Ignatian Basics
If you’re new to Ignatian spirituality or simply seek to deepen your understanding of its principles, you’ll find below some posts to basic elements and themes from the Ignatian tradition.
The First Virtue: St. Ignatius on the Power of Gratitude
Gratitude forms the cornerstone of Ignatian spirituality, establishing the proper relationship between the gift-giver God and humans as recipients rather than takers. This fundamental orientation shapes our entire spiritual life, fostering virtues like humility and generosity whilst providing a powerful antidote to anxiety and negativity.
Cura Personalis
How do we practically understand and live the Ignatian concept of ‘cura personalis’? This is a talk I recently gave for the Ignatian Spirituality Center of Seattle.
Ignatian Contemplation: Praying with Your Imagination
Think you don’t have an imagination? Here’s why Ignatius felt imagination was so important to our prayer. Also, try our new Memory Recollection audio meditation.
What is Ignatian spirituality?
An overview of five important contributions of the Ignatian spiritual tradition.
Jesus’ Paradoxical Life-Giving Tactics
The evil spirit uses the tactics of riches, honour, and pride to control us. Jesus has a different way.
The World of Sin
It’s much broader and deeper than you think.
Consolation & Desolation
Consolation and desolation are key to discerning God’s movement in your life, but these terms are easily misunderstood.
The Principle & Foundation: Ignatian Spirituality in a Nutshell
Ignatian spirituality can be summed up in the few paragraphs at the beginning of the Exercises: sharing life with God and responding in gratitude to God’s gifts in freedom.
Praise, Reverence, and Serve
Ignatius says our purpose is to praise, reverence, and serve God. But this sounds like a rather selfish God.
Ignatian Spirituality and Memory
It is human nature to engage memory in bettering ourselves. Memory is an integral part of Ignatian spirituality and a primary way God speaks to us.
The Discernment of Spirits – Part 1
How do we know the voice of God from the voice of the evil one? This is the first part of a three-part series on Ignatius’ Rules for the Discernment of Spirits.
Election (The Ignatian Kind)
Why do we treat important decisions like products, as if we’re “buying” an “add-on” for our life? True Christian discernment ought to be about “selling” and casting off false masks.
The Call of the King
Christ is calling you to change the world, and you have a specific role. How would you respond?
Three Spiritual Signals: Desires, Feelings, and Challenges
Each day our desires come face to face with challenges, and the mess of feelings in the middle doesn’t make the spiritual life any easier. Yet these three things are important to pay attention to.
What are the Spiritual Exercises?
You can’t know Ignatian spirituality without a knowing the importance of the Spiritual Exercises. But what are they?
Desire
Desires are so important in discovering who you’re meant to become. God speaks to us through our desires. Here’s a bit more on this important Ignatian principle.
Your Own Spiritual Exercises
You don’t have to be Saint Ignatius to create your own spiritual exercises. The story of Ignatius and his notebook in Manresa and steps on how to keep your own.
Repetition
Repetition in prayer is very Ignatian, so why not for a real lived experience? Going back to a place or situation may reveal something deeper.
Magis
Magis is about freedom and restless desire for greater things.
The Ignatian Way: Contemplative in Action
How can you be a contemplative in action? Rest and reflection! A reflection on Mark 6:30-34 using the Ignatian method of stopping, resting, reflecting, and then going back to work. It’s a must in any faith life.
Dreams & Imagination
Two of Disney’s cornerstones are dreams and imagination. What do they have to do with the spiritual life?
Agere Contra
Saint Ignatius knew our human tendencies well. He was a lover of the world and fell easily into lust and vanity. The pulls he felt toward such things he called the "evil spirit". We can tend to stick with what's comfortable and known. This autopilot can get us into...
