St. Ignatius of Loyola’s “first principle and foundation” of his “Spiritual Exercises,” the guide that he proposes for growth in the spiritual life, is stated thus:
“The human person is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by so doing save his or her soul; and it is for the human person that the other things on the face of the earth are created, as helps to the pursuit of this end.
It follows from this that the person has to use these things in so far as they help toward this end, and to be free of them in so far as they stand in the way of it.
To attain this, we need to make ourselves indifferent toward all created things, provided the matter is subject to our free choice and there is no prohibition.
Thus for our part we should not want health more than sickness, wealth more than poverty, fame more than disgrace, a long life more than a short one – and so with everything else; desiring and choosing only what leads more to the end for which we are created.”
It is important, I think, for anyone to have guiding principles, and for a Christian who seeks to grow in their relationship with Jesus, this is an exquisite one.
Oh, but how difficult it is to live it! Especially in our world, where we are bombarded with images and activities that wrestle for our attention and our desires. These worldly things play on our passions and often draw the worst out of us. The exhortation to “make ourselves indifferent to created things” probably sounds impossible to us when everything that we encounter – on television, online, in the public square – seems to drive everyone to commentary.
But this is not what the Kingdom of God is about, and therefore it is not why you and I were created. We are made to be focused on God alone; and growing in the spiritual life means becoming more and more aware of the all-encompassing presence of God – even in those places where we would rather not be. That is how we can practice “holy disinterest” in a spirit of St. Ignatius.
Jesus reminds us today of that all-encompassing draw of the Kingdom of Heaven, which He says, is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. When we are joyful about such a discovery, then we are not drawn so easily into the passionate (and often uncharitable) discussions of the world.
I say this also in light of the controversy that has arisen around the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. Many people continue to express outrage at the “blasphemy” of the portrayal of what clearly looks like a Last Supper scene. Many Christians are fiercely arguing that such things should lead to cancellation and condemnation of those who executed it. On the other hand, many Christians are saying that they are overreacting, and that this was just a “cultural expression.”
But you know who is not involved on either side of that argument? Parents who are welcoming a new baby into their homes; families who are losing a father; poor people who are worried about where their children’s next meal will come from; holy monks and nuns out of reach of the television broadcasts.
In other words, the people who have a clear sense of where their joy comes from are focused on that joy. Those who are focused on how God will provide for them today are focused on what God is doing. They are the merchants who have discovered the pearl and are completely obsessed with holding on to it because it is a great gift. They are willing to give everything else for God’s good grace.
Am I?
It would behoove us as Christians to stay connected to that first principle of Ignatius. We are created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord. As followers of Jesus, we propose holiness rather than simply opposing the latest outrage or perceived offense. For those who would defend provocative expressions as whatever they are, we should remember that as followers of Jesus we are called to evangelize the culture, not apologize for it.
Getting familiar with Ignatius’ first principle is a helpful spiritual practice for all of us. Living it is a work of a lifetime – as St. Inigo would tell you himself! Look for the treasure, look for the pearl; seek the Kingdom of God – and everything else will be given to you.
Comments