One of the greatest gifts from St. Ignatius of Loyola is the Spiritual Exercises. These are a prayer journey to grow closer to Jesus.
In An Ignatian Adventure, written by Rev. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., he offers a reflection from Jean Vanier for readers praying through the Fourth Week of the Spiritual Exercises.
“We will never win the Olympics of humanity,
racing for perfection,
but we can walk together in hope,
celebrating that we are loved in our brokenness,
helping each other,
growing in trust,
living in thanksgiving,
learning to forgive,
opening up to others and welcoming them,
and striving to bring peace and hope to the world.”
Our Ignatian theme of this year is “Imagine.” Ignatius used imagination in prayer throughout the Spiritual Exercises to help pilgrims picture themselves with Jesus, growing in empathy for his suffering and death, knowing God’s love in the resurrection of Jesus, and their complete forgiveness.
As we close this week, we encourage you to take time to pray through Jean Vanier’s prayer, picturing yourself completing each line of the prayer. None of us are perfect; all of us are loved.
A.M.D.G.
