CATHOLIC PROFESSIONALS AND IGNATIAN SPIRITUALITY
Why do we need the Ignatian spirituality? By Victor Mureithi SJ
A spirituality is a bidge to take us from one point to another, from one side to another. Our spirituality will guide us to view the world, and understand God’s view. It helps us to make good choices, find meaningful work, being a good person, being a good friend, etc.
Spirituality will help us to respond to the key questions in life like:
- How can I be more fruitful?
- How can I love better?
- A point in our life when we are about to give up, when we have to make decision. How do we make a choice? How can we be sure? How do I make good decision in life?
- When we have deep questions about our existence. How do I know who I am supposed to be? What vocation should I pursue?
- How can I find God when there is trouble at work? How can I find God when there a lot of corruption around?
BRINGING JESUS TO WORK by PARDINGTONE NHUNDU
09 elements of Ignatian Spirituality
- Begin with a wounded soldier
- Interior Freedom
- Men & Women for others
- God is at Work Everywhere
- Reflection & Self scrutiny
- Contemplatives in action
- God calls & we respond
- The heart has its reasons of which the mind knows nothing
- Adaptable spirituality
05 ways to walk with St Ignatius in the workplace
- Go to the River
Step away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, and take some time to make yourself available to God. Go into nature, your prayer room, adoration room, or wherever you find the living water flowing.
- Pray for grace
Jesus, here I am. I trust you and give you permission to change me. Illuminate the eyes of my heart. Help me, as you helped Ignatius, to see all things anew. Allow me to feel your loving gaze upon me and accept your love.
- Gaze into the deep
Take the time to go deep in your prayer using the Scripture. Experience the stories of Jesus’ life through Ignatian contemplation. Don’t be haste in making decisions – DISCERN!
- Wait on the spirit
Don’t be frustrated if you don’t immediately have a huge Cardoner moment like Ignatius! Remember, you are someone’s only living Bible. How you interact with colleagues & clients has a lifetime bearing on you and them.
- Share your experience
Share our experiences in prayer and work with a colleague. Ignatius learned that companionship on the quest is essential. As ordained priests at baptism, we preach with our life. St Francis, ‘preach the word of God if necessary use words.”
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MAKING CHOICE IN THE WORLD WITH CHRIST BY VICTOR MUREITHI SJ
Principles and pillars of Ignatian Spirituality
Victor Mureithi SJ explained to the participants the principles and pillars of Ignatian spirituality.
- The Incarnation view
When we look at the history of salvation, God took flesh in the middle of chaos and confusion in the world. In the igatian spirituality, we believe that God is in all things. God is at work everywhere (in our relationship, culture, arts, intellectual life, etc.). Whichever situation we find ourselves in, it is a call from God. It is God calling us for action.
What we need to remember is that when God created something, He will never abandon it. So God is always present in every situation where we are. Wherever we are, whatever we experience, they are the things that will take us to God. In the ignatian spirituality, there is no secular and sacred. Wherever we are, we are in the presence of God. In everything we do, we should ask, where is God in this?
Our prayer affects how we live our life and our life affects our prayer. Our prayer informs our life. We need to bring everything to God. We go back to God by giving reverence to Him, by praising Him and by serving Him. Everything created is to help us get closer to God, whether I am rich or poor, healthy or sick, etc.
- Life of freedom
Ignatian spirituality gives us freedom. It is a freedom that comes from discernment. It is a freedom that comes by being aware of the things that surround us; it is a freedom that comes by living a fruitful life by making decision.
It is a level of generosity and magnamity. Generosity does not mean that we allow people take advantage of us. Generosity is making a decision that is not self-centered. It is not me first. Generosity is, me teaching others something. That is generosity. It is showing others how to do the work, not doing the work for them.
When we make decision, we are faced by two spirits: good spirit and bad spirit. Good spirit makes us feel peace, tranquility and happiness. It helps us get closer to God.
- A revision of life, a discernment, a reflective life
At the end of each day, we should do a revision of life. How we lived the day by asking ourselves where did I fail today? What did I do well? How did I interact with people? What do I need to improve on?
Doing something wrong does not mean we are dumped. Doing wrong things makes us to ask for reconciliation.
In our daily lives, we pray with our lives, we pray with our emotions, we pray with our imaginations. It is a transformation of self. We are not attached to the things that are around us. We interact with them. We do not own things. They are means to an end. Our end is to be with God.
What is there for us as Catholic Professionals?
Our world is characterized with a lot of individualism, division and negativity. As a believer in the 21st century, we are called to participate in the world fully. We have to go out and face the world. We are to use the ignatian spiritually to make decisions. Our faith is a personal and intimate encounter with God. We do not leave God out. We do everything knowing that God is with us. We do our work in the presence of God, be it daytime or nighttime. We need to keep asking ourselves what is the spirit of God telling me? As professionals, we have to work with other people; we have to be contemplative in our work (hard workers – work with passion). We have to work with other people with adaptability and with a lot of freedom. We should be able to work in a world filled with negativity, corruption, without infecting ourselves (free from negative mind). That is possible if we detach ourselves from things by recognizing them as means to an end not the end. In our hard work, we try to find God in that. Everything is a gift and our response should be a response of gratitude.
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RETREAT ORGANIZED BY THE CATHOLIC PROFESSIONAL NETWORK OF ZIMBABWE