Espiritualitat

This publication is about conversation, about its conditions of possibility in a world where distraction and dispersion have impoverished it to limits we could not even suspect. And the framework or tradition from which the author speaks to us is that of Ignatian spirituality, a spirituality whose central place is precisely in conversation. As the author says: “The first requirement for spiritual conversation is to listen. To listen deep down, to acknowledge the other and his presence, to show compassion and not just walk on by. And then ask.

In this booklet you will find two contemporary views on Ignatius and his spirituality, both views founded on the conviction that every authentic and profound spirituality impels us to be always encountering God in the world. In opting for a spirituality that keeps our eyes wide open and our feet on the ground, Mariola and Javier offer us the gift of considering the figure of Ignatius Loyola and contemplating the good news of Jesus of Nazareth from his perspective. In so doing, they throw a little more light on the path ahead of us. (From the prologue by Pau Vidal)

Praying with the senses is a practice proposed by Saint Ignatius in his Spiritual Exercises. The benefit of knowing, developing, and practicing this way of praying is evident from many centuries of Christian spiritual tradition. A great many authors have studied in depth the use of the senses in prayer, and they have discovered how the spiritual senses can be used in coordination with the bodily senses.

The word “reconciliation” is a word with a diverse set of meanings that can encompass many different perspectives: religious, ethical, political and juridical. The author concentrates in this text on the religious perspective and on its Christian version., placing himself clearly in the point of view of victims. From that come all of the questions that recur in these pages: Is there a God who reconciles and who reconciles us with so many victims in this world? If that is answered in the affirmative, what does that reconciliation look like? In what does it consist?

From a Christian and human perspective, all spiritual searching is something positive, but it requires a special effort of introspection and self-criticism. Some elements of Christian theology are indispensable and cannot be downplayed, since Christian theology must be done from the perspective of “the least and the last” of this world. It is to this debate that the present booklet seeks to make a contribution; it is the fruit of the reflection of a complete course in the theology seminar of Cristianisme i Justícia.

The pandemic has questioned the paradigm of self-sufficiency upon which our civilization is based and it has demonstrated the great limitations which our economic system has in order to guarantee the basic rights of all people, especially of those who find themselves in a situation of vulnerability. Flipping through pages in order to forget about this serious nightmare, in our opinion, is an error.

There have been many Christian teachers or mystics who have explained the effects of contemplative prayer, but not how to do it. Fr. Jalics has filled this void with a suggestion that was born through a personal experience of detention and isolation that took place under the Argentine dictatorship. In this Notebook, which begins with a magnificent prologue by Xavier Melloni, he explains how his contemplative “journey” of prayer is tied into the practice of the Ignatian Exercises.

We find the phrase with which this publication is titled in St. Paul when he says, “But when in the fullness of time God sent His Son” (Gal 4:4), or “He has allowed us to know the mystery of his will, according to his goodness, which He had proposed in Himself, to bring together all things in Christ in the dispensation of the fullness of time.” (Eph 1:9-10). Beginning with this expression, the author of this article directly formulates this question: could Paul have written this today? Or even more clearly: can we understand it?

You have in your hands a compilation of practices that seek to be an aid for personal and community prayer. These 49 spiritual practices include a variety of approaches to God that have been inspired by pastoral ministry and psychology. From the most elementary function of human nature —breathing— to the highest operation —language— each person will be able to choose an appropriate manner of praying by focusing attention on one resource or another. We hope that this booklet will help both those seeking to advance in the spiritual life and those who wish to help others to do so.

Peter Claver is a case of extreme solidarity, both for what he did and for the perspective from which he did it. He spent thirty-eight years giving himself over body and soul to the African slaves who were arriving at the port of Cartagena in abject misery. Not only was his life one of total commitment to the Africans, but he lived it “from the other side of history,” that is, by belonging completely to the slaves. This booklet explains Claver’s ways of acting and evangelizing and describes the spirit that drove all his apostolic work.