Page 5 - Confirmed in the Joy

Exercises. In this classic work, Ignatius proposed a method
of examining one’s faith life that was to be done using
the format of a thirty-day retreat. Ignatian spirituality
has become one of the hallmarks of Christian spirituality. Ignatius died in 1556. His order had increased from six to one thousand men by the time of his death.
The Gift of Piety
St. Patrick, the great saint of Ireland, had a prayer that we call St. Patrick’s Breastplate. His words, in part, were these:
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit, Christ when I stand,
Piety is the ability to see the world through the eyes of faith and to recognize God in all people and all created things. Both Saint Patrick and Saint Ignatius Loyola serve as models of piety.
One of the aspects of being a Catholic Christian is seeing the world through sacramental eyes. What does this mean? A sacrament is anything that God uses to make God present to us. Our church has seven formal sacraments. Baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, reconciliation, marriage, holy orders, and anointing of the sick are all ways that God is present to us in a special way.
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