What is the basic direction and orientation of a truly human life? When St. Ignatius of Loyola had written his Spiritual Exercises, he added a short preface, a skeletal summary of the inner journey to be made through his Exercises. Later commentators called this preface ‘The First Principle and Foundation’. It has been compared to a small-scale map of a very long journey.
Dallas Willard (who encouraged me to open myself to The Spiritual Exercises) once wrote: “If you . . . make necessary adjustments to the content . . . you will see that the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius offer in substance . . . a curriculum, a course in training, for life on the rock. And that is why, century after century, they have exercised incredible power over all who open themselves to them as disciples of Jesus.”
While first encountered over thirty-five years ago, I currently am completing a nine month “retreat in daily life” praying and making the Spiritual Exercises at this stage of my journey. Ignatian spirituality is about finding God in our lived experience and allowing God to transform that experience, through his Spirit, for ourselves and for the whole human family.
I created a musical reflection of “The First Principle and Foundation” using a paraphrase by Fr. David Fleming S.J. I find these words help orient and ground me as they reveal the meaning, aim, and purpose of life. I aspire to live this way, knowing it is only by God’s grace and God’s compassion.
“Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to the deepening of God’s life in me.”
With you on The Journey and the Way,Rob+
P.S. If you are looking for a good book to learn more, I recommend: Seeking God: Finding Another Kind of Life with St. Ignatius and Dallas Willard, by Trevor Hudson.
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