Springboards: A deeper Ignatian way
Christopher Gleeson SJ
Springboards was written for a quite specific audience and purpose. It is addressed to students and teachers in schools in the Ignatian tradition. It is designed as a resource for common prayer in classrooms and other school activities. It will be helpful for a much wider readership, however, and for many other places of prayer and reflection.
Madonna readers will be familiar with Christopher Gleeson’s reflections in each edition of the magazine. This book displays all the virtues of his writing. Like them, it is conversationally written and genial. It draws on an extraordinary range of apposite reflections and prayers.
Gleeson borrows freely and acknowledges generously and fully. He makes faith and prayer hospitable undertakings. Many of his examples will appeal particularly to young people, and to the part of themselves that remains young in older readers.
As a resource for public prayer, Springboards offers many short services, each beginning with a reflection, followed by a scripture text and concluding with a prayer.
Gleeson gathers them under the headings of basic Christian attitudes, leadership, select Ignatian themes, and the central Ignatian practice of reflectiveness. He concludes the collection with prayers for various occasions, and some tips on mental health. This last section, like that on Ignatian themes, is reprinted from the rich resources made available by Irish Jesuits.
Springboards is a helpful resource for daily prayer and for short prayer services. It is consistently simple, engaging and wise.
WILKINSON PUBLISHING
ISBN 9781025927474
This book review first appeared in the Spring 2021 edition of Madonna magazine.