Spirituality is about our efforts to transcend our own minds and to get into the “mind” of God. And since God’s “mind” is so far beyond our own, no single human effort can fully accomplish this task. Some have done better than others, however, and so we refer to their efforts in relation to their names: Franciscan, Dominican, Pauline, Benedictine, Augustinian, (Don’t be fooled by all those male names—many of these spiritualities have been best embodied and articulated by women.) and so on.
Among all these spiritualities, however, one stands out: Ignatian spirituality. St. Ignatius of Loyola seems to have had a special knack for getting into the mind of God, and his spirituality has resonated and continues to resonate with countless numbers of people all over the world. I need not go into a long description of what Ignatian spirituality is all about, however, because for the last 10 years, an amazing website, www.ignatianspirituality.com, has been doing just that. I have lost count of the number of times I have needed some insight into the topic of Ignatian spirituality and have been directed by search engines to go to this site where I always find what I am looking for.
Fittingly so, Loyola Press is marking the 10th anniversary of IgnatianSpirituality.com with a celebration called “Counting the Gifts of Ignatian Spirituality.” Through July, Loyola Press, the proud sponsor of IgnatianSpirituality.com, will help “count the gifts” of Ignatian spirituality by bringing you special content on the website along with special offers for resources on Ignatian spirituality.
I have been “marinated” in Ignatian spirituality since high school, having attended St. Ignatius College Prep, Loyola University, and the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University, and now working 17 years as an employee of Loyola Press! It should come as no surprise, then, that I am personally most proud of the contribution I was able to make in helping to create the Finding God faith formation curriculum that is infused with Ignatian spirituality and that is touching the lives of so many young people, their families, and their catechists and helping them to find God in all things and to live as men and women for others.
In my book, Under the Influence of Jesus, I state the following:
Throughout all of salvation history, God goes out of his way to reveal his mind to us, and this revelation is completed in Christ. Christian discipleship, then, refers to our efforts to “map” the mind of Christ and to live within it and operate out of it as spirituality. Those who do this best are called saints. They were out of their minds—and into the mind of Christ.
May the resources available to you at IgnatianSpirituality.com and Loyola Press help you to get out of your mind and into the mind of Christ. Happy 10th anniversary, IgnatianSpirituality.com!
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