Week #23 E&W

Forty Weeks ~ Sacred Story

Week 23 Encouragements & Wisdom

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E & W reflections are additional helps for your Sacred Story prayer journey. Reflect on them ahead of your prayer exercises for the week or outside of your fifteen-minute prayer windows.

In this mid-way portion of our journey, we pause to incorporate in our prayer and daily awareness some of the spiritual wisdom and encouragements that come directly from the heart of St. Ignatius. What is offered here can be described as the core spiritual teachings and prayer wisdom of this most astonishing sinner transformed into saint by God’s mercy and grace. St. Ignatius, Pray for Us!

 Prayers and Wisdom from St. Ignatius Loyola

First Principle and Foundation
St. Ignatius

A person is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his or her soul.
The other things on the face of the earth are created for the person to help in attaining the end for which one is created.
Hence, one is to make use of them in as far as they help in the attainment of that end, and one must rid oneself of them in as far as they prove a hindrance.
Therefore, we must make ourselves indifferent to all created things, as far as we are allowed free choice and are not under any prohibition. Consequently, as far as we are concerned, we should not prefer health to sickness, honor to dishonor, a long life to a short life. The same holds for all other things.
Our one desire and choice should be what is more conducive to the end for which one is created.

Foundations Prayer
“First Principle and Foundation” as Interpreted by William Watson, SJ

For whom and through whom everything was made, is Christ Jesus.
I live because he loves me.
To praise and serve him alone with all my mind, heart, and strength
Is my freedom—my only freedom.
I shall not prejudice any path in following him,
For I can praise him equally with my health and sickness.
I can distinguish myself in service to his Kingdom
With great wealth, modest means, or having nothing at all to call my own.
He is the anchor of my joy and peace when I am disgraced or lauded.
In his all-embracing love I taste eternity,
Whether my days are numbered great or small.
For whom and through whom everything was made, is Christ Jesus.
He alone is the treasure of my heart.
I shall ever listen for his call and follow unreservedly.
For in everything I can love and praise him, and find my eternal joy.

SUSCIPE
St. Ignatius

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
My memory, my understanding
And my entire will,
All I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace.
That is enough for me.

Prayer for Generosity
St. Ignatius

Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
To give and not to count the cost,
To fight and not to heed the wounds,
To toil and not to seek for rest,
To labor and not to ask for reward,
Save that of knowing that I do your will.

Anima Christi
Favorite Prayer of St. Ignatius

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from Christ’s side, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee.
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me,
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever.
Amen!