Catholic Spirituality

This article examines practical theological hermeneutics through the lens of Catholic spirituality. Key to understanding the movement from description to analysis to revised praxis is the ways in which interpretive communities understand the connections between divine reality and human reality. In light of this, the article explores the relationship between epistemology and pneumatology found within Christian tradition by proposing an approach to practical theological herme-neutics rooted in the Ignatian practice of spiritual discernment. By doing so, this article seeks to contribute the potential contours of a distinctive Roman Catholic contribution to practical theology, and in a broader sense, show how the practice of discernment presents studies and methods in practical theology with a way of understanding connections among practical wisdom, habitus, research, and theological interpretation.

Zusammenfassung: Dieser Beitrag untersucht praktisch-theologische Hermeneu-tik aus der Perspektive katholischer Spiritualität.

Ausschlaggebend zum Begrei-fen des Prozesses von Beschreibung zu Analyse zu überarbeiteter Praxis ist die Art und Weise wie die Verbindung zwischen göttlicher Realität und menschlicher Realität verstanden wird. Folglich untersucht der Artikel das Verhältnis von Epistemologie und Pneumatologie in der christlichen Tradition und legt einen Zugang zu praktisch-theologischer Hermeneutik vor, die in der Ignatianischen Unterscheidung der Geister verwurzelt ist. Damit wird ein bezeichnend römisch-katholischer Beitrag zur Praktischen Theologie vorgestellt, der aufzeigt, wie die

I have been working on Liberation Spirituality since I was a Licenciate student at the Pontificio Ateneo Anonianum. This lecture sums up my work. It is also the foundation of Chapter five in my book Beyond Piety: The Christian Spiritual Life, Justice and Liberation (Wipf & Stock, 2010).

The pillars are
Fidelity to Reality
Ongoing Conversion
Contemplative Vision
Preferential Option for Poverty
Universal Brother/Sisterhood
Eucharistic Communion
The Sign of the Cross

Catholic World Report, February 13, 2013.  An earlier version appeared in The Catholic Servant (February 2007): 4.  This essay explains why Ash Wednesday, not a day of obligation for Catholics, is so popular and gives some advice for those preaching on that day.

En este capítulo desarrollamos y distinguimos los conceptos de acidia, melancolía y noche oscura en la obra de San Juan de la Cruz, destacando su actualidad para la psicopatología actual, haciendo referencia especialmente al psiquiatra Rudolf Allers

A critical reflection on how Latino/a spirituality can influence the Hispanic ministry being done by Christian communities in the USA. 
I consider how the Latino/a Church is 1) relational, 2) affective, 3) pious or religious and 4) cultural.

In this short paper I briefly explore how we can cultivate a more personal relationship with the Third Person of the Trinity –the Holy Spirit – who is “the personal love of Father and Son”; and how this same Spirit works in and through us by the gifts of the Holy Spirit in unison with the theological virtues when our faith is challenged.

This research compares some aspects of the spiritual teachings of Ignatius of Loyola and John of the Cross. The motivations are as follows:
Firstly, there are some apparent contradictions in their major teachings. It would be problematic from the perspective of spiritual theology if the two of the greatest spiritual masters who are from the same era with the same cultural background were to contradict each other.
Secondly, the apparent contradictions pose a particular challenge to spiritual directors because different responses to consolation and desolation have different consequences. A wrong response would be detrimental to spiritual growth.
Thirdly, the role of the laity in the life of the Church has been gaining prominence in the twentieth century, and the Church has continuously highlighted the importance of spiritual direction and accompaniment for the laity, especially with regard to discernment.
I will provide a comparison of the two spiritual masters as follows. In the first part, I will present the apparent contradictions, and in the second part, I will seek convergences. Finally, in the third part, I will analyze the studies of other authors in reference to our topic. The main source materials are the Spiritual Exercises for Ignatius and the Ascent of Mount Carmel and the Dark Night for John.

On 24 May 2015, Pope Francis signed Laudato Sì, the watershed encyclical letter that called the world's attention to the ecological crisis. Even though it addresses the ecological crisis directly, the document`s scope is broader in many ways, for it looks not only at humanity’s impact on the environment, but also the various philosophical, theological, and cultural causes that have contributed to the ecological crisis. The Pope’s vision is that the ecological crisis is ultimately linked to a crisis of values, a spiritual void that permeates today’s technocratic society. Yet, maybe because of the wide platform of Laudato Sì, religious congregations have found it difficult to respond effectively to the Pope’s plea. Part of this difficulty lies in the fact that the encyclical not only calls for actions, but also asks religious congregations to explore how Laudato Sì affects their spirituality. This paper is not about ecology per se but about possible Marist approaches in responding to the ecological crisis. Its principal aim is to connect the Marist project with ecological concerns in connection to Laudato Sì. This is done by providing an overview and critique of two ecologically inclusive frameworks for Marist life and mission. Furthermore, it attempts possible ecologically inclusive Marist frameworks that could serve as starting points for further research and action.

This essay is an interreligious study of spirituality of work  and its implications for business ethics. It considers the normative / doctrinal teachings on human work in Bhagavadgita (BG) and Catholic Social Teaching (CST). In as much as the focus of this study is spirituality of work, it does not present an in-depth and comprehensive comparison of Hindu and Catholic religions. Similarities and differences between the texts under consideration will be examined, but such examination will be limited to the most critical and relevant points. It will begin by exploring a Hindu spirituality of work based on BG. The paper will analyze salient ideas and relevant passages in the text that tackle the religio-spiritual significance of  our daily engagement in the world through paid work from a Hindu perspective. A discussion on major themes in CST that resonate with BG’s  teachings on work will follow. These themes will  serve as analytical elements that will frame an interreligious spirituality of work from the two points of view. The interreligious analysis will demonstrate that as far as BG and CST are concerned, spirituality of work can be a unifying force, a locus for cross-cultural dialogue, and a bridge between different beliefs. Next, the essay will tackle the implications of a Hindu-Catholic spirituality of work for business ethics. It will explain how the two textual traditions deepen our understanding of  work by providing answers to the questions why must we work, what is the right attitude to work, and how our work connects us with other beings and with our ultimate end. Finally, the conclusion will demonstrate how the findings of this study relate and enhance the outcomes of current research in spirituality of work. Finding common grounds on how different religions regard work would enable business professionals and managers to truly value diversity and inclusiveness and respond ethically to the expression of religions in an increasingly pluralistic workplace.

In the age of secularisation, prayer is becoming an increasingly difficult act of believers to understand. Extremely dangerous individualism and subjectivism is the contemporary threat to common and community prayer. All of this makes it necessary to take a new look at this category of prayer so that it leads to an authentic testimony from Christians in the world. In this way, it also prevents the dangerous exclusivity of believers themselves when faced with challenges. Among the whole variety and categories of prayers, communal prayer and the prayer of community are very important. This distinction is necessary because it reveals to us the truth that every prayer has a communal character even though it is not always a common prayer. However, prayer celebrated together is the source of life for the Christian, the Church and the clearest and most readable testimony of faith.

Spirituality as a function of holiness and — as St. John Paul II teaches us — “life in Christ and in the Spirit”, which is accepted in faith, expressed in love and inspired by hope, and so becomes the daily life of the Church community” (EiAm 29), remains closely related to Mariology. This relationship has its methodological, contend-doctrinal and practical implications.
In terms of methodological implications, there is a need for a wider open-ing up of spiritual theology to elements of Mariology. It seems that today’s ex-perts in Mariology perceive a need for turning to spirituality to a larger extent than spiritual theologians do with regard to turning to Mariology. One should also emphasize Marian spirituality as such.
With respect to content-doctrinal Mariological implications for spirituality, the following issues should be given attention to: Holy Trinity dwelling in man, christoformisation, the work of the Holy Spirit, the grace of the sacra-ments which are the source and manifestation spiritual life, spiritual anthropol-ogy, the role of the body and the senses in spiritual life, spiritual and mystical experience, as well as conversation and the dynamism of spiritual growth.
The third, practical area of relationship of Mariology to spiritual theology is the placement of spiritual life in the social and ecclesial context. In today’s Church in Poland, mariologists and theologians are facing new challenges, for example: the cult of Divine Mercy, the Message of Fatima, the sanctuaries and pilgrimage movement, which are still vibrant, as well as dynamic Christian as-sociations.

Returning to the intellectual and spiritual modes of the patristic and monastic sources, one can find a way of thinking about the fact of faith in a sapiential, integral and unitarian perspective, which allows to link again theologians and spirituals, academy and temple, dogma and faith, theology and holiness. The theology of the saints is offered as a specific method of spiritual theology that can overcome these divorces and the fragmentary and liquid logic of our society.

The text is the presentation of a volume published in Ediciones Encuentro, Madrid, in the year 2021, entitled: "Martyrs and saints, in the center of history: from Vatican II to Gaudete et exsultate".

https://edicionesencuentro.com/libro/martires-y-santos-en-el-centro-de-la-historia/