‘A favourite metaphor I like to use for my journey with the Lord is that of a roller coaster’ Photo: G. Allen/Shutterstock.comI’d like to share with you a reflection written by a Jesuit novice, Arnold.
At least two times in our lives we Jesuits undertake the Spiritual Exercises, a month-long retreat. This seems an impossible task, however it is a life-changing encounter with oneself and with God.
The experience of the Spiritual Exercises is open to all, Jesuits and lay people, and whoever embarks on this journey never regrets it. There are different ways to undertake this experience – either in a retreat house or in daily life continuing with one’s outine and meeting a spiritual guide regularly.
At present a number of young adults are being guided in this retreat at the University Chaplaincy.
This is Arnold’s experience:
“In 2011, a friend of mine told me he was going to undertake the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola – a month-long retreat in silence – in Italy. At that time I didn’t have a very clear idea what these Spiritual Exercises are, and more importantly, I couldn’t imagine myself doing something like this in Italian.
Four years have passed since then and a lot of things have changed in my life. I am now a Jesuit novice, living in Genoa, and I have learned (well, kind of) how to speak Italian. During February, along with the other novices, I had the opportunity to experience the Spiritual Exercises.
“A favourite metaphor I like to use for my journey with the Lord is that of a roller coaster. Last summer I was lucky enough to be on one. I was afraid before going on it, however once I was aboard, although there were times when I was terrified, times where I was up and other times where I was down, times where I was screaming with joy and others when I was screaming out of fear, at the end of the ride I just wanted to go back on it again. However, life isn’t up there, it’s in the real world.
There were times when I was terrified, but that’s where God’s love comes into play
“I can’t think of a better image to explain my experience of the exercises. I must admit I was afraid before we began, I had never spent more than three days in silence; now I was going in for five weeks. Now that they’re over I want to go back but I’m called to be in the ‘real’ world.
“There were times during these five weeks when I was terrified, especially meeting my true self, but that’s where God’s love comes into play. Thanks to Him I was able to go into the depth of my being, into my darkest places, places I was always scared to visit, but the most beautiful thing is that I came out of there accompanied by the Lord, showered by His love for me – Arnold, as I am, with all that’s good and all that’s less good in me.
“It was also a very powerful experience accompanying Jesus during his life on earth, in his ministry but also during his passion and death where I got the chance to get to know him and myself better. However, our faith doesn’t stop at the cross but our Christ was risen from the dead and is alive.
“If I had to explain my experience I would say it was a roller coaster of love, the love of God who created me and who loves me for who I am, as I am. God who made Himself man so I could know him and the love He has for me.
“Ultimately this experience is all about love. I hope I am up to the challenge to translate this powerful experience of love into my daily life by loving God and my neighbour. At the end of the day we’re all called to do so, and so are you.
As the Italians say: “buon camino!”
For those of you who don’t have a clue what the Spiritual Exercises are, there is a short description at www.ignatianspirituality.com.
mal-prov@jesuit.org.mt
Fr Patrick Magro is provincial of the Society of Jesus in Malta.