Smarla Angtuaco, a recent graduate of Anteneo de Manila University has had enough of pet peeves. In two blog posts, she lists her “15 Pet Perks of Ignatian Spirituality.” Part 1 is here; part 2 is here. Smarla’s list is a very personal and contains some surprising items.
Which leads me to ask, “what aspects of Ignatian spirituality have meant something special for you?” Leave your answer in the comments.
Here’s one from Smarla Angtuaco:
14. Making tough decisions and examining suffering.
One of the most essential things I’ve learned from Ignatian spirituality is being able to discern between good pain and bad pain. It has allowed me to see how God uses certain kinds of suffering to help us grow into even better persons. At the same time, praying everyday also allows us to decipher and avoid pain that will only break us down.
With the guidance of my spiritual director, I continued in my first job even though it was causing me much distress. This was because I could see there were still a lot of areas of growth for me. This provided me an opportunity to increase my adversity quotient. However, when it started becoming a bad pain, I discerned that I had to resign and move to a new job that would allow me to flourish spiritually. It wasn’t an easy decision to make but discernment helped me in making a final decision. I was able to filter through all my emotions and my own ego to hear His voice and choose the path that will lead me closer to Him.