Essays Final

Front 1

Discuss three central features of the spirituality associated with Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker movement and how that spirituality might be lived out by someone today.

Back 1

1. Care for the poor
2. hospitality (& voluntary poverty-live day to day trusting God will provide)
o everyone is a friend, inclusiveness
o receive guests
o teaching, preaching, counseling
o rule of Benedict and Hospitality
o Instrument of Good Works = “To Honor All”
o Monastery as House of God- monks themselves as guests
o Welcoming is fundamental to way of life
3. pacifism and nonviolence
4. commitment to the gospel
5. prophetic- spoke gods word to all

All of these can be lived out through asceticism (practice of spirituality):
o Forgive others, turn the other cheek
o Accept the unlovable
o Reach out to others regardless of cost
o Agape- self-less unconditional love

Front 2

Choose one of the following spiritual practices: Discernment, Forgiveness, or Hospitality and write about (1) why that spiritual practice should be important for someone concerned about developing spiritually; and (2) how does one go about carrying out this spiritual practice, in other words, what are the steps or the mechanics of doing this practice.

Back 2

*Forgiveness is freeing and enables one to live in harmony with others, developing this spirituality prevents harping on conflicts that will inhibit ones faith and deter from what we should be focusing on serving God.
*Forgiveness requires acknowledging someone has done wrong by you, accepting the reality that we are all human and therefore flawed, and verbally pardoning their actions without expecting an apology. Ultimately, forgiveness allows one to move on and not hold trespasses against others.

Front 3

The Eucharist is seen as the summit of the Christian spiritual life. Discuss what it means to celebrate the Eucharist in the light of the many meals Jesus shared with people in the course of his ministry and how the Eucharist provides a pattern for the spirituality of people committed to Christianity.

Back 3

Those who participated in the last supper were no longer servants of Jesus but friends.
Meal of the Eucharist the Holy Spirit transforms an ordinary meal into a sacrament- a mystery of faith
By celebrating love and friendship at meals with family and friends we can learn to celebrate wholeheartedly in the eucharist
Meal sharing- bonding, forgiving, sharing of stories, reminiscining,
Eucharist = spiritual food, sacred meal
Forgiveness, compassion, hospitality, presence
Eucharist is a way of life

service oriented, inclusive, everyone gathers around 1 table, equality, eucharist means thanksgiving, gratitude,

Front 4

Ignatius Loyola articulated a process for Christian decision-making (discernment) which was based on his own experience. Describe the experience Ignatius went through in deciding his own life direction and the two states of mind he noticed in himself that led to the program he created for other people. What two spiritual practices did he recommend that people should do?

Back 4

Ignatius was born into Basque nobility, wounded in battle at Pamplona, long recovery during which he went through a conversion. lived in solitary at Manreasa during which he began to write the Exercises then went to Paris to study theology. Ultimately created Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
Two states of mind consolation and desolation.
Consolation- movement of the spirit, sense of being at peace, tranquility,
Desolation - signs that things are not right, feeling isolated, depressed
Two spiritual practices
1) Examination of Conscience- Ignatius, when doing the exercises you are evaluating how you feel, daily exam, central part of the exercises, good because we are so busy, good to take stock as to whats going on in our lives
2) Mediation – imaginative and affective contemplation of Gospel mysteries and application of the senses to make the experience more vivid

Front 5

Francis de Sales’ approach to spirituality stands out in contrast to earlier approaches. Discuss what is distinctive about Francis’s contribution and what sort of spiritual program did he recommend. How might we describe lay spirituality today?

Back 5

Francis de Sales spirituality approach involves the great desire Christian perfection, unlike earlier approaches where only monks and mystics expected to pursue Christian perfection. Regardless of calling (married, widow, religious) one must unite oneself to God through sacraments and prayer. In addition, Francis (contribution) attention to lay people and they don’t have to become religious to be spiritual, practicing prayer, dealing with temptation, annually renew commitment to living christian life, spiritual program
Francis wrote the Introduction to the Devout Life compilations of instructions to lay people. The spiritual program for spiritual life involved 5 parts:
preparation for devout life (meaning of devotion & away from sin toward God)
prayer (4 part approach to mediation & hour long exercise)
practices of virtues (fit with vocation & special topics)
temptations
and spiritual renewal

Front 6

Discuss the role which friendship and marriage can play in developing one’s spirituality. Explain how both marriage and friendship can be described as sacraments

Back 6

Sacrament is a place where you encounter God..it is a pathway to grace… “a visible sign of an invisible grace”… Friendship and marriage both deal with relationships…good practice for developing relationship with God, they are pathways to grace.

Friendship
• Old Testament “A new friend is like new wine which you drink with pleasure only when it has aged”……proof of real friendship is its long duration
• New Testament Christ’s friendships with John, Lazarus, Martha, Mary Magdalene; true friend is depicted as one faithful to the cross
• Instrumental in achieving Christian holiness
• Spiritual friendship- reciprocal relationship between two persons who seek the same spiritual ideas
• Aelred of Rievaulx wrote treatise- Spiritual Friendship
o “God is friendship
o Friendship = virtue
o All people have need for friendship

Marriage
• Sacrament- sign of Christ..Sacrament of Church
o Makes God’s love and faithfulness present
o Couple acts as sacrament to each other and all who know them
o Couple is a small community
• Unconditional love
• Helps spouses get rid of love substitutes
• Strikes at root of self deception
• A person realizes their true self when pursuing love of another
• New use of power- honor children’s individuality, freedom to be fully alive

Front 7

Desolation

Back 7

st. Ignatius, signs that things are not right, feeling isolated, depressed

Front 8

Spiritual exercises

Back 8

written by St. Ignatius of Loyola....small book, retreat program for renewing yourself, 4 weeks

Front 9

Examination of Conscience

Back 9

Ignatius, when doing the exercises you are evaluating how you feel, daily exam, central part of the exercises, good because we are so busy, good to take stock as to whats going on in our lives

Front 10

Consolation

Back 10

-st. Ignatius, movement of the spirit, sense of being at peace, tranquility,

Front 11

Introduction To Devout Life

Back 11

book by Francis deSales, one of the more explicit spirituality treatments for lay people, what you need to do to develop yourself spiritually

Front 12

Houses of Hospitality

Back 12

founded by Dorothy Day, places for the poor to go and stay and be part of the community, ran soup kitchens

Front 13

Preferential Option

Back 13

...for the poor- liberation spirituality, God has a special love and care for the poor, center of concern

Front 14

Election

Back 14

st. Ignatius, part of the spiritual exercises, decision to follow Christ, first two weeks of the exercises build up to decide what direction you will go, election you choose your direction

Front 15

Peter Maurin

Back 15

Frenchmen, catholic social teaching, intellectual backbone to the…., worked with Dorothy Day

Front 16

Devotion

Back 16

word desales used to say what you want to attain/cultivate, be inflamed with faith, be a loving person

Front 17

Lay Spirituality

Back 17

prayer life and habits of non-clergy, spirituality of people living ordinary lives

Front 18

Seven Storey Mountain

Back 18

Thomas Merton’s autobiography in his 30’s about the first part of his life, best seller, published 1946 end of WWII

Front 19

Gustavo Gutierrez

Back 19

sorting out what you are called to do, where is God speaking