A Jesuit Charism Course that fits the USCCB Curriculum

 Context:  Implementation of USCCB Curriculum in 2011  Influenced by:  A course at John Carroll Univ.; Howard Gray, SJ  Currently  Walsh Jesuit (since 2012)  Marquette High (Paul Farrell, since 2015)  The desire to create a “text-ish-type book”

 Six or Seven Units, Two Weeks Each  Week One: Ignatian Content and Reflection ▪ Notes and readings from Ignatian authors ▪ Reflection questions based on ideas from readings ▪ Journaling, partner sharing, group discussion ▪ Youtube video/song analysis ▪ Occasional prayer from the Exercises  Week Two: Film and Application of Content ▪ About 30 minutes of film ▪ About 10 minutes of discussing the theme ▪ Usually, one “recap day” to work on theses for paper

 Vocation (Universal Call to Holiness)  What am I called to do?/How am I called to be?  Identity (Principle and Foundation)  Who am I? Who/How does God desire me to be?  Sin and Redemption (1 st Week, Disord. Attach.)  How do I hurt relationships? How might love restore these relationships? ▪ To what am I attached? (Is this “ordered” or “disordered”? Would this help me towards who I want to be, or repel me?) ▪ What are my habits? (Do I consider these healthy or unhealthy?)

 Discernment (2 nd Week, Rules for Discernment)  What do I want to want? How do the “Spirits” influence me, and how can I best respond?  Journey (3 rd Week)  How is the discovery of a vocation a process? Where are hope, fear, and despair present?  Community (3 rd Week)  How are the communities I belong to affecting me?  Confirmation (4 th Week, Contem. to Attain Love)  Where can I reasonably predict that joy, peace, fulfillment, and love will be present?  How is love shown “more in deeds than words” and “mutual sharing”?

 Readings Include:  James Martin (Jesuit Guide to [Almost] Everything)  Dave Fleming (What Is Ignatian Spirituality)  William Spohn and Paul Wadell  Selected readings from IgnatianSpirituality.com  Josef Pieper (On Hope)  Sparough, Manney, Hipskind (What’s Your Decision)  Films Have Included:  Good Will Hunting; Chef; Flight; About Time; Inside Out; Lion King; Accepted; In Bruges; Blindside; Meet Joe Black; Midnight in Paris; Green Street Hooligans; etc.

 Conscience – In My World  “Be the person God made you to be, so that you do not simply ‘go through the motions’”  Live Wisely  Learn to allow others’ experiences to shape their own ▪ Emphasis on film analysis; Films as illustrations of Ignatian concepts  Think Deeply  Ponder one’s own identity and how that identity can be actively engaged in the world ▪ Emphasis on “Principle and Foundation” and “Discernment of Spirits”  Love Generously  Take ownership of actions that will “actualize potentialities” ▪ Emphasis on papers and discussion

 Goals for Students:  Introduce key ideas of Ignatian Spirituality  Practice seeing God through movies ▪ A skill they will use for as long as they watch movies  Give them tools to begin thinking of their own vocations  Goal for Myself:  Learn about the students as individuals from their own discussions of their experiences, passions, priorities, etc.

 Any questions or clarifications?  Any recommendations?  More incorporation of exercises from the Exercises  Any potential pitfalls I should keep in mind?  Pushback from parents/administration  Admitting to students I do not have their answers

PASSIVELY  How most people watch movies  Letting the film come to you  Sit back, relax, do nothing  Seeking to be ‘entertained’  Using film to ‘escape’ from life  Especially present in dumb- comedies, action movies, horror films  However…any well done movie, no matter what genre can be seen actively ACTIVELY  How most people should watch movies  The viewer goes to the film  Tries to actively engage the film  Seeking to learn about life  By viewing characters we can reflect on our own lives  Especially present in movies that are: complex, foreign, artsy, dramas, character studies