Ponder each point slowly, and express your sentiments in a short prayer:
21. Spiritual Exercises: This # is not one of the Introductory Observations. As we get ready to embark upon the Spiritual Exercises, once again St. Ignatius reiterates their purpose: "the conquest of self and the regulation of one's life in such a way that no decision is made under the influence of any inordinate attachment."
Dear God, in this conquest of knowing self and knowing You, help me recognize my own excessive attachments that is influencing my decisions that are not in alignment with you. The purpose of life is to know You and love You with all our heart, our soul and mind, so we can be together for ever. Amen.
22. Presupposition: When St. Ignatius first began offering the Spiritual Exercises, he was subjected to much scrutiny and suspicion. He was a layman and did not have a degree in Theology. In fact, he was imprisoned twice. But the authorities could find no doctrinal errors in his Spiritual Exercises. With this background in mind, he is asking the exercitant to be "more ready to put a good interpretation on another's statement than to condemn it as false."
Is it more important to be right or help another find truth? How we respond to others reveals who we are. This journey will allow you to see self. Jesus's response was always done to bring another to truth, this is the lesson St Ignatius learned and seeks to help others with. It is the yeast that makes the bread rise.
Dear God, I can see some of my inordinate attachments and how they impact me in my responses to others. Help me learn how to respond with kindness and firmness that yields what You desire, another faithful disciple. Prayers for this coming week and this journey, may I be attentive to my senses and how I respond to others. In Jesus name, Amen.
What is God saying to you?
Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for us.
St Joesph, Most Prudent, Pray for us.
Viva Christo Rey
Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4b
No comments:
Post a Comment