1. Meaning of foundation
2. Experiencing this part of the journey
3. Handling the host of materials offered

In Section One we dealt with the introduction and fundamentals of meditation exercises.  This was "preparatory" work.  The Ignatian Exercises also begin with "principle and foundation" .  In today's world if we want the dynamic of a spiritual life to go beyond the superficial we cannot dispense with this introduction.  Those who choose to pursue individual exercises can receive helpful guidance from a spiritual companion (spiritual director), from the rich atmosphere of a retreat center or from a small group that gathers for mutual support.  If you want to go on this journey alone you will need to have the "tools" and "building materials" at hand for preparing the foundation and for continuing the building process yourself.  The focus of this section will be the materials for "filling"  in the foundation".

The introduction, therefore, involves many items.  The higher the house is to be built the stronger must be the weight bearing capacity of the foundation.  Throughout this book references will be made again and again to the basic materials that are mentioned and practiced in the first section.

For many years I personally found it difficult that in the three day meditation course the practice of the fundamentals took up so much time.  At the end of a course I frequently felt that I had not gotten any farther than into the entry way.  Of course the truth of the matter is that it is not possible to go much farther in only three days.  In the individual exercises it became clear that only after "excavation work" was done could the really significant things begin to happen.  When the foundation work is done well it supports the whole house solidly and securely.

What makes a foundation solid is filling the excavated areas with strong, weight bearing material.  What I mean here, without continuing the visual image, is that the incomprehensible love of God which is present at the beginning of every spiritual journey is necessary to sustain us through all the pain and darkness we will encounter on the way.

The love of God is a unique phenomona.  This is not something that can be "proven mathematically".  We can only experience this as it affects our life.  This happens in different ways.  We may experience love as soft and gentle, hardly perceptible.  At other times love intrudes in such a "disruptive" way that we are totally changed from one day to the next, just as it happened to Paul.  That is, of course, beyond our control.  How we experience God's love depends entirely on God's free choice.  But how do we truly build upon and deepen such a "foundation"?

It is at this point that meditation begins the task of making us conscious of God's love for us through faith so that we become more and more permeated by this love.  Meditation should not remain in our head alone, but we must experience it as "getting under our skin", as one participant expressed it.  Not until this faith- knowledge "touches our heart" will dimensions be reached in us that go beyond our consciousness - feelings, emotions, dreams, subconscious.  Only when we expose ourselves completely to the love of God will the structure, the "house", of our spiritual life have a firm base on which to stand.

When Jesus uses the image of solid ground (Mt. 7: 24-27) to characterize the persons who not only know the will of God, but do it, that does not contradict what was just said.  Only through the doing, the transaction, the "effect", does faith become "real" and "viable".  Faith not only effects us at the intellectual level but fills our whole being.  To meditate on and do the will of God are two sides of the same coin.  You cannot separate them.  Meister Ekhart claimed that meditation is actualized in doing and true "work" finds its origin in "being", the deepest level of meditation.

Rather than reading something theoretical about what you have never experienced begin first with your own spiritual experience.  Throughout this book when you are directed to experiences you have already had, this is done so that when you engage in the exercises you will remember what you already know in general is possible for you and can then be alert to more of these experiences when they arise.  Theresa of Avila  wrote, "I know that even those who do not believe (that with God such things are possible) may indeed actually experience it themselves; for God is delighted when no limits are put on God's works and possibilities".
 
• - One thing that may happen in the meditation exercises during the next three weeks is the experience of a deep, completely new, inner joy.  Be thankful for that and express gratitude to God whenever joy is given you.  Nothing opens us more to receiving gifts from God than thankfulness for what we have already received.

• If you have been fortunate to have had profound experiences of joy then you no doubt know that you need to prepare inwardly for these times of fullness which draw you to God's self.  Reckon with the fact that such moments almost always come after times of inner drought and emptiness.  In times of abundance praying comes easily.  In times of emptiness God expects us to practice faithfulness.  As long as we are deeply filled and content with our prayer life we cannot know for certain whether we are truly seeking God or just our own satisfaction.  In times of emptiness God purifies our love to make it unselfish  - "only you [God]".

• When we consciously focus on the love of God over a long period of time and follow its path, sooner or later the pressing question of the misfortunes in the world and subsequently God's justice are raised.  These questions have been asked ever since Christians first proclaimed the love of God.  How do we handle this?  Here I offer three preliminary suggestions:

- First, do not forget that the power of evil is still in the world.  Satan's power has already been broken by God, yet Satan has been allowed a certain time to do his work on earth knowing "that his time is short." (Rev. 12:12)

- Second, the love of God is a great mystery that goes beyond every effort to prove it.  Only occasionally do we experience this love so intensely that confidence in it becomes the foundation for our whole life.  This experience is not a matter of scientific dissertation which inevitably becomes entangled in contradictions.  Can we scientifically prove that we really love someone?  We can never prove love objectively and the search for such proof by its very nature undermines love.  But when we believe in love the conviction is so strong that it supports our entire life and thereby "proves" to be true.  Here is a point of frequent access by the Tempter who seeks to prevent a direct encounter with God in prayer by diverting our thoughts and especially our feelings, to alledgedly important, "objective" problems.  Such concerns have their place, but not in this context which has to do with a personal encounter between God and self.  We know from interpersonal relationships how quickly we side track a conversation, a genuine inner encounter with another, by raising some "objective" problem.  Then the intellect is stimulated and in the end we flee from what was on the way to building a deeper relationship.

Don't hesitate to apply these insights to your own life when it fits!  What we are dealing with here is the love of God which has addressed us and stirred us often in the past.  It is only when we are permeated by this love that we have the perspective to see other issues in a new way.  We all approach seemingly objective questions with our own preconceptions about which we are quite unaware.  Here we will try to reconstruct these unconscious presuppositions.  This is what it means to build a "foundation"!

- Third, when we reflect on the love of God we often become aware of the fact we live as though this love has hardly touched us at all.  How have we responded to this love and how should we respond to it in the future?  This question may prod us gently but it can frequently also overpower us.  When this happens we have a direct experience of the inner dynamic that propels our spiritual journey.  With this we are already focusing on what comes next in the third section.

What we experienced a few times in Section One will now be encountered in nearly every exercise that follows.  Along side the meditation which introduces us to the main theme by a picture or text, are found many additional options from which to choose.  For many participants in the course the multitude of options seemed overwhelming.  Here let me say a word.

In selecting material it is not the intention that you should meditate on all or even most of the texts or pictures in every session.  "Less is better than more" is an important ground rule for all meditation.  Why then are so many options offered?
 

• - Not everyone will identify with the same picture or text.  In my private exercises I was grateful that my spiritual companion (some would say guide or director) offered several Bible texts and images from which I could choose.  One woman participant reported in the course evaluation, "The wealth of material never gave me trouble.  Every evening I would look at or read through the various materials offered for the coming day.  There was always one text that spoke directly to me and that's what I meditated on the next day."

It is of the utmost importance that we choose the material ourselves that best suits our situation and not feel guilty about leaving out the rest.
 
• - Moreover, experience tells us that one person may want more material on which to meditate and another less.  It can happen, of course, despite all "good intentions", that remaining with a theme for a long time in order to probe the depths still does not yield anything even when one has spent the entire time pondering it.  An alternative text may then provide new inspiration.

• - On the other hand, another person may need less meditation material than is offered.  Generally the development of the spiritual life proceeds in such a way that one desires less and less material for meditation.  Oftentimes a person rebels when given too much material and that can be healthy (see suggestion).  However, this may not be so for everyone.  In any case be assured that God accompanies each person on their personal journey.  For those for whom the prepared material is too voluminous take courage: the less material we use the easier it is to move into the depths!

• - It frequently happens that the theme of the day touches us so existentially that we want to remain with it longer in order to take it all in.  When the theme speaks so directly to your situation let it be your choice to stay with the material as many days as it seems beneficial.  If needed try to find another quiet day soon to focus completely on the theme (see "desert day").  In this case the various options can help to deepen the same theme from different perspectives.