Jesuit Volunteering
Love, self-awareness, ingenuity and courage
Love, self-awareness, ingenuity and courage
The Jesuits were founded by Ignatius of Loyola, a man who did not consider himself any kind of paragon, but who had been deeply affected by his spiritual experiences. He wrote these down as a set of “spiritual exercises”. For 450 years these have been useful, not just to Jesuits but to many people, in understanding themselves better and experiencing encounters with God.
Ignatian Spirituality is profoundly practical, for several reasons.
· It makes good psychological sense
· It starts wherever you are
· It is relevant to everyday experience (rooted in it!)
· It demands honesty, and leads towards self-awareness
· It leads in the direction of faith, hope and love
· It recognises and gives advice for destructive moods
· It teaches a discerning approach to decisions
Ignatian prayer is hard to describe because it is practical rather than theoretical. Visit www.pray-as-you-go.org to experience a short daily prayer, or www.sacredspace.ie for a written form. The book God of Surprises by Gerard W. Hughes (a Jesuit), is a brilliant fuller introduction to Ignatian Spirituality. To make a retreat, visit www.beunos.com or www.loyolahall.f2s.com