Read the story below. Identify points of consolation and points of desolation as defined by Ignatius not the dictionary. Explain your reasoning and comment on the explanations others give.
Mark is a recent college graduate. He majored in nursing and was soon employed in a hospital enjoying the opportunity to actually practice what he had been studying for so many years. Seven months passed and Mark began to feel restless about his work. He couldn't decide if he was just hung up on all the paperwork, or if he was bored with nursing already. He began to consider doing volunteer work at a clinic for the homeless thinking that he might be able to feel as if he was really making a contribution to the health of desperate people. He began to imagine himself working with people living on the streets or in shelters and decided that volunteering in the clinic would help him feel like he was really offering help to people who needed it.
Mark volunteered at the clinic for homeless people two days a month and it really lifted his spirits. He began to really look forward to those days and talked with hospital co-workers about his experiences at the clinic.
Gradually, Mark began to feel as though he should spend more time at the clinic and perhaps try to be employed as a fulltime clinic nurse.
When he considered this, he was sometimes filled with great ideas about health education he might do and about some ways of teaching disease prevention. It seemed like a very exciting possibility. Other times when he considered it, the idea of making less money, of having to live without some creature comforts and the stress of repaying school loans brought him anxiety.
When he considered staying at the hospital he had a sense of security, but also thought of ways he could provide more health education for patients and families which excited and challenged him.
For several months he went back and forth, talking to hospital co-workers and clinic co-workers. He could find legitimate arguments on both sides.
Eventually Mark decided to remain at the hospital and continue volunteering at the clinic. The decision brought him a sense of peace, but it also challenged him to create new health education programs for patients and families in the hospital.
Key Concepts and Dynamics of The Spiritual Exercises
In the first paragraph clearly explain your understanding of The First Principle and Foundation and Ignatius' concept of indifference as described in the Callahan reading.
In the second paragraph explain the dynamic of each of the four "weeks" and its movement of a person through periods of sorrow and illumination to finally seeking and finding union with God then include responses to the following questions:
• How might they be a workable and enlightened way to attain inner freedom and find God in all things - today?
• What alternative methods to the traditional 30 day retreat exist or come to mind?