Fr Greg Soetomo SJ, Socius to the President of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific, has written and published a two-volume book in Indonesian language titled, “Menemukan Hidup Baru dalam Kristus” (Discovering a New Life in Christ), in celebration of Ignatian Year 2021 – 2022.
In this interview, Fr Soetomo shares details of his work, and how people can make use of it, especially this Ignatian Year.
Tell us more about the book.
The book contains 365 reflections for 365 days, the whole year, based on St Ignatius Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises. Readers, by meditating daily, are expected to know Christ more deeply, follow Him more closely, and love Him more dearly. We want to listen to what Christ wants to tell us in our daily life. The book is published in two volumes to make it lighter to carry and easier to travel with. Volume one contains reflections for January to June, and volume two contains reflections from July to December.
Who is expected to benefit from them?
Given that St Ignatius wrote the Spiritual Exercises before he became a priest, I hope all Catholics, lay people in particular, will find this book helpful in their spiritual journey.
How is the book structured?
The book follows the order of the Spiritual Exercises as written in the Introductory Observations. It is divided into four parts: first, the consideration and contemplation of sin; second, the life of Christ our Lord up to Palm Sunday; third, the Passion of Christ; and fourth, the Resurrection and Ascension. The Exercises consist of meditations on Scripture passages and prayers, imaginative mental exercises, and contemplative practices.
In the book, there is an invitation for reflection at the end of each daily meditation using excerpts from the Spiritual Exercises. There is also an anecdote relating a personal story or commentary on moral, social and/or political issues. Finally, readers are invited to reflect and pray on any insight gained or questions that arose from their meditation.
At the end of each meditation, there is space for “My Spiritual Fruits Today”. How do you hope readers will make use of this space?
Ignatian spirituality pays close attention to the practice of “reflection”. That is, methods and tools for reaping the spiritual fruits after one’s contemplation or meditation. By writing, drawing, sketching, or composing a song or poem using that space, we are re-planting the seeds of our spiritual fruits. A year later, when they return to the same day, they may be surprised to see it with different eyes of wisdom, and gain different spiritual fruits.
Are readers expected to read and meditate every day for the whole year?
Each month’s reflections complement the following month’s meditations. So it is always recommended that one should meditate from beginning to end. Or, at the very least, read from the beginning of the month (whatever the month is), continuing until the end of the year. This journey of search and discovery will only mature after three consecutive years of embracing and contemplating on this book. A practice of “repetition and depth” is something St Ignatius advocates in the Spiritual Exercises.
Can the book be read without being confined to the dates indicated?
Of course no one forbids doing it that way. People who find they have plenty of time may want to finish the book in a week or in a month. They will still get a lot of benefits by using such a method. But the book is not originally intended for use in this way. The daily reflections are meant to be “chewed on” throughout the day, enjoying the sensation it brings. It is good to remember the advice of St Ignatius: “For it is not knowing much, but realising and relishing things interiorly, that contents and satisfies the soul.”
Finally, can you tell us a little bit about the context and process of writing this book?
The period of quiet that came following the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020 provided the perfect circumstance to write the book. I wrote it mostly during the lockdown from mid-March to late June 2020 in Manila, when the entire 85-hectare campus of the Ateneo de Manila was closed, and what prevailed was the sense of serenity from the tall trees and green fields surrounding the campus. It was certainly an ideal place that almost all writers dream of. Writing this book became a kind of a personal long retreat.
With Covid-19, the old world in many ways has been stripped and purified. How the new world will be built is up to us humans to decide. This book aims to spread hope after this “painful purification”. It’s an experience similar to what St Ignatius went through. Being struck by a cannon ball in 1521 started him on a spiritual journey that continues to help and inspire us today – 500 years later.
Readers in Indonesia can purchase “Menemukan Hidup Baru dalam Kristus” by sending a message to Djoto (+62 8151803137), Yenni (+62 85780190002), or Yovita (+62 8159707078).