As we Ignatian educators head out for a much needed break this upcoming week, it seems like a good time to recall St. Ignatius’ Presupposition of Good Will and pray for the graces needed to presume good will of all those we will encounter this holiday season.
The Presupposition of Good Will is as follows:
… it should be presupposed that every good Christian ought to be more eager to put a good interpretation on a neighbor’s statement than to condemn it. Further, if one cannot interpret it favorably, one should ask how the other means it. If that meaning is wrong, one should correct the person with love; and if this is not enough, one should search out every appropriate means through which, by understanding the statement in a good way, it may be saved.
from The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius translated by George E. Ganss, S.J.
In other words, when we encounter another person in conversation, we should:
- First, assume good will of the other;
- Ask for clarity if needed;
- If necessary, correct with kindness;
- And then, work together towards the goal of mutual understanding.
Today, a prayer for the graces needed to assume good will this holiday season is offered by Gretchen Crowder of Jesuit Dallas.
Let us pray:
Lord,
Sometimes the holiday season,
is the most difficult season,
to assume good will.
Still I hear you so clearly inviting me
to do just that.
Grant me the graces I need to see you
alive and moving in all those I encounter.
Grant me the graces I need to hear you
working in and through all my conversations.
Help me take regular time to pause in prayer
so that my responses to others remain rooted in love.
And when a conversation does not go as intended,
grant me the grace to learn from the experience,
to let go of what is out of my control,
and to trust in Your continued work in each of us.
Amen
St. Ignatius, pray for us!
