Una storia, un racconto, una via

La felice contaminazione tra Scrittura ed Esercizi ignaziani in Carlo Maria Martini

Abstract

The relationship of Carlo M. Martini with the Spiritual exercises of Ignatius of Loyola is a matter which lies at various levels of the faith experience of the Cardinal. This article firstly analyzes the biographical data of the «discovery » of the Exercises as the completion of the «discovery» of Scripture, the dynamism of which the Ignatius’ booklet is a methodical and tidy synthesis. The exercises are an introduction to lectio divina. They highlight the orientation of lectio divina to a concrete way of life and its transforming capacity of the believer, through a conversion process that can be described by the tension between some decisive anthropological polarities. Finally, Martini locates in Christ humble and humiliated the synthetic key proposed by St. Ignatius to interpret the whole of Scripture. In this way, the Exercises are revealed effective instrument for introducing the believer in the story told by Scripture and to pursue the path suggested by it in order to come into harmony with Christ crucified and risen.