During the Principle and Foundation, we looked at God’s love and purpose for us and all creation. During the First Week, we acknowledged the ways we are hindered in that meaningful purpose. Like Peter, we sometimes deny who we are and the Lord we love. We deny our own history—who God created us to be, our relationship with others, and the mission God has given us.[1] But, as Jesuit teacher of the Spiritual Exercises, Howard Gray, says, the Second Week is a reversal of Peter’s denial of Jesus. The goal is to affirm all that we have denied. We affirm our identity, community, and mission. This affirmation is one of loyal friendship and devotion to Christ.
In the Second Week we enter the story of Jesus’s life on earth. How does Jesus do ministry? In what ways does he cope with difficult circumstances? How does he depend on God? We see his vulnerability in infancy and his fatigue in ministry. We see his power, compassion, and authority as he heals and teaches. As we come to know and understand Jesus more (and thus God), we hear his invitation to join him in his work. That can stir excitement, but also reservations of what that might cost. This is a time of not only discerning what God is inviting us to in our lives, but also making concrete decisions concerning those invitations.
As we move into the gospel narratives, we are also introduced to another major component of the Spiritual Exercises: the shaping of the imagination. Instead of exegeting or analyzing the text, we are invited to experience the stories of Jesus. During the Second Week you will practice imaginative contemplation and Scripture reading. Before jumping into Week 14, contemplate this brief handout on “Imagination and the Spiritual Life.”
WEEK 14: Anticipating the Kingdom
WEEK 15: The Incarnation, Infancy
WEEK 16: The Incarnation, Childhood
WEEK 17: Two Standards, God’s Will vs. Temptation
WEEK 18: Two Standards, God’s Will vs. Temptation
WEEK 19: Humility, Simplicity, & Inner Freedom
WEEK 20: Getting to Know Jesus
WEEK 21: Getting to Know Jesus
WEEK 22: Getting to Know Jesus
WEEK 23: Making a Decision in Freedom
WEEK 24: Reviewing the Journey
__________________________________