Five Pillars of the Spiritual Life: A Practical Guide to Prayer for Active People

by Robert J. Spitzer

Saint Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, espoused the ideal of becoming "contemplatives in action." He was convinced that contemplation (the deep awareness and appropriation of the unconditional love of God) should affect our actions, and that our actions need to be brought back to contemplation. These five dimensions of the spiritual (1) the Holy Eucharist, (2) spontaneous prayer, (3) the Beatitudes, (4) partnership with the Holy Spirit, and (5) the contemplative life itself, generally do not develop simultaneously or even in parallel ways. Some develop very quickly, but do not achieve significant depth; while others develop quite slowly, but seem to be almost unending in the depth of wisdom, trust, hope, virtue, and love they engender. The best way of explaining this is to look at each of the pillars individually. Before doing this, however, it is indispensable for each of us to acknowledge (at least intellectually) the fundamental basis for Christian contemplation, namely, the unconditional Love of God. Jesus taught us to address God as Abba. If God really is Abba; if His love is like the father of the prodigal son; if Jesus' passion and Eucharist are confirmations of that unconditional Love; if God really did so love the world that He sent His only begotten Son into the world not to condemn us, but to save us and bring us to eternal life (Jn 3:16-19); if nothing really can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Rm 8:31-39); and if God really has prepared us "to grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ's love, and experience this love which surpasses all understanding, so that we may attain to the fullness of God Himself" (Eph 3:18-20), then God's love is unconditional, and it is, therefore, the foundation for unconditional trust and unconditional hope. There can be nothing more important than contemplating, affirming, appropriating, and living in this Unconditional Love. This is the purpose of contemplation; indeed, the purpose of the spiritual life itself.

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Theology, Spirituality, Faith, Nonfiction, Philosophy

171 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2008

About the author

Robert J. Spitzer, SJ, Ph.D., is a Jesuit priest, philosopher, and educator, and retired President of Gonzaga University (Spokane, WA).

Fr. Spitzer is currently the president of the Magis Center of Faith and Reason and the Spitzer Center for Ethical Leadership.

http://www.magisreasonfaith.org/

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful discussion of contemplation and its importance. Very practical steps to take to grow in faith.

[Leslie Moellering · Rating 5 out of 5]

Father Spitzer's discussion of the beatitudes had ideas I had never thought of before and I hope to continue meditating on them and putting them into practice. I also appreciated his emphasis on praise and gratitude. His discussions throughout the book were deep but practical.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on prayer. Of course its written by a Catholic priest so some of his suggestions will be hard for a Protestant to carry out. This book basically gives suggestions on deepening your spiritual life through effective prayer. He gives five means in which to draw closer to God - 1) the Holy Eucharist, 2) spontaneous prayer, 3) the Beatitudes, 4) partnership with the Holy Spirit and 5) the contemplative life. Its very good.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Father Robert Spitzer, S.J., is a physicist/scientist and was the President of Gonzaga University. He is a Jesuit Priest. This is an incredibly rich resource for living the discerning life of St. Ignatius of Loyal and bringing discernment and prayer into everyday living. There is also a DVD of the Television series that accompanies this book sold separately.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. This author is clear as a bell and tells stories that make each pillar come alive.

[Brian Bloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book that was easy to read with practical advice you can build your faith around.

[John Teske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very practical book on deepening faith life. Found the explanations excellent. The book does begin a little clumsily; that being said, the second and remaining chapters are just fine.

Overall, I plan to save this and reread it.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great guide for anyone looking to improve their interior life. Fr. Spitzer gives great practical steps to move forward along with spiritual exercises. RCIA candidates would also benefit greatly by reading this book.

[Goodthelife · Rating 3 out of 5]

Difficult writing style

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great conteorary guide to Catholic spirituality.

[Bruce Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, engaging, and a must read that will enhance your spiritual and ethical awareness.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engaging and practical guide for going deeper into the spiritual life. I appreciated his reflections on the levels of happiness and his reflections on scripture.