QUESTIONS
- Why do you think St Ignatius chose to let the donkey decide his path?
- In what way did St Ignatius demonstrate the virtue of humility when he allowed the donkey to decide his path?
- Do you agree that turning away from the insulting men was the ‘obvious’ good choice? Why?
- Discernment is the constant disposition towards choosing the better of two good options.’ What practical steps does the article give that you can take to discern the better of two good options?
- Define ‘nuanced’ and explain how nuanced choices might be harder to discern than ‘obvious’ choices in your life.
ACTIVITIES
The article says that ‘by finding cause for gratitude, and calling on the presence of the Spirit to be with us as we recall our day, we are accompanied in reflecting on what had happened.’ Read Luke 1:46-55. This is Mary’s song of praise, The Magnificat. In The Magnificat, Mary is expressing her gratitude for God aloud to her cousin Elizabeth at the Visitation. Discuss which verse of the Magnificat speaks to you the most with a friend.
Taking Action: Reflect on what you have to be grateful for in your life. Using The Magnificat and your Creating Awareness paper for inspiration, write a letter, song or list that expresses your gratitude.
Prayerful Discernment: At the end of the day, find a quiet space to read over what you have written, asking the presence of the Spirit to be with you as you recall your day. Think about when you chose the better path and experienced consolation. Are there any times over the day that you chose the lesser of two goods and experienced desolation? Choose one of these times and make a resolution (an ‘I will’ or ‘I will not’ statement) to help you choose the better path the next time you are faced with that choice.
FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS
Read or summarise Ignatian discernment: Making better choices and talk with the students about what they think the story is saying and how they make decisions.
Conversation Circle
Questions:
- Which path did your group’s donkey chose?
- Why was hurting the insulting man, even as a knight, not the better path?
Reflection:
Because the donkey took the better path, we know that God was leading the donkey.
‘In his later years, Ignatius used to look up at the stars by evening from the rooftop of the Jesuit curia in Rome. It was quite often at this time that tears would well up in his eyes from both gazing at the beauty of the universe and in the outpouring of God’s love he felt so personally as he reflected on his experience day by day.’
Let’s think about God’s love in our own lives, because He loves us and leads us just like St Ignatius and just like the donkey. Move around the circle, taking turns to thank God for something in your life.