For the extra section wey dey for back of Exercises for Spiritual Life, Saint Ignatius give seven rules for how to share alms. These rules na especially for people wey hold office for Church and wey part of their official ministry na to share alms (money and other things wey person need for life). But for the last rule, e still make am clear say these rules apply the same way to anybody and everybody wey God call to use their material possessions give with open hand. This one go include anybody wey get property and money wey pass their most basic needs.
The first four rules wey follow na the main part of wetin Saint Ignatius teach about this matter. The last three make the teaching clearer and help us see am well.
First Rule. The first: If I dey share the alms give my relatives or friends, or give people wey I get affection for, I go need to pay attention to four things, wey dem don partly mention for the matter of how to make a choice.
The first na say the love wey move me and make me give the alms suppose come from above, from the love of God our Lord, so that I go first feel inside me say the love, whether small or plenty, wey I get for these people na for God’s sake; and God go show for the reason why I love dem more.
Your love for your neighbour dey flow from your love for God, and na there e get im foundation. When you love another person and because of that give dem something, whether na spiritual gift, material gift, or any other human gift, make God be both your aim and the One wey move you to give. Love for God dey show for love for other people. In fact, the last words of this rule, “God go show,” mean say Ignatius see works of charity as a way to bring God’s presence into the world. Charity na one way to continue the Incarnation of Christ our Lord and give God the greatest glory, wey be the highest goal and purpose of life.
Second Rule. The second: I want picture for my mind one man wey I never see or know before, and wish make e reach full perfection for the ministry and condition wey e dey. As I go want make e keep balance for the way e dey share alms, for the greater glory of God our Lord and the greater perfection of im soul, na so I myself go do, no more, no less. I go keep the same rule and measure wey I go want for the other man and wey I judge say right for am.
This na really great spiritual exercise! The main thing for this exercise na to no let your heart cling to things, and to judge matter without letting your personal wishes turn your judgment. This rule dey use some principles of Saint Ignatius.
First, e dey use imagination to picture the scene.
Second, e put before you one man wey you want make e do everything “for the greater glory of God our Lord” and for the “greater perfection of im soul.”
Third, e include the principle of spiritual freedom from personal preference. I no prefer more or less, or this one or that one. Instead, I dey try make I no prefer any one, so that wetin I personally prefer no go control me.
Fourth, e dey use this freedom from personal bias to decide wetin to do. The same rule wey I go like make e follow, and the standard wey I judge say go give God glory, na wetin I myself go follow.
If you dey try decide wetin to do for one particular situation, like whether you suppose give from your material wealth for that situation, or even give your time and talent, try do this meditation with your imagination and use the conclusion wey you reach take guide yourself.
Third Rule. The third: I want consider, as if I dey about to die, the way and measure wey I go then wish say I don follow for the office wey I dey manage, and use that one guide myself, so that I go follow am for the way I dey share alms.
Fourth Rule. The fourth: As I dey look how I go find myself on the Day of Judgment, make I think well about how I go then wish say I don use this office and responsibility to manage things; and the rule wey I go then wish say I don keep, make I keep am now.
Again, use your imagination take think deeply about this exercise in prayer. When I dey about to die, which decision go give me the most peace? This exercise dey useful for many decisions for life. But this exercise dey assume say when person dey for im deathbed, prayer go don help am become freer from all worldly ambitions. Sadly, no be so e dey always be. We fit imagine say some people fit die still holding tight to the name wey dem go leave for this world and the things wey dem don achieve. But if person dey always seek the love and glory of God, to dey for deathbed na condition wey dey humble person and help am see many things as dem really be.
If to look your life from the point when you go dey near death no motivate you enough to see clearly the best way to live and wetin dey give God the greatest glory, then try the exercise for Rule Four and think about Judgment Day. This extra focus dey help remove any selfish ambition or desire for worldly glory wey still remain. As you use your imagination meditate like this, na only God own point of view go remain for you. Wetin God think? You no go fit convince God say you do right as you follow this or that selfish path. For Judgment Day, you go answer fully for everything wey you choose and do. This way to look things dey give you plenty reason to dey completely honest with yourself and about the decisions wey you dey make for life. And for this case, na decisions about how you dey use your money and property.
Rule Five. The fifth: When person notice say e get special liking and attraction to some people wey e want give alms, make e hold back and think well about the four Rules wey we don mention above, make e use them examine and test this liking; and make e no give the alms until e don follow these Rules completely remove and drive away this liking wey no dey properly ordered.
This rule na invitation to go back to the first four rules and think deeply about them again. This time, Saint Ignatius dey invite you to review the rules with the principles wey e don already teach you about how to discern spirits. Go through the exercises wey the first four rules suggest again, and pay even more attention to the inner movements for your soul. Where you dey sense spiritual consolation as you use your imagination for these exercises? Where you dey clearly find God peace and rest well inside am? The aim na to make sure say no affection wey no dey properly ordered dey push us. You free from attachment? You dey judge things without bias? You ready to accept any choice without favouring one? Make you sure of this. No let any kind selfishness or disorder for your affections deceive you.
Rule Six. The sixth: Although no fault dey for person to receive the goods of God our Lord to share them, when God our Lord call the person to this kind ministry; still, doubt fit dey about whether fault or excess dey for the amount wey e go take use for imself from wetin e suppose give others. So, e fit use the Rules wey we don mention above to put im life and condition in order.
The rule above mainly concern people wey hold office inside the Church, like priest or person for religious life, and e give basic guidance about how much dem suppose receive to share out. To put am simply, the rule recommend say make dem use Rules One–Four as guide so that dem no go fall into excess or fault, and even to remove any doubt about these matters.
Rule Seven. The seventh: Because of the reasons wey we don mention and because of many others, for matters wey concern person and im condition for life, e always better and safer to manage more, reduce wetin e dey use for imself, and draw nearer to our High Priest, wey be our example and rule, Christ our Lord; this agree with wetin the third Council of Carthage, wey St. Augustine take part in, decide and order—say make Bishop furniture no cost much and make e simple like poor person own. Make dem consider the same thing for every way of life, as dem look the condition and state of the people and decide according to am; as for married life, we get the example of St. Joachim and St. Ann, wey divide wetin dem get into three parts, give the first part to poor people, give the second to the ministry and service of the Temple, and use the third take care of themselves and their household.
Lastly, Saint Ignatius give one general rule: if any doubt dey about the matter, e always better to give more generously and live more simply. Then e use the second paragraph show say these principles still apply to every state of life.
Di Main Points
As you dey grow for holiness, e go surely affect your life. As you dey pray, meditate on the life of our Lord, seek to give God glory for everything, and try hard to surrender everything to Him and His holy will. If you do so, you go change. Everything about you go change. One of those things na how you dey live for this material world and how you dey use wetin you get. Saint Ignatius no give any clear rules about how to use your money and property. Instead, e give you one basic way to discern, so that you fit come understand God will concerning wetin you get.
Na way wey dey bear plenty good fruit, because none of us suppose fear to seek wetin God want. Nobody suppose draw back from the one goal of giving God the greatest glory for everything, including how we dey use the things wey we own. So, no draw back from these lessons. Try your best to surrender everything to God, seek wetin He want, free yourself from attachment to the things wey you personally prefer, and allow God to take charge of your life. No doubt dey say if you fit do this, your life go become far better.
Chapter Nine: Some Notes Wey Concern Scruples