Ignatius uncovered a truth that runs through Scripture and the spiritual tradition. Seeking God, seeking to please God, obeying God, conforming to God’s will brings peace, where serving idols, seeking selfish aim, obeying only bodily appetites, conforming to the world brings exhaustion, unhappiness, guilt, and restlessness. St. Paul writes to the Galatians: “the one who sows for his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows for the spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit.”
Ignatius initial discernment led him to give his life over to the greater glory of God. AMDG, Ad maiorem Dei gloriam “for the greater glory of God”, became the motto of the Jesuit Order which he founded, which took the traditional vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, as well as a special fourth vow of unconditional obedience to the Holy Father: to go wherever the pope should send them for the salvation of souls.
We all do well to engage in this type of discernment: examining our life and identifying the things and pursuits that take away our spiritual peace and joy and begin detaching ourselves from them. Sin brings me exhaustion and guilt, well, let’s root out the sin. Service brings me happiness and fulfillment, well let’s engage in more of that then. Where can I work more service into my life.
In addition to this basic type of discernment, Ignatius’ developed rules for discerning God’s will for our lives. We know we are all called to cultivate virtue, to remain faithful in temptation, and engage in prayer and works of charity, and that God wants all of us to be united with Him, to serve Him, to utilize our gifts in service, but how? For each of us that’s different. Ignatius’ rules can be utilized to discern is God calling me to priesthood or religious life. Is God calling me to some form of missionary activity, a particularly serious penance for the good of souls, a change of career.
Ignatius also developed what is called the daily examen, a daily discernment prayer, prayed at at the end of the day, to reflect on the day’s activities, to review the events of the day and consider, did I follow God’s initiative or my own, did I sew in the field of the flesh, or the field of the spirit. Then, in silence and peace, to express thankfulness for the gifts and blessings of the day, and ask repentance for our failure to live up to our Christian identity. Then finally, to ask God to help us resolve to grow and trust in the loving guidance of God tomorrow.
Rather than following our own whims, St. Ignatius helps us to remember that we must apply the wisdom of the scriptures and the saints to discerning God’s will in our lives—for our sanctification, and for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
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For deliverance from all disordered affections and attitudes, for detachment from earthly goods in order to value the goods of heaven, that the Holy Spirit may guide our discernment for God’s service. We pray.
For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, for the Society of Jesus, and that we may all be dedicated to the greater glory of God.
That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests, religious, especially for all deceased Jesuits who have served our local Church, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.
O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.
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