Jesuit Inspiration
In the Jesuit tradition, gratitude is everything. Indeed, in The Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius goes so far as to say that all joy comes from gratitude and that all sin is, in essence, a lack of gratitude. That’s why, every single day, twice a day, Jesuits are asked to reflect on and offer praise for the good that God has placed in their lives through a prayer called the Examen.
By centering their lives around gratitude, Jesuits strive to forge a deeper relationship with God, gain a better understanding of creation, and build the foundations of a moral life. Jesuits profess that we find fulfillment by offering praise for the good things in life and that we make our lives darker and more difficult by failing to acknowledge these good things at all.
After completing this assignment, students should be able to...