Ignatian Spirituality
Finding God in All Things
This phrase is sometimes used to summarize the spirituality of Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, or
“Jesuits.” Below are some of the key elements of Ignatian Spirituality.
The First Principle and Foundation
In his “Spiritual Exercises,” Ignatius describes the core beliefs from which he proceeds. A translation follows:
The goal of our life is to live with God forever. God, who loves us, gave us life. Our own response of love allows
God’s life to flow into us without limit.
All the things in this world are gifts of God, presented to us so that we can know God more easily and make a return
of love more readily.
As a result, we appreciate and use all these gifts of God insofar as they help us develop as loving persons. But if any
of these gifts become the center of our lives, they displace God and so hinder our growth toward our goal.
In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in balance before all of these created gifts insofar as we have a
choice and are not bound by some obligation. We should not fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth or
poverty, success or failure, a long life or short one. For everything has the potential of calling forth in us a deeper
response to our life in God.
Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to God’s deepening his life
in me.
- St. Ignatius as paraphrased by David L. Fleming, S.J.
Discernment
In general terms, discernment is a process for making choices.
However, the goal of discernment, in comparison to other decision-making methods, is to make a choice in the
context of faith, when the option is not between good and evil, but between several possible courses of action all
of which are potentially good.
Four of the basic elements involved in discernment include prayer, reflection on one’s prayer, consultation with
others who are trusted, and attention to both the rational (what are the pros and cons) as well as the emotional
(what do you feel and desire…while asking whether the felt impulse leads one toward or away from the love that
God desires us to share).
The Examen
In general terms, Examen is a simple practice by which you can look back over your day in a way that will help you
to grow in self-awareness and free you to follow the path of love and service that God has called you to.
The Examen can be broken into five steps:
• Become aware of God’s presence: Look back on the events of the day in the company of the Holy Spirit.
The day may seem confusing to you… Ask God to bring clarity and understanding.
• Review the day with gratitude: Recall the events of the day and notice where you felt God’s presence and
where you resisted opportunities to grow in love.
• Pay attention to your emotions: Reflect on the feelings you experienced during the day. What is God
saying through these feelings?
• Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. : Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you to something during the
day that God thinks is particularly important. Talk candidly with God about it.
• Look toward tomorrow: Seek God’s forgiveness, help, guidance, and understanding. Ask God for the grace
you need to live more authentically and lovingly in the future.
The Magis
The literal English translation of Magis is the “more” or the “greater.” Regarding Ignatian spirituality, Magis
means a spirit of generous excellence in which our ministry and service should carry on. Of all the possible ways to
use our time and energy for good, how do we discern which would be the greater choice?
Adapted from “Do You Speak Ignatian” by George Traub, SJ and www.ignatianspirituality.com