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CLC's
Ignatian Spirituality
Ronald Rolheizer in his
recent book, "The Holy Longing," describes spirituality as how we
handle the deep longings of the heart. We find there an
unquenchable fire, a restlessness, a longing, a disquiet, a
hunger, a loneliness, a gnawing nostalgia, an untamed wildness, a
congenital all‑embracing ache lying at the center of the human
experience to be united to the Divine Energy whom we call God.
Spirituality is about how we channel these desires. St. Augustine
in simpler language says that our hearts are restless until they
rest in God. Spirituality is the set of disciplines and habits we
use to handle this inner fire.
For St.
Ignatius, we look at our deepest desires to find Christ's desires
for us. The energy of Ignatian spirituality is the energy of
Christ. His Spiritual Exercises help identify the inner affective
movements that are from Christ. Spiritual renewal and
Spirit‑filled decision‑making are the fruits of this quest. The
immediate experience is always the direct encounter with God in
Jesus Christ.
Ignatian Spirituality develops a sensitivity to God's way of
approaching and dealing with us. This spirituality is a way of
living. It does not outline a specific program of action. It is a
call to share in Christ's mission of revealing his Father's love
for all creation. It is a process, a pedagogy, which guides us to
discover for ourselves how we are called to further the reign of
justice and peace for all people.
The
heart of Ignatian Spirituality is found in the Spiritual Exercises
of St. Ignatius. It is a patterned process that describes his
conversion and serves as a model for ours. They describe his
travel with Jesus and how he met him at the heart of the human
adventure. Ignatius' apostolic energy was released in his
person‑to‑person, heart‑to‑heart encounters that revealed to him
human replies to divine questions. Ignatian Spirituality is a way
of Christian life.
These
Exercises can be made in a number of ways ‑ in a series of short
weekend retreats, 8‑day retreats, in daily life over a period of
seven to eight months, and in a 30‑day format. Inasmuch as they
are called Spiritual Exercises they are to be done, like physical
aerobics. The experience is not about getting into Ignatius'
experience, it is about getting into our own. They are our
spiritual exercises. Using scripture as its point of reference,
the Exercises guide us not only to be with Christ, but to be like
him.
Larry Gooley, SJ
Guideposts - A Resource Handbook for Christian Life Community,
2006
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