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EnglishWhat Is Ignatian Spirituality According to Jesuits West?
Updated
Jesuits West (jesuitswest.org) describes Ignatian spirituality as a way of encountering God in all things, witnessing to the joy of the Gospel, and going into the world as "contemplatives in action" — discerning God's desire for our lives here and now, and acting on that invitation. If you want a plain-language starting point plus ways to go deeper, the site's Ignatian spirituality section and its "Learn More" link are the front door; from there you can branch into Jesuit parishes, spirituality centers, and the four Universal Apostolic Preferences that shape the province's mission.
The core idea in the site's own words
The homepage's Ignatian spirituality block makes three moves in a single paragraph:
- Encounter God in all things — not only in explicitly religious settings, but in ordinary life.
- Be contemplatives in action — prayer and engagement with the world are not opposites; contemplation feeds action and action returns you to contemplation.
- Discern and act — notice God's desire for your life "here, now," and respond to that invitation.
That third element is what distinguishes Ignatian spirituality from a general sense of "finding God anywhere." It is oriented toward decision and response, not just awareness.
How the site frames it: the four Universal Apostolic Preferences
The page states that the Society of Jesus' four Universal Apostolic Preferences guide the mission, and lists them directly:
| Preference | What it points toward |
|---|---|
| Spiritual Exercises and discernment | Showing the way to God |
| Walking with the poor and outcasts | A mission of reconciliation and justice |
| Accompanying young people | Creating a hope-filled future |
| Care of our Common Home | Collaboration in caring for creation |
These are useful as a self-check: if you are trying to understand what Ignatian spirituality looks like in practice rather than in definition, these four are the province's own answer.
What you can actually do from this page
The homepage is a hub rather than a course, so the practical value is in the links it offers:
- Learn More — the entry point under the Ignatian spirituality heading, for readers who want the fuller explanation.
- Find a Jesuit Parish — for local worship and community.
- Find a Jesuit Spirituality Center — for retreats and guided prayer, which is where the Spiritual Exercises are typically experienced.
- Subscribe to Jesuits West Magazine — published twice a year, covering works around the province, useful if you prefer reading stories over definitions.
If your goal is to practice Ignatian spirituality rather than read about it, the spirituality center link is the most direct next step; parishes are the better fit if you are looking for a regular community.
Where the Spiritual Exercises and discernment fit
The site names the Spiritual Exercises and discernment as the first Apostolic Preference — "to show the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment." That placement matters: in this framing, the Exercises are not a devotional extra but the method underneath everything else. Discernment is the skill the Exercises are meant to build, and the "contemplatives in action" language on the homepage is the outcome.
A concrete example of how this reads in practice: someone weighing a career change would, in this framework, treat the decision as a matter for discernment — attending to where they find consolation and desolation, and asking what God is inviting — rather than treating it as a purely strategic calculation.
A note on scope
This page gives the province's summary and routes you to further resources; it does not itself lay out the full Exercises or a step-by-step discernment method. For that, use the "Learn More" link and the spirituality center directory, where the Exercises are offered in guided form.