I recently viewed a video on Ignatian Spirituality offered by Spiritual Directors International.  This is the first of twelve sessions, New Perspectives on Ignatian Spiritual Direction.  A link can be found here https://www.sdicompanions.org/ignatian-wisdom-in-troubled-times-free-recorded-session/?mc_cid=5fe87984a3&mc_eid=34c6998033.

My knowledge of Ignatian Spirituality is limited and I found the video to be a good introduction.  I particularly found the Ingnatian approach to discernment to be of particular interest.  I believe that discernment is particularly important in helping us to navigate the journeys which we are all on.  The ability to discern is vital in finding the path that we are called to travel.  There are many choices which we all face in our lives - which road will we take when we come to a place where the way ahead is obscured. Dante opened his brilliant Divine Comedy with a statement that captures this quandy:

In the middle of the journey of our life, I came to myself, in a dark wood, where the direct way was lost. It is a hard thing to speak of, how wild, harsh and impenetrable that wood was, so that thinking of it recreates the fear.

Most, if not all of us, who are in the second half of life, can identify times in which we were faced with such choices.  We can look back and imagine how our lives might have been significantly different if we had made a different choice.  However, we also have many times when we must make what seems to be less significant choices about how we want to live each day. Do I make that phone call or send that email that has been hanging over my head for days or weeks?  Do I make changes to my diet that would probably be a healthy choice?  Can I sign up for one more educational seminar on Zoom, which seems to be calling my name, when I am Zoomed out?  Do I need to go into my small corner and recharge my batteries?  I could go on and on but I’m sure you get the point.

My understanding of the Ignatian approach to discernment involves two basic steps.  First you must develop your first principle and foundation.  In effect, I understand this to be your ultimate purpose in life.  This is something which is going to take introspection and self examination and, I’m sure, the Ignatian’s have much to say on this.  The first principle and foundation of Ignatian Spirituality is:

God created human beings to praise, reverence, and serve God, and by doing this, to save their souls. God created all other things on the face of the earth to help fulfill this purpose. From this it follows that we are to use the things of this world only to the extent that they help us to this end, and we ought to rid ourselves of the things of this world to the extent that they get in the way of this end.

My first principle and foundation, at least at this point, is to become the person that God created me to be.  Once you have your first principle and foundation, the choices you make are determined against this foundation.  In effect you discern how or to what extent the different possibilities facing you meet your first principle and foundation.  How you do this and what criteria you use is the art and science of discernment and will probably involve trial and error and judgement.

As I noted at the beginning, I am not knowledgeable about Ignatian spirituality so I am sure there are people who can point out how my understanding is lacking or may even be off base.  However, I want to share with you my understanding of the principles of discernment and how discernment works in my life.  I am the first to admit that I have a lot to learn in this and many other aspects of life.  I will explore more of this next time. 

May you be blessed in the path that you choose on your journey.