Meaningful Things: Meditation, Prayer, and Gratitude
1. Your takeaways. Looking back over the course content, think about what you found meaningful. What things (insights, ideas, prayer or meditation exercises, etc-* Please see the PDF of prayer, Meditation, and Gratitude) will you take away from it? Choose 3 or 4 things. (a) Explain each of those things in your own words, and (b) explain how and why you think it will be important for your spirituality of work and/or your life.Everyone must answer this question (1200 words; 60 points):
Choose one of the following questions and answer it (800 words). You may choose another question to answer for extra credit (600 words). *** Please see the power points (PDF) of March 31th, Habits, freedom, and friendship.
2. Friendship. Aristotle says there are three kinds of friendship: one kind is based on mutual usefulness, another kind is based on mutual pleasure, and the third kind is based on mutual recognition of the other person’s goodness. In your answer, do all of the following: (a) Explain each of the three kinds of friendship. (b) Describe an example from your own life of each kind of friend, including how and why the friendships began and how and why they ended (if they did end). (c) Explain the ways in which each of those friendships is (or was) good.
3. *Vocation/calling. For this question, discuss one or more of the following quotations from Norvene Vest’s book, Friend of the Soul: A Benedictine Spirituality of Work. (a) Explain what Vest means, and then (b) explain how it applies to your own life. (Please see the PDF - “Friend of the soul , ch 3 and ch 2”)
A. “At the core of our being there is no conflict between what we most desire and what God desires for us. In the deep truth of things there is no tension between wholly loving God, self, and neighbor, for the good of one is the good of all. In Frederick Buechner’s apt definition, vocation is ‘the place where your deep gladness and the world's hunger meet.’” (25) “My deep inner desire or gladness is the guide to God’s will for me, and when I have moved deeper than the surface distractions that distort my true inner desire, then indeed I can trust and follow it joyfully ...” (50-51)
B. “We discover and become who we are through what we do – that is why work is a friend of the soul.” (44)
C. “Benedict’s Rule suggests that no single activity can satisfy us wholly, that our soul’s health depends on regularly attending to all aspects of our God-given being.” (45)
4. First Principle and Foundation. (a) Explain what St. Ignatius Loyola’s First Principle and Foundation means, and (b) describe how you can apply it in your own life: (Please see the PDF (Power points))- “St. Ignatius Loyola’s”
First Principle and Foundation
Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul. The other things on the face of the earth are created for man to help him in attaining the end for which he is created. Hence, man is to make use of them in as far as they help him in the attainment of his end, and he must rid himself of them in as far as they prove a hindrance to him.
Therefore, we must make ourselves indifferent to all created things, as far as we are allowed free choice and are not under any prohibition. So as far as we are concerned, we should not prefer health to sickness, riches to poverty, honor to dishonor, a long life to a short life. The same holds for all other things. Our one desire and choice should be what is most conducive to the end for which we are created.
Spirituality of Work (CORE 3989/CAST 3040; CRN 16813)
Spring Semester 2020
TAKE-HOME ESSAY
Your answers must be submitted by May 8th at 10:00 AM.
100 points total
You must answer two questions on this exam. Everyone must answer Question 1.
You must also answer one other question (2, 3, or 4). Note that every question has more than one part. Your answer to Question 1 should not include substantial material from the other question(s) you write about.
Extra credit: You may choose to answer one additional question from 2, 3, or 4. Depending on the quality of your answer, up to 12 extra points.
The number of words indicated for the questions is a minimum; please write at least that much. You may make your answer longer if you need to. I am looking for evidence that you understand the material well and that you put real thought into your answers. Some good ways to provide evidence that you understand a topic include expressing ideas in your own words (rather than just copying bullet points from the slides), making connections between topics, and giving examples.
Everyone must answer this question (1200 words; 60 points):
1. Your takeaways. Looking back over the course content, think about what you found meaningful. What things (insights, ideas, prayer or meditation exercises, etc-* Please see the PDF of prayer, Meditation, and Gratitude) will you take away from it? Choose 3 or 4 things. (a) Explain each of those things in your own words,
and (b) explain how and why you think it will be important for your spirituality of work and/or your life.
Choose one of the following questions and answer it (800 words). You may choose another question to answer for extra credit (600 words). *** Please see the power points (PDF) of March 31th, Habits, freedom, and friendship.
2. Friendship. Aristotle says there are three kinds of friendship: one kind is based on mutual usefulness, another kind is based on mutual pleasure, and the third kind is based on mutual recognition of the other person’s goodness. In your answer, do all of the following: (a) Explain each of the three kinds of friendship. (b) Describe an example from your own life of each kind of friend, including how and why the friendships began and how and why they ended (if they did end). (c) Explain the ways in which each of those friendships is (or was) good.
3. *Vocation/calling. For this question, discuss one or more of the following quotations from Norvene Vest’s book, Friend of the Soul: A Benedictine Spirituality of Work. (a) Explain what Vest means, and then (b) explain how it applies to your own life. (Please see the PDF - “Friend of the soul-March -19th-2020 , ch 3 and March -10th,17th-2020 ch 2”)
- “At the core of our being there is no conflict between what we most desire and what God desires for us. In the deep truth of things there is no tension between wholly loving God, self, and neighbor, for the good of one is the good of all. In Frederick Buechner’s apt definition, vocation is ‘the place where your deep gladness and the world's hunger meet.’” (25) “My deep inner desire or gladness is the guide to God’s will for me, and when I have moved deeper than the surface distractions that distort my true inner desire, then indeed I can trust and follow it joyfully ...” (50-51)
- “We discover and become who we are through what we do – that is why work is a friend of the soul.” (44)
- “Benedict’s Rule suggests that no single activity can satisfy us wholly, that our soul’s health depends on regularly attending to all aspects of our God-given being.” (45)
4. First Principle and Foundation. (a) Explain what St. Ignatius Loyola’s First Principle and Foundation means, and (b) describe how you can apply it in your own life: (Please see the PDF (Power points))- March-24th-2020- “St. Ignatius Loyola’s”
First Principle and Foundation
Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul. The other things on the face of the earth are created for man to help him in attaining the end for which he is created. Hence, man is to make use of them in as far as they help him in the attainment of his end, and he must rid himself of them in as far as they prove a hindrance to him.
Therefore, we must make ourselves indifferent to all created things, as far as we are allowed free choice and are not under any prohibition. So as far as we are concerned, we should not prefer health to sickness, riches to poverty, honor to dishonor, a long life to a short life. The same holds for all other things. Our one desire and choice should be what is most conducive to the end for which we are created.
Professor’s Name:
Course:
Due Date:
Spirituality of Work
Part 1
One of the things I found meaningful and one that I intend to use in my life is the fact that prayer is a spiritual bath. When we are truly immersed in prayer, we are freed from everything that is mortal (our concerns, worries, anxieties, all the mental and emotional issues we may have). We enter into a realm where we have access to a peace that surpasses all understanding. However, what one learns albeit gradually is that you cannot force yourself to get to the position indicated above. When someone is learning to pray, they experience some challenges especially while dealing with their thoughts. Thoughts can make it difficult for one to concentrate on prayer. They lead one’s mind astray and into the worldly when prayer asks or expects us to make the connection with God, and ignore the worldly albeit for that particular moment. It can be frustrating for someone when they are trying to connect with God and their mind keeps wondering about their daily struggles. However, what has been made quite evident, clear, and what I find quite meaningful to me is the fact that prayer is a spiritual bath. One may struggle, one may find their thoughts wandering, but when we eventually get to a point where we can truly connect with God, we get to experience a spiritual bath every time we pray. We come out of prayer with renewed energy and feel invigorated. Learning about prayer from the above perspective will indeed be of great benefit for me in my spiritual journey. I would like to pray with an understanding of who God is and how crucial it is that I should seek to have a genuine connection with Him. So, in understanding the above, I know I will be able to learn more about pray, its importance in my life, and learn how to truly connect with God.
Another thing I have learned and one that I find meaningful as well is the fact that prayer and meditation are quite similar. During meditation, one seeks silence. One wants to clear their mind and focus on a particular thing or object. For example, with mindfulness meditation, one seeks to be aware of the present while also trying to allow oneself to have an open mind, maintain some levels of awareness, and acceptance of the situation. At this moment, one’s mind will focus on one particular object or point of concentration. The goal is always to free someone from whatever it is that they are experiencing, and to lead to some sort of calmness and mental freedom. Prayer, on the other hand, can deliver the same goal. Prayer mainly involves surrendering all thoughts to God with little regard to their magnitude or effect. While in prayer, one has to open themselves to what they are experiencing. You have to be aware of the anger, pain, or whatever feeling you have. One is not supposed to fight the feelings of pain, anger, and fear they may have just like in meditation. For prayer, the next step is usually to release all the negative energy or feelings of helplessness to God. At this point, one accepts their inadequacies and yields control to God. The end goal or results are an enhanced way of dealing with stress and an improvement to one’s emotional wellbeing. The same goals apply to meditation. So, even though some people insist that these two are different, I believe they are more alike than people are willing to admit. Learning about both has been quite an experience, and I know they will both help me grow in my spiritual journey.
The third thing that I found meaningful for me is the idea of gratitude and how crucial it is in life. Often, when people think of gratitude, they think of the words “thank you.” Well, these words are a big part of living a grateful life. However, gratitude is more than saying these words. It is often said that when we are grateful, we make visible what we have, and reduce the impact what we lack may have on our lives. The above is true and forms a big part of why gratefulness in life is key to a happy and stress-free life. But, gratitude is more than the statement above. Gratitude is one way to unconditionally recognize every human being. As indicated in the course material, gratitude helps to strengthen social ties and self-worth. Gratitude helps to show someone that they are appreciated and that they are seen. The first recognition every person ought to get according to Lundin and Nelson (84) from their book Ubuntu is from the fact one is a human being. “You are respected without preconditions as a member of the human family” (84). One way to show respect to someone is through gratitude. When people learn to be grateful, it becomes easier to overlook people’s deficiencies in skill and to simply appreciate them as fellow human beings. So, gratitude goes a long way in helping to celebrate what we have and to also show people we appreciate them not for what they have done for us, but because they are part of humanity. Having this understanding is of great importance to me. I’ve met people and I have also been in a position where all I can see is what I lack. In such moments, nothing and no one can help take away the feelings of regret and failure. However, when I choose to see the good side of things and people, I get to see and enjoy the beauty of life. People will always have their flaws, but, flaws do not make them any less human. So, I will endeavor to show gratitude and repent every time I judge or fail to honor people’s contributions in my life. I have come to understand that I am because of other people and that I do not exist for my own. Offering gratitude to people and to God has to be a part of my life.
Last but not least, I have also learned or found meaningful the fact that prayer is also an admission. No one wants to be told they cannot do something or that they will never amount to anything in life. However, we also know our capabilities and even though we may hide, deep down, we know what we can and cannot do. We know when we are most vulnerable and when we are at our strongest. But, no one ever wants to admit the above. We wish to keep our weaknesses away from the limelight and shine with our strengths. To our colleagues, friends, and family, we can do anything and our capabilities are unmatched. However, when we are kneeling or standing before God, all the above vanishes. All of a sudden, we become feeble, frail, and weak before God. We acknowledge our limitations and pray with the understanding that God is greater than us or the problems we are facing. I find this quite interesting because it shows that a majority of us live double lives. We present a strong face to those close to us but crumble in frailness before God. In some instances, doing the above can be said to be okay or even necessary. For example, when a husband is trying to be strong for his wife and children during difficult moments. However, the above can also lead to the development of superficial relationships because are not being themselves. Even though we cannot admit to those to close the things we admit to God, it is crucial that people learn to be authentic. For me, learning the above will be of great help to me in my life and spirituality. I endeavor to lead a life that is authentic and one in which I will not hide my flaws because in doing so, I will also be accepting myself.
Part 2: Friendship
Aristotle helped to demystify the term friendship by explaining that there are three kinds of friendship. The first friendship is based on mutual usefulness, the second one is based on mutual pleasure, and the third is based on mutual recognition of each other’s goodness.
The friendship based on mutual usefulness is also known as the friendship of utility. This kind of friendship is limited to what benefits people bring on the table. Some common examples include people brought together as a result of their b...
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