Step 2 of St.
Ignatius method of discernment is detachment, that is total openness
to what God wants. If I am going to be
totally open, then I need to set aside
that toward which I am personally inclined. St. Ignatius is suggesting that I
be totally indifferent, totally detached from the outcome of my prayer. That
means that I want only God’s answer, not my own, and that I will not give God
suggestions. I will not pray: “God,
please, please give me…….” Or that I
would say: “Lord, I want to be married to a person who has lots of money.” Or, “Lord,
I want to be married to a person who is physically beautiful, has blond hair,
is a graduate of…..” Or, “Lord, I want
to enter a religious community that lets me serve on the West coast or the East
coast or the Midwest.” Or, “God, I want
to enter a religious community in which the members wear a habit, do not wear a
habit, etc., etc.” No! If I am detached
from the answer, then my prayer sounds something like: “Lord, only your will be
done. Reveal to me what your will is for me and give me the grace to be totally
open to what you want of me and for me.” I want God’s answer and His alone. I
truly want to know, of the choices that I am considering, given the circumstances
I am in, what do you want of me, Lord. When it comes to a State
in Life, I truly want to know whether God is calling me to be married, to
remain single or to enter religious life.
St. Ignatius calls us to desire
neither one choice over another or one vocation over another but that we desire
only that which God desires of us. In other words, if totally open, my prayer might go something like this: “Lord,
show me what you want of me? Reveal your will to me.” In the
words of Jesus spoken in the Garden: "Not my will but yours be done, O
Lord." Or the words of Mary at the Annunciation: "Behold the handmaid
of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your will."
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