Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit religious order and a saint of the Catholic Church, was well practiced in bad behavior as a young man. In the words of the contemporary Jesuit Father William Watson, SJ:
“He had most of the emotional, intellectual, and psychological complexes that make people today fear any limit to the free expression of their instinctual drives: dysfunctional family, compulsive appetites, addictive personality, narcissism, greed for celebrity and wealth, sexual self-indulgence and a love of violence.”
Watson, William. Sacred Story: An Ignatian Examen for the Third Millennium. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Kindle Edition.
When Ignatius was a thirty-year-old soldier he was badly wounded in battle. During the difficult recovery from his wounds he began to experience a dramatic, long-term conversion which would transform his life from one of narcissism and self-indulgence to one of spiritual and religious awakening and commitment.
Reflecting deeply on his past life and feeling “great need to do penance” for it, led ultimately to a lifelong practice of self-examination and improvement efforts.
The practice Ignatius developed for his own spiritual renewal and growth became, over time, the substance of his Spiritual Exercises, which include his “General and Particular Examen” practices. Those practices became and remain important elements of the Jesuit system of self discipline and spiritual aspiration.
In his Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius discusses The Particular Examen first. He writes: (Pardon the archaic language; this comes from a 1914 translation considered authoritative.)
“PARTICULAR AND DAILY EXAMEN
It contains in it three times, and two to examine oneself.
The first time is in the morning, immediately on rising, when one ought to propose to guard himself with diligence against that particular sin or defect which he wants to correct and amend. (emphasis added)
The second time is after dinner, when one is to ask of God our Lord what one wants, namely, grace to remember how many times he has fallen into that particular sin or defect, and to amend himself in the future.
Then let him make the first Examen, asking account of his soul of that particular thing proposed, which he wants to correct and amend. Let him go over hour by hour, or period by period, commencing at the hour he rose, and continuing up to the hour and instant of the present examen, and let him make in the first line of the G——- as many dots as were the times he has fallen into that particular sin or defect. Then let him resolve anew to amend himself up to the second Examen which he will make.
The third time: After supper, the second Examen will be made, in the same way, hour by hour, commencing at the first Examen and continuing up to the present (second) one, and let him make in the second line of the same G——- as many dots as were the times he has fallen into that particular sin or defect.
FOUR ADDITIONS FOLLOW TO RID ONESELF SOONER OF THAT PARTICULAR SIN OR DEFECT
First Addition. The first Addition is that each time one falls into that particular sin or defect, let him put his hand on his breast, grieving for having fallen: which can be done even in the presence of many, without their perceiving what he is doing.
Second Addition. The second: As the first line of the G——- means the first Examen, and the second line the second Examen, let him look at night if there is amendment from the first line to the second, that is, from the first Examen to the second.
Third Addition. The third: To compare the second day with the first; that is, the two Examens of the present day with the other two Examens of the previous day, and see if he has amended himself from one day to the other.
Fourth Addition. The fourth Addition: To compare one week with another, and see if he has amended himself in the present week over the week past.”
Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The Spiritual Exercises (With Active Table of Contents) (pp. 46-47). Kindle Edition.
Continuing to quote Ignatius’ own words, the General Examen is composed of five elements:
“METHOD FOR MAKING THE GENERAL EXAMEN
It contains in it five Points.
First Point. The first Point is to give thanks to God our Lord for the benefits received.
Second Point. The second, to ask grace to know our sins and cast them out.
Third Point. The third, to ask account of our soul from the hour that we rose up to the present Examen, hour by hour, or period by period: and first as to thoughts, and then as to words, and then as to acts, in the same order as was mentioned in the Particular Examen.
Fourth Point. The fourth, to ask pardon of God our Lord for the faults.
Fifth Point. The fifth, to purpose amendment with His grace.
(Followed by recitation of the) Our Father (prayer)”
Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The Spiritual Exercises (With Active Table of Contents) (p. 56). Kindle Edition.
The standards against which Ignatius would measure his behavior would be those set by the Catholic Church. He distinguished between major (mortal) sins and minor (venial) sins in accordance with Church doctrine.
In his General Examen he used three categories of fault: those of thought, word and act. And, because of his own specific nature and history, he stressed the faults of narcissism and pride.
It is interesting that, hundreds of years before Benjamin Franklin created his notebook, with a system for making records of the number of his transgressions, Ignatius used essentially the same system in the Particular Examen.
Ignatius, like Franklin, compared his performance in the current period against that in prior periods, like Franklin. He also understood that effective corrective action required a focus on one behavior or tendencies at a time, as Ignatius specifies in the Particular Examen.
As we might expect of a religious figure, and particularly one whose vocation prohibited marriage and family, Ignatius’ focus was principally on his own spiritual condition and on his relationship with God. His interactions with others were important, but it seems that they were important principally insofar as they were a part of his spiritual journey and his service to God and the Church.
The Ignatian inward-looking, somewhat self-absorbed, God-directed approach to reflection does not detract from its fundamental, practical strength, even for the secular community. The “bones” of the Examen can be used as an effective guide by anyone. Those with a desire to pursue the more particularly Catholic elements of the system will find a number of useful resources, such as the writings of Father Watson and others, that will serve that purpose.
I would argue with Father Watson on one point, however. He writes:
“Ignatius’ discernment Rules and Examen predate and inform healing tools now used by twelve-step recovery programs and the mindfulness and presence-oriented disciplines of today’s best-selling authors.”
Watson, William. Sacred Story: An Ignatian Examen for the Third Millennium. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Kindle Edition.
While the Examen does share the basic “inventory taking” ideas of the 4th and 10th steps of twelve-step programs, it does not, as far as I can see, specifically require the making of amends to other persons. Confession to God and performance of the penance required are obviously assumed in the Ignatian process. But the twelve-step process specifically urges action involving those persons we have harmed. If one’s religious beliefs include seeking forgiveness of a higher power, the twelve-step practitioner would consider that an addition to the program, not a substitution.
That said, neither Franklin’s system nor the Pythagorean system nor the Naikan system include a specific amends-making element either.
©Charles R. Lightner