Second Contemplation

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, [1914], at sacred-texts.com

SECOND DAY

SECOND CONTEMPLATION IN THE MORNING

FROM THE SUPPER TO THE GARDEN INCLUSIVELY

Prayer. The usual Preparatory Prayer

First Prelude. The first Prelude is the narrative and it will be here how Christ our Lord went down with His eleven Disciples from Mount Sion, where He made the Supper, to the Valley of Josaphat. Leaving the eight in a part of the Valley and the other three in a part of the Garden, and putting Himself in prayer, He sweats sweat as drops of blood, 20 and after He prayed three times to the Father and wakened His three Disciples, and after the enemies at His voice fell down, Judas giving Him the kiss of peace, and St. Peter cutting off the ear of Malchus, and Christ putting it in its place; being taken as a malefactor, they lead Him down the valley, and then up the side, to the house of Annas.

Second Prelude. The second is to see the place. It will be here to consider the road from Mount Sion to the Valley of Josaphat, and likewise the Garden, whether wide, whether large, whether of one kind, whether of another.

Third Prelude. The third is to ask for what I want. It belongs to the Passion to ask for grief with Christ in grief, anguish with Christ in anguish, tears and interior pain at such great pain which Christ suffered for me.

First Note. In this second Contemplation, after the Preparatory Prayer is made, with the three Preludes already mentioned, the same form of proceeding will be kept through the Points and Colloquy as was kept in the first Contemplation, on the Supper.

And at the hour of Mass and Vespers two repetitions will be made on the first and second Contemplation, and then, before supper, the senses will be applied on the two above-said Contemplations, always prefixing the Preparatory Prayer and the three Preludes, according to the subject matter, in the same form as was said and explained in the SECOND WEEK.

Second Note. According as age, disposition and physical condition help the person who is exercising himself, he will make each day the five Exercises or fewer.

Third Note. In this THIRD WEEK the second and sixth Additions will in part be changed.

The second will be, immediately on awaking, to set before me where I am going and to what, and summing up a little the contemplation which I want to make, according as the Mystery shall be, to force myself, while I am getting up and dressing, to be sad and grieve over such great grief and such great suffering of Christ our Lord.

The sixth will be changed, so as not to try to bring joyful thoughts, although good and holy, as, for instance, are those on the Resurrection and on heavenly glory, but rather to draw myself to grief and to pain and anguish, bringing to mind frequently the labors, fatigues and pains of Christ our Lord, which He suffered from the moment when He was born up to the Mystery of the Passion in which I find myself at present.

Fourth Note. The Particular Examen on the Exercises and present Additions, will be made as it was made in the past Week.

Second Day. The second day at midnight, the Contemplation will be from the Garden to the house of Annas inclusive (P. 154), and in the morning from the house of Annas to the house of Caiphas inclusive (P. 155), and then the two repetitions and the application of the senses, as has been already said.

Third Day. The third day, at midnight, from the house of Caiphas to Pilate, inclusive (p. 155); and in the morning, from Pilate to Herod inclusive (p. 156); and then the repetitions and senses, in the same form as has been already said.

Fourth Day. The fourth day, at midnight, from Herod to Pilate (p. 157), doing and contemplating up to half through the Mysteries of the same house of Pilate, and then, in the Exercise of the morning, the other Mysteries which remained of the same house; and the repetitions and the senses, as has been said.

Fifth Day. The fifth day, at midnight, from the house of Pilate up to the Crucifixion (p. 158), and in the morning from His being raised on the Cross until He expired (p. 158), then the two repetitions, and the senses.

Sixth Day. The sixth day, at midnight, from the Descent from the Cross to the Tomb, exclusive (p. 159) and in the morning from the Tomb, inclusive, to the house where Our Lady was, after her Son was buried.

Seventh Day. The seventh day, a Contemplation on the whole Passion together, in the Exercise of midnight and of the morning, and in place of the two repetitions and of the senses one will consider all that day, as frequently as he can, how the most holy Body of Christ our Lord remained separated and apart from the Soul: and where and how It remained buried. Likewise, one will consider the loneliness of Our Lady, whose grief and fatigue were so great: then, on the other side, the loneliness of the Disciples.

Note. It is to be noted that whoever wants to dwell more on the Passion, has to take in each Contemplation fewer Mysteries; that is to say, in the first Contemplation, the Supper only; in the second, the Washing of the Feet; in the third, the giving of the Blessed Sacrament to them; in the fourth, the discourse which Christ made to them; and so through the other Contemplations and Mysteries.

Likewise, after having finished the Passion, let him take for an entire day the half of the whole Passion, and the second day the other half, and the third day the whole Passion.

On the contrary, whoever would want to shorten more in the Passion, let him take at midnight the Supper, in the morning the Garden, at the hour of Mass the house of Annas, at the hour of Vespers the house of Caiphas, in place of the hour before supper the house of Pilate; so that, not making repetitions, nor the Application of the Senses, he make each day five distinct Exercises, and in each Exercise take a distinct Mystery of Christ our Lord. And after thus finishing the whole Passion, he can, another day, do all the Passion together in one Exercise, or in different ones, as it will seem to him that he will be better able to help himself.