Catholic Spirituality: Encyclopedia - Catholic Spirituality

Catholic Spirituality

The Spiritual life for Roman Catholics. Once a Catholic has accepted the faith (fides quae creditur) by making a personal act of faith (fides qua creditur), then one lives out faith throught spirituality. Although all Catholics are expected to pray together at Mass, there are many different forms of spirituality and private prayer which have developed over the centuries. Each of the major religious orders of the Catholic Church has its own unique spirituality - its own way of approaching God in prayer and in living out the Gospel.

Catholic Spirituality - Desert Spirituality

Desert Spirituality is characterized by prayer in solitude, asceticism, and a life of sacrifice. St. Anthony of Egypt (251-356) lived a desert spirituality. He lived as a hermit for ten years, practiced asceticism for his whole life, and grew his own food for sustenance. Centering Prayer is a part of desert spirituality. This is meditation on a single, sacred word that draws one closer to God.

Catholic Spirituality - Benedictine Spirituality

Benedictine spirituality is characterized by life in community, order, and obedience to superiors. St. Benedict (480-550) is considered to be the Father of Western Monasticism. He wrote The Rule and established his first monastary at Monte Cassino, Italy. Lectio Divina is a Benedictine prayer form based on praying with the Word of God. Lectio Divina has 4 "moments": Lectio (Reading), Meditatio (Reflection on the Word), Oratio (Praying), and Contemplatio (Silently listening to God).

Catholic Spirituality - Franciscan Spirituality

Franciscan spirituality is characterized by a life of poverty, love of nature, and giving charity to those in need. St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) was the son of a wealthy merchant. He rejected all of his possessions and founded a community of brothers (friars) who lived in poverty and helped the poor. Franciscan prayer recognizes God's presence in the wonder of creation. This is seen clearly in St. Francis' Canticle of the Creatures.

Catholic Spirituality - Dominican Spirituality

Dominican spirituality is characterized by poverty, love of good preaching, and a sense of devotion. St. Dominic (1170-1221) encountered heretics on a journey in France. His opinion was that the people were not to blame - the preachers were. If there are good, orthodox preachers, then the people will be good and orthodox also. So, he founded the Order of Preachers, known as Dominicans. The Rosary is an example of Dominican prayer, and some legends say that the rosary was given in its current form to St. Dominic by Our Lady.

Catholic Spirituality - Ignatian Spirituality

Ignatian spirituality is characterized by examination of one's life, discerning the will of God, and living the Resurrection. St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) was a wounded soldier when he first began to read about Christ and the saints. He had a conversion experience while healing and decided to found the Society of Jesus, known as the Jesuits. His classic, the Spiritual Exercises is a guide for making a retreat.

Catholic Spirituality - Carmelite Spirituality

Carmelite spirituality is characterized by distrust of physical comforts, desire for spiritual progress, and insight into mystical experiences. St. John of the Cross (1542-1591) and St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) were both Carmelite mystics whose writings are considered to be spiritual classics.

Catholic Spirituality - Redemptorist Spirituality

Catholic Spirituality - Opus Dei Spirituality

Catholic Spirituality - Charistmatic Spirituality

Not far from the Ignatian spirituality in regard to its understanding of faith, Charismatic spirituality is in fact the re-exploration of different Catholic spiritual currents whith an emphasis on personal experience generally shared in groups.

Catholic Spirituality - Modern Day Spirituality

Amongst modern regligious communities, tradional forms of prayer and spirituality have changed to reflect modern society. The fundamentals of Catholic faith still persist, however the actions by which some exercise their faith is different. It is now common for some Catholics to not attend church but to instead practise private prayer.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Catholic Spirituality", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki