Tag Archives: Society of Jesus

September 27, 2013 · 6:26 am

Ignatian Meditation

English: Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) França...

English: Ignatius of Loyola

Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) founded the Society of Jesus (commonly called –the Jesuits- Pope Francis is one). The youngest of eleven children, Ignatius left his home in the Basque region of Spain to become a page for a noblemen. His life of brawling, gambling, and womanizing was disrupted when the nobleman lost his position. He then joined the army and was badly wounded when he was hit in the leg by a cannonball. During his one year recuperation as a prisoner of France henturned to God. His Spiritual Exercises for a 30-day retreat were modeled after his own conversion experience and are considered a classic of Western spirituality. Ignatian Meditation is a part of the system Ignatius described in his Spiritual Exercises.

Ignatian meditation is counter-intuitive to our culture. Parents and grandparents who have watched their children and grandchildren “play like” have the easiest time with this prayer. Mine have played at being Harry Potter, SpongeBob and Dora. Ignatian Meditation asks that you enter into the story of scripture, and become a part of it. This form of meditation engages the imagination and asks you to become a child again.

The instructions are sometimes presented in quite a complex way, these can help you begin.

Points for Ignatian Meditation

  • Find a quiet place to pray. This may be in your room, a church, outdoors, or your office with the door closed.
  • Establish a sense of inner peace and tranquility. Let the cares and concerns of the moment slip away. Sometimes reciting the Lord’s Prayer, Psalm 23 or a favorite prayer from memory will help get into the prayer.
  • As you relax into God’s presence, take a moment to greet the Lord. Ask God to guide your thoughts.
  • Slowly read the passage. Get a sense of its geography and flow. Is there something that stands out to you?
  • Read it again, using a different Bible translation. Is there something in particular that is touching you?
  • Place yourself in the story. Are you a main character? A spectator? Think about the following:
    • What are you wearing?
    • What are the sights? Smells? Textures? Sounds?
    • What is going on around you?
  • Who else is there? Do you recognize those around you?
  • Surrender to the story. Interact with your surroundings, allow yourself to be guided by the Spirit as you speak and engage with others.
  • Do not try to control the prayer.  Let the Holy Spirit guide you.
  • How are you feeling? Is your “heart on fire?”
  • As you bring your prayer to a close, take a few minutes to speak to God about it.
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June 21, 2013 · 9:46 am

Factors of Destruction

The Jesuit theologian and mystic Anthony de Mello tells us: “These things will destroy the human race: politics without principle, progress without compassion, wealth without work, learning without silence, religion without fearlessness, and worship without awareness.” Let’s unpack those words for a minute.

Politics without principle–In a recent poll it was found that only ad men and salespeople were less respected than politicians. Sadly our world is losing confidence in our elected leaders. There have been far too many stories of graft and corruption. The art of political leadership has been replaced by a hoard of unprincipled power brokers. What ever happened to principles?

Progress without compassion- The official death toll of the Rana Plaza collapse in Sri Lanka is 1,129, with 301 bodies still unidentified. This is without a doubt, the worst example of progress without compassion I have ever seen. Sri Lanka is a very poor country that cries out for economic and social progress, and in a way the high-dollar clothing companies who pay their workers very low wages have brought some progress to the country. This progress is without any form of compassion or care for the working conditions of the employees. Thus, the horrific results.

Wealth without work– In my city of New Orleans there is an alarmingly high murder rate, and by all indications it is largely connected to the drug trade. Drug dealers are able to make large sums of money with very little work. Consequently, the destructive results.

Learning without silence– The wisest and most learned people on earth know that all knowledge must be processed and analyzed. In our time of 24/7 “breaking news” much hurtful and unnecessary information is distributed without any thought or care. What has become of careful weighing of knowledge?

Religion without fearlessness– The Bible tells us, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us fearful, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) Today’s religious people spend far too much of their time fearing everything from change to stability, and forget that we have a powerful spirit that is on our side. Learn to be bold in your faith.

Worship without awareness- Worship is the presence of God. Too many people leave God out. Worship is not about being motivated but about finding the presence of the creator. When He is found we become more alive, more aware, and through that sense of His presence we truly are transformed. Challenge yourself to be keenly aware of God when you worship.

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