HSE8 - The Two Standards: Christ or the Enemy - The Heart of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola with Fr. Anthony Wieck S.J.

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The Two Standards: Christ or the Enemy – The Heart of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola with Fr. Anthony Wieck S.J.

Fr. Anthony Wieck and Kris McGregor explore a needed “paradigm shift”: move from self-congratulation to grateful partnership with God. Any fruit in ministry or marriage flows from prayerful union with the Lord, not from personal prowess. Comparison with others springs from insecurity; humiliations can become doorways to humility, much like Jesus’ foot-washing example that takes the lowest place. In preaching or service, the call is to be “convex”—pouring love outward—rather than self-monitoring how one is perceived.

They unpack St. Ignatius’ “Two Standards.” The enemy’s trajectory runs: sensuality (creature comforts and riches) → vanity (concern for image) → pride (self-exaltation), which binds the soul. Christ’s way inverts this: spiritual poverty and detachment → readiness to accept misunderstanding and insults → true humility, which grounds every virtue. Relationship precedes identity and mission; from intimacy with Jesus, we are sent to “help souls.” Practically, resist consumerist seduction through “downward mobility,” ask Our Lady to obtain the grace to be received under Christ’s standard, pray the Anima Christi, and make an examen: “Lord, show me where I cling to comfort, image, or self.” Open hands, open heart—let go, so God can fill.

Discerning Hearts Catholic Reflection Questions:

Where have I taken credit for good works instead of returning praise to God?
In what concrete ways can I deepen daily prayer so that my service flows from relationship with Jesus?
When do I compare myself with others, and what insecurity is driving that?
How have recent humiliations invited me to grow in humility rather than self-pity?
Where do creature comforts, spending, or possessions quietly govern my choices?
What practices of “downward mobility” could I adopt this week to foster detachment?
Do I subtly seek admiration for ministry or family sacrifices, and how can I redirect that desire to God?
When online or in conversation, do I slip into gossip or schadenfreude instead of interceding for the person?
Am I living “concave” (self-monitoring) or “convex” (self-giving) when I speak, teach, or post?

Fr. Anthony Wieck is a Jesuit priest of the Central & Southern province. Sixth of nine children, raised on a farm in Oregon, Fr. Anthony began religious life in 1994, spending his first five years of formation in Rome, Italy, studying at the Casa Balthasar and the Gregorian. The former was under the watchful patronage of Pope Benedict XVI (then-Card. Joseph Ratzinger). Fr. Anthony currently acts as retreat master at White House Jesuit Retreat in St. Louis, Missouri. He also offers spiritual direction at the St. Louis diocesan seminary for 25 future priests there.