As a Catholic Community, Muoi practices St. Ignatius spirituality. Below are resources that can help you in your daily life in finding spirituality.
What is ignatian spirituality?
The way of St. Ignatius of Loyola is about finding freedom: the freedom to become the person you’re meant to be, to love and to accept love, to make good decisions, and to experience the beauty of creation and the mystery of God’s love. It’s based on an approach found in his own writings as well as in the traditions, practices, and spiritual know-hows passed down by Jesuit priests and brothers from generation to generation.
Ignatian Spirituality can be defined in different ways:
*Excerpts and Summaries From: “The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything” by James Martin *
In 1491, Iñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola was born in the Basque Country of Northern Spain. During much of his early life, he sought the glory and fame of military life. However, during the Battle of Pamplona in 1521, his leg was struck and shattered by a cannonball. The following operations left him with a lifelong limp, ending his military career. As he was recovering, his sister-in-law gave him a book on the life of saints. Flipping through, Iñigo felt a calling to emulate them and serve God.
So, in 1522, he made a pilgrimage to the Benedictine abbey and then spent almost a year in the small nearby town of Manresa, praying. There, he started creating the frameworks of his Spiritual Exercises. Later, Iñigo began his studies to become a priest. During this time, he had renamed himself Ignatius and in 1534 started a new religious order, the Compañia de Jesús, or the Society of Jesus. He was ordained in 1537, and the order was approved in 1540 by Pope Paul III.
For the rest of his life, Ignatius served as the Superior General of the Jesuits and an influential leader in modernizing the Catholic Church, writing the Jesuit Constitution, sending missionaries abroad, continuing spiritual counseling, and founding a house for reformed prostitutes, a college, and Rome’s first orphanage. On July 31, 1556, he passed away at the age of 64.
In 1609, Pope Paul V beatified Ignatius, and in 1622, he was canonized by Pope Gregory XV as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, patron saint of Catholic soldiers, two Basque provinces, and the Society of Jesus.
Ignatian Spirituality can be defined in different ways:
- Finding God in all things
- This means that nothing is considered outside your spiritual life. Religious services, the Scripture, prayer, and charitable works are all important elements of your life, but friends, family, school, work, relationships, joys, and suffering are also equally as important in Ignatian Spirituality.
- Becoming contemplative in action
- As most of us lead busy lives, we tend to forget to set aside time for prayer and meditation, but by being aware of the world around us—in the midst of our activities, schoolwork, responsibilities—we can allow a contemplative and reflective stance to inform our actions.
- Looking at the world in an incarnational (human) way
- As God became human through Jesus, St. Ignatius believes God should not be seen as this untouchable, distant being, but rather human– like you and me. God is not just out there. God is right here, too. If you’re looking for God, look around.
- Seeking freedom and detachment
- This means to be able to let go of unimportant things. Sometimes, we are so driven in schoolwork, career goals, money, etc. that we begin to lose focus of God and feel the need to spend less time with Him, family, and friends. Being able to detach ourselves from worldly things will bring us closer to God.
*Excerpts and Summaries From: “The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything” by James Martin *
In 1491, Iñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola was born in the Basque Country of Northern Spain. During much of his early life, he sought the glory and fame of military life. However, during the Battle of Pamplona in 1521, his leg was struck and shattered by a cannonball. The following operations left him with a lifelong limp, ending his military career. As he was recovering, his sister-in-law gave him a book on the life of saints. Flipping through, Iñigo felt a calling to emulate them and serve God.
So, in 1522, he made a pilgrimage to the Benedictine abbey and then spent almost a year in the small nearby town of Manresa, praying. There, he started creating the frameworks of his Spiritual Exercises. Later, Iñigo began his studies to become a priest. During this time, he had renamed himself Ignatius and in 1534 started a new religious order, the Compañia de Jesús, or the Society of Jesus. He was ordained in 1537, and the order was approved in 1540 by Pope Paul III.
For the rest of his life, Ignatius served as the Superior General of the Jesuits and an influential leader in modernizing the Catholic Church, writing the Jesuit Constitution, sending missionaries abroad, continuing spiritual counseling, and founding a house for reformed prostitutes, a college, and Rome’s first orphanage. On July 31, 1556, he passed away at the age of 64.
In 1609, Pope Paul V beatified Ignatius, and in 1622, he was canonized by Pope Gregory XV as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, patron saint of Catholic soldiers, two Basque provinces, and the Society of Jesus.
How can i practice ignatian spirituality in my daily life?
As college students, finding and maintaining a healthy relationship with our faith can be difficult. Each person has their own journey with God and so there is no single correct way to practice your spirituality. Here at Muoi, we hope that we can provide you insight on how to personalize Ignatian Spirituality to your daily life by offering a variety of events such as general meetings, Small groups, Cafe 513, and prayer activities. Additionally we hope you can learn more about different ways to approach Ignatian Spirituality by exploring these different activities/resources:
- Daily Reflections by Xavier University
- Sacred Space by Irish Jesuits
What are the different ways to pray?
Although there are many ways and paths to your personal best method of prayers here are a few that Muoi has practiced in our group:
- Daily Examen
- Contemplation
- Meditation