A challenge of discernment

Ignatian spirituality
The
challenge
of
discernement

Ignatius’ dream
« Until the age of twenty-six
he was a man given up to
the vanities of the world,
and his chief delight used to be
in the exercise of arms,
with a great and vain desire
to gain honour.»
(The pilgrim’s story, nr 1)

Catherine, youngest sister Charles
V

Different feelings
Heart
“Still there was this difference: that when he was thinking
about that worldly stuff he would take much delight, but
when he left it aside after getting tired, he felt dry and
discontented.
But when about not eating except herbs, and about doing
all the other rigours he was seeing the saints had done,
not only used he to be consoled while in such thoughts,
but he would remain content and happy even after
having left them aside.

Reflection
But he wasn’t investigating this, nor stopping to ponder
this difference, until one time when his eyes were opened
a little, and he began to marvel at this difference in kind
and to reflect on it, picking it up from experience that
from some thoughts he would be left sad and from
others happy,
and little by little coming to know the difference in kind of
spirits that were stirring: the one from the devil, and the
other from God.
The pilgrim’s story

Consolation and desolation
 Lastly, I give the name “consolation” to every increase of hope, faith
and charity, to all interior hapiness that calls and attracts a person
towards heavenly things and to the soul’s salvation, leaving the soul
quiet and at peace in her Creator and Lord. (S.E. 316)
 “Desolation” is the name I give to everything contrary … e.g. darkness
and disturbance in the soul, attraction towards what is low and of the
earth, anxiety arising from various agitations and temptations. All this
tends to a lack of confidence in which the soul is without hope and
without love; one finds oneself thouroughly lazy, lukewarm, sad, and
as though cut off from one’s Creator and Lord. (S.E. 317)

Conversion of Ignatius
 Discernment of the spirits
 Learning how to listen to the heart als ultimate place
where to find God’s voice
 No emocracy
 Rather pedagogy of reflection upon the experience
 Right proportion between heart , mind and will
 Optimistic image of man
 Faith in deepest desire

The pilgrim
« He went off alone on his mule. »

Searching for God
From personal honour to the honour of God

Life of prayer and ascetism : 1521-1524
I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Even after his conversion his desire for
outward heroism remained intact. The
difference was that, instead of seducing
young women, he now tried to seduce God.
 He had read about a saint who prayed six
hours a day, so he decided he would pray
seven hours a day. If another had fasted for
five days and nights, he would fast for seven
days and nights.
 With his incredibly strong character he
managed to do all this flimflam. He had to
pay a high price: permanent damage to his
stomach and kidneys. He became
depressed and almost committed suicide .

20 years along the way (1521-1540)

Compiling the Spiritual Exercices

The secret of the Jesuits:
the Spiritual Exercices
A pathway of prayer
 Orientated on the person of Christ
 Personal guidance
 Discovering your deepest desires through discernment of
the spirits
 Guide: both important and modest
 Adaptation to the individual
 Rooted in personal experience: to discover for oneself
Base of Ignatian pedagogy

Direct encounter of God
«He should leave the Creator to work directly with the creature, and
the creature with the Creator and Lord. »
(S.E. nr 15)

A matter of credibility:
Studies: 1524-1535
Heart Mind
To start at the beginning:
Latin in Barcelona
33 years old
Heart ánd mind

The universities of Alcalá and
Salamanca,

Friends in the Lord:
Xavier, Ignatius and Favre

The discernement continues…
1534: first vows (Montmartre)
___________________________________________________________________________________

"To seek to bring all men
to salvation by one road
is very dangerous. He
who does so fails to
understand how many
and various are the gifts
of the Holy Ghost.”
St. Ignatius

The challenge of
discernment!
1) The consolation is
the compass
2) To be open to any
outcome
3) Magis

1) Using the compass of
consolation
 Consolation = indicator
 Desolation = dead end
1.Consolation as compass
2. Result is open
3. Magis

2) Place of arrival: open
 Result unknown beforehand
 Presupposes internal freedom -
availability - trust– faith
1. Consolation as compass
2. Result is open
3. Magis

There are three things which even God doesn’t
know about the Church:

1) Exactly how many congregations of religious
women there are.

women there are.
2) The amount of money which the Franciscans
have stashed away.

women there are.
2) The amount of money which the Franciscans
have stashed away.
3) What the Jesuits really think and what they are
going to do next.

‘Ignatius was following the
spirit, he was not running
ahead of it. And yet he was
being led gently, whither he
didn’t know. Little by little,
though, the road was opening
up before him and he was
moving along it, wisely
ignorant, with his heart
placed very simply in Christ.’
J. Nadal sj

3) Magis
 Personal
 Depends on desire
 Leads towards the other
1. Consolation as compass
2. Outcome is open
3. Magis

magis: the struggle is the rule
No discernment without
internal movements.
To be sufficiently demanding.

Approval of the Societas Jesu
by Paul III
27th
of september 1540

Government, for 15 years
Availability

Course correction of 180 °, why not!
1549: college ofMessina

Letter from Ignatius to Francis Borgia
5 June 1552
… In the business of the hat I think it will be best if I give you some account of the process of
my feelings, as if I were examining my soul for myself, for the greater glory of God. As soon as
I was informed for certain that the Emperor had given your name, and that the Pope was
happy to make you a cardinal, I felt a kind of agreement or inspiration that I should prevent it
as far as I could. At the same time however, as I was not certain about the divine will – so
many reasons occurred to me for and against.
… During this period of three days, there were times, as I turned over the matter in my mind
and debated it, when I felt some sort of fear and I lost that freedom of spirit to speak out and
prevent the business. “How do I know what God Our Lord wants me to do?” I thought, and I
could not feel sure about preventing it. But at other times, when I began the normal
meditations, I could feel these fears vanishing. I continued with this petition on several
occasions, occasionally feeling fear, and occasionally the opposite.
At last, on the third day, I felt during the normal meditation, and ever since constantly, that
my mind was quite made up and that I was decided – in a way that was gentle and left me
feeling quite free – to impede the nomination to the best of my ability before Pope and
cardinals. If I did not act thus, I would be (and indeed am) quite certain in myself that I would
nog give a good account of myself before God Our Lord, rather a wholly bad one.

« Wordly» spirituality
« To love and
serve God in
all things »
(S.E. nr 233)

Contemplative in the action:
examen of consciousness

Gábor Hevenesi sj
“Let your first rule of action be
to trust in God
as if success depended
entirely on yourself
and not on Him;
but use all your efforts
as if God alone did everything,
and yourself nothing”.

 Loyola Press
(USA), 112 p
 $ 10.15

A challenge of discernment

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Mais procurados

Destaque

Semelhante a A challenge of discernment

Último

A challenge of discernment

Notas do Editor