and Endean, P., SJ: St Ignatius of Loyola: Personal Writings. London: Penguin, Here you will find Ignatius Autobiography or Reminiscences. Read pages 13-17, nn on how Ignatius stopped to think, let God take over, and was transformed. Grogan, B., SJ: Reflective Living. Dublin: Messenger Publications, This short book can help you to develop the habit of living reflectively rather than reactively. Grogan, B., SJ: Our Graced Life-Stories. Dublin: Messenger Publications, The focus in this book is on what God is making of you and how you can collaborate with God s action in the details of your life. Martin, J., SJ: The Jesuit Guide to (almost) Everything. NY: HarperOne, This is a NY Times Bestseller, which translates Ignatius insights for a modern reader and reveals how we can find God and how God can find us in the real world of work, love, suffering, decisions, prayer and friendship. Traub, G W., SJ, ed: An Ignatian Spirituality Reader. Chicago: Loyola Press, Contains excellent, recent and short articles on various aspects of Ignatian spirituality by various authors. Each section has its own bibliography. E. LINKS Ignatian Spirituality began to spread through personal contact: Ignatius liked to meet people personally, on a one-to-one basis: he would listen well to them and chat with them about the next step they might feel ready to take. To help you to personalise this study, we offer you the following link: which will aid you in personal daily prayer. Another web site that offers ongoing help to many persons as they try to live out Ignatian Spirituality include Creighton University - Online Ministries 8

10 F. INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES From Lesson One the intended learning outcomes are: A first-level grasp of Ignatius, his spirituality, and of the Jesuits. A growth in your self-knowledge, through non-judgmental noticing A sense that it is just possible that God is close to you and very interested in you G. ASSIGNMENT Write up a page on the learning outcomes you have achieved. Thank you! End of Lesson One. 9