The First Principle and Foundation

St. Ignatius begins his Spiritual Exercises with “The First Principle and Foundation.” It sets the context for all that follows, a kind of preamble, perhaps even a mission statement for our lives. While not typically thought of as a prayer, it still contains much that is worth reflecting on. This week as we celebrate the feast day of our great patron saint, let’s reflect on these words, here paraphrased into modern English by a renowned Jesuit scholar and spiritual guide, the late Fr. David Fleming S.J..

“The Goal of our life is to live with God forever.

God, who loves us, gave us life.

Our own response of love allows God’s life

to flow into us without limit.

All the things in this world are gifts from God,

presented to us so that we can know God more easily

and make a return of love more readily.

As a result, we appreciate and use all these gifts of God

Insofar as they help us to develop as loving persons.

But if any of these gifts become the center of our lives,

they displace God and so hinder

our growth toward our goal.

In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in balance

before all of these created gifts insofar as we have a choice

and are not bound by some obligation.

We should not fix our desires on health or sickness,

wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or a short one.

for everything has the potential of calling forth in us

a deeper response to our life in God.

Our only desire and our one choice should be this:

I want and I choose what better leads

to God’s deepening his life in me.”