Background Reading for Prayer Session on Generosity If there is one virtue that Ignatius and his early companions really tried to practice, that virtue would have to be “generosity.” It is not surprising therefore to find several other terms or phrases in the Ignatian vocabulary echoing or expounding on this basic ideal of “generosity.” Whether the term is Magis (“more”); or Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (“for the greater glory of God”); or “greater service and praise”; or “love ought to manifest itself in deeds rather than in words” (SpEx, 230); or “to go where there is greater need”- the never-ending challenge is to learn to be genuinely magnanimous in our loving and serving the Lord in everything. This magnanimous spirit (SpEx, 5) started consuming Ignatius during his convalescence in Loyola (1521) when he began reading The Life of Christ by Ludolph of Saxony and the lives of the saints in the Golden Legend by Jacobo de Voraigne. Moved deeply by the total self-giving of certain saints, particularly Sts. Dominic and Francis of Assisi, he wondered what would happen if he were to do what they did. All this wondering culminated with him deciding to go to Jerusalem and imitating their austerities like “any generous soul on fire with God is accustomed to do” (Auto. No. 9). From then on, this generous spirit was to impel Ignatius to do great things for the Lord and to seek always the “better choice” for God’s greater glory. For certain, this spirit of generosity is one defining quality of Ignatian/CLC spirituality. As one commentator, Anh Tran, notes: Ignatian Spirituality is a generous spirituality, living for the greater glory of God…a response to the love and generosity of a Triune God who created, redeemed and continues to draw humankind closer to Him. Opening Prayer/Hymn -How am I coming to this meeting? (share briefly a word or phrase) Grace -I beg for a heart that is generous and trusting so that God may take me and dispose of me and all that I possess according to His most holy will. Prayerful Reading of the Material (first round-silent reading; second round-to be read loudly) Spiritual Conversation -Take a few moments for quiet reflection before moving to the group sharing. -Group shares the last week’s life and prayer experiences. -Insights, inspirations, images, gleaned from the prayer material. Second Round of Sharing After a few moments of reflection on the following questions share briefly: -Where did I experience harmony and union of minds and hearts with others as they share experiences, images? -What new insights was I given about myself and the group? -How will this help in my future prayer and spiritual life? Intercessions Closing Prayer A SPIRITUALITY OF GENEROSITY GENEROSITY Basic Meaning Generosity for Ignatius is always “relational.” This means that Ignatian generosity must be viewed always in the light of our personal, loving relationship with God. Without this loving relationship with God it becomes so difficult to make out which option is “the better choice.” And here, “the better choice” always is that which pleases God “more.” One question we need to ask now is: When discerning, how exactly can we tell which one is the “more” pleasing choice for the Lord and thus, the “more” generous response for us? Ignatius’ answer likely would be: That option which ascertainably gives us more joy, more faith, more hope, more love, more peace, more sense of inner congruence with God- in short, more spiritual consolation- is “the better choice.” And indeed if a particular option has been discerned as “the better choice,” due to the greater fervor and intensity of consolation that accompanies it, then it follows that this “better choice” also is the “more” pleasing and “more” generous response to the Lord and his call to us at this point in our lives. Not excluded here are other (objective and external) factors that may come into play like the priorities of the mission, or the actual needs of the communities we wish to serve. Whatever factors there may be, what we need is to make sure that both subjective and objective elements are considered and examined well when doing discernment. Such was the experience of Francs Xavier (1506-52) when he was choosing between two very good options, specifically, whether to stay in India or to go to Japan. After much discernment, he said, “I will not abandon the idea of going to Japan, because of the abundance that I have felt within my soul (spiritual consolation), even if I were certain that I would be in dangers greater than those I have ever seen myself in.” In the end, for Xavier, after sifting much both his subjective and objective criteria, going to Japan became “the better choice” largely because of the (greater) abundance of consolation that went with it. And because it was for him “the better choice,” it then also became the “more” pleasing and the “more” generous response at that time, given his love for God. We can see one chief point regarding Ignatius’ understanding of generosity: This virtue is based not rally on “quantity” but on “quality.” This means that Ignatian generosity is not all about giving ourselves to more activities-like more ministries, more apostolates, more retreats, , with the thinking that the more we multiply our acts of service, the more magnanimous we become in God’s eyes. In fact, Ignatius brings up certain criteria in choosing ministries (see italics below). He does this because he is aware that resources, especially people, are always limited and that “undiscerned” generosity, in the end, becomes nothing else but caritas indiscrete. And indiscreet charity certainly can move us away from God. On the whole, Ignatian generosity is more about the quality of our interior disposition and attitude-like being more humble, more honest and truthful, more open and adaptable, more daring and courageous, more detached, more trusting, in short, more Christ-like. And indeed, this Christ-like attitude is most crucial so that when God does speak and reveal his will to us, we can listen to him and to our consolations and respond more authentically in accordance to the Spirit’s lead. And for Ignatius, no doubt, it is only by being magnanimous in this way that we can serve God as he deserves. Ignatius presents a set of criteria for choosing ministry. For example, a bias toward a good that is more universal; toward greater need ("Because of lack of other workers and because of the wretchedness and infirmity of the people there and their dangers".) Ignatius also lifts up as a criterion for choice of ministry to privilege going to places " where greater fruit is likely to be reaped", as well as to places where there is a kind of indebtedness to those who have benefitted the Jesuits. Again, preference should go to " places where the enemy of Christ Our Lord is seen to have sown cockle ( Matthew 13:24 -30) or stirred up ill will."
