Thursday, January 7, 2010

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius mentions the "Our Father" 22 times. (The first exercise of each webpage of the text is linked, with those after also on that same page.)

Daily Ways to Pray: Week Nineteen

Day Two
Matthew, chapter 6. Good ideas from Jesus. Say the "Our Father" slowly -- think on each word.

Spiritual Exercises 252
Matthew 6


[SPEX43]
METHOD FOR MAKING THE GENERAL EXAMEN

It contains in it five Points.

First Point. The first Point is to give thanks to God our Lord for the benefits received.

Second Point. The second, to ask grace to know our sins and cast them out.

Third Point. The third, to ask account of our soul from the hour that we rose up to the present Examen, hour by hour, or period by period: and first as to thoughts, and then as to words, and then as to acts, in the same order as was mentioned in the Particular Examen.

Fourth Point. The fourth, to ask pardon of God our Lord for the faults.

Fifth Point. The fifth, to purpose amendment with His grace. OUR FATHER.


[SPEX54]
The Colloquy is made, properly speaking, as one friend speaks to another, or as a servant to his master; now asking some grace, now blaming oneself for some misdeed, now communicating one's affairs, and asking advice in them. And let me say an OUR FATHER.


[SPEX61]
Colloquy. Let me finish with a Colloquy of mercy, pondering and giving thanks to God our Lord that He has given me life up to now, proposing amendment, with His grace, for the future. OUR FATHER.


[SPEX63]
First Colloquy. The first Colloquy to Our Lady, that she may get me grace from Her Son and Lord for three things: first, that I may feel an interior knowledge of my sins, and hatred of them; second, that I may feel the disorder of my actions, so that, hating them, I may correct myself and put myself in order; third, to ask knowledge of the world, in order that, hating it, I may put away from me worldly and vain things. And with that a HAIL MARY.

Second Colloquy. The second: The same to the Son, begging Him to get it for me from the Father. And with that the SOUL OF CHRIST.

Third Colloquy. The third: The same to the Father, that the Eternal Lord Himself may grant it to me. And with that an OUR FATHER.


[SPEX71]
Colloquy. Making a Colloquy to Christ our Lord, I will bring to memory the souls that are in Hell, some because they did not believe the Coming, others because, believing, they did not act according to His Commandments; making three divisions:

First, Second, and Third Divisions. The first, before the Coming; the second, during His life; the third, after His life in this world; and with this I will give Him thanks that He has not let me fall into any of these divisions, ending my life. Likewise, I will consider how up to now He has always had so great pity and mercy on me. I will end with an OUR FATHER.


[SPEX75]
Third Addition. The third: A step or two before the place where I have to contemplate or meditate, I will put myself standing for the space of an OUR FATHER, my intellect raised on high, considering how God our Lord is looking at me, etc.; and will make an act of reverence or humility.


[SPEX109]
Colloquy. At the end a Colloquy is to be made, thinking what I ought to say to the Three Divine Persons, or to the Eternal Word incarnate, or to our Mother and Lady, asking according to what I feel in me, in order more to follow and imitate Our Lord, so lately incarnate. I will say an OUR FATHER.


[SPEX117]
Colloquy. I will finish with a Colloquy as in the preceding Contemplation, and with an OUR FATHER.


[SPEX118]
THE THIRD CONTEMPLATION

WILL BE A REPETITION OF THE FIRST AND SECOND EXERCISE

After the Preparatory Prayer and the three Preludes, the repetition of the first and second Exercise will be made, noting always some more principal parts, where the person has felt some knowledge, consolation or desolation, making likewise one Colloquy at the end, and saying an OUR FATHER.


[SPEX126]
Colloquy. One has to finish with one Colloquy as in the first and second Contemplation, and with an OUR FATHER.


[SPEX147]
First Colloquy. One Colloquy to Our Lady, that she may get me grace from Her Son and Lord that I may be received under His standard; and first in the highest spiritual poverty, and -- if His Divine Majesty would be served and would want to choose and receive me -- not less in actual poverty; second, in suffering contumely and injuries, to imitate Him more in them, if only I can suffer them without the sin of any person, or displeasure of His Divine Majesty; and with that a HAIL MARY.

Second Colloquy. I will ask the same of the Son, that He may get it for me of the Father; and with that say the SOUL OF CHRIST.

Third Colloquy. I will ask the same of the Father, that He may grant it to me; and say an OUR FATHER.


[SPEX198]
Colloquy. I will finish with a Colloquy to Christ our Lord, and, at the end, with an OUR FATHER.


[SPEX225]
Colloquy. I will finish with a Colloquy, or Colloquies, according to the subject matter, and an OUR FATHER.


[SPEX237]
Fourth Point. The fourth, to look how all the good things and gifts descend from above, as my poor power from the supreme and infinite power from above; and so justice, goodness, pity, mercy, etc.; as from the sun descend the rays, from the fountain the waters, etc. Then to finish reflecting on myself, as has been said. I will end with a Colloquy and an OUR FATHER.


[SPEX241]
For the first Method of Prayer, it is well to consider and think on the First Commandment, how I have kept it and in what I have failed, keeping to the rule of spending the space of time one says the OUR FATHER and the HAIL MARY three times; and if in this time I find faults of mine, to ask pardon and forgiveness for them, and say an OUR FATHER. Let this same method be followed on each one of the Ten Commandments.


[SPEX248]
Note. Whoever wants to imitate Christ our Lord in the use of his senses, let him in the Preparatory Prayer recommend himself to His Divine Majesty, and after considering on each sense, say a HAIL MARY or an OUR FATHER. And whoever wants to imitate Our Lady in the use of the senses, let him in the Preparatory Prayer recommend himself to her, that she may get him grace from Her Son and Lord for it; and after considering on each sense, say a HAIL MARY.


[SPEX252]
Second Method of Prayer. The Second Method of Prayer is that the person, kneeling or seated, according to the greater disposition in which he finds himself and as more devotion accompanies him, keeping the eyes closed or fixed on one place, without going wandering with them, says FATHER, and is on the consideration of this word as long as he finds meanings, comparisons, relish and consolation in considerations pertaining to such word. And let him do in the same way on each word of the OUR FATHER, or of any other prayer which he wants to say in this way.


[SPEX253]
First Rule. The first Rule is that he will be an hour on the whole OUR FATHER in the manner already mentioned. Which finished, he will say a HAIL MARY, CREED, SOUL OF CHRIST, and HAIL, HOLY QUEEN, vocally or mentally, according to the usual way.


[SPEX254]
Second Rule. The Second Rule is that, should the person who is contemplating the OUR FATHER find in one word, or in two, matter so good to think over, and relish and consolation, let him not care to pass on, although the hour ends on what he finds. The hour finished, he will say the rest of the OUR FATHER in the usual way.


[SPEX255]
Third Rule. The third is that if on one word or two of the OUR FATHER one has lingered for a whole hour, when he will want to come back another day to the prayer, let him say the above-mentioned word, or the two, as he is accustomed; and on the word which immediately follows let him commence to contemplate, according as was said in the second Rule.


[SPEX256]
First Note. It is to be noted that, the OUR FATHER finished, in one or in many days, the same has to be done with the HAIL MARY and then with the other prayers, so that for some time one is always exercising himself in one of them.


[SPEX258]
THIRD METHOD OF PRAYER

It will be by rhythm.

Addition. The Addition will be the same as in the First and Second Methods of Prayer.

Prayer. The Preparatory Prayer will be as in the Second Method of Prayer.

Third Method of Prayer. The Third Method of Prayer is that with each breath in or out, one has to pray mentally, saying one word of the OUR FATHER, or of another prayer which is being recited: so that only one word be said between one breath and another, and while the time from one breath to another lasts, let attention be given chiefly to the meaning of such word, or to the person to whom he recites it, or to his own baseness, or to the difference from such great height to his own so great lowness. And in the same form and rule he will proceed on the other words of the OUR FATHER; and the other prayers, that is to say, the HAIL MARY, the SOUL OF CHRIST, the CREED, and the HAIL, HOLY QUEEN, he will make as he is accustomed.

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