We are already one month and 7 days into a new year and I can not believe how much I have learned in such a short amount of time. Guess the old adage of "you're never too old to learn something new," is true.
In the last two weeks, I've learned a lot. I've learned how to use all the "new" media as a tool in my ministry (notice I didn't say work, there's a difference). And just last night I learned I dig St. Ignatius and his spirituality. Okay so while this may not be a shocker for some people, this is a spiritual break through for me. I finally get all the "theology" and "spiritual" knowledge my professors and my spiritual director have been trying to get me to see over the last three years (Cue the light bulb).
While at a local "Theology on Tap" (TOT) with about 40 or so other "Young Adults" and some not so "young" adults I learned to truly appreciate the beauty and simplicity of Ignatius' spiritual exercises (No wonder I love Pope Francis so much!) The topic for the evening was "Does the Pope really expect us to get naked?" Now I know this may sound a bit racy...trust me it wasn't. It was the presenter's (who happens to be a wonderful person and someone I am glad to call a friend and mentor) way of getting our attention to draw us into the spirituality of Pope Francis and the other Jesuits in the world. It was also her way of getting those of us in the room to have a conversation about worldliness and how we'd define it, and show us a new way that we can encounter God each day.
She shared some great stuff with us, even a video on the man who was disfigured that Pope Francis embraced and how it's changed his life (watch that video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2XhoxuwaAc), and the concepts of detachment and Ignatian Indifference, through a simple breakdown to help us understand how we really do need to "get naked" spiritually (by dying to self) and look at areas in our lives that maybe aren't so pleasant and pretty, things that we do that we would be ashamed to admit. No one ever said they were perfect right?
The point I want to make is this, how does the example of Pope Francis, and the spirituality of St. Ignatius effect me or us who are Catholic or even Christian?
As was explained at TOT, detachment through the spiritual exercises (yes the ones from St. Ignatius) helps us to uncover our compulsions and attachments in life so that we can let go (detach) of our idols (or things) and take the risk of meeting God a new way each day.
A great example of Ignatian indifference from the talk was how Pope Francis is always climbing out of his "Popemobile" and walking amongst the people. I related to what the speaker had to say, that every time she or I see Pope Francis climb out of the pope mobile or walking somewhere amongst the crowds, there's a part of both of us that wants to shout at the Holy Father and say "are you crazy, get back into the Pope mobile, you could get hurt!" She was referring to the shooting of Pope John Paul II, I was thinking along the same lines. Now mind you I don't remember a lot of what happened when John Paul II was shot, I was only 1 at the time, but I do remember hearing about the after effects and how it changed him and the way he ministered. This is where Pope Francis shows us Ignatian indifference. The concept of Ignatian indifference comes into play through a sense of being detached from creatures (things, like the pope mobile), having an absolute love for God (Pope Francis! Need I say more??? How many times do we see pictures of him kneeling in prayer before the altar with rosary beads clutched in his hand), seeking God in all things (yes in even the bad stuff), and lovingly choosing whatever God wills (that last papal conclave ring a bell).
Did you catch that last part...God's will. Not my will or what I want or what you may want. What God wants. How do we know what God wants for us. Simple through prayer, through listening to what others who believe the way we do are trying to tell us, by spending time in scripture. That's the only way we will know God's will.
Still not making sense I'll use the examples that the presenter gave us.
We will look at Ignatian spirituality through 3 lenses relationships, things and desires of the heart.
Let's look at the lens of relationships first. The principle and foundation of relationships is this: the human person is created to praise, reverence, and serve God Our Lord, and by doing so, to save his or her soul. Sounds simple enough right? What does this look like through non-attachment (detachment): it's the ability to accept wholeheartedly that I am (we are, you are) a beloved child of God. Again simple enough. Moving on....it's also the ability to maintain an emotional bond of love, concern and caring without a need to control, fix, rescue, blame or change the other. WHOA! Kind of mind blowing isn't it. It's what we are taught (at least if you are Catholic or even Christian) what love, marriage and relationships are all about. I know guys (those who may be reading this of the male gender) you will tell me: what do I need a girlfriend or relationship for all she will want to do is change me! WRONG! Apparently you weren't paying attention to what I just said...it's about maintaining an emotional bond of love without a need to change the other. We as a society are sadly teaching our young people, and it's being carried with them into adulthood, that in order to be in a successful relationship we need to change the other. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! Love isn't about changing someone, it's about excepting them for who they are, what they are, and the way they are. That's it plain and simple. Get it? Good.
Now, let's take a look at the lens of things. We all have things. Cars, cell phones, iPods, iPhones, computers, digital TVs etc. But do we look at things the way St. Ignatius does? The principle and foundation of things is this: all other things on the face of the earth are created for human beings (that's us) in order to HELP them pursue the end for which they are created. Notice the word help in there. Help means to assist with a need, something we all have, the need to communicate and be connected, the need to get around from place to place, the need to have shelter and food and clothing. Things don't need to consume us and make us rely on them for everything. I don't know about you but my cell phone or my iPod won't feed me, yours might....just kidding :) St. Ignatius also says that it follows from this that one must use other created things (notice he said things and not people), in so far as they HELP towards one's end, and free oneself from them, in so far as they are obstacles to one's end. You may be thinking what they heck does that mean? Let's look at the first part of this. "one must use other created things, technology for example, to help (there's that word again) towards one's end. What is one's end...one's end goal is to get to heaven. How do we do that, by being holy, and helping each other get holy, and become saints here on earth. Now the second part, "they free oneself from them as the are obstacles to one's end." You might be scratching your head thinking what? Here's how I think of it. Say you have this thing, maybe an addiction to your phone, drugs, alcohol, pornography whatever it could be. And this thing (addiction) consumes you. It's all you think about, it's taking over your life, pulling you away from the relationships and people in your life that we all want. This thing is taking you away from being that beloved child of God. It's not serving him, it's serving ourselves. And when we serve only ourselves and not God or others it's a pretty lonely and sad life we live. Make more sense now? We need to put aside, or overcome, or get rid of our things and make room for God to come in and lead us to His will. Only when we realize that can we truly be accept that we are a beloved child of God. After all he sacrificed (or gave up) the only thing he had...his entire life there on a wooden cross, broken and bleeding for all of us. If that's not love...then I don't know what is.
Finally let's take a look at the last lens, that of desires of the heart. To fully understand the desires of the heart the principle and foundation is to do this, we need to make ourselves indifferent to all created things, provided the matter is subject to our free choice and there is no other prohibition. Thus, as far as we are concerned, we should not want health more than illness, wealth more than poverty, fame more that disgrace, a long life more than a short one, and similarly for all the rest, but we should desire and choose only what helps us more towards the end for which we are created. What's this saying? It's saying that we have to be indifferent, we need to be detached from all creatures (or things) in a way that we don't lose sight of God, we never stop seeking Him, and always lovingly choose whatever God wills. I know it's not easy. No one ever said life would be. We have to remain detached and indifferent however if we truly want the best relationships, the best things and the desires of our hearts.
However, there is that human thing. We as humans try to substitute human nature for understanding of these lens. Here's what Henri Nouwen says are our human substitutes for the distorted views of love we have - remember these are not God's love - but our poor attempts and human substitutes for it.
Exculsive love - "To love me, you must love others less" the result of this human substitute - Vanity - you must see something special in me (no wonder it's one of the 7 deadly sins)
Possessive love - "If you love me, you will pay special attention to me" the result of this human substitute - jealousy - why are you interested in someone/something else? (there's that sin thing again)
Manipulative love - "If you love me, you will do extra things for me" the result - anger - why did you let me down/reject me?
So as you can see total opposites of what St. Ignatius and Pope Francis are trying to teach and show all of us. The only way is love. The only way is through the desires of our hearts which should be to be in relationship with God, with the help of other humans at times, not focused on things (turn off the cell phones and TV when others are around and sit down and have a meal or a conversation together) and help one another grow closer to God become the holy people we are meant to be and become saints to each other hear on earth.
God Bless,
~ Carol
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