Spirituality

Each of the great religious families in the Church, e.g., Benedictine, Dominican, Franciscan, has its own distinctive way of responding to the Holy Spirit. So too have the Jesuits.

From his mystical experiences, Ignatius of Loyola discovered that God can be found in all things, in all events, in every moment. Learning to listen to the movements of his heart, he was led to a profound faith in Jesus, and he invited others to journey along the path he trod. Generations later we call this path ‘Ignatian Spirituality’. It is a pilgrim’s path, a way that respects each one’s life journey, but profoundly challenges the pilgrim to hear, to decide and to journey onwards.

Following the example of St. Ignatius, Ignatian spirituality centres on the imitation of Jesus—focusing on those priorities which constitute Christ's mind, heart, values, priorities and loves. To learn what those values, priorities and loves are, Ignatius would encourage us to consider what Jesus said and did. At the foundation of Jesus's life was prayer, a continuous search for how best to live as an authentic human being before a loving God.

Ignatian spirituality stresses the need to take time to reflect and to pray in order to find out how God wants us to serve him. This active commitment to seeking God's leadership is called discernment.

Apart from the principles contained in the Jesuit Constitutions, the primary expression of Ignatian spirituality is St Ignatius’ book of The Spiritual Exercises. These are the basis of a variety of retreats and courses offered for clergy, men and women religious and lay people. In Asia Pacific, Jesuit retreat houses and spirituality centres can be found in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.