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An Ecclesial Path Toward Greater Understanding of the Faith

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An Ecclesial Path Toward Greater Understanding of the Faith DAVID M. THOMAS Conversation and Conversion: An Ecclesial Path toward Greater Understanding of the Faith Those familiar with the Spiritual Exercises of Those familiar with Christian spirituality also St. Ignatius know that their saintly author often know that the tradition of Christian prayer often recommended that the person doing them would describes prayer as a conversation with God. In regularly engage in what he called a colloquy. the Spiritual Exercises such conversations provide When I first experienced the Spiritual Exercises, the energy that gives the spiritual exercises part I was unfamiliar with that word. I first thought of their unique power. it was something quite esoteric, perhaps an inven- The same can be said for the Christian life of tion of St. Ignatius himself, another one of those prayer. At the beginning of this paper, however, mental processes unique to Jesuits. we should not assume that engaging in good I took the matter up with my director, a sea- conversation, either with God or with another soned Jesuit himself, and with his typical wry person, is easy. Many conversations are diminished smile he said it simply meant “a conversation”. by being overly formal, routine, conventional or Later on, when doing further research on the superficial. In a word, they are not heartfelt. spiritual exercises, I found additional information They often conceal more than they reveal. And on the nature of the colloquy, which can be most are forgotten. called for two or three times in a single exercise. In some ways the colloquy occupies a place at the heart of the exercises. Respected commenta- 1. The Conversations of Jesus in the Gospels tor on them, Michael Ivans, an English Jesuit, notes the following in his commentary on the Where would we be as a church and as individual exercises: “But in whatever form the colloquy is believers were it not for the recorded conversations proposed it will always be marked by the per- between Jesus and those who asked questions of sonal and spontaneous quality of a conversation him or simply listened carefully to his every word? between friends.”1 Think of the conversation between him and the These Ignatian conversations are recom- Samaritan woman. Or what was said between mended to take place between the one taking the him and the woman accused of adultery. Or that exercises and God, sometimes God the Father, incredible table conversation between Jesus and sometimes Jesus Christ and sometimes God’s those gathered around him at the Last Supper. Holy Spirit. What’s important to mention is the Or his conversation with doubting Thomas after power of these colloquies to stimulate an expe- the resurrection. rience of conversion. They draw the person into It is quite amazing that we have access to so open waters where God can be directly encoun- many of the interlocutions between Jesus and tered. They are to be open-ended to whatever such a wide variety of people. This suggests that ensues. It is often during a colloquy that genuine Jesus loved a feisty vocal exchange and that the graced inspiration and transformation happen. gospel writers worked diligently to make sure 198 INTAMS review 20, 198-204. doi: 10.2143/INT.20.2.3066750 © 2014 by INTAMS review. All rights reserved 997918.indb7918.indb 119898 223/03/153/03/15 112:452:45 D.M. Thomas the conversational words of Jesus were not for- interpersonal conversation, not only for human gotten. development purposes, but also for for survival. Further, this focus on conversations suggests Years ago, the United States and Russia almost that the style of the teaching aspect of Jesus’ life initiated an Armageddon scenario over ICBM was a bit unconventional. While we have brief missiles being set up in Cuba, a mere 90 miles instances of his teaching in the local synagogue from the beaches of Florida. It was a moment of or on a hillside with the multitudes, more often terrorlike proportions. As we may recall, after his verbal interaction is informal, even friendly President Kennedy issued a stern threat to Pres- in tone. It is as if Jesus himself would begin each ident Khrushchev, the Russians backed away and day wondering about whom he would converse global survival was protected, at least for then. with that day. Clearly, he had a lot to say but When asked how he knew that the Russians it is also clear that he wanted to listen to his would relent, Kennedy said he had gotten to contemporaries as well. He wanted to respond know Khrushchev through recent informal con- to their concerns, their questions, which are often versations and notes between them. He got to the starting point for his comments. Clearly, he know the man behind the office. He trusted that wanted, as Pope Francis mentions these days, knowledge. So another vote for the importance “authentic dialogue”. exchanging words through conversation. 2. Learning through Language: 3. The Audacity of God-Conversation: Dialogue as Humanizing Prayer as Possible I’ve read that a child does not speak a word until One of the most important aspects of a vital it’s been heard by that child a thousand times. I’m spiritual life is a life seasoned with prayer to God. not sure who keeps count of such things, but we One of the earliest descriptions of prayer that I do know that the development of language skills learned was that prayer is conversation with God. is one of the most important aspects of becoming I talked and God listened. That was fairly easy to ever more human. When I was first a father, I comprehend. Especially when my part of the con- came across an article written for vulnerable (and versation was already composed by those who had sometimes, naïve) parents on how to jump-start gone before. Using approved prayer formulas was your child’s linguistic skills. Suggested was the encouraged, as if to say, those prayers work. Mak- labeling of various objects around the home in ing up my own prayer, at least in my earlier years, large block letters. As the child meandered around was not fostered or even recommended. Using the home, the dutiful parent would point to the the right words, as recent changes in liturgical object, then the sign and in clear tones name the language attests, can be presented by the church object for the child. With such training (a good as very important. Later in life I learned the value word here), the child would eventually be able of deeply personal prayer, conversational in tone, to “read” the sign and say the right word. I recall some of which can even be wordless. that it worked quite effectively, maybe once. The second part of a prayer conversation is The point, however, is clear and undeniable: when God speaks back, always a steeper climb, we are humanized in large measure by our capac- and a more elusive aspect of prayer. As already ity to use language. We learn our way into ever noted, this type of prayer was encouraged by St. greater humanness by sharing a language and using it over and over again. And despite the current compulsion of some for texting, I still 1 M. Ivens: Understanding the Spiritual Exercises, Leomin- am convinced that there is no substitute for good ster: Gracewing, 1998, 53. 199 997918.indb7918.indb 119999 223/03/153/03/15 112:452:45 INTAMS review 20 (2014) Ignatius Loyola who was clearly a gifted teacher facilities in my own country during the 1960s, concerning the ways of prayer. Having both so too were the coffee bars eventually integrated. received and directed this widely used spiritual At any given time groups of bishops were joined approach, I can attest to the fact that his recom- by “separated brethren” (invited representatives mended form of prayer can be both extremely of non-Catholic communions), assorted theolo- demanding and deeply satisfying. gians serving as periti, religious women, lay auditors So far, I am affirming an important role for and “secretaries” to bishops (often seminarians, conversation in the life of Jesus, in the course of some of whom snuck into the council under that human development and in the life of prayer. assumed role). What’s important to note here is Now I want to extend its value into the life of that conversation flowed freely between all these the church, especially as the church seeks an ever groups, conversations that eventually had a direct greater, more accurate understanding of its own bearing, I believe, on the documents that the life as the Body of Christ, the People of God and council eventually produced.2 a sacramental community of God’s presence and In a similar way significant conversations activity in today’s world. We begin our reflection related to the council’s deliberations involved with a reference to Vatican II, an essential start- gatherings of bishops with theologians and other ing point for any discussion of the Catholic experts outside formal council gatherings. Msgr. Church in our time. Wilfred Paradise (recently deceased) was an official peritus during the council itself. In his writing after the council, he referred to a place called the 4. St. Peter’s Coffee Bar: “Truth Room”, which had the telling motto, Behind the Scenes at Vatican II “No pulling rank”. It was a place for honest and open discussions between bishops, theologians Most of us have seen pictures of St. Peter’s as it was and other experts. It was a very busy place espe- arranged for the official sessions of the council.
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