There are two sections in this chapter. The first section covers the transition part of the retreat from the Third Week to the Fourth Week and the spirit of the meditations of the Fourth Week of the Spiritual Exercises. The second part of the chapter covers that Contemplatio ad Amorem -- the contemplation for obtaining love as it is often translated. 

          There is a delicate and important dynamic in the transition between the Third Week and the Fourth Week of the Spiritual Exercises where Christ is in the tomb awaiting the Resurrection. Of course, the retreatant is identifying with Christ at this point in the retreat and is also waiting for his or her own resurrection. It is this transition between the Third Week and the Fourth Week that the retreat director and the retreatant have to negotiate. Both of them have to know what is really going on now. It is here that the director has to be particularly careful about not moving the person on to the Resurrection when the person is not ready to experience Christ rising from the tomb. There is a balance between keeping them where they are in grace and yet at the same time helping them move forward in the retreat towards the Fourth Week when the time is right. It is like a dance. One does not push the partner around, and yet one has to hear the music and lead the dance. It is very delicate in which both director and directee are very sensitive to each other.

          One must be careful of the "give the next paper for today" syndrome. This is one of many places where the director is to be a skilled artist. He or she cannot be a, "If today is Thursday, this must be Belgium" director. The attitude of "If this is day seven, this is what you pray on," is insensitive directing. The movement of the retreat is really a matter of discernment and that discernment is informed by the dialog between the director and directee.

          The Third and especially the Fourth Week are times of unitive prayer, or at least can be. One is rejoicing with Christ in His triumph, even though the retreatant may not feel very triumphant. This is unitive prayer. It is participatory prayer. That is why it is unitive. Retreatants are participating in the joy of Christ's Resurrection. This may be quite different from what people expect or think unitive prayer is. 

          There is a similar dynamic in the Third Week in which one prays for sorrow and shame and compassion in order to be with Christ in His sorrow, shame and compassion. That is a kind of participative prayer also. It is sometimes difficult to recognize this stance of affectivity as a grace, and yet it is a real experience in faith both for the Third Week and also for the Fourth Week.

          One must not forget that it is here in the Fourth Week that the person thinks over the Rules for Thinking with the Church [352-370], the Rules for the Distribution of Alms [337-344], and the Notes Concerning Scruples [345-351]. They are given here in the Fourth Week for the retreatant's reflection and assimilation. Retreatants should read and ponder these notes and rules. They are an important part of the 30-day retreat. 

          One is referred in the Spiritual Exercises [299-312] to all of the appearance of the Risen Lord, and one can use them as they are helpful to the retreatant. One can use the Third Week of the Spiritual Exercises as a paradigm. Retreatants can pray over two appearances of Christ, and then repetition, repetition, repetition with application of sense. One could also look at the whole Resurrection and the meaning of the Resurrection. This is where the skill of the director comes in. 

          The Fourth Week of the Spiritual Exercises is the spirituality that one is going to live out for the rest of one's life. It is an exciting part of the retreat. Christ has died and is buried and He is in the tomb. A retreatant can be in the tomb with Christ. Some people will find that they do not want that. People's appreciation and sensibilities vary greatly here. They might be a little claustrophobic. They may be dealing with notions of death.

          I once had a person who wanted to be an egg lying outside the tomb of Christ. I said "That is fine. You can be an egg and lie outside the tomb." When Christ rose, He kicked the egg and the egg broke open. That image allowed the person to get in touch with all kind of things. A director needs to give the retreatant great latitude. Allow people to have their religious experience, whatever it is. Explore their unique metaphorical language. 

          Having faced with the retreatant the fact Christ truly died, the director needs to wait with the retreatant to see when Christ will rise. If He rises, rise with Him. If He does not rise, do not rise. Here the director needs to watch with insight. Does He rise? That is the momentous question of faith. The director does not resolve the retreatants faith stance by saying today is the day to pray on the Resurrection. Does He rise or no? I have had people making a 30-day retreat have to wait two or more years before they were able to pray in faith on the Resurrection. This is a profound question of faith. Does Christ rise from the dead or does He not? There is a cosmic appreciation here just as there was with the sense of sin and sinfulness, the redemption, the plan of redemption, and the illumination of the revelation of Christ. The retreat runs its cycle of purification illumination confirmation union; or purification illumination confirmation in suffering confirmation in joy and peace. 

          Here is the point. Does Christ rise? In other words, can God bring meaning and love out of even ultimate absurdity? Can meaning come out of the absurd execution of the Word made Flesh, the just One. Can the killing of Him who is meek and humble of heart be salvific? This is not the human potential movement, or Jungian individuation, or any like material that we praise and honor and use. Here we are at the question of ultimate faith.

          In an enclosed 30-day retreat there is a break, a day of repose, between the First and Second Week and a break between the Second and Third Week. However, between the Third and Fourth Week, often there is no day of repose, or there is a half-day or two half-days. It is because the Paschal Mystery is one mystery: the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ. It is a very delicate time. It is not a time for extraneous input or any distractions that might occur on a regular day of repose.

          Ignatius has the first apparition of Christ to Our Lady [299]. He says, "Though this is not mentioned in the scripture." Of course, everyone knows that Christ's first appearance was to Our Lady; and if you do not know this, are you still without understanding [cf 299]. This says much about Ignatius' own love for Our Lady and a consideration of what he thinks her place is in the role of salvation. 

          One is certainly free to join Ignatius in this belief. Praying over the Resurrection takes some ingenuity. People sometimes pray in an active imagination. It is "rosy-fingered dawn" and suddenly Christ is outside the tomb. He looks over his shoulder and sees three empty crosses. He smiles and He walks to Galilee to meet the apostles where He said. In other words, the world has shown its rejection in an ugly way and He just smiles. What is the Resurrection? Some people will take the Resurrection of Christ at face value. Others will wonder how to understand it. See the confused joy of that Resurrection day in all the gospels. They are all different. There is a new consciousness, a new way of knowing.

          In praying over the Resurrection one may see it as a new way of communicating. Mary met Christ and she thought he was the gardener. He calls her by name. Recognition explodes in her mind. She says, "Rabboni!" A new consciousness is born. 

          Remember we offered that incident as an incident in scripture of consolation without previous cause: the tremendous response, a new way of communicating. Remember the story of Jesus is walking on the way to Emmaus. The disciples do not recognize Him. There is something unusual here. They do not know him, but He is talking to them and their hearts begin to burn within them. He opens the Scripture to them. That is a common experience. How do you tell the presence of the Lord as you look at the Scripture and pray over the Scripture? Your heart begins to burn within. One is excited by the presence of God. The disciples, however, did not know Him, and then they recognize Him in the breaking of the bread. 

          There are many, many incidents like that in praying over the apparitions of Christ after the Resurrection. It seems to me He is teaching by example, "Now you see me, now you do not. At the sea, at the seashore, on the road to Emmaus, with Mary, in the Upper Room, in all these places Jesus is teaching the disciples by what He is doing. He is saying in effect, "I am always with you. Sometimes you are aware of it and sometimes you are not. But as for me, I am always with you." That is what the Fourth Week of the Spiritual Exercises is. That is why it is confirmation in joy and peace. I am with you in the most abject sufferings, passion and death. I am there in impossible situations, in possible situations. I am there: sometimes you are aware of it, and sometimes you are not. That is one of the graces of the Fourth Week.

          Touch the fire of creativity in Christ. He smiles at the crosses up on the hill. What a creative act! See the wisdom of God here. Be aware and see it in action. Hear the word of God. Hear it as you pray over this scene. That is application of the senses. Ignatius advises us to see and listen and watch what the gospel characters do. Then he adds two other suggestion in the Fourth Week: see how the divinity is manifest now [233]. It seemed to lie hidden in the Third Week. Now the divinity is manifest in the glory of the Resurrection and in the joy of Christ. Secondly, see how Christ performs the role of consoler [224]. Think about how one friend consoles another. This is what Christ is doing. This is not merely patting somebody on the back and saying "there, there." This is the office of consoler. Thomas Aquinas calls Christ "Comfort of the Intellect." That is not sentimental, the comfort of the intellect. Comfortas Intellectus: the bulwark of truth, the touchstone, the orientation of my life.

Though in all the contemplations a definite number of points is given, say three, or five, etc., the one who is contemplating may make use of more or fewer as seems better for him. For this reason it will be very useful before entering on the contemplation to foresee and determine a definite number of points that are to be used. [228]

          What does the Resurrection of Christ bring up in your consciousness? "What do you mean by the Resurrection of Christ? My resurrection? And what does it mean for the body, for the mind, for the soul?" Through the continuing flow of consciousness many things may surface. Once one starts praying or reflecting on all of those at once, one will be lost, absolutely lost. Hence, Ignatius suggests we take one, two, three or four of them, but it is important to focus the prayer time and ask God for insight and appreciation. What is the grace I describe?

          Ignatius also reminds us to make use of light in the Fourth Week. Were he living today he would undoubtedly suggest the use of tapes, CD, and beautiful music. 

          As the retreatant prays through the appearances of the Risen Christ, he or she is being taught the primary and essential tenant of our faith: the Resurrection.

          This is time to use Rule 10.

When one enjoys consolation, let him consider how he will conduct himself during the time of ensuing desolation, and store up a supply of strength as defense against that day. [323]

          As the Third Week was a confirmation in suffering, in the Fourth Week is confirmation in joy and peace. The retreatant must be aware that the rules for discernment of spirits are still operative. This is also a time for having a person study and reflect on Rules for Thinking With the Church. [352-370] The Fourth Week is still part of the retreat, one of the high points of the retreat, but soon the retreatant is going back into normal, regular life.

          It is important to alert and warn those leaving the retreat that they cannot give their marvelous experience of a 30-day retreat away. Making the Spiritual Exercises is a moral victory. In the enthusiasm and grace of the moment people sometimes want to give away the great grace of the retreat, but one cannot do this. The graces of the retreat have been personal gift of God to the retreatant. Just to make them is a moral victory. One cannot give away a moral victory. Do not try to give the experience away because it is your experience. Prepare for your re-entry into everyday life and plan how you are going to talk about the retreat experience.

When one enjoys consolation, let him [her] consider how he will conduct himself [herself] during the time of the ensuing desolation ... [323] 

          Spiritual things because they are spiritual, when the soul or the spirit or the person is under the influence of a particular spiritual impress or "determination" (to use philosophical term) seem to be timeless. It always was that way and it always will be that way. Spiritual things are very simple; that is, they have no parts. When a person experiences desolation it seems like, "I have always been in desolation and I always will be." Likewise, during a time of consolation the retreatant feels, "I have always been in consolation, and I always will be in consolation."

          This is also the time for looking very closely at the Rules for Thinking With the Church [352 - 370]. It is part of the Spiritual Exercises that sets you up for life. The retreatant during the rest of his or her life is going to be a person of the church. Where is one with the church? What is his or her attitude toward the Holy Father or the teaching magisterium or the local bishop? What is his or her reasonable and prayed through position?

          I, myself, always like to give them the Ascension of Christ [312]. I like to point out to them the meaning of the Ascension. Jesus, the Christ, dies, and risen, ascended into heaven. Now what does that mean? It means the second person of the Blessed Trinity is human now forever. That is what the Ascension means. He did not go back to being a disincarnated Word of God, hidden in the depths of the Father and the Spirit. This is not what the Scripture says, and that is not what the definition of the Ascension says. The Word became flesh and grew up among us, and then having gone through His Passion and Resurrection, ascended to the Father. He was lifted up. The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity is 100% human now forever (and of course, 100% divine). That is the basis of our entrance into the Trinity. It is the basis of Christian mysticism and Christian prayer: going through your humanity and beyond, not around it or jumping over it or under it.

          How are we to imagine this? How can we guide the retreatants prayer? For instance, one could imagine that on the day of the Ascension, the Father was looking out the window of heaven watching Christ ascend. He says, "Look at this, look at this, he has got a body, he is going to want to eat and sleep and go to the bathroom." Holy Spirit, come over here, come over, look at this, look at what is going on here. We are going to have a new and different kind of house guest. So what are we going to do about this?"

          I do not know what you are going to do about that, but you better decide because He is human now forever. The apparitions of the Resurrection are meant for praying over and wondering about "docta ignoranta." This labored ignorance is the place for the heart and mind in contemplating the Resurrection.
 
 

          The Contemplatio Ad Amorem [230] is woven into the Fourth Week of the Spiritual Exercises. It is what the title says, it is contemplation to attain the love of God. It is a contemplation in love, for love, toward love, to attain love. It is all about love.

          Ignatius says before we start to talk about love, it will be good to call attention to two points. The first is that love ought to manifest itself "in deeds rather than in words" [230]. Remember Eliza Doolittle's line in My Fair Lady, "Do not tell me you love me, show me." This is the heart of Ignatian spirituality. You have probably heard me say that a few times. Ignatian spirituality has several hearts. It is not just one heart. But at the heart of this spirituality is the fact that love is shown in deeds rather than words. Remember that when you are talking about love. Ignatius is very clear about this. 

          The second point to remember is that love consists in a "mutual sharing of goods" [231]. Notice he speaks of a mutual sharing of goods. For example, the lover gives and shares with the beloved what he possesses or something of that which he has or is able to give and vice versa. That is a zinger! God shares with you something He has and is able to give, and you share with God something that you have and are able to give: a mutual agreement. Does this mean, I have something to give God? Yes! Yes! Hence if someone has knowledge, he shares it with the one who does not possess it; and if one has honors or riches, she shares it with the one who does not possess them. "Thus one always gives to the other" [cf 331].

          Concretely, it might proceed like this. After the usual opening gesture, I consider myself standing in the presence God our Lord, His angels and saints: the whole court of heaven. What I desire here will be to ask for an intimate knowledge of the many blessings received so that filled with gratitude for all, I may in all things love and serve the Divine Majesty. Notice this is an intimate knowledge: as a husband know his wife. Notice also that Ignatian mysticism is a mysticism of loving service. In contrast St. John of the Cross has a mysticism of fruitive love in which the prayer period is rather an end in itself. Call to mind the finalities of the three mainstreams of Christian spirituality. (See Chapter 2) Ignatius, on the other hand, is saying that filled with gratitude for all, I may in all things love and serve the Divine Majesty [233].

          Although the Contemplatio is frequently given toward the end of the Fourth Week, it may also be entirely appropriate to begin the Contemplation to Attain the Love of God in the Third Week while the person is still praying over the Passion. Ignatius himself did that. One of the director's functions is to judge when it is appropriate. When the Contemplatio is woven throughout the Resurrection stories, it brings the Presence of the Risen Christ and God the Worker into everyday life. Remember the ordinary stance of the mature Christian is within the Fourth Week.

          The Contemplatio has three main points. The first point of the Contemplatio is recall to mind the blessings of Creation and Redemption. This recalls the Principal and Foundation [23], Redemption, and God's personal gifts to you. 

I will ponder with great affection how much God, Our Lord, has done for me, and how much He has given me of what He possesses, and finally, how much as far as He can, the same Lord desires to give Himself to me according to his divine decrees. Then I will reflect upon myself, and consider according to all reason and justice, when I ought to offer the Divine Majesty, that is, all I possess and myself with it. Thus, as one would do who is moved by great feelings, I will make this offering of myself. [234] 

           The second point to reflect on is how,

...God dwells in creatures in the elements giving them existence, in the plants giving them life, in the animals conferring upon them sensation, in man [or woman] bestowing understanding. So He dwells in me and gives me being, life, sensation, intelligence and makes a temple of me, since I am created in the likeness and the image of the Divine Majesty. [235]

          The Third Point, 

This is to consider how God works and labors for me in all creatures upon the face of the earth, that is He conducts Himself as one who labors [236].

          Can you see the Society of Jesus: its foibles and its strength, its enmeshment in the world and its fool-hardiness in some places and it's freedom that gets it into trouble. It is right in Ignatian spirituality. It is venturesome and risky spirituality. It is not a monasticism, on which by far most of the church has been raised. It is not a tranquil, peaceful, non-risk spirituality. It is a high-risk spirituality for involved people. That is why it hinges on the quality of one's decision making that brings one into action. 

          Notice apostolic spirituality it is not how much work one does. Unfortunately, some think Ignatian spirituality is about work. There will be much labor and work, but Ignatian spirituality is about quality decision-making at the level of faith. It is spirituality of choice at the level of faith.

          It is often helpful for the director to give each of these points in the Contemplatio separately.

          A favorite name and image of God for Ignatius was Deus Operarius, God the worker. God is at work in the world, and the point of one's offering is that one labors with Him. Laborare Mecum, "To labor with me" is the theme of the kingdom meditation and the point of discernment. Thus in the heavens, the elements, the plants, the fruits, the cattle, He gives being, conserves them, confers life and sensation. This is the basis of finding God in all things. Why? Because God is in all things.

          That is why Ignatian mysticism is not just finding God in prayer. Indeed, one can find God in prayer and should find God in prayer. There is a certain two-ness to love. A woman who says to her husband, "I meet and love you in the children," has a love affair that is headed for trouble. There have to be times when she meets and loves her husband in himself. There is a certain two-ness to love; but that being said, we must find God in all things, not just in prayer. The reason one can be a contemplative in action is that contemplation is being with God. Being is an active operation. One is being with God in action, not just prayer. It does not mean reserving part of my mind for contemplation in the midst of busy action. It is being aware of and in union with God in the action: in discerned action working with God the Worker to help build the kingdom.

          Ignatius championed discreta caritas (discerning love - discrete charity). Ignatius' ideal apostle was full of energy like a seething volcano, holding in tremendous temperatures and pressures and letting them out like a acetylene torch, to weld this together, to cut that apart. That is discrete love: discerned and chosen.

          The second point ask us to reflect how God dwells in creatures: 

In the elements giving them existence, the plants giving them life, in the animals conferring upon them sensation, in man bestowing understanding. [235]

          The third point to consider is how God works and labors for me in all things. [236] This is one of the great insights and tenants of Ignatian spirituality: God the Worker is at work and myself as yolk-fellow, the co-worker with God in building the kingdom.

          How does the director know when to begin prayer over the Contemplatio? While praying over the Passion, the prayer suddenly begins to become all love. It may have started with freedom, God creating us, and redeeming us through the Passion. Then it becomes all about love. Then it is time for the Contemplatio.

          There are certain theological points to be made. The Spiritual Exercises have steel in them. What do I mean by steel? It is a time for theological thinking. It is time for affectivity, filial affectivity: for love, for passion, and for thought. There is no flabbiness here. It is a strong amalgam of thinking and feeling and recognized Christian virtues.

          A trip to Nigeria proved to be a great experience for me. It precipitated a whole new appreciation of the art of the church, of prayer, of conversion to God. A new predominant insight was my image of the Holy Spirit. There I saw the Holy Spirit as a solid stainless steel dolphin convorting in a sea of solid steel. Why can the Spirit do that? Because He is the same material as the sea of solid stainless steel. The Spirit is strong perduring, incorruptible, and playful. In the book of Wisdom it tells us that wisdom is more moveable than all moveable things; yet that steel is more moveable, more flexible than all flexible things. It is not rigid. It can not grow if it is rigid. The Spirit is not some puff of blue steam, fragile and ethereal. This is what we encounter here: strong intellectual and affective interpersonal Presence. 

          This is faith in action. This is getting your head, your heart and your faith together in discernment spirituality. This is the culmination of discernment, the Contemplatio and Finding God in all Things. Remember what we said about discernment: it is not difficult to understand. It is difficult to want to do. One goes where one finds God. One does those things in which one finds God. If one is not finding God there, one does not go there. The Contemplatio is really the source, the touchstone of discernment. 

          The Spiritual Exercises helps a person sacramentalize all his or her experience. Each sacrament uses some material and tangible sign as symbols and words to explain symbol. The Contemplatio ad Amorem sacramentalizes the whole world. Remember we also said in the assumptions of apostolic spirituality: God the Father is at work in the world transforming each and all into His Christ; and, therefore, one has to be able to distinguish what is happening from what is really going on. What is really going on? The Father is forming his total Christ, transforming each and all into His Christ. That is what is really going on. What is happening is that people are buying and selling, making war and making peace, getting into business and so on. What is really going on is, the Father is forming his total Christ and that is sacramentalizing the whole world. This is the vision of the Contemplatio.