Hopefulness, the Ignatian Way

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Sunday, May 31, 2015

Hopefulness, the Ignatian Way

I like Ignatian prayer and spirituality. I really, really do.

I find Ignatian prayer and meditation come naturally to me. I feel it deeply. In fact, sometimes I just can’t pray in this particular fashion, so I need to choose another, less feeling- and emotion-oriented way

This time of prayer is special to all who follow St. Ignatius of Loyola, in particular those who experience the parts of the Daily Examen. We turn in the book Inner Compass to the author’s understanding of the daily manner of prayer.

We have gotten to the last step of this progress, called Hopefulness. “Look forward to tomorrow. Ask [God] to open your eye to whatever surprises it may bring; to open your eyes to notice Him in unexpected places. . . . Whatever inadequacies you find in your day’s living, let them be there before God now, not for judgment.” [1]

What I gather from this paragraph is to be positive. Yes, we do need to think about whatever is going on in each one’s lives. Positive or negative, simple or complex. I am used to living and considering one day at a time—today. This is a beneficial way of going about “life,” for me.

However, this Hopefulness step also urges me to consider tomorrow—with hope. I especially appreciate Margaret Silf’s words, telling me to open my eyes, to notice God in unexpected places. I earnestly pray that I can be this hopeful in prayer.

We end this season of Ignatian prayer and spirituality with today’s post. I also ask that each one who is taking this way of praying to heart find encouragement and support. Lord, in Your mercy, hear my prayers. Hear all of our prayers.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er .

[1] Silf, Margaret, Inner Compass: Introduction to Ignatian Spirituality (Chicago: Loyola Press, 1999), 59.

 

A Thankfulness List

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Wednesday, May 27, 2015

A Thankfulness List

I am sad that May is drawing to a close. With the end of May comes the end of our reflections on Ignatian spirituality. The book Inner Compass is such a rich source of material for these posts! As Margaret Silf says, this meditation and prayer time can be done each night, and can draw the happenings of the day together.

The second step is Thankfulness. “Remember with thanksgiving the gifts of God to you today. . . . Be still in the memory, and offer God your thanks in your own way.” [1] Silf mentions such varied things as a meeting with a friend, a friendly shop assistant, a job done or a problem solved, a warm memory or a falling leaf. These various gifts, and so many more.

I am thinking of my “new best friend,” Joani. She and I hung out (as my teenage son would say), and then went for a fantastic dinner tonight. I am so grateful for her, and her friendship. Truly, Joani is a gift from God.

It’s true. I so seldom can see clearly when I am in the middle of things. And, boy, I do feel like I am wandering in a dark wood, more often than not. Or, is it a dark and foggy place, where I only can see a step or two ahead of me, even though I am holding a lantern to illuminate my way?

God helps me to keep my harried life together. (Usually.) I find that thankfulness is closely related to gratitude. A thankfulness list is similar to a gratitude list. Even when I can only see a little way in front of me, chances are that I also see things in my life for which I am thankful. Grateful. And, that can only help me in meditation and prayer.

Dear Lord, as I consider being thankful (or, grateful), help me to count each and every blessing You send my way. Lord, in Your mercy, hear my prayer.

(By the way, check out Joani’s blog at http://unorthodoxunhinged.com/ – it’s all good.)

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er .

[1] Silf, Margaret, Inner Compass: Introduction to Ignatian Spirituality (Chicago: Loyola Press, 1999), 59.

A Prayer of St. Ignatius

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Tuesday, May 26, 2015

A Prayer of St. Ignatius

I apologize up front. I cannot write a very long blog post today because I am having difficulty with my Internet connection at home.

I know. Why, you wonder, is that preventing me from writing a longer post? My husband and I have been having continuing problems with the Internet connection. Our whole neighborhood is in the process of getting “an upgrade.” I have been continuing to discuss the difficulty with our telephone utility’s customer service.

Why on earth that ought to mean that our Internet continues to go wonky, I have no idea. I have stopped trying to use logic when it comes to utilities.

Nevertheless, I would like to offer a beloved prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola, as long as we are considering the book Inner Compass this month. The book features Ignatian spirituality, meditation and prayer. I thought we would take a look at something from St. Ignatius, himself. May it aid us as we come before God. As you read, may this prayer be helpful in your spiritual journey.

Suscipe

by St. Ignatius of Loyola

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.
To You, Lord, I return it.

Everything is Yours; do with it what You will.
Give me only Your love and Your grace,
that is enough for me.

(As St. Ignatius prayed, so I attempt to pray. Amen. So be it, dear Lord.)

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And, read sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er .

What God Thinks is Important!

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Tuesday, May 19, 2015

What God Thinks is Important!

How on earth does someone sift through the many, multifaceted activities of their day?

A great deal of things happen to me every day. Little things, big things, trivial stuff, important stuff: all kinds of events and happenings, each day. Sometimes, I can’t even begin to remember all of the stuff that went on in one particular day. And a few times—more recently—next to nothing happened to me. At all. But, that isn’t as often.

How do I sort through my day, at the end of the day, when it’s so chock full of stuff? How can I sift through the happenings and find those things that almost highlight themselves? I know very well how important a regular inventory is, by this time. I’ve done it for years, on a regular basis.

For anyone who is unfamiliar with the practice (found in Ignatian spirituality and prayer), this is one step in the Daily Examen. A practice we’ve been looking at for the past few days on this blog. The short, simple steps I am detailing, one at a time, are a straight-forward presentation of how to practice St. Ignatius’ daily examination of oneself. I consider this step to be especially helpful. For me, right now.

“4. 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. It may involve a feeling—positive or negative. It may be a significant encounter with another person or a vivid moment of pleasure or peace. Or it may be something that seems rather insignificant. Look at it. Pray about it. Allow the prayer to arise spontaneously from your heart—whether intercession, praise, repentance, or gratitude.” [1]

I thank God for the ability to take stock, to go the extra step and look over my daily activities. And—a significant thing about this activity is that God shows up! God directs me as I look at my day. Sometimes, I become even more aware of God’s presence with me, moment by moment.

Thanks, God. I needed that.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And, read sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er .

[1] http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/how-can-i-pray

What If Prayer Doesn’t Happen?

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Wednesday, May 13, 2015

What If Prayer Doesn’t Happen?

I opened the book Inner Compass a little while ago, and I read a little bit. But—I am not feeling the best. What do I do when that happens?

It’s true, I sometimes feel under the weather. Or, not one hundred percent. But I almost always am able to pray, and write, and think about the topic of the day or the chapter of the book I am currently reading. Except, today. (I suspect I have a sinus headache, which is terribly distracting to me.)

I read in the book today that I need to express my feelings to God in prayer, and not to hold back. As if I could possibly hide anything from God, anyhow. That’s what Ignatian spirituality and prayer is advising me to do today, apparently.

So, here goes. God, I am feeling sick, and weak, and a little lightheaded. My head is hurting—and it feels like elephants are tromping on my eyes. I haven’t had a sinus headache for some time, but it’s here right now. Oh, joy.

Lord, I can’t even begin to consider reading a Scriptural passage today. I know You are supposed to open my heart to Scripture. I do thank You for doing that. Except—not today. I feel badly. Here, I am supposed to pray, and I don’t. I can’t. I mean, I am not really able to.

Please, Lord, help my headache go away. Please.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And, read sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er .

Life is Unfamiliar Terrain.

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Saturday, May 2, 2015

Life is Unfamiliar Terrain.

I can only take it for a little while. In small mouthfuls. I’m talking about my book for May, on Ignatian prayer and spirituality. Inner Compass, written by Margaret Silf (published by Loyola Press).

I read a few pages, and then something will stand out. So, I’ll think about that for a while. Maybe I won’t get back to the book, but then again, I just might.

I’m still in the section before the pages with Arabic numerals. After the foreword and preface, but still in the part where there are Roman numerals. As Margaret Silf drew near the close of a section called “Meet the Guide,” she made a statement that drew me up short: “ . . . life, for all of us, as we move into the future, is unfamiliar terrain.”[1]

I do not know exactly why this sentence arrested me. Or, caught me off guard. Perhaps it made me reflect on the temporary nature of life. Or, on the impermanence of my present and my possible future(s). Now that I have arrived at middle age (surprise!) and my hands are becoming wrinkly, I see how fragile my life is, how tenuous our connections are.

That might be why Silf’s subsequent discussion of landmarks was reassuring to me. She spoke of landmarks along our journey. Whether it is a spiritual journey, a journey through life, or some other trip, that was a helpful analogy to me. The concept of some feature on the virtual (or even actual) landscape assisted me in my being open and willing.

“Landmarks help us to locate ourselves and encourage us to keep walking.”[2] True enough. I can see how landmarks assist me along the spiritual journey of my heart—finding God in my daily existence and in the everyday. And, I remember from ten years ago, when I used the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, how vivid my occasional day’s prayers could be.

Dear Lord, gracious God, thank You for this month of Ignatian prayer and meditation. Help me to be honest, open and willing in this endeavor. And especially, thank You for Margaret Silf and her encouraging words.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And, read sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er .

[1] Silf, Margaret, Inner Compass: Introduction to Ignatian Spirituality (Chicago: Loyola Press, 1999), xxv-xxvi.

[2] Ibid, xxvi.

Beginnings of Prayer. And Ignatian Spirituality.

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Friday, May 1, 2015

Beginnings of Prayer. And Ignatian Spirituality.

The month of May is a month of growth and new life here in the Midwest. I wanted to choose a book on prayer that would assist me in growing and experiencing that new life in Christ. In this Easter season, it seemed right to me that I ought to turn to Ignatian spirituality. A beginning look at the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

It was a wrench for me to turn away from the liturgical lectionary book of daily readings which we used for almost the whole of the month of April, but I wanted to stick with my original program: to look at many different ways, means, and approaches of prayer, in these twelve months of 2015.

I’ve chosen a book called “Inner Compass,” written by Margaret Silf (published by Loyola Press). But, I worked it backwards. Sort of. I worked through the Spiritual Exercises first, in summer of 2005. Then, the following year, I turned to Silf’s book. This introductory book was helpful to me when I read it some nine years ago, as an afterword. Or, an addition.

When I pray, I greatly prefer Ignatian prayer and meditation to certain other kinds of prayer. But, I realize I need to go back to the very beginning. I will have to take a look at the beginnings of the saint’s notebook of prayer, his guidebook where he recorded his experiences in prayer after his conversion and pilgrimage. I hope I can show—through my poor example and experience—how certain people might go about this procedure.

I’m excited to revisit this wonderful, helpful method of prayer. As Silf tells us, we can use this way of prayer “to become increasingly sensitive to God’s action in our lives . . . to discover and live true to the very deepest desires within us . . . to make decisions that reflect God’s indwelling presence . . . and to joint our lives consciously with the life of Jesus, God-made-man, through the living spirit of the Gospel.” [1]

Praying and hoping I can assist some people with St. Ignatius’ ideas and method of prayer, I am embarking on a journey of prayer.

Dear Lord, gracious God, thank You for this time-tested way of prayer, this manner of coming into Your presence with such a deep and meaningful approach. Help me to follow the landmarks set out for me. I will try to observe each one. Help me, God. Lord, in Your mercy, hear all of our prayers. Amen.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And, read sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er .

[1] Silf, Margaret, Inner Compass: Introduction to Ignatian Spirituality (Chicago: Loyola Press, 1999), xxiii-xxiv.