The document provides an overview of Ignatian spirituality, including key aspects such as discernment, prayer, and approaches advocated by St. Ignatius of Loyola. It discusses Ignatius' life and conversion, the Spiritual Exercises he developed, the founding of the Society of Jesus, and hallmarks of Ignatian spirituality such as a focus on incarnational prayer, discernment, and finding God in all things. The document also outlines Ignatian practices including meditation, spiritual direction, and the examen as ways to develop spiritually.
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Ignatian spirituality
1. St Paul’s Cathedral
August 15, 2012
Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
2. The Catechism
Q. What are the principle kinds of prayer?
A. The principle kinds of prayer are adoration,
praise, thanksgiving, penitence, oblation, intercession,
and petition.
The Book of Common Prayer, p.856
3. St. Ignatius of
Loyola
1491-1556
Conversion experience in
1521
Spiritual Exercises, 1524
Ordained priest, 1537
Founded Society of Jesus in
1539
Constitutions, 1540
4. Ignatian sources
Spiritual Exercises
Meditations intended to be followed during a 4-week
retreat (19th annotation)
Covers sin, the life of Christ, the Passion, and the
Resurrection
Discernment
The examen is used after the Exercises
Constitutions
Structure of the Society of Jesus
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
The Autobiography of Ignatius of Loyola
Provides details on Ignatius’ life
Gives insight into the Spiritual Exercises
5. The Jesuits
Currently 20, 000 priests
Founded to be fiercely loyal
to papacy
Militaristic hierarchical
structure
Counter Reformation focus
Highly political and divisive
Multiculturalism
History of martyrdom, education, scholarship
Important missionaries in Far East, India, New World,
Holland
Suppressed between 1773-1814
Changes since mid 20th century include liberation theology
and papal intervention in 1981
6. Hallmarks of Ignatian spirituality
Incarnational
Adoring
Penitential
Corporate and personal
Scriptural
Magis
Intercessory and grateful
Structured and goal-oriented
7. Ignatian piety
AMDG
The Holy Name
Devotion to the Sacred
Heart and the
Eucharist
Devotion to the Blessed
Mother
8. Ignatian approaches
Discernment
Deciding between options; magis
“The human person is created to praise, reverence, and serve God
Our Lord, and by so doing to save his or her soul… We should
desire and choose only what helps us more towards the end for
which we are created.” Exercises
Spiritual direction
Ongoing relationship with a director
to calibrate, share insights
Critically important during the
Exercises
Aids in discernment
Sometimes can be in a group setting
9. Ignatian approaches,
continued
Meditation
Composition of place
Imagination
Fruits
Spiritual Exercises
Use of emotion
Goal is union with Christ and perfection of discernment
Use of meditation, examen, and spiritual direction
Four weeks: sin, the life of Christ, the Passion, and the
Resurrection
Satan and Christ
10. Ignatian approaches, continued
Examens
General examen, to be performed twice daily, and acts as
an examination of conscience
Particular examen, often tied into meditations, and
reviews a specific theme or virtue to be developed
Acts of love
All Ignatian approaches should lead to acts of service
and love for others
Often, discernment happens through these acts