St. Ignatius Loyola comparison. Ignatian Spirituality

Ignatian Spirituality
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Ignatian Spirituality
As the founder of the Jesuit order, Saint Ignatius of Loyola was a significant and revered figure insofar as Catholicism is concerned. As a prominent figure St. Ignatius worked tirelessly to found the Jesuit order which was fully committed to evangelism and spreading the word of god to the rest of the world. In this sense, congregants of this order served particularly as missionaries across various regions in the world and helped in the spread of Christianity and in particular Catholicism (Lonsdale, 2000). In addition to the significant work that the Jesuit order does insofar as the establishment of schools, colleges, and universities is concerned, Jesuits have worked well to provide a philosophical approach to life that is aimed at realizing internal and religious peace. In this sense, Ignatian spirituality is aimed at attaining individual peace with oneself, with their environment, and with God in ways grounded in the conquering of oneself (Gleeson, 2011). This has been a core precept of this spiritualism and has worked well in enabling individuals to overcome their negative habits in favor of more constructive and developmental ones.
As far as Ignatian spirituality is concerned, two of the most common themes that are consistently reiterated include detachment and mindfulness (Lonsdale, 2000). Being a spirituality that pays critical emphasis to self-control and self-governance in all aspects, it is important to note that detachment and mindfulness play a significant role in the Ignatian spirituality and particularly so insofar as the concept of discernment is concerned (Manney, 2017). In the simplest terms possible it is correct to say that discernment is basically the combination of individual acceptance of God's will and purpose for oneself as well as the continuous and deliberate pondering of one's choices and decisions (Gleeson, 2011). In this sense, discernment facilitates in deep introspective self-reflection in ways that enable individual to not only understand the decisions that they make but also contemplate why they're making them. At the same time, it is important to note that discernment plays a critical role in the lives of individuals and particularly so insofar as the acceptance of their fate and God's purpose for them is concerned (Lonsdale, 2000). It enables individuals to understand and accept that God has a plan for them and that this plan is executed according to His will.
However, it must be noted that individuals in Ignatian spirituality are required to consistently ponder on the decisions and choices are they plan on making. In this way, they are able to make choices based on God's guidance as opposed to the individual guidance. Discernment enables one to consistently think about the choices and in the process enable them to send and realize the direction in which God wishes to take them (Gleeson, 2011). In essence, discernment enables individuals to view the various options and choices that they have as god will view them and in the process align themselves with a choice or decision that not only makes moral sense but which also adheres to the spiritual tenets of Christianity that they live by. It must be noted that discernment according to Ignatian spirituality is not an event and is instead a process (Healey, 2009). It is a repetitive and continuous process that individuals must apply consistently in their daily living to not only improve their discerning capabilities but also to gain focus and clarity on what is truly important in their life.
In order to realize the full range of benefits that Ignatian spirituality promises, it is important that congregants and believers this spirituality practice detachment at all times. St Ignatius of Loyola made it abundantly clear that individuals need to consistently practice detachment and indifference in their lives (Manney, 2017). In its most basic form, detachment in Ignatian spirituality refers to the ability of individuals to remain indifferent, spiritually objective, and serene in the face of both prosperity and adversity (Lonsdale, 2000). In essence, this practice aims at cultivating a culture of acceptance among Ignatian spirituality believers. It enables them to understand the circumstances in which they find themselves and accept said circumstances willingly without either complaining about them (in the event that they are negative) or becoming possessive of them (in the event that they...