The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything by James Martin- Chapter 1

Hello all!  So much for a post every few days- ha! AJ has some nasty virus that has dogged him for three weeks.  I haven't been able to do anything extra since I'm taking days off here and there, visiting doctors and just generally trying to catch him up in school.  He's still sick so another trip to the doctor is in order tomorrow.   Anyway...onto the book!

I'm going to just quickly outline each chapter with little detail.  Then, I'm going to give a short personal reflection.  Please feel free to share right along!  I'm hoping that by outlining each chapter, the material will be more accessible in my working memory.  At the very least, I have a reference in case I want to return to the material.  

Here goes.  

Chapter 1

What is a spirituality? 

• How you live in relationship with God
• Christian spirituality believes Jesus is the Son of God
• emphasis on love and charity
• Spirituality is like a bridge 
• All bridges do the same thing-they get you over rough terrain to a desired place
• Different bridges serve different purposes and have distinct advantages and disadvantages
• All spiritualities provide passage to God in different way
• Each religious order has 'family traditions' and a charism that reflects how they relate to God
• Hallmarks of Ignatian spirituality
• Finding God in all things
• your whole life is related to spirituality
• spirituality isn't compartmentalized to a section of your life
• Nothing has to be hidden away or feared
• Ignatian spirituality guides you in finding God in all dimensions of your life
• Contemplatives in action
• prayer is important, but Jesuits are active with their spirituality
• use a contemplative stance to inform actions
• Incarnational spirituality
• God can be found in the everyday events of our lives
• Ignatian spirituality acknowledges the transcendence of God, but also realized the nearness of God
• Freedom and detachment
• identifying 'disordered affections'- they are what keep us from really being free
• wealth, power, status, etc can become disordered affections
• a disordered affection is anything that isn't life-giving
• The Life of Ignatius Loyola
• Born 1491, Basque, Spain
• became a soldier, vain personality
• 1521 leg shattered in battle
• While he was recuperating, his sister-in-law gave him a book on the saints
• He had nothing else to read- he became fascinated with the saints and wondered if he could emulate them (Martin describes the fact that Ignatius went about the spiritual life in a prideful way.  But, really, God "writes straight with crooked lines" and used his pride for good)
• He began a year of severe austerity
• After many false starts, he decided to get an education at the University of Paris
• It was in Paris that he and 6 friends joined together in a vow of poverty. 
• They tried to petition the Pope to start a new order.  But, many were suspicious of the practice of being a contemplative in action.  Ignatius was even thrown in jail by the Inquisition for 17 days. 
• 1537- ordained a priest
• 1540- Society of Jesus was approved by Pope Paul III
• Ignatius spent the rest of his days administering the Jesuits, writing the Constitutions and the Spiritual Exercises
• Died 1556
• Constitutions
• How to live your life with others
• Rules of the order
• Spiritual Exercises
• How to live your life
• 4 week retreat- all Jesuits make this retreat
• Can be condensed and adapted for lay people

Reflection

Okay- that was longer than I thought it would be!  I love the metaphor of spirituality being like a bridge.  It's so encompassing and forgiving.  It's the best way I've read so far of describing spirituality.  When I read the 4 main principles of Ignatian spirituality, I was immediately drawn to them.  Besides the freedom and detachment, I have a natural orientation toward this spirituality.  And, I crave freedom and detachment, it's just not natural for me.  

Okay, I am falling asleep.  Please excuse the lame reflection.  If I think of more, I'll add to it in the next few days.  

Sunday Quick Takes

1. Thanks so much for your help with the HCG fear and questions.  I was able to inject myself three times- I was supposed to do it four, but I skipped the first dose.  I watched a few youtube videos on intramuscular injections.  Of course, they were done by women doing IVF and surrogacy- yikes.  I was able to do it in my rear and hubby watched the first one.  It was a breeze and didn't hurt one bit.  Anyway, the first dose was supposed to be on the day before Thanksgiving.  Since we were hosting, I was afraid of side effects so I skipped the dose.  I'm a rebel.  Actually, I feel slightly better on the HCG.  My skin is clear!  Very tender breasts still.  I can't find much info about long term side effects of this drug.  That's my next task.

2.  Today I've been sort of weepy which is very unusual for me.  Has that happened to anyone on HCG?  It could be because I'm in a very, very good place in my life.  I feel good.  I am untying my thoughts which has given me a huge spiritual lift.  I am actually enjoying my life.  Yesterday was a wonderful day and I think I might just be crying tears of joy and thanksgiving.

3. I want to to a series of posts on being a catholic wife and mother who works outside the home.  There have been several bloggers that have broached this subject either because they find themselves in the situation where they have to work or because they have a strong opinion one way or another.  Maybe after Advent because...

4.  I didn't get signed up for prayer buddies in enough time.  I'm bummed, but I'm going to do something in it's place.  St. Roque Gonzalez de Santa Cruz was my patron saint for 2012.  His name is on a post it note on my computer.  It's ripped and tattered.  I read about him when he was assigned to me by the saint generator.  Then, I forgot about him.  Or, more precisely, I didn't pay attention to him.

5.  He was a missionary Jesuit and the first saint born in the Americas.  I have often found peace in my struggles being a working mom by comparing my family to missionaries and big homeschooling families to monasteries.  If we are a domestic church, that is precisely what we are.  We are definitely out in the world hopefully converting others by our living out of the gospel.  So, as I prepare for the birth of our Savior, I am going to be praying in earnest to St. Gonzalez for all of you.

6. And, in honor of St. Gonzalez's religious order, I'm going to do a book series on The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything by James Martin.  It's fourteen chapters long so I'll do a chapter every other day or so.  I loved the book when I read it a few years ago.  But, I read it quickly and it was when I was all foggy.

7.  Praying for all of you tonight as I put up our tree and clean up the house a bit.  Our day of rest and relaxation and fun was yesterday ;)