On the Feast of Christ the King
If you are familiar with St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises, then you know that Ignatius began to write them during a prolonged period of intense personal prayer, seclusion, and mystical encounters, occurring over 11 months as he sequestered himself within a cave in a small town called Manresa in Spain. The spiritual insights he gained and the journals that he kept during that time eventually became a handbook of sorts for spiritual directors – an instruction manual for those accompanying others wishing to make a retreat, which Ignatius called the Spiritual Exercises.
What Ignatius was able to attain through the Exercises, and what he hoped to help others find in their own spiritual lives, was a deep and personal relationship with God. This deep and personal relationship with God, in Ignatius’ experience, was wholly and completely rooted in love and freedom. And so, he believed that in deepening our knowing of God’s fervent and abiding love for us (and expressing our own love for God in return), we then engage a sense of spiritual freedom. Furthermore, as we learn to more fully embrace this spiritual freedom, we can then more clearly discern God’s will for our lives and make choices accordingly. In a nutshell and in the words of Joseph Whelan S.J., the whole point of Ignatian Spirituality is this: to “Fall in Love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.”
When I was a sophomore attending a Jesuit university here in New York, I had heard and committed to memory all the Ignatian buzzwords but, had yet to fully grasp the point of it all. Enticed by concepts like seeking “magis” and “finding God in all things,” I decided to go on a weekend retreat on a whim. Little did I know that on that retreat, I would have one of my first deep encounters with the Spiritual Exercises—an experience that would eventually lead to a lifelong appreciation for & commitment to living my faith through the lens of Ignatian Spirituality.
On that retreat, two Jesuit Scholastics who I had been studying with introduced us to the Contemplation on the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, an extended prayer period which begins the second of four weeks in the Spiritual Exercises. The “second week” focuses on getting to know and love Jesus Christ through contemplations on his public life and ministry. This first contemplation begins with imagining two very different persons: first, a just earthly king with immense power and wealth, a generous spirit, and leadership worthy to be followed and respected; and second, Christ the King, more magnanimous and worthy of reverence and devotion—beyond even the most humble and respectable of earthly kings—the only one who will be able to grant us the glories of Heaven that surpass our human understanding. As I contemplated these two images, I remember sitting for quite a long time, surprised by how much the prayer period was drawing out of me.
Up until that point in my own faith life, I had never really imagined Jesus in this way, as someone I could follow and give my life for in an instant. Ignatius had been a soldier, so I imagined it must have been an easy metaphor for him to fit himself into. I, on the other hand, had never wanted to be in the military or in politics…I wasn’t even old enough to vote! And yet still, the comparison unlocked something deep within me that I return to today as we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. It’s still difficult to put into words, but I have found myself continually pulled to follow this King, Jesus the Christ—a King who knows me deeply, loves me, encourages me, and wants only the best for me in this life and for Eternity.
If you are feeling pulled by a desire to learn more about Ignatian Spirituality and the Spiritual Exercises, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. The Father William J. Bergen S.J. Office of Ignatian Spirituality & Faith Formation has plenty of resources for you to avail yourself of, including a spiritual library, Spiritual Direction & retreat opportunities, and much more to come. May we continue to love and be loved by our God, the great King of all kings.
— Roxanne De La Torre, Pastoral Associate for Ignatian Spirituality & Faith Formation