Title: The Spiritual Exercizes of St. Ignatius of Loyola
Author: St. Ignatius of Loyola Translator: Anthony Mottola, Ph.D.
Publisher: Image Books/Doubleday Date: Feb. 1964
I started reading this back in September [04] and became facinated with it. It is ponderous reading at times. So, I took a break and read the Thousand faces of the Virgin Mary. Now that I am mentally refreshed, I'll start again. I believe I'll even re-read the biographical portion and the forward added to this reprint of the text. [Edited to add: The time of this entry is 11/1/04.]
In the introduction to the main text, the story of the life of St. Ignatius is presented. Given the amount of attention he placed on courtly matters and chivalry in both before and after his entry into a clerical life, I'd judge he was a contemporary of the beguines and the author of the Cloud of Unknowing.
His martial background and the emphasis he placed on the chivalric code are reputed to have colored all aspects of his life as clergy. St. Ignatius is the founder of the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuites. Apparently, this event took place in Paris when he undertook to lead several of these early member in one of the first retreats based in these exercises. The martial influence arises in the colloquial way the Jesuits refer to themselves, the Soldiers of Christ.
Perhaps this was exploited and this was why the Jesuits had such a high count in the Inquisition. For what I've seen of the text and everything presented about his life, it appears that Ignatius advocated a personal crusade against the evil in one's own heart. Much like the more peaceful interpretation of the Islamic term jyhad. If this is true, then I'd suspect that he'd advocate violence only as a last resort and to be used out of unhappy necessity.
The First Week
- The method of examining one's own conscience reminds me strongly of the self-monitoring used to help some one note triggers for anxiety attacks, to break bad habits, and to eradicate unhealthy habitual self-denigration of various people with poor self-esteem.
- A subtle emphasis is placed on self improvement and recognizing the success of the retretant.
Venial sin = contemplation/fantasizing of a mortal sin
Mortal sin = the planning and/or enacting of evil
The exercizes of the first week appear to place emphasis on being in the correct mindset and recognizing one's own errors. The contemplations seem to focus on Christ's sacrifice and the magnamity of one so divine to mke such a sacrifice. As well as an emphasis on what was the reason for said sacrifice and the thing it preserved us from.
A part of me finds the abasement and call for increased grief over one's errors a morbid thing. But perhaps this is a tool to strip away false pretences and self deception. I see a great potential for the exhortations of the exercises of the first week to be abused. I suppose a genuine accounting for one's actions and a genuine acceptance of responsiblity does require a feeling of remorse. But is it necessary to abase oneself to feel remorse?
Second Week
-Fealty to God. Not uch more can be said to describe the prelued of this section or it's emphasis.
- It is interesting to see an important made as to the type of contemplations engaged in.
The first three days focuses on the life of Jesus as a child and the context of such. Ignatius appears to be stating that this is an example of how one may live. The oobedience to moral and religeous law and fealty to family as well as civil obediance seems to be the basis of a healty spiritual life. Or atleast a correct one.
The fourth day's focus on the two standards is an apparently self explinatory choice. One must recognize the decision being made between God and evil. Then one must choose, being honest with themselves as to the reason for their choice, the extend to their commitment and the effects of said choice. The fifth day could not only be a proverbial example in contemplating Jesus's life up to the baptisim, but also a recognition of the choices one had made and the transition.
The sixth day gie an example of how to hold fast to your decision as would the seventh day. The eighth to eleventh day are lessons and exhortions to follow God. The twelfth day is an embracing of God in entirety. The modes of humility are in many ways a discussion of intent to adhere to one's decision. The choice of way of life is a formal discussion of how it's been alluded to earlier. And Ignatius give a method of how to make a clear headed decision on such a major point.
The reasonsed directions on making a choice and the exhortation to give full and careful consideration of all aspects, including implementation, can be applied in other areas of one's life. It is interesting to see the methods of decision making my father taught me in a medieval religious text.
Third Week
The contemplation of the Last suppera dn the Passion are the focal points of this week. The retreatant is encouraged to feel grief for the suffering of Jesus. At the same time, self monitoring and exercising moderation in various areas, such as eating, is used to assist in maintaining the focus on Jesus's life. Also, the retreatant is including the effects of sad events on the players in Jesus's life (i.e.: Mary, the Apostles, etc.).
Fourth Week
Where the emphasis of the third week was on self control and understanding the events leading up to Jesus's death, the emphasis on the foruth week is on the Risen Christ and building a healthy relationship. There is a tie-in to the third week in recognizing the effect of Jesus's life and the sacrifice Jesus made on humanity and your life. I'm inclined to argue that Jesus's sacrifice was in living a human life and accepting the constraints placed on divinity. Murder as a loving sacrifice is questionable, unless one does not imply divine concet to it. But that is an oxymoronic statement, for the sacrifice is to appease God.
I question if sacrifice is to appease God or to make us feel we have appeased God, when that isn't waht is needed. It makes me uncertian. Did Jesus truly die for our sins, our crimes against God? Or, did Jesus live as a man to expitate sin through the temporary forsaking of divine perogitive?
Originally Published: 8/23/06 (all grammar and spelling errors intact)
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