One of the central meditations of the Spiritual Exercises is the Call of Christ the King.
Imagine a call from an earthly leader who has inspired us, and then imagine Christ calling us to join him in helping him to realize God’s kingdom on earth. Does that excite us or scare us? Does it make us hopeful? What does God’s dream for the world mean for us?
The contemplation on the Call of Christ the King will begin next week’s Ignatian Prayer Adventure exercises.
If you’re receiving this via e-mail, click through to watch the video Kevin O’Brien, SJ, on the Call of Christ the King.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for the invitation to be attentive to my inner response to the Call of the King, which, when I do pay attention, arrives in many disguises daily. Once I pay attention I can see the times when I willingly cooperate and the times when I “take a pass” on responding to that call. The biggest obstacle to my making a positive response is the heretical notion that somehow the call is for me to respond to alone, as if Christ issues the call and that’s the last I’ll see of him. As if he won’t be working in me and through me and, most appealing of all, alongside me. In fact looking back on my life, it’s Christ who’s done most of the heavy lifting and it seems he just likes me along for the ride. Who knew!
Thanks! This was inspiring.
This brings out so many thoughts for me. Hard to imagine being called from our place in this modern world. Hard to know what is really asked. I always think of the idea of the camel passing through the eye of the needle! OK, sometimes I can say yes, but what happens when I can’t or won’t? Many thoughts!
m.
As I look at my life in retrospect I now see the many times I have been called in different ways to walk my journey with Christ. Sometimes I have felt called to do something and then later called to leave that particular calling. In between times I have wondered “What next, God?” There have been times of anxiety with each new calling and what is expected of me. When I calm down and answer the call I know that I am not alone on the new path brought to me. Right now I am on pause… waiting for the new road before me. As I write this I see that these past two years have been spent learning how to live without my beloved spouse. However, I have not been alone on the journey of grief, but have seen that this an experience where I have been learning how to help others face the death of a loved one. And on it goes, God’s calling in so many different ways and Christ showing me how to keep growing at each call.
@Helen C.
You said “I know that I am not alone on the new path brought to me. Right now I am on pause… learning how to live without my beloved spouse…I have not been alone…learning how to help others face the death of a loved one.” Helen, you answered Christ’s call to serve others. You are helping others and yourself turn desolation into consolation, darkness into light. I am doing something similar by facilitating a Seattle University Magis small group for older adult and retired alumni of Ignatian institutions and formation processes. This is a place where we share our journey, encourage one another and use Ignatian tools in the third chapter of our lives. I am grateful to have companions on this Camino Ignaciano.
I’m in a crowd at Cal Expo. For weeks You Tube’s gone viral with videos of a new world leader. I’d only come to see if I could catch a glimpse of this man that they’re all raving about, but once that I arrived, I found what is always a blessing to me. Free admission!! So, I wander through the gate with the rest of the people making their way inside. Soon, I’m mashed in with the rest and as I look around me, my heart sinks. I find myself in the midst of the most important people: scholars, artists, political powers, those from the most important families and other powerful people. I feel soooooooooooo small and try to blend in so as not to be noticed. Then, he starts to speak. He talks of love and peace. He talks of hope and this strange thing called “grace”. My heart sinks. I don’t believe it. But now, I’m trapped. The crowd has grown and there is no way for me to exit. I’m stuck here for the duration. As I stand, hot and more than a little claustrophobic, I hear my name being whispered. “It’s just my imagination,” I think. Then, I hear it again, just a little louder, and I look around. Maybe one of my friends has also been trapped here, but no. I don’t recognize one living soul. “What am I doing here?” I think aloud in frustration. “I don’t belong with any of these people,” and I try to hide myself from them. Then again I hear my name called, “Emma!” only loud and clear and coming from the stage area in the front. I look up and He’s motioning to me, smiling and laughing. Our eyes meet and I ask, “me? you don’t mean *me*?” He laughs and says, “Yes, you. Come up here with me.” The crowd thins and I make my way to the front. I can’t meet his eyes, I am so embarassed. Why me? He leans towards me as I approach and I whisper in His ear, “You’ve made a mistake. You’ve got me confused with someone else, you can’t mean *me*. Look at all the people here that you have to choose from. Why do you want *me*? There are so many people here that could be of so much more use to you than me. I’m clumsy. I’m not all that smart. I don’t have any great talents to share. What can I do for you?” That’s how I feel and think. Very, very small.
Thank you so much to all the people who put together this website. It has really impacted my life in huge ways. I needed interaction with God that wasn’t only narrowed down to legalistic scripture readings.