The Ignatian Workout for Lent
Other Books
by Tim Muldoon
The Ignatian Workout
Longing to Love
The Ignatian Workout for Lent
40 Days of Prayer, Reflection, and Action
TIMMULDOON
© 2013 LoyolaPress
All rightsreserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rightsreserved.
Cover art credit: Hakan Hjort/MediaBakery.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8294-4039-3
ISBN-10: 0-8294-4039-9
Library of Congress Control Number:2013950593
Printed in the United States ofAmerica.
Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in ChristJesus.
—Philippians 3:13–14
Exercise2
You Have Searched Me and You Know Me
OLORD, you have searched me and knownme. You know when I sit down and when I riseup; you discern my thoughts from faraway. You search out my path and my lyingdown, and are acquainted with all myways. Even before a word is on mytongue, OLORD, you know itcompletely. You hem me in, behind andbefore, and lay your hand uponme. Such knowledge is too wonderful forme; it is so high that I cannot attainit.
—Psalm 139:1–6
Thepsalmistexpressesinthesewordsacalmyetawed trustthatGodknowsandloveseverythingabout him.Hegiveswordstothewonder,themysteryof hisveryself.Laterinthispsalmweseeasimilarsentiment: “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (14).
Iimaginethispsalmemergingasthefruitofa periodofquietmeditation,perhapsasthepsalmist layonthegrassandgazedatthecloudsonabeautiful summerday.Haveyoueverhadafeelingofaweat theworld?Doyourememberfeelingthatwayasa child—asensethatthereissomethingoverwhelming abouttheveryexistenceofeverything,andthatyour very being is part of what is so aweinspiring?
Itiseasyinthemidstofabusylifetolosethat senseofawe.Theimagethatcomestomindisthat ofamountainclimberwhobeginsthedaybysurveyingtheheightofthemountain,takinginitsbeauty andgrandeur,savoringtheopportunitytoclimb.As shebeginstheclimb,though,theworkofnavigating theterrainmakesherlosesightofthesummit.Ifthe climbisespeciallydifficult,shemayforgetaboutthe beautyaltogetherandfocusonlyontheimmediate taskofstayingsafe.Itmaytakeapauseinaplace
whereshecanseethesummittoremindherofwhat her journey is reallyabout.
Today,takeapausefromyourclimbandsurvey thelandscape.ImagineGodlookingatyourlifethe wayanovelistlooksatacharacterinhisnovel:seeing thewholestoryinhisimagination,enjoyingthecharactershehaslovinglycreated.WhatdelightsGod whenhelooksatyou?WhatdoesGodhopeforyou?
What work is God trying to accomplish inyou?
Ortakeanotherimage,ofasculptorlovinglychiselingawayatablockofmarblethatisyou.What beautydoesGodseeintheunfinishedblockofmarble?WhatisGodchippingawaywitheachstrikeof thehammer?Doesitcausepain?Whatwillthefinishedsculpturelooklike?CanyouexpresstoGod yourhonestfeelingsabouttheprocess?Canyoutrust the sculptor to give life to thevision?
Prayer
PraythewordsofPsalm139slowly,speakingto God.ImagineGodasanovelistandyouacharacterinthenovel,orGodasasculptorworkingto createyou.Whatfeelingsemergeasyouimagine thesethings?TellGodwhatyouhopeforandwhat you fear as God labors to bring you to greaterlife.
Action
Choosesomethingtocreate:arecipe,asculpture, amodelairplane,apoem,apainting,abirdhouse, afilm,orsomethingelsethatdrawsonyourtalents. Giveyourcreationtosomeoneyouloveandtellhim orherwhyyoudidit.Doeverythingyoucanto makethegiftbeautifulandremarkablesothatthe personunderstandsthatyougaveyourbestefforton his or herbehalf.
Exercise3
My Soul Longs for You
As a deer longs for flowingstreams, so my soul longs for you, OGod. My soul thirsts forGod, for the livingGod. When shall I come andbehold the face ofGod?
—Psalm 42:1–2
Jewsallovertheworldrecitethispsalmduringthe festivalofSukkot(thefeastoftents, sukkah).ThisfestivalisarecollectionofIsrael’sfortyyearsofwanderinginthedesert,livingin sukkah aftertheirexodus fromslaveryinEgypt.Forsevenoreightdays,Jews willeatandsometimessleepinthe sukkah andcallto mindthelongingforhomethattheirancestorswould havefeltasrefugees.Theexpressionoflonginginthis psalm may be understood as that longing forhome.
Theplightofrefugeestodaymayshedsomelight onwhatthepsalmistisexpressingintheselines.Listentowhatoneman,Sabiral-Zebeir,saidofhisexperience fleeing genocide inSudan:
In2005theGovernmentofSudanandtheJanjaweedmilitiaattackedmyvillageandburned everythingdown....I triedtogotoChad,but governmentforcesblockedtheway;soIcameto Ethiopia.WhenIcamehereIfirstwenttoa refugeecamp,andwastherealmosttwoyears. Therewasnosecuritythereandnoservices,so IcametoAddis....Frommorningtonightwe don’thaveanything,sowecomehere[theJRS communitycenter]....Wewanttolearnandwe
My Soul Longs for You13
wanttobeinpeace.Butrightnowwehavenoeducation and we have no job.3
WhatSabirexpressesisadeep-heartlongingshared withallthosewhoareinthedifficultsituationof exile.Thatisclosetowhatthepsalmistpointstoin thelinesabove:thefeelingthattheplaceinwhichwe find ourselves is not our truehome.
Whetheryouareinapeacefulhomeorcompletely homeless;aroundpeoplewholoveyouoralone;in agoodjoborschoolorinasituationofdependence onothers—whereisyourdeep-heartlonging?How doyoufindyourselfreactingtothingsgoingonin theworldaroundyou?Whenhaveyoufoundyourselfmoved,oryourheartbroken?Wherehaveyou reachedoutinsympathyforonewhoissuffering whatyouhavesuffered,orinempathytowardsomeonewhosepainisunknowntoyoupersonallybutto whomyouwishtoshowmercy?Thatiswhereyou will meet God. Bring it intoprayer.
3.Sabir al-Zebeir, quoted in Jesuit Refugee Service, “A Tale of Three Cities: JRS Responds to the Needs of Refugees in Urban Environments,” Refugee Voice (July 11, 2011).
Prayer
Nameyourexperiencesofheartlonging,andgive yourselftimetowriteaboutwhyGodhasmadeyour heartcapableofsuchfeeling.AskGodtoleadyou tothehomeyoulongfor,andthegracetobringothers there withyou.
Action
Talktolovedonesaboutthesourceofyourheart longing,andlearnwhattalentstheyseeinyouthat might bring mercy toothers. 14The Ignatian Workout for
Exercise4
God Is Love
Beloved,letusloveoneanother,becauseloveisfromGod; everyonewholovesisbornofGodandknowsGod.Whoever doesnotlovedoesnotknowGod,forGodislove.God’slove wasrevealedamongusinthisway:GodsenthisonlySon intotheworldsothatwemightlivethroughhim.Inthisis love,notthatwelovedGodbutthathelovedusandsent hisSontobetheatoningsacrificeforoursins.Beloved,since Godlovedussomuch,wealsooughttoloveoneanother.No onehaseverseenGod;ifweloveoneanother,Godlivesin us, and his love is perfected inus.
—1John 4:7–12
16The Ignatian Workout for Lent
Ourdeepestlongingsalwayspointustowardlove, andourlongingsforauthenticlovealwayspointus towardGod.WhattheauthorofJohn’sfirstletter expressesisatruthweoftendancearoundinour hopesforgoodnessintheworld:ourhopesforan endtoviolence;aperfectjusticebetweenmenand womenandchildrenacrosstheworld;enoughfood andwatertosatisfyallhungersandthirsts.Wesense deeplythat thereisgoodness,thatGodmustbepresent iftheworldistohaveanymeaningwhatsoever,and thatmindlesscrueltyisnotthedirectionofhuman affairs. In John’s language, love is fromGod.
ThegreatparadoxoftheChristianmysteryisthat Godhasnotputanendtoviolenceandinjustice; Godinsteadhaselectedtosufferwithus.Howoften wewishthatGodhadchosenanotherway,thewayof poweroverhumanchoosing!Forthroughourchoices welacerateourrelationshipswithoneanother:we manipulateoneanotherformoney,forsexualpleasure,andforpower.Throughourchoiceswebuild ourownnestswhilemillionsliveonadollaraday. Goddidnotcometovetoourchoicesbutratherto suffertheconsequencesofourchoices.“Iwashungry
andyougavemenofood,”Jesussays,for“justasyou didnotdoittooneoftheleastofthese[people],you did not do it to me” (Matthew 25:42, 45).
ButthisparadoximpliesthatGod’slove is God’s justice:beforeonewholovesus withoutanycondition whatsoever,westandnakedwithemptyhands.There isnothingwecanofferbutourselves.WecancontinuetoreceiveGod’sgiftsandsquanderthem,much liketheprodigalsonwhotakeshisfather’sinheritanceandrunsoffforagoodtime(Luke15:11–32).
YetthisGodwhohasmadeourheartsforlovewill neverbesatisfieduntilwecantrulyreceivethatlove andreturnitwithourwholehearts.TheLordsays,“I havesweptawayyourtransgressionslikeacloud,and yoursinslikemist;returntome,forIhaveredeemed you” (Isaiah 44:22).
18The Ignatian Workout for Lent
Prayer
Meditateonthefinallineabove:“ifweloveone another,Godlivesinus,andhisloveisperfected inus.”Wherehaveyouexperiencedlove,eitherin givingorinreceiving?SpeaktoGodofwhatstirsin you as you consider thatexperience.
Action
Practiceunselfishlovebycommittingyourselftoa thoughtfulactforafriendorfamilymember.Build thatpracticeintoadailyorweeklyhabit,andbring that act into prayer everyday.
About the Author
TimMuldoonistheauthorof TheIgnatianWorkout, LongingtoLove,and,withSueMuldoon, SixSacred RulesforFamilies,aswellasotherbooksandessays. HeisaCatholictheologianwhoworksintheDivisionofUniversityMissionandMinistryatBoston College, where he has taught for manyyears.
