CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR WAY OF PROCEEDING

CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR WAY OF PROCEEDING Certain attitudes, values and patterns of behaviour join together to become what has been called the Jesuit Way of Proceeding. The characteristics of our way of proceeding were born in the life of St Ignatius and shared by his first companions. Jerome Nadal writes that the form of the Society is in the life of Ignatius. God set him up as a living example of our way of proceeding. GC 34 considered which of these characteristics we need especially to draw upon today, and the form they must take in the new situations and changing ministries in which we labour. We suggest that the following be included among them: 1. Deep personal love for Jesus Christ 2. Contemplation in Action 3. An Apostolic Body in the Church 4. In Solidarity with those most in need 5. Partnership with Others 6. Called to Learned Ministry 7. Men Sent, Always Available for new Mission 8. Ever Searching for the MA GIS. We will take these eight characteristics as the themes for the first eight days of this Novena. The ninth day we will dedicate to the person of Saint Ignatius. And for the feast day: Ignatius, a man of contemplating, courage and creativity. Most of the material for this Novena Service has been taken from GC 34: Characteristics of Oar Way of Proceeding. For the Intercessory Prayers, we have, dipped liberally into Fr Tony De Mello s Rooted in God. 1. Deep Personal Love for Jesus Christ SpEx 104 Here it will be to ask for an intimate knowledge of our Lord, who has become human for me, that I may love Him more and follow Him more closely. In remorse, gratitude and astonishment, but above all with passionate love - first Ignatius, and then every Jesuit after him, has turned prayerfully to Christ hanging on the Cross before me, and has asked himself, What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? What ought I to do for Christ? The questions well up from a heart moved with profound gratitude and love. This is the foundational grace that binds Jesuits to Jesus and to one another. A Jesuit freely gives what he has freely received: the gift of Christ s redeeming love. Today we bring this counter-cultural gift of Christ to a world beguiled by self-centred human fulfillment, extravagance, and soft living, a world that prizes prestige and power and selfsufficiency. In such a world, to preach Christ poor and humble, fidelity and courage, is to expect

humiliation, persecution and even death. Today, as always, it is deep, personal devotion to Jesus that principally characterizes the Jesuit way of proceeding. Reading: Eph 3:14-21 That you may know the love of Christ Intercessions: Let us pray that all Jesuits, all priests and religious, all Christians may come to know Jesus Christ our Lord, and love Him with all their hearts. R/ Give Yourself to us, O Lord. - That our prayer be full of Christ: that it be not mere clever reasoning, or an empty talking to ourselves, but the experience of a Person present to us. Let us pray - That our love be full of Christ: that we be incapable of loving anything for its own sake, but only in Jesus and for Jesus; that we love Him alone, and everyone else with His own love. Let us pray. - That our work be full of Christ: that it be not the grind of labour, or even the noble fulfillment of duty for its own sake; but the loving service given to the Person we long to please. Let us pray. Let us pray: Lord God, you gave the name of JESUS to your eternal Word, born of your handmaid, the Virgin Mary. Open our minds and hearts to receive in our day the word you speak to us in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen 2. Contemplative in Action Jerome Nadal: I shall not fail to recall that grace which Ignatius had in all circumstances, while at work or in conversation, of feeling the presence of God and of tasting spiritual things, of being contemplative even in the midst of action; he used to interpret this as seeking God in all things. For a Jesuit, not just any response to the needs of the men and women of today will do. The initiative must come from the Lord laboring in events and people here and now. God invites us to join with Him in His labours, on His terms, and in His way. To discover and join the Lord, labouring to bring everything to its fullness, is central to the Jesuit way of proceeding. It is the Ignatian method of prayerful discernment, which can be described as a constant interplay between experience, reflection, decision and action, in line with the Jesuit ideal of being contemplative in action. Through individual and communal discernment, lived in obedience, Jesuits take responsibility for their apostolic choices in today s world. Reading: Mark 1:32-39 The public ministry of Jesus Intercession: Let us pray that we will realize that fruitful labour comes from deep union with Christ; that we may always remember the words of Jesus: Without Me you can do nothing. (Jn 15;5) [ If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do the builders labour. If the lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil. (Ps 127) R/ Lord, have mercy and hear us

- Let us pray for the Church: that God may raise up within her men and women who will recall her members to the depths of prayer and contemplation. Let us pray. - For our Society: that, true to the traditions of our founder, we may live a life in the secret places of our hearts, whose depths the world will never suspect; that, as we widen the extent of our action, we may also increase the depth of our contemplation. Let us pray. - For our community: that our house be a centre of true apostles, who, like Paul and every other Apostle, have direct, personal and continuous contact with the Lord. Let us pray. Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we ask You to give us the detachment from all created things that is so necessary for an apostle. Give us the burning love for You that will make us ready to sacrifice all comfort, all pleasure, all convenience, all honour, even life itself, rather than be untrue to your message and to You. We ask this... 3. An Apostolic Body in the Church Deliberations of the First Fathers: Finally we decided in the affirmative; namely, that we...should not break this divinely constituted oneness and fellowship, but rather strengthen and consolidate it ever more, forming ourselves into one body. Following the example of Jesus, the first Jesuits would be sent, as far as possible, in groups of at least two. Even when dispersed, a bond of unity remained strong through constant communication and writing of letters that Ignatius insisted on, and especially through the account of conscience. Xavier put it simply: The Society of Jesus is The Society of Love. From this union with Christ, flows, of necessity, a love for one another. We are not merely fellow workers; we are friends in the Lord. Coming from many nations and cultures, speaking many languages, our union is enriched, not threatened, by diversity. In shared prayer, in conversation, and in the celebration of the Eucharist, each of us finds the spiritual resources needed for an apostolic community. Reading: 1 Cor 12:27-31 You are together the body of Christ Intercession: Let us pray for the realization that union of minds and hearts is more necessary today than ever before, for the Society cannot be preserved or attain its end unless its members are united among themselves and with their head. R/ Lord, keep us united in Your love - The unity of an apostolic body such as ours must be based on the union of each and all with God in Christ. That we may have a continual familiarity with God, finding Him in all things, especially in our own brethren. Let us pray. - That the Eucharist be the centre of our life together, making us one companionship totally dedicated to Christ s mission in the world. Let us pray.

- That we be companions, not only in the sense of fellow-workers, but truly brothers and friends in the Lord. Let us pray. - That our superiors, through their spiritual mode of governing, in all modesty and charity in the Lord, may keep their communities together in love and obedience. Let us pray. Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, ever one with the Father, obedient to Him unto death, who came to gather the scattered children and are the head and heart of our Society: take us as Your companions and give us Your spirit, a spirit of filial obedience and love, overflowing in true affection and deeds of service to all. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord... 4. In Solidarity with those most in need Ignatius to the Fathers at Trent (1546): And what they should especially seek to accomplish for God s greater glory is to preach, hear confessions, lecture, instruct children, give good example, visit the poor in the hospitals, exhort the neighbour according to the amount of talent which each is conscious of possessing, so as to move as many as possible to prayer and devotion. Ignatius and his followers began their preaching in poverty. They linked their ministry to the powerful with the needs of the powerless. Today, whatever our ministry, we Jesuits enter into solidarity with the poor, the marginalized and the voiceless, in order to enable their participation in the processes that shape the society in which we all live and work. They in their turn teach us about our own poverty as no document can. They help us to understand the meaning of the gratuity of our ministries, giving freely what we have freely received, giving our very lives. They show us the way to inculturate Gospel values in situations where God is forgotten. Reading: Lk 7:11-17 Widow of Naim [Mk 6:30-34 Miracle of Loaves] Intercession: Let us pray that we will have the heart of Christ, a heart always moved with compassion for the poor and for all those who suffer in body, in mind and in spirit. R/ Lord, have mercy and hear us - For the Church in India; that God may raise up an army of men and women who will be able to speak to our people what they have learnt, not from books, but from the inner promptings of their heart. Let us pray. - For our Society: that since, by our very vocation, we are apostles and are stamped with the Name of Jesus, our communities everywhere be spiritual centres from which the power of Christ radiates, and in which the love of Christ resides. Let us pray. - For each and every member of our community: that the first and most important fruit of our stay in this house be an ever increasing knowledge of Christ, an ever burning love for Him, and an ardent desire to follow Him. Let us pray.

Let us pray: God our Father, we see our world as a network of domination, oppression and abuses which stifle freedom, and which keep the greater part of humanity from sharing in the building up and enjoyment of a more just and more fraternal world (Synod of Bishops 1971) Transform our cold and selfish hearts with Your healing touch, and make them hearts full of compassion. Help us to reach out to the poor, the homeless, the hungry, and to love them not merely in theory and in word, but in sincerity and in practice (1 Jn 3:18) We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord... 5. Partnership with Others Constitutions (622): For the same reason too, preference ought to be shown to the aid which is given to the great nations, such as the Indies, or to important cities, or to universities, which are generally attended by numerous persons who by being aided themselves can become labourers for the help of others. Partnership and cooperation with others in ministry is not a pragmatic strategy resulting from diminished manpower, but an essential dimension of the contemporary Jesuit way of proceeding, rooted in the realization that to prepare our complex and divided world for the coming of the Kingdom requires a plurality of gifts, perspectives and experiences, both international and multi-cultural. Jesuits therefore cooperate with lay women and men in the Church, with religious, priests and bishops of the local Church in which they serve, with members of other religions, and with all men and women of good will. In this way we fulfill Christ s priestly prayer that they all may be one. Reading: Acts 6:1-7 First deacons are chosen [Exod 18: 13-27] Intercession: Let us pray that the presence of God may shine out in our midst by the love we have for one another. [ It is His explicit command that the one who loves God must love his brother too (1 Jn 4:21)] R/ Lord, hear our prayer - That the Lord may give us true love for each other: so that with us there be no jealousy, no rudeness or selfishness, but a constant readiness to excuse, to trust, to suffer whatever comes. Let us pray. - That the Lord may give us a genuine concern for others: that we never fail to respond to a cry for help; that we never ignore a need for sympathy and patience; that we cheerfully bear one another s burdens, and lovingly put up with each other s defects. Let us pray. - That the Lord will bless us with the gift of His Spirit of Love: so that the love we bear each other be not just natural comradeship, but rather a love like the love of Christ Himselffaithful, unconditional, completely self-effacing. Let us pray. Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, You were so concerned that Your disciples should be outstanding models of love; You insisted that it would be by this sign that the world would recognize who

Your true disciples are. Pour into our tepid hearts the gift of Your Holy Spirit, so that he may make of us a community with one heart and one mind, even as You and the Father and this same Holy Spirit are indivisibly one, living and reigning for ever and ever. Amen 6. Called to Learned Ministry Autobiography (50): After the pilgrim realized that it was not God s will that he remain in Jerusalem, he continually pondered within himself what he ought to do. At last he was inclined more to study for some time so he would be able to help souls, and he decided to go to Barcelona. Ignatius very quickly saw the need for learning in the service of faith and the ministry of the Word. Therefore it is characteristic of a Jesuit that he embody in creative tension this Ignatian requirement to use all human means science, art, learning, natural virtue with a total reliance on divine grace. In the context of the complex challenges and opportunities of our contemporary world, this ministry requires all the learning and intelligence, imagination and ingenuity, solid studies and rigorous analysis that we can muster. To overcome ignorance and prejudice through learning and teaching, to make the Gospel truly Good News in a confused and troubled world through theological reflection, is a characteristic of our Jesuit way of proceeding. Reading: 2 Tim 4:1-11 True faith and sound knowledge. [2 Tim 3:1-17] Intercession: Let us pray that the Lord may accept us for His disciples, His pupils, and never cease to impart to us His teachings and His values. R/ Hear Your people, have mercy, O Lord - That we be constantly faithful to the teachings imparted by the Lord in the Gospels: to His lessons on poverty and love and purity. Let us pray. - That we recognize the voice of the Lord in the directions of those placed over us; and that we follow that voice in joyfulness and in love. Let us pray. - That we be given the grace to detect all that the Lord is teaching us through the circumstances of our lives and the events of each day. Let us pray. - That we be privileged to hear the words of the Lord whispered in our hearts, and that we be always docile to His promptings and to His guidance. Let us pray. Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal Word of God, we beg You to make us worthy disciples and pupils of the wisdom You teach us in the Gospels. May we faithfully follow Your teaching and Your inspiration, even though it appear foolish in the eyes of men and women. For we know that what humans consider wise is frequently foolishness in Your sight. We ask this through Christ our Lord... 7. Men Sent, Always Available for new Missions Autobiography (85): If they were not given permission to remain in Jerusalem, they would return to Rome and present themselves to the Vicar of Christ, so that he could make use of

them wherever he thought it would be to the greater glory of God and the service of souls. In answer to the question: Why are there Jesuits? Jerome Nadal answers simply that our Charism, indeed our reason for existence, is that we might go where needs are not being met. Our way of proceeding encourages this mobility. A Jesuit is essentially a man on a mission, a mission he receives from the Holy Father and from his own religious superior, but ultimately from Jesus Christ Himself, the one sent by the Father. Jesuits live with an operative freedom: open, adaptable, even eager for any mission that may be given to us. It is a mission free of any worldly interest, and free to serve all men and women. Reading: Lk 10:1-12 Jesus sends out the seventy-two. Intercession: Let us pray for those virtues that are essential for us if we are to become convincing and effective messengers of the Lord. R/ Have mercy on Your people, Lord - That the Lord will make us persons of great austerity, spurning luxuries and soft living, moderate in the use of sense pleasures, persons who are crucified to the world, with Christ. Let us pray. - That the Lord may make us persons of prayer, so that our words may not be empty and hollow, but full of power and conviction that comes to those who speak of what they themselves have felt and experienced. Let us pray. - That the Lord will make us men of love: so that we esteem those to whom we bring our message, giving to them not only the Gospels, but the whole of ourselves in affection and devoted service. Let us pray. Let us pray: Stir up within us, Lord, the zeal that inflamed the heart of your Apostle Paul, the zeal that has been such a characteristic of every saint. Give us such an intensely personal love for You, that we will seek out every possible opportunity to bring others to know and love You more. Teach us that we must do this, not only by resourcefulness in action and speech, but even more by perseverance in unceasing prayer. We ask this through Christ... 8. Ever Searching for the MAGIS SpEx 97: Those who wish to give greater proof of their love, and to distinguish themselves in whatever concerns the service of the Eternal King and Lord of all, will not only offer themselves entirely for the works...but make offerings of greater value and more importance. The magis is not simply one among others in a list of Jesuit characteristics. It permeates them all. The entire life of Ignatius was a pilgrim search for the magis, the ever greater glory of God. Mediocrity has no place in Ignatius world view. Like Ignatius, we are constantly driven to discover, re-define and reach out for the magis. Indeed, ours is a holy boldness, a certain apostolic aggressivity, typical of our way of proceeding. Reading: Lk 9:51-62 The radical following of Christ!

Intercession: St Ignatius was a man of infinite desires. His motto was Ever More! Ever better service of Christ, ever greater glory to God. Let us pray that we, sons of St Ignatius, will catch something of his spirit. R/ Inflame our hearts with love of You, O Lord. - That God may turn our minds to Him: that while we seek to increase our knowledge in other spheres, nothing may match the eagerness with which we seek the knowledge of God. Let us pray. - That God completely dominate our lives: so that every action of ours may give witness to the fact that we are possessed by God. Let us pray. - That God accept the gift of our hearts: that they be full of Him alone; and being full of Him, they may overflow in love towards others. Let us pray. Let us pray: (Prayer of St Augustine - adapted) Almighty Father, enter into our hearts, and so fill us with Your love, that, giving up all evil desires, we may embrace You as our only good. Enlarge the narrowness of our hearts, that You may enter. Repair the ruinous dwelling places, so that You may come and live in them. Hear us, O heavenly Father, for the sake of Your only Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen. 9. The Person of St Ignatius [Const. IX ch 2] It is generally agreed that the description of what the Superior General should be is Ignatius self-portrait. The first is that he should be closely united with God our Lord and have familiarity with Him in prayer and in all his operations. The second quality is that he be a person whose example in all virtues will be a help to the other members of the Society. Charity towards all his neighbours...; likewise a genuine humility which will make him highly beloved of God... He ought to be free from all inordinate affections, having them tamed and mortified... He should know how to mingle the required rectitude and severity with kindness and gentleness... Magnanimity and fortitude of soul are likewise highly necessary for him... The third quality is that he ought to be endowed with great intelligence and judgment, so that he is not lacking in this talent in either speculative or practical matters which may arise.... still more necessary is prudence along with experience in spiritual and interior matters... The fourth quality is that he should be vigilant and solicitous in undertaking enterprises, and vigorous in carrying them through... The fifth quality concerns the body. As regards health, appearance and age, account should be taken, on the one hand, of dignity and authority, and on the other of the physical strength demanded by his charge... The sixth quality regards external things....such are normally esteem, a good reputation, and whatever else contributes towards authority among those within and without. Finally, he ought to be one of those who are most outstanding in every virtue, most deserving of the Society, and known as such for the longest time.

1 Tim 6:11-16.20-21 Set your heart on integrity [2 Tim 2: 1-26] Intercession: While thanking God for giving St Ignatius to the Church and the Society, let us pray that we imbibe his spirit, especially his love for Christ and His Church. R/ St Ignatius, intercede for us. - Through the instrumentality of St Ignatius, God gave us the Spiritual Exercises - which the popes have praised and recommended as one of the most efficacious remedies for the spiritual regeneration and right ordering of the world (Pius XII) That we may deepen our understanding and appreciation of this great treasure, and generously share its riches with others. Let us pray. - In the Rules for Thinking with the Church, St Ignatius reverently calls her the true Spouse of Christ our Lord, our holy Mother the Church. (353) Ignatian obedience is one of concrete fidelity to the real, visible, hierarchical Church, not to some ideal (GC34, 301). We pray that our love of Christ be inseparable from our love for His Spouse the Church, and that, like Ignatius, we be loyal to His Vicar the Pope. Let us pray. - GC34 enumerates the evils of our times: Unbridled capitalism, exclusion and marginalization for many, consumerism, hedonism and lack of responsibility, personal fulfilment, competition, efficiency and success at any cost (278). As Ignatius and his companions countered the evils of their day, may we fight the evils of our times by our personal involvement with those who suffer, and especially by the witness of our lives of detachment, simplicity and fraternal sharing (GC34. 274). Let us pray. Let us pray: O God, in order to promote the Greater Glory of Your Name, You fortified Your Church militant with a new army through the work of blessed Ignatius. May his help and example bring us through our battle on earth to be crowned with Him in Heaven. We ask this through our Lord... Suggested Hymns With Joyful Lips 1. D 19 Jesus Christ living in us M 15 Jesus You are my Salvation M 18 Draw me, O Lord 2. A 90 Glory and Praise to our God C 24 All Things Bright and Beautiful CC 6 Great indeed are Your Works 3. D 11 Where Love and Charity Abide D 3 Gracious Lord 4. Q 10 The World Stands in Need

D 26 They ll Know we are Christians 5. D 93 Bind us Together D 26 We are One in the Spirit 6. D 104 Make me a Servant X 3 To the World we go X 4 Hand in hand with Christ 7. S I Send Forth Your Messengers Q 10 The World Stands in Need N 29 Here I am, Lord 8. G 23 Great Things Happen... Sweet Heart of Jesus 9. Thou whose Grand Heroic Story Noble Knight Feast Day: Great is your name Lord (Z8) Dauntless Ignatius All things Bright and Beautiful (C24) Thou whose Grand Heroic Story Makes our hearts beat high with praise Holy Father, throned in glory, Hear the prayers they soldiers raise. Still the battle round us rages Still our foes press thick and fast, Those same foes whose hateful army Thou didst combat to the last. Help us, soldier saint, to follow In the steps that thou midst trod, Marching ever bravely onward Neath the standard of our God. Heeding not the wounds and labours Never seeking for reward; Only for the Greater Glory Of our Leader and our Lord.