Beginning as we always do, take a deep breath and settle yourself in the presence of the Lord. Ask God to be with you in this space and time and to open your heart to what it is He wants to show you today.
Give yourself a minute to list out any joys, graces, or challenges you were faced with this week. Offer them up to God as prayers of thanksgiving or as sacrifices. Thank God for them all and offer them up either in thanksgiving or as a sacrifice. Place them at His feet with trust that He has your best interest in mind.
Ok, so this week stirred me in a way I didn’t expect. Fr. David Furka shares one of St. Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercises. I highly encourage you to make time to sit with this reflection. It’s funny to me that I have the Spiritual Exercises book sitting on my desk. It’s been there for at least a year now. I have wanted to try out this way of meditating for a while, but I think I am intimidated by the 40 weeks that it will take, and for me that would be 40 weeks minimum! I can see that some weeks will take me more than that to finish. However, after completing this meditation, I am no longer intimidated. What I discovered is too personal for me to share here, but I cannot recommend this enough! It is so beautiful and wonderful to spend time with and in God’s glory.
There is something intriguing about Ignatius’s call Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam – For the Greater Glory of God. There seems to be a clarity in it. After reading this, I spent some time filtering everything through this lens.
How does this thought bring glory to God?
How would this action glorify Him?
Do these words that I want to say bring God glory?
How can I use this opportunity to bring glory to God?
Can I use these negative emotions that I’m experiencing to bring glorify God?
This is so wonderful! Praise be to God!
I usually use the filter of love in these situations, but I tend to be an overthinker and get overwhelmed by the infinite possibilities that love has. Filtering all things through the lens of glorifying God helps me to narrow down those options because whatever I am doing, or saying, or thinking, if I do or say or think of them as ways to glorify our Lord, then I will be doing, or saying, or thinking in love. And, if “the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13) then there is no greater way to glorify Him!
When I look at the crest of St. Ignatius, I am initially drawn to the wolves. I generally tend to associate them with St. Francis of Assisi, and I had no idea they were also a reflection of St. Ignatius. I have made a note to do a bit of research on this, but since I tend to go down the proverbial rabbit hole, I will save that for another day.
Looking further into the crest I am reminded to:
Keep Christ at the center of my life.
Live out the gospels as best as I can, so that I may bring Christ to others.
Lean in on my foundation that is rooted in Christ.
Be hospitable, especially to the poor and hungry.
Remember that I have the strength of Christ. I can find courage in Him, too.
I can find grace through my chronic imperfection.
Lord, as we reflect on the life of St. Ignatius, we are inspired by his journey of transformation and his unwavering trust in You. Help us to open our hearts to Your calling and to shine Your light in the world. May we, like St. Ignatius, surrender to Your will, find strength in our weaknesses, and strive for Your greater glory in all we do. Amen.
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