The Kingdom meditation is one of the pivotal exercises in the unfolding of the retreat. It is well to note that the significant penance for sin in the Spiritual Exercises is laboring with Christ to build the Kingdom. There are many kinds of penances for sin, but the whole point of penance in the structure and content of the Exercises is laboring with Christ to build the Kingdom. Here at the Kingdom meditation we are assuming that those graces of the First Week have been assimilated.

          First we have to appreciate the times in which the Kingdom was written: l6th century Spain with the language and the images that were current at that time. Ignatius uses the image of the earthly king who has a great purpose in view and asks all his knights to join with him: to be satisfied with the way he will eat, sleep, and live on campaign. Those kinds of images may not be as relevant these days. Do not let them get in the way. Stick to the real dynamic that Ignatius is suggesting here. 

          Ignatius elaborates his notion of the human king, one chosen by God. Ignatius had the lord-vassal relationship on his mind. The king is the protector of the rights of people and the protector of justice in the land. Then he switches the consideration. Think of Christ, our King and Lord, think of the heavenly king. The heavenly King invites us to work with him, to labor with him, to be a yoke-fellow in the same yoke with Christ, pulling the burden to help him build the Kingdom. He sends out his call to all people and he says," Everyone who has judgment and reason will offer themselves entirely for this work." One can see the generous heart of the saint here.

          The Kingdom is a great exercise in exemplary causality, of which Ignatius is so fond. Look at the earthly king and then look at the heavenly king. The people are in dire need and nobody knows what to do. The King comes along with a real plan. The knights embody that plan and follow him. The grace of the Kingdom is getting in touch with that deep desire to help the King. The Kingdom has the notion of being willing to help someone else in a noble cause. The focus is no longer on "me and mine" but on an outward thrust of service with Christ to others. Ignatius calls to mind an earthly king and assumes everyone would want to follow him. Then he switches and asks the same question of service to Christ, the Heavenly King.

          It is particularly important here to be composed with the mystery. Get the imagination into it. Some people cannot relate well to the idea of a king. For them some modern hero or heroine may help. Personally, I keep it more abstract. I might say the people are in dire need. They do not know what to do. A person comes along who embodies the plan and who has the energy to do it. The retreatant asks for the grace, the Id quod volo. Here it is to ask not to be deaf to the Lord's call. The Lord is in need of help, and He is calling for my help. We pray to be prompt and diligent to accomplish His holy will. That is the grace of the Kingdom.

          A further challenge comes in [97],

Those who wish to give greater proof of their love, and to distinguish themselves in whatever concerns the service of the Eternal King and the Lord of all, will not only offer themselves entirely for the work, but will act against their sensuality and carnal and worldly love, and make offerings of greater value and of more importance. . . 

          There are several thrusts to note about this. There is a complex inter-play here. Ignatius challenges those who want to offer more:

Eternal Lord of all things, in the presence of Thy infinite goodness, and of Thy glorious Mother, and of all the saints of Thy heavenly court, this is the offering of myself which I make with Thy favor and help. I protest that it is my earnest desire and my deliberate choice, provided only it is for Thy greater service and praise, to imitate Thee in bearing all wrongs and all abuse and all poverty, both actual and spiritual, should Thy Most Holy Majesty deign to choose and admit me to such a state and way of life.[98] 

Here in the Kingdom, a person needs to offer what he or she wants to offer and a person does not offer what he or she does not want to offer. Do not say, "It is my deliberate choice" if it is not your deliberate choice. The Kingdom is an exercise in religious authenticity. The retreatant offers what he or she authentically wants to offer. This exercise is not about what God wants. It is about what the retreatant wants to offer. It is not a matter of giving God a blank check. This is giving God a check, filled out with the amount that you want to offer.

It is important to remind the retreatant about grace here. A grace is something you do not have, you really want, you cannot give yourself, therefore you ask God for it. Further one needs to ask the question, what will this grace look like when I have it. The retreatant has to have an image of what he or she wants to give God. The person must enter the scenario. He or she must see that this is done seriously. The grace needs to be seen and felt. Once the decision is made, let there be no regret, no holdbacks, no second thoughts. Be careful that the retreatant is not pretending that he or she wants to give something that he or she does not really want to give.

          When is it appropriate to give the Kingdom? Sequentially, it is given on the last day of the First Week or the first day of the Second Week. Some directors give it on the break-day between the First and Second Week. Personally, I like to have a Kingdom day. To me it takes at least a day to get into it. I like to make it "a sandwich." During the first meditation the person prays over the Kingdom [91 - 98]. In the second meditation a person prays over the call of Abraham as an embodiment of this Kingdom grace. Thirdly, the person again prays over his or her own Kingdom call. Fourthly, the person prays over the call of Paul of Tarsus. Lastly, the person applies the Application of Senses as thoughts simplify and desires grow.

          Juxtaposing the offering with the Scripture brings one out of the never-never-land of "Oh, yes, I want to be a saint" to face what he or she has specifically decided to commit himself or herself to. As a repetition one might use the Sermon on the Mount, which is the manifesto of the Kingdom of God, noting the interior working of God in the Beatitudes.

          The director needs to judge the authenticity of the Kingdom offering as well. I have found two guidelines helpful. First, the Kingdom offering falls within the oblation of memory, understanding, and will. What the person is offering in terms of the Kingdom is often something about the healing of memories, a deepening insight in their understanding. Either they have to be willing to give up something that they want to do that they have now decided not to do, or they have to decide not to do something they have now decided to do. However, it is still interesting that all these examples fall within the boundary of that memory, understanding, and will in the Ignatian Oblation.[98]

          Secondly, if the Kingdom offering is to be authentic, it should have something to do with what has been discovered in the First Week. Because of what I have heard as director, I am almost ready to know the area of the Kingdom offering before the person says it because it is been brewing over the last 8 - 10 days. Here it is often a decision of wisdom rather than a decision of something practical to-do.