A Dash of Ignatian Spirituality

Hello beautiful readers! 
My name is Sarah and I will be taking over A Modern Grace today to lend a hand while Patty is having a blast in Krakow.
Patty and I met via blogging and instantly bonded over our love of Ignition Spirituality. So, when she e-mailed me to see if I'd write a guest post, I knew right away that there would be some reference to the Jesuits and/or their founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola.

I first encountered the Jesuits and Ignatian Spirituality when I studied at John Carroll University, which is, you guessed it, a Jesuit University. Prior to Carroll, I had never even heard of the Jesuits. I'm a cradle-Catholic, but other than Christmas, Easter, and Ash Wednesday (maybe), my family rarely went to Mass. So, when I told people where I was headed to college and they told me it was a Catholic school, I would say, "No, it's a Jesuit school..."
I eventually learned what a Jesuit was and grew deeply in my faith because of the rich spirituality shared by St. Ignatius of Loyola and other Jesuits (I'm looking at you, Pedro Arrupe.) 
My time in undergrad was absolutely pivotal in my faith formation and decision to pursue a career in ministry and I attribute much of that to the Jesuit tradition and it's emphasis on the integration of faith and social justice. Ignatius's spiritual practices are some of my absolute favorites. They are remarkably beautiful and complex yet at the same time wonderfully simple and "user-friendly".
I love them. A lot.
So much so, that they are what I would like to share with you all during my brief take-over of Patty's blog. (I have her permission, promise.) You've likely heard of some, but just in case you haven't or have, but never got around to trying them, here are 4 that I can't get enough of.
The Examen encourages us to stop, breathe, and take a few moments to remember our days and notice where we felt God's presence and where we felt distant from God.
--Finding God in all things.
Ignatius's Presupposition reminds us to give our brothers and sisters the benefit of the doubt and not to jump to conclusions--especially those that focus on negativity.
--Assume the best in others.
The First Principle and Foundation of the Spiritual Exercises focuses on the beautiful gift of God's love for us and recalls that we are "from love, of love, and for love."
--God is Love.
And Ignatius's Prayer for Generosity gently brings our attention back to the call to serve one another and to "give and not count the costs".
--In all things be generous.

Each one of these beautiful prayers or practices helps me to focus on the movement of God throughout my day-to-day routine. They have nourished my spirituality as I continue to journey with Christ and work for justice. Obviously everyone's spiritual practices are unique to them, but I would definitely encourage you to think about adding a little Ignatian Spirituality to your routine and see what happens.

"Go forth and set the world on fire" - St. Ignatius.

Peace,
Sarah

Bio: Hey there! I'm Sarah, a small town Ohio girl who is mildly obsesses with all things Jesuit and is very passionate about faith, social justice, and the intersection of the two. In May I finished my Master of Divinity Degree from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, CA. I enjoy travel, running, contagious laughter, clever puns, and finding the good in all things. I blog over at Simply Sarah.

----------- Thanks again so much Sarah for guest posting while I'm away!  Be sure to head over to Sarah's blog and get to know more about her there :)