Q&A: Sustaining Spirituality - why Ignatian Discernment?
What is Ignatian Discernment and how can this practice support our resilience as people working for social justice?
As the Network of Kindness and Liverpool Catalyst prepare to welcome faith groups and individuals to our Sustaining Spirituality event on Nov 24, Together Liverpool Executive Director James Green shares insights in the Q&A below.
We’re delighted to welcome Ruth Holgate, Director of St Beuno’s Spirituality Centre in North Wales, to lead us through the session, from 9.30am - 12.30pm, at St James in the City church, Liverpool, with a free lunch included.
We will explore how building a contemplative practice helps us to connect with God, can help us to make better decisions, reconnect with our priorities and keep on going.
Q - Why is it important for us to come together to talk about Sustaining Spirituality in the context of faith based social action?
A - Christian social action is grounded in the understanding that we need to balance action and prayer. We pray trusting that Jesus hears us and He then leads us into deeper relationship with and love for our communities and caring for those we live amongst. If we neglect prayer then it’s easy for us to fall into the trap of thinking that if we could only work harder then the world would become a more just place.
Contemplative prayer can form the bedrock of how we live our lives and so work for justice. By forming these patterns we become more attuned to what God is doing in our communities, understand more clearly what is needed and so can act more effectively.
Q - What is Ignatian Discernment and why are we focusing on it?
A - Ignatian discernment is a process rooted in St. Ignatius of Loyola's teachings. We have chosen to focus on this practice as it involves prayerful reflection, considering desires, seeking guidance, weighing pros and cons, making a decision and reflecting on its outcomes.
It’s a valuable approach for aligning decisions with faith and values, that has particular resonance with our work for justice as well as in the rest of our lives.
It includes practices like the Examen, Rules for Discernment and Contemplation to Attain Love.
Q - How can Ignatian Discernment support Christians in our daily lives?
A - By embracing these practices as part of our regular pattern of prayer we create the space to be more closely attuned to Jesus. This attunement enables us to love more deeply, make decisions ground in compassion and find a less hurried pace of life though the speed of the world around us is unchanged.
Q - What will attendees learn on the Sustaining Spirituality day?
A - Our time together will be structured around the two aspects of discernment: attending to God’s presence and action in our day to day activities & decision making in a faith context.
As part of the session we will be exploring the Examen together which is a way of prayerfully reflecting on our day and considering moments when God felt close or far away. Here's a resource explaining more: The Daily Examen - IgnatianSpirituality.com
About our Speaker - Ruth Holgate:
Ruth Holgate is Director of St Beuno’s Spirituality Centre in North Wales, and holds Master’s degrees in Theology, Psychology and Religion, and Pastoral Supervision.
She has spent 29 years working with Jesuits in spirituality centres, giving retreats and training spiritual directors and supervisors, as well as holding positions of leadership. She has also offered spiritual direction training outside the UK.
Ruth writes: “We live our lives trying to balance competing desires, influences, commitments, challenges, fears and voices. Navigating the many different aspects of life can, at times, feel confusing. We might find ourselves asking questions like:
- What is most important here?
- What is my experience saying to me?
- Where is God in all this?
- What does God want for me?
"These sessions will be on the art of Ignatian Discernment - practical and spiritual insights and practices that can help us to notice and respond to the ways in which God is at work in our lives and in the world. It will be structured around the two aspects of discernment: attending to God’s presence and action in our day to day activities & decision making in a faith context.”
Liverpool Catalyst and the Network of Kindness bring together people from faith communities and charities across the Diocese of Liverpool area and Liverpool City Region to help build relationships, learn together and see our region transformed.
This event is free and open to all, and lunch is included. Read about the Catalyst network here, and find out more about joining the Network of Kindness here.
Lunch will be provided - please use the order form when booking your place to tell us about any dietary requirements or allergens and we will do our best to accommodate for these in the lunch provision, or let you know if this is not possible.
Please keep an eye on our social media @TogethLiv on Twitter or @TogetherLiverpool on Facebook for future Network of Kindness and Catalyst event dates coming up in February and June 2024. You can also join the Liverpool Catalyst Facebook group.
