Conclusion
April 7, 2010With this, we conclude our posts on the Spiritual Exercises. Thank you all for your generous support. We hope that you have been able to grow in prayer and in your relationship with the Lord in reading this blog. While we won’t be publishing any new material, our plan is to keep the blog up indefinitely so that anyone may go back to this as much as they wish, and others may begin reading through our reflections for the first time.
It is appropriate to end with the text of the First Principle and Foundation, which introduces the Spiritual Exercises, permeates the prayers that St. Ignatius proposes in the Exercises, and is embodied perfectly in Jesus of Nazareth. In this way, we may come full circle in our meditations. As has been mentioned before, going back to a particular prayer often yields additional fruits, recognizing things that hadn’t been noticed before, and savoring old things with a new-found relish. Hopefully, in going back to the First Principle after reflecting on the Exercises for six weeks, you will be able to look on it with new eyes, coming to a fuller and deeper appreciation of it. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.
FIRST PRINCIPLE AND FOUNDATION:
Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul.
The other things on the face of the earth are created for man to help him in attaining the end for which he is created.
Hence, man is to make use of them in as far as they help him in the attainment of his end, and he must rid himself of them in as far as they prove a hindrance to him.
Therefore, we must make ourselves indifferent to all created things, as far as we are allowed free choice and are not under any prohibition. Consequently, as far as we are concerned, we should not prefer health to sickness, riches to poverty, honor to dishonor, a long life to a short life. The same holds for all other things.
Our one desire and choice should be what is more conducive to the end for which we are created.
-St. Ignatius Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, no. 23
Posted by Mr. David Paternostro, S.J. in UncategorizedThe Contemplation to Attain Divine Love
April 6, 2010 | XXXX.Grace: An intimate knowledge of the many blessings received, that filled with gratitude for all, I may in all things love and serve the Divine Majesty.
Text for Prayer: Spiritual Exercises no. 230-237
Reflection: In the meditation upon sin, we made reference to Dante’s vision of hell, a cold, desolate place where the fire of love has been extinguished and all lies in a spiritual torpor. This is the perfect image of the heart grown cold to the stirrings of love which God places within it. At the opposite end of Dante’s journey lies a vision that perfectly encapsulates the final meditation of the Spiritual Exercises, the Contemplation to Attain Divine Love. From the lowest reaches of the spiritual universe, Dante ascends to the heights of heaven, where he views “the love that moves the sun and the other stars.” At the heart of the universe lives the Trinitarian God, whose perfect love draws all being into an ordered symphony of praise. Dante feels himself drawn into this harmonic vision through the enflaming of his passions and desires. No one with eyes to see can sit impassively at the vision of God’s love. From the disordered state in which Dante had fallen at the beginning of the poem, he becomes progressively cleansed of his disordered affections through the grace of God and the intercession of Beatrice until finally he is able to pass through the heavens and stand in the presence of God. But notice that Dante only sees God’s depths after he has been interiorly transformed.
Posted by Fr. Kevin Dyer, S.J. in XXXX.Appearances
April 5, 2010 | XXXIX.
Grace: to be glad and rejoice intensely because of the great joy and the glory of Christ our Lord.
Text for Prayer: any of the appearances in the Gospels: Mt. 28, Mk. 16, Lk. 24, Jn. 20-21, or Acts 1:3-11. As with the previous prayer, while you are contemplating the event itself, be also mindful of how Jesus reveals His divinity, and how Jesus consoles the individual(s) in the scene.
Reflection: In the fifth point that St. Ignatius gives for contemplating Jesus’ appearance to His mother, he says to consider the office of consoler that Jesus exercises, and to compare it with how one friend consoles another. When a friend is in trouble, we don’t usually just give the same stock advice and help to them. In each of His appearances, Jesus does not just appear with a generic “Here I am!”, but meets in the individual in a very personal way to give consolation. This is something Ignatius asks us to continue considering in each of Jesus’ appearances.
Mary Magdalene is the first after His mother that Jesus appears to. When she arrives at the tomb, she cannot find the body, mistakes Jesus for a gardener, and asks in a panic what has happened to Jesus’ body. His response to her is simple: to call her by name. Instantly, Mary realizes that it is the Lord standing in front of her, and she is overcome with joy and excitement.
Peter and John hear about this, run to the tomb, see it empty, and realize what has happened. Even thought John’s Gospel says they both understood what happened, it also says that the very same evening the Apostles were locked in the upper room, afraid of retribution. When Jesus passes through the locked door, the first thing He says to the frightened group is “Peace be with you” (Jn. 20:19) and after showing them His wounds to prove that it really is Him, says it again.
When several of Jesus’ followers see His violent death, they become afraid, and make their escape towards Emmaus. Jesus meets them along the way, and walks with them, reassuring them by interpreting Scripture that the shame and horror they witnessed in Jerusalem did not contradict their faith or God’s covenant, but was its necessary fulfillment. He does not force Himself on them, but allows them to invite Him to stay, and breaks bread with them. Gradually, they come to see that it was Jesus who was with them the whole time.
Even though the other Apostles and several disciples have seen Jesus risen, Thomas refuses to believe. People simply do not rise from the dead. Even with the assurance of people he trusts, Thomas says that “Unless I can see the holes that the nails made in His hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand in His side, I refuse to believe” (Jn. 20:25). Eight days later Jesus comes, again giving His peace. The first words He says to Thomas are words to help him believe: “Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving anymore but believe” (Jn. 20:27).
All the while nothing has been said by Jesus or Peter about the white elephant in the room: Peter’s total denial of Jesus outside Annas’ house. When Jesus next appears to the Apostles on the shores of Lake Geneseret He speaks to Peter privately. The way He talks to Peter and resolves the issue shows a personal concern for Peter and what he had done, and also a desire to strengthen and console Peter for what lay ahead, including his death.
Jesus does not stop with just Peter. For the next forty days, He stays with the Apostles, preparing them for what was to come by speaking “about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). On Mount Tabor Jesus gives the Apostles the universal mission each of us heard in the Call of the King, sending them to every nation to make believers out of all people. He reassures them that He will always remain with them, even though He is ascending to rejoin the Father, telling them that “I am with you always; yes, to the end of time” (Mt. 28:20). True to form, the reassurance and consolation that Jesus gives to the Apostles is not a distant and impersonal declaration that all shall be well, but the promise that He will walk with each of them as their companion and guide in all the endeavors they undertake in love for Him.
Questions: How does Jesus give consolation to each individual? How does His Divinity show itself at each time? How does Jesus give you consolation in your daily life? How do you react when He does?
Posted by Mr. David Paternostro, S.J. in XXXIX.The Resurrection
April 4, 2010 | XXXVIII.
Grace: to be glad and rejoice intensely because of the great joy and the glory of Christ our Lord
Text for Prayer: Spiritual Exercises no. 218-225, and 299.
Reflection: We enter the Resurrection through the eyes of Mary. Is it not fitting that the woman who has trusted more than any other person should be the first one consoled? For more than thirty years, Mary has loved and trusted through the bewildering events of her son’s life. In a sense, Mary’s Calvary began from the first moments of the pregnancy which opened her to the scorn and ridicule of her neighbors. She has “kept all these things in her heart,” meditating upon the bizarre working of God, who blesses her with a glorious Son, yet progressively takes that Son away from her. Simeon had told her that a sword would pierce her heart, and did she not feel that sting running into Egyptian exile? Did she not feel it as Jesus told the crowds that the one who does the will of the Father was His real mother? Did she not feel abandoned as Jesus died upon the cross leaving her a defenseless widow without a single living child? Yes, trust in God is good, even commendable, but at some point, doesn’t a person have to admit that enough is enough? What more does God want, and if He does want more, why should she give it? He has taken away her only Son.
St. Ignatius thinks that surely it must have been Mary who was the first consoled on Easter morning. Jesus has come through the sting of death and the cold recesses of Hell. And because He was willing to humble Himself to such depths (remember here the Two Standards) the Father is now exalting Him above all others. Notice, though, that Jesus does not want to ascend the heights alone. No, He has come to bring us with Him. He will share His glory as long as we are willing to share in His trust. Mary was the one who shared in that hopeful trust in the most perfect way, so now it is Mary who first shares in His joy.
In meditating upon the Resurrection, continue in the same method that has led you through the second and third weeks. See the places and people. Listen to their conversation and watch their actions. Reflect upon what is said and draw some fruit for your life. In the present meditation, consider the fact that Jesus’ divinity is showing forth in order to console the mother who has suffered in trust through so many trials. Learn from Mary how to trust so that you also might share in her joy.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, Pray for Us!
Posted by Fr. Kevin Dyer, S.J. in XXXVIII.Christ: King and Victim
April 3, 2010 | XXXVII.
Grace: shame and confusion at how the Lord enters into His humiliation for my sake.
Text for Prayer: Mt 27:27-31
Reflection: “God mounts his throne to shouts of joy,” the Psalmist writes. Jesus mounts His throne on the Cross, revealing to us a new kind of king. There are indeed shouts, but these shouts from the crowd- those which had honored him when he arrived in Jerusalem, now become the shouts of jeering and humiliation from an angry mob. They want blood. And He gives them blood.
This one who is mocked is revealing in a most horrific way, the true source of his power and authority as king- it is the power of self-emptying love and nothing else. His Heart, pierced on the Cross and enflamed for love of those who kill him, is the revelation of the depth of God’s love for us.
This juxtaposition- of God’s love and our hard heartedness and cruelty- leads us into a state of confusion. This is the grace we seek at this point in the Spiritual Exercises- the grace of shame and confusion in light of the goodness, mercy and love my God shows me in Christ Jesus.
The crowd wants to keep alive Barabbas (whose name means “son of the father”), instead of Jesus, the Eternal Son of the Heavenly Father. The crowd understands things not at all. They act according to their own social and political instincts- they have forgotten who God is, they have lost sight of who they are, we are disoriented as we observe what is happening before us.
And yet, underneath the confusion, things are becoming very clear. Indeed, the Son of the Father will live. The one who is mocked as “king of the Jews” with the inscription above His head on the Cross is revealed to be just that- the King and the fulfillment of the People Chosen by God. We “behold the man”, as Pontius Pilate puts it-the man who remakes true man by His obedience and by His love. The truth emerges exactly out of the middle of the confusion. And we begin to see more and more clearly the truth of our lives as we are the ones for whom this love is being offered.
Questions: Can I just keep my eyes on Jesus today in this humiliation that he goes through for me? Perhaps in silently making the stations of the cross, can I let myself be moved by his willingness to “let everything go” for my sake? What is in His own heart as he makes this offering of himself for me? What is his desire for me? What is His hope? Talk with him as you see him moving along the Way of the Cross.
Posted by Fr. Chris Collins, S.J. in XXXVII.Before Caiphas, Herod and Pilate: The True and Eternal Judge
April 2, 2010 | XXXVI.
Grace: sorrow, compassion, and shame because the Lord is going to His suffering for my sins.
Text for Prayer: Matthew 26:59-68, Luke 23:7-11, Matthew 27:11-26
Reflection: The innocent Son of God was dragged from one tribunal to the next. His hands were bound and His feet were shackled like the most dangerous of criminals. He was charged with crimes that merited death while the crowd insulted Him. His judges sat in judgment of the Eternal Judge while His friends were nowhere to be found.
Consider the palace of Caiaphas. Here the Sanhedrin were gathered. The Sanhedrin were entrusted with leading the worship of God in the temple. They worked closely with their Roman governors and found ways to abuse their privileges. They were no longer living for the faith, but they found a way to make a living by the faith– attempting to serve both God and Mammon. Subordinating themselves to temporal powers, now they sat in judgment of the Divine King.
Christ’s message must have driven them mad. He was the beloved teacher, proclaiming a pure heart to be the greatest offering to God. He seemed to prefer children, fishermen, lepers and sinners to ecclesial dignitaries. While they sought crowns of gold, they offered Him one of thorns which He accepted in silence.
Jesus was interrogated. Was He asked about some strange doctrine? Was He asked His opinion of the law? No. He was asked if He was indeed the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. This is what threatened His accusers. This question is the summit of all that can be said about Him. The answer Our Lord gave had to be written in His blood.
After the worldly churchmen pronounced Christ a blasphemer, there came the king. Herod had but one goal in life: to find satisfaction in amusement. Religion was only a source of entertainment. Now the Divine King went before the earthly one, the same one who had murdered John the Baptist.
Herod seemed uninterested in the charges of Our Lord’s accusers; his only interest was to be amused by the Incarnate Word of God. The earthly king was met with silence. So Herod mocked Him, forcing further humiliation upon an already broken victim.
Jesus was then brought before the clever politician. In Pilate’s world, religion had no significance. He lived for this world because his eyes could see nothing more. Strangely proud of his own sense of justice, Pilate seemed reluctant to condemn someone who appeared to be no threat. Pilates overriding concern, however, was the governance of a people that he both hated and feared.
To save his own sense of justice, Pilate could have denied Our Lord’s accusers their demands. Of course, he would have had to face a revolt on the part of his Jewish subjects. His superiors in Rome would have taken his post away and he would have been disgraced. He might have gone down in history as the first martyr for Christ. Instead, Pilate is remembered as the one under whom Christ suffered and died.
Be with Christ as the powers of this world mistreat Him. Allow yourself to feel the motivations of His accusers, recognizing a glimmer of this sin in yourself. Then run to His side. Loathe the privilege of the Sanhedrin. Reject what they embraced. Shake your head clear of Herod’s intoxicating lifestyle. See with the eyes of truth all that is fading in Herod’s world. Detest Pilate’s shortcomings. Beg God for the courage to act with conviction for justice. Most of all, cling to Our Lord. Let the insults that were heaped upon Him give you comfort. Accept your own crown of thorns and welcome the humiliations that marked our Divine King during His trial.
Pray: Oh Lord, You were reviled by the men entrusted with watching for your arrival. You were mocked by the men set up as guardians for Your people. You were found unworthy of defense by the powers charged with the work of justice. Forgive me for my same failings. Change my heart. Count me worthy to be in Your company. Call me closer to You and hide me within Your wounds.
Posted by Fr. John Brown, S.J. in XXXVI.In the Garden and Before Annas: The King Betrayed and Deserted
April 1, 2010 | XXXV.
Grace: sorrow, compassion, and shame because the Lord is going to His suffering for my sins.
Text for Prayer: Any of the Gospel accounts of the event: Mt. 26: 36-75, Mk. 14: 32-72, Lk. 22:39-71, Jn. 18: 1-27
Reflection: For all the portrayals of the Passions as a violent blood-fest, it was not primarily a test of Jesus’ endurance. It was a sacrifice which only Jesus could make. As He sat in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, this was something He must have been thinking of. The angels could minister to Him, the Father could comfort Him, but only He could carry out this task. Peter, James, and John were fast asleep as He prayed and waited for Judas. Jesus was totally alone.
Then Judas arrives with a group of Roman soldiers. Jesus now goes through an experience many of us know: betrayal by someone we love. After the initial sadness, sometimes we can lessen the pain by saying something like “He was a jerk anyway.” But Jesus never stopped loving Judas, and the pain He felt from the betrayal is only heightened by His knowledge of what this betrayal will do to Judas, and how this will destroy him.
After Judas betrays Jesus, and He is arrested, the Apostles run in fear and abandon Jesus. Mark says that “they all deserted Him and ran away. A young man followed with nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, but he left the cloth in their hands and ran away naked” (14:50-52). Absolutely nothing would keep the man with Jesus; he was so afraid that he left behind the only thing he had on to escape Jesus’ fate. Jesus was alone, Judas had betrayed Him, and now everyone who loved Him or followed Him has abandoned Him.
Then Jesus was made to walk in shame to the house of Annas. It is something we see in the news all the time: the so-called “perp walk”. His hands are bound behind Him, the soldiers force Him to walk at the point of a sword, and everyone who sees Him thinks this is a criminal. We have all experienced shame. When we do something wrong and recognize it (sometimes only after getting caught) we feel shame. Jesus undergoes and accepts this shame and humiliation for what He has done right.
When Jesus testifies to Who He is, they further shame Him, falsely accusing Him of blasphemy. The guards spit on Him and mock the fact that He is a prophet. As Jesus stands in the court and later spends the night in prison, He is repeatedly subjected to the humiliating abuse reserved for dishonorable criminals.
Finally, on top of the shame and cruelty that Jesus suffered, there was Peter’s denial of Him. The Lord trusts Peter greatly and shares experiences with Peter that He shares with few others. When Peter approaches a fire to keep Himself warm, he is challenged as being a follower of Jesus. Without hesitation Peter denies even knowing Jesus. Not only does he deny it once, but three times. Right at the third denial “the cock crowed, and the Lord turned at looked straight at Peter” (Lk. 22:60-61). Along with all the other things that Jesus had to suffer, He watched as one of His closest friends denied even knowing Him.
Alone, betrayed, shamed, cruelly treated, and denied, Jesus walks from the Garden to the Cross.
Questions: St. Ignatius says that all throughout the Passion, Jesus’ divinity “hides itself; for example, it could destroy its enemies and does not do so, but leaves the most sacred humanity to suffer so cruelly” (SpEx 196). Why does He do this? How should you respond to this? How should this impact your daily life?
Posted by Mr. David Paternostro, S.J. in XXXV.