Saint Ignatius Loyola—The Spiritual Writings , livre ebook

Contents
Introduction: A Practical Mysticism
Part 1 Ignatius the Pilgrim
1. Soldier or Saint?
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2. The Pilgrim Sets Out
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3. Destination: Jerusalem
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4. Suspicions and Arrests
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5. At the University of Paris
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Part 2 The Spiritual Exercises
6. Their Purpose and Goal
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7. How Do the Exercises Work?
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8. The First Week
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9. The Second Week
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10. The Annunciation
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11. Contemplation on the Nativity
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12. The Third Week
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13. Imagining Jesus
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14. The Fourth Week
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15. Gratitude
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16. Contemplation to Gain Love
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Part 3 Ignatian Prayer
17. What Does Prayer Require?
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18. How, and for How Long?
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19. Separating Oneself from Daily Cares
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20. Spontaneous Prayer
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21. Using Imagination in Prayer
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22. Application of the Senses
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23. First Method: On the Ten Commandments
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24. Second Method: Meditating on the Our Father
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25. Third Method: Rhythm
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26. A Method of Self-Examination
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27. The Inevitability of Distraction
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Part 4 Choices and Life Decisions
28. Choosing with and for Jesus
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29. Choosing between Good and Evil
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30. Choosing for Good
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31. Methods for Making a Decision
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32. Another Method of Discernment
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33. Choosing What Is Best
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34. Choosing God s Service
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35. Times for Making a Decision
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36. A Deep Bond with Jesus
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Part 5 The Interior Life
37. Becoming Aware
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38. Awareness of Sin, Resistance, and Faults
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39. The Different Spirits at Work in Our Lives
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40. Consolation and Desolation
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41. Spiritual Desolation
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42. Causes of Desolation
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43. Self-Awareness
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44. Interior Movements of the Soul
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45. Repression of Desires
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46. The Importance of Self-Care
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47. Obstacles in the Spiritual Life
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48. Agere Contra , To Act Against
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49. True and False Scruples
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Part 6 Living with and for Others
50. Self-Care and Moderation
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51. Compassion
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52. Guiding Others
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53. Letting God Do the Work
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54. Go in Their Door
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55. Love s Authority
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56. Mutual Love and the Common Good
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57. Judging Others
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58. Conflicting Demands
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59. Obedience
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60. Obedience in Community
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61. Degrees of Obedience
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62. Setting Priorities
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Part 7 Imitating Jesus
63. The Kingdom Prayer
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64. Of the Coming of Christ to the Temple When He Was of the Age of Twelve Years
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65. The Obedience of Christ
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66. Of the Life of Christ Our Lord from Twelve to Thirty Years
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67. Of How Christ Was Baptized
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68. Desiring to Live Like Jesus
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69. The Humility of Christ
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70. Pride and False Humility
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71. Imitating the Saints
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72. Following the Call of the Apostles
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73. Praying Like Jesus and the Saints
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74. Poverty
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75. The Blessings of Poverty
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76. Begging Alms
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Part 8 Union of Mind and Heart
77. Holy Ardor and Growth in Virtue
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78. The Need for Balance
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79. Preaching
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80. Studies
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81. Spiritual Temptations
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82. Writing
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83. The Value of Teaching
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Suggestions for Further Reading
About the Author
About SkyLight Illuminations
Copyright
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INTRODUCTION
A Practical Mysticism
Inscribed on the walls of the School of Education at the University of Florida you ll find the names of those considered to be among the greatest educators in the history of Western civilization. Among them is the name Loyola, which refers to a region in the Basque country of Spain that was the birthplace of the individual to whom it refers, Iñigo de Loyola. As he is more commonly known, Saint Ignatius of Loyola was a sixteenth-century mystic and principal founder of the Roman Catholic missionary order of priests and brothers known as the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits. No one would appreciate the irony of being placed among such a distinguished company of teachers and educational innovators more than Ignatius himself. For while he certainly was a great innovator, he was not one with a natural inclination toward academic studies and at times even seems anti-intellectual. Though indeed the religious community that he founded went on to establish one of the largest educational networks in the world and has and continues to produce noted (some would say notorious ) teachers and scholars, this was quite far from the vision with which Ignatius began.
Ignatius saw the Jesuit mission as being to set fire to the world, igniting a love for Christ in the hearts of all to whom Jesuits were sent. And there can be no doubt that he and his first companions who founded this new religious order were the spark that ignited a new and revolutionary religious movement which would do more than they ever imagined. Their initial vision was simply, explains Jesuit historian John O Malley, the help of souls. This focused more on the basics -the education of children in the faith, works of mercy, preaching, and the hearing of confessions. Yet, their numbers grew rapidly, as did their influence. Though the establishment of schools was not part of their original vision, within a decade they were being invited to do so, and eventually Ignatius believed this an indication of God s will. Jesuits also quickly became advisors, teachers, and confessors to monarchs and nobles throughout Europe, and soon, by means of their missionary endeavors, their influence would extend around the world to the furthest reaches of Asia and South America. This caused some to be suspicious of their intentions, and even to imagine diabolical conspiracy theories, which endure to this day.
One could say that Jesuits have always been a bit misunderstood. That Ignatius has attained the status of a great educator is but one example of such misunderstanding, for Ignatius s greater gifts were as an organizer and spiritual director. While as superior of the Jesuits it was he who originally allowed the schools to be established, other Jesuits developed the order s distinctive educational vision. Jesuits have been characterized throughout history as great equivocators who, being overly educated, were more apt to make generous distinctions rather than to speak the truth plainly and without qualification. Because the founding of the Jesuits took place amidst the turmoil of the Protestant Reformation, Ignatius is often painted as a great counter-reformer. And, while it is true that early Jesuits like Peter Canisius slowed and even reversed the spread of Protestantism in places like Germany, such efforts took place amidst Ignatius s own hopes that the Society of Jesus would contribute to needed reforms within the Roman Catholic Church itself. It is perhaps telling that in his thousands of letters (he was the most prolific letter writer of his time) he spends very little time addressing or arguing points of contention between Catholics and Protestants.
Indeed, Ignatius s own convictions about the Jesuits and the church that he loved earned him as many friends as detractors among ecclesiastical authorities. For example, he promoted the frequent reception of Holy Communion when this was not the norm. He steadfastly believed that God had given him the name for his new religious order, the Society (or more literally translated, the company ) of Jesus. Thus he stubbornly resisted all attempts by members of the church hierarchy, many of whom thought the name presumptuous, to change it to something more consistent with other orders who tended to take their names either from their founder (e.g., the Franciscans) or some special devotion (e.g., the Sacred Heart). Ignatius usually found ways to wait out those who tried to force his hand, seeing many retire or die before achieving their goal.
Meeting similar resistance was one of Ignatius s most radical innovations to religious life. All religious communities up until this point required that its members gather regularly throughout the day for communal prayer. Ignatius s vision, however, was of a community whose priority would be its ministry, ministry that would make irregular and different demands of individual members of the community. The model of Jesuit community would come to be known as one of contemplatives in action, each priest and brother required to attend mass and engage in daily prayer, but according to a schedule dictated by his ministry rather than at mandated times. Though this innovation was affirmed in the church s official establishment of the Society of Jesus, it did not stop later church officials from imposing the more traditional prayer in common on the Jesuits for brief periods of time. Ignatius, again, would simply wait it out until