APRIL 2022 Spirituality Gets No Respect!
I have long held the belief that, if some “Grinch” were to come along and, in an effort to eliminate the Catholic faith, steal every copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and every catechetical textbook, and all we were left with were hymnals, we would still be able to form people in faith. Sacred music is catechetical, and countless hymns are bursting forth with doctrinal concepts put to music. It is for this very reason that I have also long espoused the notion that sacred music should be integral to our catechetical efforts!
Te new Directory for Catechesis reminds us that “sacred music is also a vehicle of the faith…because it instills in the human spirit a desire for the infinite.” (#211) But then, the Directory goes on to say something quite profound about the unique genre of music (and all art, for that matter) and its ability to assist us in the “letting go of a certain intellectualism” that tends to claim the central role in catechesis and too often ends up sucking all the oxygen in the room. (#212) In many ways, for too long, spirituality—this desire for the infinite—has gotten “no respect” (to quote the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield) when it comes to faith formation, as if it were a luxury to be pursued by those who have some time on their hands. We must never forget that spirituality—which aims at the heart— must be seen as an equal partner with the intellectual aspects of faith formation which aim at the head.
A Cannonball Changed the World!
In particular, Ignatian spirituality holds a privileged place in our Tradition as a vehicle for forming people in faith and helping us to become our best selves. And it seems most appropriate that we spend some time looking more closely at Ignatian spirituality since we are in the midst of an Ignatian Jubilee Year, commemorating the 500th anniversary of Ignatius’s “cannonball moment”.
It was on May 20, 1521, that Ignatius of Loyola was wounded in battle, a cannonball shattering his knee. During his long period of rehabilitation, Ignatius read the only literature available to him: books on Jesus and the lives of the saints. Upon reflection, he realized he was fighting for the wrong army and fighting the
wrong battles. He eventually laid down his sword and dedicated his life to Jesus Christ, later founding the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and writing the Spiritual Exercises, both of which have impacted the world and the “field” of spirituality significantly.
At the Heart of Ignatian Spirituality
Te notion of finding God in all things is at the core of Ignatian spirituality and is rooted in our growing awareness of what is happening in our daily lives. God is not lost and doesn’t need to be found. God constantly finds us. It is we who gradually learn to find and love God in all things, because God is in everything we see, hear, and do. God labors in all things, creating them moment by moment, giving them life and beauty.
Te yearning to find God in all things makes us more aware of what is happening all around us, and we grow in an awareness of God’s presence in our lives and become more attentive to God’s desires than to our own. Sometimes it is a real struggle to find God. We must put aside our egos, our fears, and our prejudices and really trust that God will teach us something valuable. All we are doing is giving God a chance to open our hearts wider.
Characteristics of Ignatian Spirituality
In addition to the notion of finding God in all things, Ignatian spirituality is characterized by the following: •
a personal affective relationship with Christ through
• his Church reflection (self-awareness/discernment) leading to gratitude, which leads to service (linked to becoming
• a “man or woman for others”) contemplation in action—not a monastic existence but an active one that is, at the same time, infused
• with prayer inner freedom—the result of self-awareness and
• discernment faith that does justice—the realization that there can be no true expression of faith where concerns for
• justice and human dignity are missing a positive, energetic, and engaged vision of God’s constant interaction with creation
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