Catholic Spiritualities

Catholic spirituality is the spiritual practice of living out a personal act of faith  (fides qua creditur) following the acceptance of faith (fides quae creditur). Each of the major religious orders of the Catholic Church and other lay groupings have their own unique spirituality - their own way of approaching God in prayer and in living out the Gospel

The fundamental relationship of Jesus Christ, Son of God is with his Father. As Son, Jesus is always in communion with God the Father. All throughout his life, his prayer starts with "Father', and the prayer he taught his disciples starts with "Our Father".

From this the Catholic Church has developed a piety that mirrors Jesus's attitude. The Mass, the central prayer of the Church, also refers to the Father.

Benedictine spirituality 

Benedictine spirituality is characterized by striving towards Christian perfection in community, liturgical prayer, and separation from worldly concerns. St. Benedict wrote The Rule and established his first monastery at Monte Cassino, Italy. Lectio Divina is a Benedictine prayer form based on praying with the Word of God. Lectio Divina has four "moments": Lectio (Reading Scripture), Meditatio (Reflection on the Word), Oratio (Praying), and Contemplatio (Silently listening to God).

Lectio Divina In the 20th century, the Constitution Dei Verbum of Pope Paul VI recommended Lectio Divina for the general public. Pope Benedict XVI emphasizes the importance of Lectio Divina in the 21st century. In 2005, at the 40^th Anniversary of Dei Verbum, he said:

"I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of Lectio divina: the diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to him with trusting openness of heart (cf. Dei Verbum, n. 25). If it is effectively promoted, this practice will bring to the Church - I am convinced of it - a new spiritual springtime." He continued,

One condition for Lectio divina is that the mind and heart be illumined by the Holy Spirit, that is, by the same Spirit who inspired the Scriptures, and that they be approached with an attitude of "reverential hearing".

Since the latter part of the 20th century the popularity of Lectio Divina has increased outside monastic circles and many lay Catholics practice it, at times keeping a "Lectio journal" in which they record their thoughts and contemplations after each session

ON PRAYER

Prayer is understood as dialogue with God, that is, as loving conversation with God who has invited us into an embrace. Saint Ambrose (4^th Century, one of the original Doctors of the Church) on the importance of prayer in conjunction 
with Scripture reading stated:

And let them remember that prayer should accompany the reading of Sacred Scripture, so that God and man may talk together; for "we speak to Him when we pray; we hear Him when we read the divine saying."

  Contemplation takes place in terms of silent prayer that expresses love for God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines contemplative prayer as "the hearing the Word of God" in an attentive mode. It states:

"Contemplative prayer is silence, the "symbol of the world to come" or "silent love." Words in this kind of prayer are not speeches; they are like kindling that feeds the fire of love. In this silence, unbearable to the "outer" man, the Father speaks to us his incarnate Word, who suffered, died, and rose; in this silence the Spirit of adoption enables us to share in the prayer of Jesus."

In the 12th century Saint Bernard of Clairvaux compared the Holy Spirit to a kiss by the Eternal Father which allows the practitioner of contemplative prayer to experience union with God.

Franciscan spirituality is characterized by a life of poverty, love of nature, and giving charity to those in need. St. Francis of Assisi (1182–1226) was the son of a wealthy merchant. He rejected all of his possessions and founded a community of brothers (friars) who lived in poverty and helped the poor. Franciscan prayer recognizes God's presence in the wonder of creation. This is seen clearly in St. Francis' Canticle of the Sun. Franciscan spirituality is focused on walking in Christ's footsteps, understanding God by doing what Christ asked, experiencing and sharing God rather than discussing God.

Most high, all powerful, all good Lord!
All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing.

To you, alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,
especially through my lord Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars;
in the heavens you have made them bright, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
and clouds and storms, and all the weather,
through which you give your creatures sustenance.

Be praised, My Lord, through Sister Water;
she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom you brighten the night.
He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.

Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth,
who feeds us and rules us,
and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

 
Be praised, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of you;
through those who endure sickness and trial.

Happy those who endure in peace,
for by you, Most High, they will be crowned.

Be praised, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whose embrace no living person can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those she finds doing your most holy will.
The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks,
and serve him with great humility.

Dominican spirituality is characterized by poverty, love of preaching and devotion to truth. St. Dominic (1170–1221) encountered heretics on a journey in France. His opinion was that the people were not to blame - the preachers were. If there are good, orthodox preachers, then the people will be good and orthodox also. So, he founded the Order of Preachers, known as Dominicans who are drawn to contemplation of the Sacred Humanity of Jesus Christ. Throughout history, the Dominicans have helped to develop ways of praying which have aided people in deepening their relationship with God. The Rosary is an example of a prayer developed by the Dominicans. Some traditional legends say that the Rosary was given in its current form to St. Dominic by Mary. The Rosary is characteristic of Dominican spirituality because it focuses attention on the principal mysteries of the life of Jesus Christ, can lead to contemplation and is a way of proclaiming the truths of faith.

Ignatian spirituality is characterized by examination of one's life, discerning the will of God, and living the Resurrection. It draws most specifically from St. Ignatius' "Spiritual Exercises", whose purpose is

"to conquer oneself and to regulate one's life in such a way that no decision is made under the influence of any inordinate attachment." In other words, the Exercises are intended, in Ignatius' view, to give the exercitant (the person undertaking them) a greater degree of freedom from his or her own likes, dislikes, comforts, wants, needs, drives, appetites and passions that they may choose based solely on what they discern God's will is for them.

The Examen of Consciousness is a simple prayer directed toward developing a spiritual sensitivity to the special ways God approaches, invites, and calls. Ignatius recommends that the examen be done at least twice, and suggests five points of prayer:

• Recalling that one is in the holy presence of God
• Thanking God for all the blessings one has received
• Examining how one has lived his day
• Asking God for forgiveness
• Resolution and offering a prayer of hopeful recommitment

It is important, however, that the person feels free to structure the Examen in a way that is most helpful to him. There is no right way to do it; nor is there a need to go through all of the five points each time. A person might, for instance, find himself spending the entire time on only one or two points. The basic rule is: Go wherever God draws you. And this touches upon an important point: the Examen of Consciousness is primarily a time of prayer; it is a "being with God." It focuses on one's consciousness of God, not necessarily one's conscience regarding sins and mistakes.

Carmelite spirituality is characterized by interior detachment, silence, solitude, the desire for spiritual progress and insight into mystical experiences. St. John of the Cross teaches that purgation of the soul through mortification and suppression of desires is necessary for the soul while it journeys through darkness before entering into divine union with God. Teresa of Avila emphasized the importance of mental prayer which she defined as "spending time with a friend whom we know loves us."

Mental prayer is a form of prayer whereby one loves God through dialogue, meditating on God's words, and contemplating on his face. It is a time of silence focused on God. It is distinguished from vocal prayers which use set prayers, although mental prayer can proceed by using vocal prayers in order to improve dialogue with God. Since the emphasis is on love rather than thought, modern authors recommend that it be called interior prayer.

Salesian Spirituality is a practical everyday spirituality for living in the modern world as learned, lived and shared by St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) and St. Jane Chantal (1572-1641), spiritual friends. Salesian spirituality gives expression to a way to journey in the spiritual life as we embrace the duties of our state in response to the universal call to holiness - in the words of St. Francis de Sales to "bloom where you are planted." It's a "spirituality of the heart," as relevant today as in the time of St. Francis de Sales himself, an all-embracing, down-to-earth spirituality for everyone.

Many Salesian followers begin each day with "the direction of intentions":  

My God, I give you this day. I offer You, now all the good that I shall do and promise to accept, for love of You, all the difficulties that I shall meet. Help me to conduct myself this day in a manner pleasing to You.

By following Salesian spirituality a person seeks to become a child of God by imitating Jesus Christ, in the context of interior prayer which allows God's light to illumine our intellect and His love to fill our heart. A Salesian is a disciple of "De Sales," who lives in the context of his words: "Let us be who we are, and be that well, so as to honor the Master Worker, whose handiwork we are."

The following are some of the highlights from Salesian spirituality:

• God is love, and all creation is an outpouring of that love.
• All creation has been made for Christ, with Christ and through Christ.
• All creation should be treated with respect and care.
• Jesus is the model for all fully human living.
• You possess divine dignity and are worthy of profound respect.
• God has testified that you are good, worthy of divine love and mercy.
• Despite your weakness and sinfulness, God loves you so much that He sent His only Son to become  human.
• You are called to be holy, that is, to grow in union with God.
• Pursuing a holy life is called "devotion," that is, doing what is both commanded and counseled by God promptly, actively, and  diligently.
• The  pursuit of holiness must be practical. It must transform your attitudes, attributes, and actions.
• Acknowledge your sins and failing, learn from them, but do not dwell on them.
• God gives you talents and abilities, gifts that should be discovered, developed and used for the good of others.
• Relationships are essential to living a fully human, that is, a holy life.
• Each moment of each day comes from the hand of a loving God and is graced for your salvation.
• The only time you have is each present moment. Don't live in the past; don't dwell on the future.
• Living each moment to the fullest with an eye to loving God must lead you to show compassion for others.
• The challenge of each moment is discerning God's will, that is, the  particular, unique way that God may be calling you to love Him, yourself, and others.
• God's will is frequently communicated through the events, circumstances, and relationships in which you find yourself.
• God seldom requires you to perform great or extraordinary feats, but He always challenges you to perform everyday actions  with extraordinary attention and enthusiasm.
• The "little virtues" of  patience, humility, gentleness, simplicity, honesty, and hospitality are powerful means for growing holy.
• All prayer and meditation must lead to action.
• The motivation with which you perform some action may be far more important and powerful than the action itself.
• Freedom is one of the most precious and powerful gifts that God gives you.
• You are to use that freedom to grow in conformity to God's will.
• Intellectual  learning, prayerful reflection, social interaction, work, play and all things creative should be valued as graced by God  and viewed as means for growing into a fully human person.
• Each new day is a new beginning, a new opportunity for growing in holiness.
• Let your passion be disciplined.
• Let your discipline be passionate.
• Keep things in perspective.
• Develop a sense of humor.

 

Marian Spirituality ~  "the spirituality of spiritualities"

Hans Urs von Balthasar, who used this expression, situated "Marian spirituality" within an ecclesial (church) context. The self-understanding of Church is archetypically realized in Mary. 

As an individual person called by God and commissioned to become a principal actor in the drama of salvation, Mary is—in Balthasar’s language—liquefied by the Holy Spirit and universalized "to become the principle of all that belongs to the Church."  This ecclesial possession, having universal character, means that "Marian spirituality is logically prior to all the differentiation into individual charisms.” In other words, "Marian spirituality" forms "the true and universal, fundamental spirit of all the individual charisms."  Using the term "charism" to designate a God-given gift to and for the whole Church, spirituality becomes a charism expressing and simultaneously building up the Church. In this sense, Marian spirit in religious life and marriage is "expropriated readiness to serve."  "Marian spirituality" is pure readiness, pure transcendence of self, and pure correspondence.

POST-VATICAN II LAY MOVEMENTS

The Second Vatican Council accelerated the diversification of spiritual movements among Catholics, and many lay Catholics now engage in regular contemplative practices. Many contemporary spiritual movements emphasize the necessity both of an interior relationship with God (private prayer) and works of justice and mercy.

The purpose of all lay movements in the Catholic Church is to spread in society a deep awareness that every single person is called to live a holy life and each in his own way to become an apostle of Jesus Christ. For the majority of Christians, God calls them to sanctify themselves through their ordinary lives by works of charity and devotion cultivated in the family, the domestic church, in the neighborhood and parish life as well as the workplace all of which are paths to holiness.

Movements include Opus Dei, Charismatic Catholicism, the Focolare Movement, L’Arche communities and more.

At Saint Mary’s, we offer Kerygmatic Retreats as an introduction to entering into small faith communities.

The Kerygmatic Retreat is the first step in renewing a parish. It is a proclamation of the gospel message of salvation and an invitation to a deeper personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Through a renewal of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the power of the Holy Spirit is invoked to enkindle a spirit of love, discipleship and apostleship in each retreatant.

Small Faith Sharing Communities: Following the retreat, Small Faith Sharing Communities are formed to maintain and grow a deep relationship with the Lord and the Body of Christ, the Church. Retreatants are divided into small groups of 10-12 people who begin to meet weekly as a Small Faith Sharing Community. Together they will pray, share life experiences and challenges, support one another, study their faith, and serve others together. 

A new Kerygmatic Retreat is scheduled for early 2013. Please call the St Mary’s Parish Office at (507) 376-6005 or contact Jim at jim@transfigured.com for more information.