The History And Concepts Of Christian Spirituality
“Spirituality is that aspect of consciousness and will that yearns towards meaning, purpose and connectedness”. Christian Spirituality is a lived experience. It is finding God deep in your heart. It is not something that can be taught but something you can find. It is not a destination but a journey. Rolheiser (1998) defines spirituality as, “what we do with the fire inside of us. ” How we choose to live our lives, leads to a greater integration or disintegration in how we are connected to God, others and the universe. This fire is what Rolheirser (1998) calls our soul. Rolheiser (1998) describes four essential pillars that underline Christian spirituality. These were also the non-negotiables of Christian discipleship for Jesus. They include private prayer, social justice, mellowness of heart and support of community. These supply our life with balance. If one is missing then there is no true spiritual life. Only when all four of these are present in our lives, can we live as true Christian human beings.
The history of Christian Spirituality
Christian spirituality links back to the emergence of the early church and a want and need to communicate with God. Leonard (2013) lists the six oldest traditions to include Desert, Benedictine, Franciscan, Dominican, Carmelite and Ignatian. The desert fathers and mothers occurred during the third to the fifth century, people left the comforts of being in a community and moved into the harsh deserts to build a stronger relationship with God. St. Anthony was the leader of this movement and although it was mostly a hermetical lifestyle, they did join together occasionally for Eucharist, prayer and discussion. The purpose of this withdrawal was to first find God but to then find oneself before God. St. Benedict’s movement included having a structured day to include periods of liturgy, community life, meals, reading and work to allow the monks and nuns a closeness with God. However, above all this he believed that first we are called to listen to God. True spirituality is not about keeping rules but about understanding of what God is doing in one’s heart.
At the heart of Franciscan spirituality is the love of poverty, simplicity, peace and being in harmony with creation. This reminds us of the issues around caring for the environment as stewards of the world. It is not just about finding God in nature but also taking a stand for justice and care for our earth so we can give it to our children in better shape than we found it. Dominican spirituality is contemplation on the truth in all its forms: personal and communal prayer, studying, reading, teaching and preaching. Just like the previous generations, they were committed to poverty and became known as the “begging preachers, ” living off whatever donations they received. Carmelites were a movement of hermits in Europe who wanted to live like the desert fathers and mothers. A Carmelite life included solitude, continuous prayer, silence, fasting, abstinence from meat, manual work, vocal recitation of the psalms and attendance at Mass. This form of spirituality focused on turning away from the world as a way to encounter the presence of God more fully. Ignatian spirituality came from St. Ignatius of Loyola. He created ten elements that were all about developing an intermate relationship with God. Although some would say that Ignatius took his commitment too far and became obsessive and compulsive, with help he was able to reflect carefully on how good things like prayer, penance and fasting can become instruments of self-destruction in the name of God. This experience speaks for people who have found their way back from a dark place in their lives.
Spirituality and Relationship with God
To be spiritual you do not have to be religious and to be religious does not necessarily make you spiritual, however, to have Christian spirituality is to live within an intimate relationship with God. A relationship that you will return to in prayer. One of the anchors of the spiritual life is private prayer. If we do not have this intimacy with God we begin turning Christianity into an ideology and end up missing what it is all about. We could go through life, through the motions but we would be unable to inspire others or even pass our faith onto them. However, in today’s busy modern life, how do we maintain this active prayer and growth of spirituality?
When our focus in life is spiritual growth, not only should we pray to God in difficult situations but even in everyday situations. These prayers should not be about worldly expectations but about personal spiritual growth and become part of our spiritual practice. Prayer and spiritual growth is essential to transform ourselves and the world. In faith we get to know God through believing in Jesus and welcoming Him into our heart. When we receive Jesus into our heart, God’s Holy Spirit lives within us. His Spirit empowers us to recognise Him better as we read the Bible. The more we understand that we are in His presence, the more faith and strength we have for everyday living. As we live more and more according to the principles found in the Bible and as we understand his nature more, we gradually become like Jesus.
Spirituality and Justice
Although we might initially recognise spirituality within ourselves and our private prayers, it is essential to go outside ourselves and serve others in the world. Spirituality and a relationship with God cannot be seen as just prayer but needs to include action. Are we living a truly human life if we do not have a real concern for those who are poor, oppressed, discriminated against, sick, disadvantaged or left on the margins of society. We need to make a conscious choice in our lives to be in solidarity with them. It is about understanding and we are all one family in the world. We build a community that empowers everyone to attain their full potential through each of us respecting each other's dignity, rights and responsibilities makes the world a better place to live. Solidarity "is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all". How is this essential to our spirituality?
Because God’s preferential option for the poor comes from not just loving the poor but God being compassion. All those who were made to suffer here on earth, whose dignity was taken away, who were unwanted and rejected will enter the kingdom of God. This also speaks to our moral and ethical conscience. A person in morally good because he or she honestly strives to discern the good and do it. Bretzke (2004) explains that in Christian spirituality is not only about rational deliberation but situating the decision-making process in such a way that we are open to God’s own spirit present in our world. Conscience-based moral living is all about trying to responds as honestly as possible to what we believe God is asking of us.
Spirituality and Catholic Education
Children today embrace the freedom and responsibility for constructing their identity and beliefs. In Catholic schools these young people from diverse cultures and experiences come together and are able to express a myriad of views, seeking to understand themselves, others and the spirituality that lies at the heart of religious expression. In my school, I see children who are spiritually attuned, have no spiritual awareness or have different spiritual expressions that may or may not relate to religious affiliation. All these children have the ability to be spiritual beings, aware of themselves and the world around them. Christian Spirituality is important in schools and important in children’s lives. In particular, this refers to the meaning and value in one's own life and quality and depth of interpersonal relationships. Madden (2017) explains that as young children grow, they begin to learn compassion and empathy. It is obvious to see that they have an innate willingness to help other people.
The Catholic faith upholds the importance of the love of one another and this understanding or belief can inform and strengthen the instinctive quality of caring. Some children may come to school lacking in these skills but will explicit teaching they can easily learn and develop kindness. Spirituality can also be related to students’ self-awareness and wellbeing, their attitudes, personal beliefs and values. Religious Education allows opportunities for children to share their feelings or what they experience and know that it happens to a lot of people, but then spirituality just takes it that step further about what is the right response or what is the right way to frame it and even though it is tricky what can we do next? Spirituality can also be viewed as a personal relationship with God. Students build this relationship through the different experiences they have in the classroom by knowing they are loved by God, talking to God and being one with God.
Conclusion
These traditions can all speak to our lives today when we think about the various issues in our world today including pollution, climate change and global poverty. These are ways to teach our about and challenge our own faith journey when we seek both a life of prayer and a need to be and do something more in our lives. Rolheiser (1998) explained four essential pillars that underline Christian spirituality. Private prayer is very important. Even Jesus asks us to ‘pray in secret’. This is because it is where we build and maintain our personal relationship with God. Students begin to learn there are many different ways to pray to connect with God including meditation. Creating justice for the poor is just as important. Jesus’ teachings were very strong and consistent throughout the Gospels to call us to action and to give preferential treatment to the poor and downtrodden. At school we teach this through caritas programs. Having a mellowness of heart and spirit is about gratitude and having an open heart. It involves doing selfless acts for others and not giving into feelings of anger or guilt. Jesus teachers this through the parable of the Prodigal Son. He teachers us to have compassion for all. Lastly Jesus calls us not just as individuals but as a community. How we relate to others is part of how we relate to God. For Jesus, one of the great commandments is clear: love thy neighbour.
