You might say there’s something inevitable about this book. I am a Jesuit-educated editor and writer who has had a long career in Catholic publishing. I’ve come to know Ignatian spirituality well through my work for a Jesuit publishing company. I’ve edited many Ignatian texts and written a few. (My favorite is A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer, a little book about Ignatius’s daily examen.) Over the years I’ve stuffed hundreds of quotes, excerpts, prayers, Web pages, and links into various folders on my hard drive and in the cloud. So why not pull the best of this material together and publish it—the greatest Ignatian hits, a top-365 list?
But there’s also something unexpected about this book. It didn’t have to happen, and it certainly didn’t have to take the form it did. It’s personal. At a certain point (exactly when is hard to pin down), my professional engagement with Ignatian spirituality shifted to a deep personal connection. I grew to love it. I began to see things through an Ignatian lens. My thinking changed. I have different priorities now, a different sense of what’s meaningful, a different way of praying, a different way of being in the world. I’ve become very interested in understanding the spiritual outlook that has brought this about. What is this Ignatian “lens” that has made such a difference to me?
This book is an effort to answer that question. I suppose I answer it the way you’d think an editor would—with a great flurry of compilation, selection, arrangement, and editing. I don’t try to define the Ignatian point of view. Rather, I try to share it. I wanted to find the most compelling Ignatian voices and let them speak for themselves. I’ll let Ignatius Loyola and the many great thinkers, writers, and saints who followed in his footsteps show you what Ignatian spirituality is.
Ignatius had a lot to say about making good choices, so, fittingly enough, I’ll say a few things about the choices I made in compiling this book.
A priority for me is to present material that will help you with prayer and reflection. Prayer isn’t the only concern. Ignatian writers have had a lot to say about society, the church, human psychology, relationships, communication, and many other topics; you’ll see much of that here. But with every selection, I’ve tried to include something that will help you pray and reflect on your experience. To assist this, with each reading I’ve included either a Scripture passage or my own brief reflection, as well as a question, suggestion, or prayer to get you started.
I also want this book to deepen your understanding of Ignatian spirituality. I’ve included many selections from the Spiritual Exercises and many quotes that explain and interpret the major themes of the Ignatian perspective as it has developed over the past five centuries. I’ve inserted some history too. You’ll find entries about Jesuit saints and other notable figures, as well as major dates in Jesuit history.
I’ve drawn on many sources: Jesuits and laypeople, books and journals, Web pages, and blogs. I’ve tried to represent the entire five-century range of the Ignatian tradition, but it’s fair to say that my selections are weighted toward the beginning of that tradition and the end of it. I paid special attention to Ignatius and the early Jesuits, particularly Ignatius himself, because that’s where the tradition begins and finds its classic expression. I’m also especially interested in contemporary Ignatian voices. A major figure here is Pope Francis, the most famous Jesuit in the world, who is going about his work with a distinctively Ignatian attitude.
What is the Ignatian “lens” that colors and sharpens my vision? It’s a conviction that we can find God in all things, that our personal experience can provide authentic knowledge of God, that Christ beckons us to join him in his work of saving and healing the world, that God is an endless giver of gifts, that the inner life of the heart and our feelings reveal the leadings of God. It’s a way of seeing and thinking and praying. I hope what you read here will help you on the Ignatian way.
Jim Manney