Article #54
Subject: Three or Five powers of the Soul?
Author: Andrew W. Harrell
Posted: 5/11/2010 08:08:02 PM

YHWH School of Christianity Prayer tweet for Shavuous/Pentecost 2010

3 ways* God's Holy Spirit expresses itself in us at Pentecost: 1) do
[doingjustice,2)love[loving]kindness,3) walk[walking]humbly Micah 6:8

“For I have told you what is good ** and what the Lord requires.”

* In addition to the twelve powers of Christ in us as explained by Unity
School of Christianity in the books “Jesus Christ Heals” and “Christian
Healing” by Charles Fillmore.
** See January 2007 posting at http://www.ourprayergroup.blogspot.com for
some definitions of goodness.

In addition to the three Divine powers of God’s Holy Spirit in us that the
faithful can receive as a blessing on Shavuous/ Pentecost Saint Ignatius
Loyola taught that we have five powers of the soul (human powers) (he said
three but he actually referred to five) that we can use in various methods of
communion and contemplative prayer with God. 1) memory, 2)understanding, 3)
will, 4) imagination, 5) reason or intellect.

See The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, translated by Louis J. Puhl, S.
J. pages 25-33 available at the bookstore of the Cathedral of Saint Andrew,
downtown Jackson, MS.
Furthermore an excellent reference in context to this is given in an appendix
the Upper Room’s Companions in Christ 10-week Leader’s guide “The Way of
Discernment”.

In order for the two ways of making a choice referred to as “Ignatian
Teachings on Discernment” and explained on pages 118 and 121 on
the “Companions in Christ, Way of Discernment” workbook and on pages 75-78 of
the reference cited…to be effective… they should be preceeded by the four
exercises of the general examination of conscience explained on pages 25-33
of the reference by Puhl and by the exercises on the particular examination
on pages 15-21 of his book.

Here are some additional thoughts of God, Christ, and us on this:

Our God given Human Christian power of Imagination --- A two-fold process of
mental and verbal denials and affirmations which are rooted in our thought’s
faith and knowledge of the certainty of the eternal truth of its continued
existence in Christ Jesus. The denials and affirmations are made in
conjunction with the memory of what is contained in our thoughts about our
individual and collective past and our present moment. It occurs in order
that, through the grace of God, we can have faith (believe in) something new
and hopeful (not me, not this, not not) that is going to happen in the future
according to Divine Law (lovingly and wisely)

Also see the more complete list of metaphysical definitions in the April 2007
posting of http://www.ourprayergroup.blogspot.com referred to above. Also see
the November 2006 St. Andrew’s day posting for more thoughts and comments on
the particular way of viewing religious/scientific/philosophical Truth.