Sometimes everything seems to be going well, the people I meet are happy, my prayer life is flourishing – all is well with the world. St Ignatius calls such a glowing spiritual state of being consolation. At other times things seem to be going from bad to worse, the people I meet are thoroughly miserable and God seems to be absent from my life. St Ignatius calls this spiritual dark night desolation. One thing is for sure, life is always changing, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.
Though we prefer to be in a state of consolation we have to recognise that this is not a spiritual state we can achieve by our own efforts, rather it is a gift given us by our gracious and loving God. In fact, Ignatius pointed out in his Spiritual Exercises that, of the two, desolation is the more productive state to be in as it pushes us forward towards real spiritual growth.
The wax and wane of spiritual well being is not simply something that pertains to each individual in isolation from everyone else. As we have been experiencing on a global level, the world economy goes through periods of growth and expansion followed by more trying periods of contraction and recession. As Christians, it is important for us to take note of these different moods and to work out how the Lord is inviting us to respond to these challenging times.
In this edition of Jesuits and Friends there are many accounts of Jesuits and their co-workers facing both lights and shadows. For me the most moving is the account from Fr Stephen Buckland, the new Jesuit Provincial in Zimbabwe , appealing for help to feed the starving people of his country. As we face economic challenges in the countries of the “North”, let us not forget those much more vulnerable than ourselves in the countries of the “South”. In addition to sending emergency relief, it is important to pray for real change so that such drastic measures become unnecessary.
The season of Advent is upon us were light seems to come out of darkness, where consolation is to be found in the stark desolation of the stable. During Advent we have the time to notice the quality of the gift and the nature of the giver. As we prepare for the celebration of Christmas let us pray that the Christ-child will shed his light on all of the darkened corners of the world. Have a productive Advent!
Click here for the Summer edition no 70
Click here for the previous edition no 69
Click here for the previous edition no 68
Fr Tim Curtis SJ