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The Principle and Foundation: Who We Are Before God

Fordham University, New York, NY June 19 – 21, 2009       [Click image to enlarge.]
 
The First Principle and Foundation
 
The goal of our life is to live with God forever. God, who loves us, gave us life. Our own response of love allows God’s life to flow into us without limit.
All the things in this world are gifts of God, presented to us so that we can know God more easily and make a return of love more readily.
As a result, we appreciate and use all these gifts of God insofar as they help us develop as loving persons. But if any of these gifts become the center of our lives, they displace God and so hinder our growth toward our goal.
In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in balance before all of these created gifts insofar as we have a choice and are not bound by some obligation. We should not fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or short one. For everything has the potential of calling forth in us a deeper response to our life in God.
Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to God’s deepening his life in me.
- St. Ignatius as paraphrased by David L. Fleming, S.J.
 
Building on the success of our inaugural conference at Fairfield University in June 2007, The Principle and Foundation: Who We Are Before God continues The Jesuit Collaborative’s vital work. Founded in 2007 by the Maryland, New England, and New York Provinces of the Society of Jesus, The Jesuit Collaborative is a professional association of Jesuits, laypersons, clergy, and religious who share in common the spiritual tradition of St. Ignatius. The Collaborative promotes networking, reflection, scholarship, and learning while coordinating the diverse ministries that derive from the Spiritual Exercises. The Collaborative is pledged to serve the Church by providing for the spiritual development and care of persons, forming leaders, and nurturing a faith that does justice.
 
Broadly speaking, the goal of The Jesuit Collaborative is to help more people to encounter God, to ignite their passion, and to create new worlds through the ongoing practice of the Spiritual Exercises. As we embark upon this journey with God, The Principle and Foundation provides us with a fitting reminder of our ultimate goal as individual creatures.
 
We invite you to come and be nourished, and to play an active role in creating the vision and fostering the ministry of the Spiritual Exercises in our world today.