This is the third part in explaining the nature and purpose of the Spiritual Exercises. If you have not read the previous two, simply scroll down and read them.
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NINE: A Spirituality of Self-Awareness
In recent times, Daniel Goleman has reminded us of the importance of self-awareness that leads to self-management. The Jesuits knew this centuries earlier. Ignatius was well acquainted with the "disorders" of his former way of life and how that disordered inner world led to disturbance and disaster. Ignatius developed ways of self-examination that searched out one's desires and motives.
Ignatius wanted the Jesuits to move into a mature self-knowledge, where with clarity and honesty they understood their ego, and were intentional about moving away from self-deception.
In this matter, Ignatius, for me, seems closely akin to John Calvin, who understood the intricacies of the fallen, deformed inner world and who believed that true wisdom consisted of the true knowledge of God and the true knowledge of one's self. There is a rich, dynamic interplay and movement between the pursuit of knowing Christ and knowing oneself. Calvin admitted that he did not know which one came first or led to the other, they were so intertwined. I suspect that Ignatius would have agreed with this.
Self-awareness and the personal knowledge of God through careful, attentive reflection.
Ignatius wanted the Jesuits to engage in life long reflection and contemplation, but with a twist. The Jesuits learned how to do "contemplation on the run." Where other orders had their members spend hours in the "cell" in silence, solitude and reflection, the Jesuits were a missional order (more on this in the next post). The Jesuits needed a way to reflect - on the spot and in the moment, quickly and substantially.
The Spiritual Exercises, practiced for the 30 Day Retreat, prepared the Jesuit to do reflection in action, throughout the day. Our of this came the possibility of continually re-ordered desires and the willingness to be both innovative and surrendered, entrepreneurial and obedient, and above all in a place of balanced indifference (see below).
TEN: A Christ Centered Spirituality
Some of the main dialog partners I have in mind as I write for this site are evangelicals. We have often been suspicious of Catholic thought. Ignatius has a profoundly deep love and respect for Christ. In all things Ignatian - Christ is at the center, and that includes the Spiritual Exercises.
The goal of the Exercises is for the retreatant to love Christ above all else/others and then to love the world in and through Christ. It is love for Christ that fuels the missional energies of the Jesuits as they love and serve the world. For Ignatius, the more an individual will taste of Christ, the more that person will find distasteful, all that is not Christ.
Jesus is the saving, healing, suffering Christ who is King. Christ who is King has a clear will for the retreatant and the Spiritual Exercises are for the purpose of discovering that will.
Reflection after reflection is centered on the birth, the life, the ministry and the passion/resurrection of Christ. The Exercises explore the Kingdom, the standard/way, the will and the calling of Christ. Ignatius wants the retreatant to be immersed in Christ's life through imaginative entering of the Gospel stories and to discern where re-ordering of one's life is needed.
To know Christ and the will of Christ is the goal. Ignatius aims very high, desiring that his Jesuits would know the gifts of Christ for ones self and then to make a free and full choice to respond to Christ in love and service.
In this, Ignatius seems to out-do many evangelicals in the depth of how Christ totally shapes his spirituality and spiritual formation.
ELEVEN: A Biblical Spirituality
The Exercises are a biblical spirituality. During the time of his convalescence and recovery after being injured in battle, Ignatius had for his reading material (and Ignatius was an avid reader) only the Gospels and a famous "Life of the Saints" biography.
While Ignatius did not write extensive volumes of theology or commentaries on the Bible, still, his spiritual formation was grounded in the Scriptures and launched out of the Bible, especially the Gospels.
The Spiritual Exercises do not refer to the theologies of the church or to the theological issues and debates of the day. They are simpler and more focused. The method is for the retreatant to engage with the the stories of the Gospels and on biblical themes.
With that said, Ignatius as a Roman Catholic, has a high view of Mary and the Saints and they are part of the Spiritual Exercises (although not a major part). In my experience, it was very easy to reframe any particular exercise that involved Mary and/or the saints right back to Christ.
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Next week's post will finish this look at the nature and purpose of the Spiritual Exercises.
Brian K. Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International
www.lci.typepad.com
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