A Foundation of Divine Love
A core understanding of Ignatian spirituality, a teaching that is the bedrock of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, is something known as the Principle and Foundation. It is, quite literally, the essential and foundational understanding of the human person as developed by St. Ignatius as he gained insight into human spirituality and development. A traditional translation of his Principle and Foundation is as follows:
“God created human beings to praise, reverence, and serve God, and by doing this, to save their souls.
God created all other things on the face of the earth to help fulfill this purpose.
From this it follows that we are to use the things of this world only to the extent that they help us to this end, and we ought to rid ourselves of the things of this world to the extent that they get in the way of this end.
For this it is necessary to make ourselves indifferent to all created things as much as we are able, so that we do not necessarily want health rather than sickness, riches rather than poverty, honor rather than dishonor, a long rather than a short life, and so in all the rest, so that we ultimately desire and choose only what is most conducive for us to the end for which God created us.”
Certainly, there is a lot to unpack in the Principle and Foundation. People may or may not agree with St. Ignatius’ understanding of the purpose of human existence. People may struggle with the idea that the things of the world have been created to benefit human experience. And people frequently struggle with the Ignatian sense of “indifference.” It’s a big ask, for sure.
As I’ve been praying through this season of ongoing societal tumult, and as I’ve been companioning people through their own journey with the Spiritual Exercises, I was recently inspired to write my own Principle and Foundation. I share it with you here:
“Human persons are an expression of Divine creative love.
To expand into the fullness of this life
with joy, gratitude, and enthusiasm
is the ultimate response
to this gift of creative love.
When the tumult of the world
swirls around us;
When we experience dissonance with
other expressions of God’s creative love;
It is beneficial to center one’s being
within the heart of Divine Love.
Take time to ponder all that troubles you;
Seek discretion on the path of justice;
And remain in alignment only with God’s love -
The One Absolute and True thing.”
Journal: November 13, 2022
In the midst of people clamoring for our allegiance, amongst the clashes of strikingly different worldviews, when I pray with this statement, I find myself able to access an interior stillness. This interior stillness is not inaction. Rather, it is the gentle, quiet stillness that allows me to listen better for that which is distinctly mine to do.
I ask you:
What practices help you settle into interior stillness?
How would you describe your core values, your primary beliefs, or your bedrock truth? What are those understandings that provide the foundation upon which you build your life in the world?
What wisdom are you listening to as you navigate the tumult of our times?
If you’d like to talk about your experience with these questions, or about other questions that resonate in your heart, please let me know. I stand in awe and reverence at the work that God is doing in our world, fraught though it may be, and in the work of so many people’s hearts.
If you haven’t yet done so, please subscribe to receive updates from Soulcare MKE. It is my hope and my prayer to share more with you, the Soulcare MKE community, in the new year. Please let me know if there are things you’d like to learn or read about. Please let me know how I can serve you. I am listening.
Gratefully yours,
Laura
