Spirituality

We find the phrase with which this publication is titled in St. Paul when he says, “But when in the fullness of time God sent His Son” (Gal 4:4), or “He has allowed us to know the mystery of his will, according to his goodness, which He had proposed in Himself, to bring together all things in Christ in the dispensation of the fullness of time.” (Eph 1:9-10). Beginning with this expression, the author of this article directly formulates this question: could Paul have written this today? Or even more clearly: can we understand it? Although it does not appear so, the answer affects the core of our life.

There have been many Christian teachers or mystics who have explained the effects of contemplative prayer, but not how to do it. Fr. Jalics has filled this void with a suggestion that was born through a personal experience of detention and isolation that took place under the Argentine dictatorship. In this Notebook, which begins with a magnificent prologue by Xavier Melloni, he explains how his contemplative “journey” of prayer is tied into the practice of the Ignatian Exercises.

You have in your hands a compilation of practices that seek to be an aid for personal and community prayer. These 49 spiritual practices include a variety of approaches to God that have been inspired by pastoral ministry and psychology. From the most elementary function of human nature —breathing— to the highest operation —language— each person will be able to choose an appropriate manner of praying by focusing attention on one resource or another. We hope that this booklet will help both those seeking to advance in the spiritual life and those who wish to help others to do so.

Peter Claver is a case of extreme solidarity, both for what he did and for the perspective from which he did it. He spent thirty-eight years giving himself over body and soul to the African slaves who were arriving at the port of Cartagena in abject misery. Not only was his life one of total commitment to the Africans, but he lived it “from the other side of history,” that is, by belonging completely to the slaves. This booklet explains Claver’s ways of acting and evangelizing and describes the spirit that drove all his apostolic work.

Interest in spiritual accompaniment, in all its varied forms, is a growing phenomenon. This booklet presents various perspectives on accompaniment in Christian life and the following of Christ, but certainly much of the information contained in it will be useful for other practices of accompaniment. The most important thing is offering profoundly human support.