An Ignatian Day Planner

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An Ignatian Day Planner with weekly reflections


An Ignatian Day Planner with weekly reflections


“ The world is charged

with the grandeur of God.”

Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J.

REFLECT UPON GOD’S GRANDEUR:

“ If we could see the

miracle of a single flower clearly,

whole life would change.” our

Buddha


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“ We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.

We

spiritual beings

are having a human experience.”

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.

HOW DO I CONSIDER MYSELF A SPIRITUAL BEING?


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Discernment is a process for

making choices between several courses of action, all of which

are

potentially good.

It relies on the use of affect as well as intellect.

WHEN HAVE I RELIED ON INSTINCT BECAUSE IT “FELT” RIGHT TO HELP ME MAKE A DECISION?


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“ If it were not for injustice, man would know

not

justice.”

Heraclitus

WHAT DOES INJUSTICE MEAN TO ME? HOW DID I LEARN TO REGARD JUSTICE AS A SOCIAL VIRTUE?


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“Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because are

if we

not grateful,

then no matter how much we have we will not be happy—because we will always want to have something else or something more.”

Br. David Steindl-Rast, O.S.B.

FOR WHAT AM I GRATEFUL?

“ You are precious in

my eyes. I honor you

and

love you.”

Isaiah 43:4


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“Each person must live their life

as a model for others.”

Rosa Parks

HOW AM I A MODEL FOR OTHERS?


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Cura personalis, which is Latin for

care of the whole person,

includes ourselves as well as others. WHAT STEPS DO I TAKE TO CARE FOR MY “WHOLE PERSON”?


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“ From the days of Francis Xavier and Matteo Ricci to the time of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and the present, Jesuits have recognized the necessity of

engaging cultures in their service of faith.�

Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.

HOW DO I ENGAGE PEOPLE OF OTHER CULTURES?


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“Finding God in all things” is said to sum up ignatian spirituality. IN WHAT UNLIKELY PLACES, GREAT AND SMALL, HAVE I FOUND GOD?


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“Charity, a word that

comprises love

justice,

and may well be the most sublime of all Christian virtues.”

Diana Butler Bass

HOW AM I CHARITABLE? WHAT ARE OTHER SUBLIME VIRTUES?

“ What does the Lord require?

Only to act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly

with your God.”

Micah 6:8


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“Personal answers to ultimate questions.

That is what we seek.”

Alexander Eliot

WHAT ARE SOME ULTIMATE QUESTIONS I SEEK TO ANSWER?


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Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam WHAT DOES THE SOCIETY OF JESUS’ MOTTO “FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD” MEAN TO ME?


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“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, as

and as long I live,

it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.”

George Bernard Shaw

WHAT ARE SOME OF MY EXPERIENCES WITH HELPING OTHERS IN MY COMMUNITY?

Service,

being men and women for others,

is an important Jesuit core value.


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“ Solidarity is learned through ‘contact’

rather than through ‘concepts’. When the

heart touched

is by direct experience, the mind may be challenged to change.”

Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.

WHAT “CONTACT” EXPERIENCES HAVE I HAD? HOW HAVE THEY CONTRIBUTED TO MY BEING A MAN/WOMAN FOR OTHERS?


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“Take courage, it is I;

do not be afraid.”

Matthew 14:27

WHEN HAVE I FOUND COURAGE THROUGH HOPE, FAITH AND BELIEF?

“ We must build dikes of

courage

to hold back the flood of fear.” Martin Luther King Jr.


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“ To stay in one place and watch the

seasons come and go is tantamount to constant travel: One is the

traveling with

earth.”

Marguerite Yourcenar

WHAT DO THE PASSING SEASONS MEAN TO ME? WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MY LIFE NOW FOR WHICH THE TIMING SEEMS JUST RIGHT?

“ For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose

under the

heaven.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1


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“ Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in a love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination will affect everything…

Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide Pedro Arrupe, S.J.

everything.”

REFLECT UPON THE POWER OF LOVE IN YOUR LIFE.


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“ I am careful not to confuse excellence with

perfection. Excellence, I can reach for;

perfection is God’s business.”

Michael J. Fox

HOW DO I REACH FOR EXCELLENCE?

Magis, which is Latin for “more” and a Jesuit core value, invites us to attain excellence in quality.


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“Those who dwell among the

beauties

mysteries

and of the earth are never alone or weary of life.” Rachel Carson

WHAT BEAUTIES AND MYSTERIES DO I DWELL AMONG?


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“Look for God’s fingerprints

in all that is studied, examined and reflected upon in life.” Msgr. Joseph Quinn Vice president for mission and ministry Fordham University

WHERE ARE GOD’S “FINGERPRINTS” IN MY LIFE?


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“ It is a denial of justice not to stretch out a helping hand to the fallen; that is the common of

right humanity.”

Seneca the Elder

REFLECT UPON THIS QUOTE.


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…and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who

trespass against us…

Lord’s Prayer

WHEN HAVE I RECENTLY FORGIVEN SOMEONE WHO “TRESPASSED” AGAINST ME? WHAT DID I RECEIVE IN RETURN?

“ The weak can never

forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute

of

the

strong.”

Mahatma Gandhi

“ To forgive is the highest, most beautiful

form of love.”

Robert Muller


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“We are all pencils in the

hand of God.”

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

VOCATIONALLY, WHAT AM I GOOD AT DOING? WHAT DO I LIKE TO DO? DOES ANYBODY NEED ME TO DO IT?


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“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have

to see the whole staircase,

just take the first step.” Martin Luther King Jr.

SOME OF MY “STAIR STEPS” OF FAITH CAN BE DESCRIBED AS:


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“Service is what life

is all about.”

Marian Wright Edelman

HOW DO I “MAINTAIN JUSTICE”?

“ Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly

do what is right.” Psalm 106:3


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“We [need to be] aware…of our temptations and fears, the consolations and

lights given to us by God

and the various movements that happen within us…”

Ignatius Loyola Spiritual Exercises 17

WHAT ARE MY TEMPTATIONS, FEARS AND GOD-GIVEN LIGHTS?

“ In quiet and trust you shall find

your strength.”

Isaiah 30:15


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“The sword of justice has no scabbard.”

Antione de Riveral

WHAT ARE SOME INJUSTICES THAT I OBSERVE DAY TO DAY?

The service of faith and promotion of social justice is an important Jesuit core value.


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“ How wonderful it is that nobody need

wait a single moment before starting to the

improve

world.”

Anne Frank

WHAT CAN I DO TODAY TO IMPROVE THE WORLD?

“ But the fruit of the Spirit is

love,

joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23a


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“An authentic life is the most

personal form of worship.

Everyday life has become my prayer.” Sarah Ban Breathnach

WHAT ARE SOME OF MY EVERYDAY PRAYERS?

“ The Hopi Indians of

Arizona believe that our daily rituals and prayers literally keep this world spinning on its axis. For me, feeding the seagulls is one of those everyday prayers.”

Brenda Peterson


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“Ask and you will receive, so that your

joy may be full.”

John 16:24

WHAT IS IT THAT I MOST NEED FROM GOD?

“ When the solution is simple,

God is answering.” Albert Einstein


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“Faith is the bird that

feels the light

and when the dawn is still dark.”

sings

Rabindranath Tagore

HOW DO I METAPHORICALLY DESCRIBE MY FAITH?


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“O

you have searched me and you know

lord, me. You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.” Psalm 139:1-4

WHAT IS MY REACTION TO BEING KNOWN SO COMPLETELY?

“God knows us

from within ourselves, not as objects, not as strangers, not as intimates, but as our own selves.” Thomas Merton


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“Lately I’ve been

runnin’ on faith.

What else can a poor boy do?” Jerry Lynn Williams

WHEN HAVE I FELT THAT I’VE “BEEN RUNNIN’ ON FAITH”? WHERE WAS GOD IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES?

“ Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”

Psalm 10:1


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“The Latin root for the word ‘perfect’ means

only ‘finished,’ not ‘without flaws’… doesn’t mean we be have to be perfect.”

to whole

Sue Bender

HOW AM I THE PERSON THAT GOD INTENDED ME TO BE?

“ The word ‘perfect’ really means,

be who God intended you to be;

be fully mature and ripe. That’s a much more inviting concept than our usual idea of perfect, which is rooted in perfectionism.” Kathleen Norris


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“As we serve others

we are working on ourselves

every act, every word, every gesture of genuine compassion

naturally nourishes HOW AM I OPEN TO COMPASSION FOR OTHERS?

...when we attend

to ourselves with compassion and mercy, more healing is made available for others. And when we serve others with an

great healing comes to us.�

open and generous heart, Wayne Muller

our own hearts as well. It is not a question of who is healed first...


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“Give no decision

till both sides

thou’st heard.”

Phocylides

WITH WHOM DO I HAVE TROUBLE BEING IN DIALOGUE?

“ Dialogue is the fundamental unfolding of a

gift of oneself

to another.” Pope Benedict XVI


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Jesuit education aims to develop people

of service and leadership faith.

What kind of a leader am I? As a team member, my strengths are‌ HOW AM I A SERVANT-LEADER?

Servant-leaders give priority attention to the needs of their colleagues and those they serve. Servant-leaders are humble stewards of human, financial and physical resources.


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“Good people are good because they’ve

come to wisdom through failure.”

William Saroyan

WHAT FAILURES IN MY LIFE HAVE BROUGHT ME WISDOM?


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“ Solidarity includes compassion, but it is more.

Solidarity is not only a spontaneous the that responds immediately, but also a decision to take action to join with, to form community with, those who are suffering…

movement of heart

HOW AM I A “WHOLE PERSON OF SOLIDARITY FOR THE REAL WORLD”?

…Solidarity takes place

when a person or community not only sees a need and acts, but commits to follow up, to endeavor to see that action is taken to improve the other’s situation for the long run. Solidarity also includes a kind of mutuality that goes both ways in respect and accountability when the relationship grows. Solidarity becomes a two-way process because it becomes a relationship with both sides giving and receiving.” Marie J. Giblin


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“ The Ignatian vision…. •S ees life and the whole uni- • C ultivates critical awareness verse as a gift calling forth of personal and social evil, wonder and gratefulness; but points to God’s love as more powerful than any evil; •G ives ample scope to imagination and emotion as well • S tresses freedom, need for as intellect; discernment and responsible action; •S eeks to find the divine in all things—in all peoples •E mpowers people to become and cultures, in all areas leaders in service, men and of study and learning, in women for others, whole every human experience, persons of solidarity, buildand, (for the Christian) ing a more just and humane especially in the person of world.” Jesus; George Traub, S.J.

WHICH SPEAKS MOST STRONGLY TO ME? WHY?


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“ The human race is challenged more than ever before to

demonstrate

mastery—

our not over nature but of ourselves.” Rachel Carson

HOW DO I CARE FOR NATURE AND EARTH’S RESOURCES?


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Take a few minutes to pray with the Examen. THANKSGIVING

What am I especially grateful for in the past day... The gift of another day? The love and support I have received? The courage I have mustered? An event that took place today?

PETITION

I am about to review my day; I ask for the light to know God and to know myself as God sees me.

REVIEW

Where have I felt true joy today? What has troubled me today? What has challenged me today? Where and when did I pause today? Have I noticed God’s presence in any of this?

RESPONSE

In light of my review, what is my response to the God of my life?

A LOOK AHEAD

As I look ahead, what comes to mind? With what spirit do I want to enter tomorrow?

MY REACTIONS DURING MY EXAMEN:

Ignatius Loyola considered the Examen the most important exercise a person could do each day.


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“ To be religious today is to be interreligious in the sense

that a positive relationship with believers of other faiths is a requirement of a world of religious pluralism. Believers of other religions…

have helped us to respect

the plurality of religions as the human response to God’s salvific work in peoples and cultures... HOW AM I INTERRELIGIOUS?

...we are all pilgrims

setting out to find God in human hearts.” Society of Jesus, General Congregation 34, “Our Mission and Interreligious Dialogue”


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A man eagerly described what he dreamed of doing for the poor. Said the Master, “When do you propose to make

your dream come true?”

“ As soon as the opportunity arrives.” “ Opportunity never arrives,” said the Master. “It’s here.” Anthony de Mello WHAT OPPORTUNITIES TO CARE FOR OTHERS DO I HAVE? WHAT OPPORTUNITIES HAVE I MISSED?

“ Great acts are made up of

small deeds.”

Lao Tzu


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“Ask and it will be given to you; and knock and the door will be opened to you...

seek

you will find;

WHAT DO I REQUEST AND SEEK? WHY? WHAT WILL BE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR?

... For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks,

the door will

be opened.”

Matthew 7:7-9


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Howard Gray, S.J., offers a model of Ignatian spirituality that says:

“…Be attentive to reality; reverence and appreciate what you

and hear and feel see in all its particulars...

HOW AM I MOST AVAILABLE TO FIND GOD IN ALL THINGS?

...and then you

will find devotion or ‘consolation,’ the singularly moving way in

which God works in that situation.”


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“ We should all know that diversity makes

for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are in no matter what their color.”

equal value

Maya Angelou

WHAT IMAGES DO I CREATE WHEN CONSIDERING DIVERSITY IN MY LIFE?

“God decides

the number of stars and gives them all their names.” Psalm 147:4


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“Imagine what it is like for a child to

Pray for children who do.”

grow up in fear.

T.G. Wilhelm

HOW DO I UNDERSTAND GOD’S PRESENCE IN TRAUMA, SUFFERING AND INJUSTICE?

“ Jesus did not come to explain away suffering or remove it. He came to fill it with

his presence.”

Paul Claudel


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Ignatius Loyola emphasized the importance of being prepared for

change and a changing world.

That sentiment is no less relevant today than it was 500 years ago. HOW DO I ACCEPT, PREPARE FOR AND MANAGE CHANGE?


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“A bone to the dog is not charity.

is Charity

the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.”

Jack London

WHAT DOES THIS PHRASE MEAN TO ME?

“Tomorrow’s ‘whole person’ cannot be whole without a welleducated solidarity.” Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.


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“ Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to

God’s deepening life in me.”

From the Principle and Foundation written by St. Ignatius Loyola Paraphrased by David L. Fleming, S.J.

REFLECT ON WHAT BEST LEADS YOU TO GOD AND WHAT DRAWS YOU AWAY FROM GOD.


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“Go forth and

set the world on fire.”

St. Ignatius Loyola

AS I LOOK BACK THROUGH MY PLANNER, WHAT HAVE I DISCOVERED ABOUT MYSELF? ABOUT GOD?


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