AMDG

UNDERSTANDING
SPIRITUALITY IN
GENERAL

AMDG
 What is a “Spirituality”?

• way of living in relationship with God

• desire for union with God
• belief in Jesus as the Son of God
• emphasis on love and charity

AMDG
 SPIRITUALITY

• word that lacks concise definition.

• prayer, piety and the so-called interior life
• a way of living and acting.
• a way to holiness
• life in accord with the Spirit of God

AMDG
 Different Kinds of Spirituality

There are many.

Hindu Spirituality
Islam Spirituality
Jewish Spirituality
Christian Spirituality
AMDG
 • each spirituality emphasizes different aspects of the
tradition:

• contemplative life
• active life
• joy
• freedom
• awareness
• sacrifice
• service to the poor

AMDG
 offers a
like a bridge distinctive
“passage” to
God
AMDG
 Most well-known spiritualities in the Christian tradition
flow from the religious orders:

• Franciscans - love of the poor and the environment

- a passion shared by their founder St. Francis of Assisi

• Benedictine - expansive, welcoming spirit

- passed down from St. Benedict
- “charism” or founding spirit

• Jesuit - “Ignatian spirituality”

AMDG
• What is Ignatian Spirituality?

AMDG
• Who is Ignatius?

AMDG
AMDG
AMDG
Ignatian Spirituality

Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

AMDG
 1491
Iñigo de
Loyola

Youngest of 13 children
Azpeitia, province of
Guipuzcoa, Northern Spain

AMDG
 Ignatian Spirituality
• Spirituality of Ignatius - rooted in his experience of God.
• pilgrim years – time between his conversion and his
founding of the Society of Jesus.
• wrote Spiritual Exercises (with laypeople) before founding
a religious community.
• Ignatian spirituality - for people who are trying to find
God in their life experience in the world around them
• practical, not theoretical

AMDG
 WOUNDED HEALER

• family prided itself on great military exploits

• Brother sailed with Christopher Columbus.

• values important to family:

a. loyalty
b. courage.

AMDG
• normal young Basque man
• faith = mediocre.
• inherited the faith as part of his identity
• certain devotions he practiced; no real inner
life.
• loved the good life
• Arrested = riot
AMDG
• lost his job at the court = patron died
• became a soldier = duke and viceroy
• age 30 in May of 1521
• great challenge =battle in Pamplona
• 500 men VS 10,000 French soldiers.
• cannonball -wounding 1 leg and breaking the other
• French - impressed by Ignatius’ great courage
• Loyola Castle
• Magdalena (sister-in-law)-raised him since he was 5,
nursed him back to health for a year
AMDG
Conversion
• Read two books
The Book of Saints
The Life of Christ

AMDG
 Ignatian spirituality
• sum total of the practices, methods, emphases, accents, and
highlights of the Christian way of life that comes to us from
Ignatius
 places great emphasis on discerning God’s presence in the
everyday activities of ordinary life

AMDG
Practices

Retreats
Recollections
Spiritual Exercises
Consciousness Examen
Discernment

AMDG
Methods

• Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (IPP)

1.Context
2.Experience
3.Reflection
4.Action
5.Evaluation
AMDG
EMPHASES
MAGIS
ANIMO
COMPANIONSHIP
DISCERNMENT
CARE FOR the ENVIRONMENT
PERSONAL CARE
AMDG
Ignatian Spirituality

• Encourages us to

Find God in all things

Develop a personal relationship with Christ
and love for the Church
Live a life according to the Values of Jesus
AMDG
 Questions that are proper to Ignatian Spirituality

• How do I know what I’m supposed to do in life?

• How do I know who I’m supposed to be?
• How do I make good decisions?
• How can I live a simple life?
• How can I be a good friend?
• How can I face suffering?
• How can I be happy?
• How can I find God?
• How do I pray?
AMDG
• How do I love?
AMDG
 Guide Questions: Post TEST
INSTRUCTIONS : Read and understand the questions carefully. Your
answers must contain three to five complete sentences. Criteria for
grading: content 3, grammar 2. Five points per question. Please use
one whole intermediate paper. Write your name, section and date
at the upper right corner of the paper.

1. Compare and contrast spirituality and religiosity. 5 points

2. Why is spirituality like a bridge?5 points
3. What is Ignatian Spirituality? Give specific examples of the
practices, methods and emphases of Ignatian Spirituality. 5 points
AMDG