First Principle and Foundation

Here is the First Principle and Foundation as it is found in The Spiritual Exercises.

************************************

23. 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.

***********************************

It is difficult to emphasize how significant this First Principle and Foundation are for Ignatius theology and spirituality. Even the words used by Ignatius, tell us how significant it is. It is the First Principle, not just in terms of order of appearance, but in terms of priority. And it is the foundation or support for what Ignatius will now begin to teach.

In stead of a full essay on the meaning of this Text, I'll just provide several brief comments and observations.

ONE:
I am struck by the similarity of this First Principle and the language used by the Reformers in their catechisms. And one in particular, the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which asks:

Q: What is the chief end of man?

A: The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

(Here is the Westminster Assembly which produced the Confession and Catechisms.)

Ignatius is of the same spirit as were the Protestant Reformers in their desire to glorify God above all else.

This is also seen in the Baltimore Confession, question six.

Q: Why did God make me?

A: God made me to know him, to love him, and to serve him, and to be happy with him forever in heaven.

TWO:
I stand in the stream of "Reformational Worldview" thinking. Ignatius has, at least, this same approach in an incipient form. By a Reformational Worldview, I mean, understanding the Grand Biblical Narrative in terms of this framework:

Creation - Fall - Redemption (Israel, Christ, Church) - Renewal of All Things / Consummation.

While the Exercises will mainly focus on Fall (Week One) and Redemption (Weeks Two-Four), Ignatius front loads the Exercises with this Creational theme. The First Principle and Foundation are exactly that for what follows. And "Creation" will appear at various points throughout the Exercises.

THREE:
Ignatius, is once again, robustly biblical in his First Principle. Since I have spent a fair amount of time studying and teaching through Ephesians in the last number of months, a number of texts from that letter of Paul come to mind.

I won't write them out here, but I suggest you turn to Ephesians and read:

1:3-14 for how we have received every spiritual blessing, to the praise of His glory and the complete salvation of our lives.

Then...

2:8-10 with its strong emphasis on our very creational DNA is for a missional purpose, which is also created by God. We are created for a purpose and our "works of service' are also planned out for us.

FOUR:
And then, all other things in creation, are created for our blessing, our benefit, our use and our stewarding care. All things on earth are designed to be the context and occasion of our "imitation of Christ" and our glorifying of God. All things are either useful (or not) toward this end. Ignatius is going to help us learn how to be passionate about what is MOST conducive toward the end for which we are created.

And this will lead to two of the CORE CONTRIBUTIONS of Ignatius, and that is histheme of freedom from any attachments that keep us from the BEST pursuit of the end for which we are created, and a genuine "indifference" toward all things. Indifference, not in the sense of not caring, but indifference in the sense of not bound to them. And the second theme being "more for the greater glory of God."But more on this part of the First Principle and Foundation next week.

************************************

And tomorrow, a very brief post explaining a few of the names and titles for the Jesuits.

Brian K. Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International
www.lci.typepad.com