Really Learning: Reading Scripture on Three Levels

Know the biblical passage.

Know the passage well. Notice the details of the story. Be able to retell the passage.

What is God saying to us in this biblical passage?

What is God revealing to his people? A good guide to this is Mike Carotta's How to Apply the Bible to Your Life

How this apply to me here and now? What is God calling me to do, to be, to become?

What is God saying to me here and now? What is He callng me to do? Hw do I need to change my ideas, my values, my behavior?
This takes some time and courage. Fr. Joe Tetlow's Praying with Scriptures can be very helpful here.

Three Levels Applied to the Life of Ignatius

I. The Literal Story

Here you will retell the relevant parts of the story of Ignatius straight from the text. You need to use concrete and specific people, events places from the text to set up your key point.

II. What is the Meaning of the Story? What is the author trying to say to everyone?

Here you will tell the one key idea that all in section one illustrates. It is here you will write about what Thomas Zanzig says about the key idea. State and explain the idea, using specific content from the text. Make sure you write about why it is important for Ignatius and, possibly, for us. You should make clear how Ignatius life illustrates this key idea with concrete and specific people, events places from life of Ignatius.

III. What is This Saying to Me Here and Now

In the above paragraphs you should not have used the word "I." In this section all you use is "I." Here you are taking the key idea from Zanzig that was demonstrated in Ignatius and applying it to your life here and now! You will cite concrete and specific people, events places from your life to back up and illustrate the idea. You will show how this experience of reading Zanzig and the life of Ignatius communicated this key point to you and changed the way you think, feel maybe even act. This, remember, is what "real learning" is all about.
Recommendation: It is always a good idea to have someone proofread any major paper you do. Let them make minor minor corrections in pencil. Then you decide which corrections to pen in, or you might decide to do the corrections on a new version. If you do the latter, pencil in a note that you did this. Please tell who did the proofreading.

Matthew Sciuto
October 10, 1996
Th 100-1

Assignment: example of assignment asking students to take one important idea from Zanzig and show how the life of Ignatius illustrates this idea.

Loneliness and The Promise of Uniqueness

I. The Literal Story: Ignatius finds himself after being alone and lonely.

Ignatius' early life was full of excitement, fun and friends. He was a courtier, a conquistador, a musketeer. His secretary-biographer wrote: "Though he was attached to his faith, he lived no way in conformity with it and did not avoid sin. Rather, he was much addicted to gambling and dissolute in his dealings with women, contentious and keen about using his sword." It was only after being seriously injured at the Battle of Pamplona did he being to change his ways.

It was during the long months of recovery from his near-fatal injury that he experienced a true conversion. "When one is lying alone for months in a sickbed, the silence begins to scream..." Alone, with much time to do little else but read, and think, he began to look back over his prior life and examine it, especially in light of the new vision presented by the two books he read, The Life of Christ and The Lives of the Saints. It was during this time he experienced his first retreat, "he was meditating for the first time on eternal truths" and really began to see the truth.

II. What is the Meaning of the Story: Loneliness is something to be embraced and valued.

Zanzig points out to us the the false assumption in our society that loneliness is bad in itself and should be avoided at all costs. Instead he suggests there is a real value in loneliness, not just as a sign of our uniqueness but can be a great learning experience. He suggests that "in that some of the great lessons in life, in fact, can only be learned in pain, in tears, or in loneliness." At first Ignatius tried to escape from the loneliness by the mind-numbing leisure of his day: adventure novels. Would Ignatius have undergone the kind of change, conversion he did without experiencing such loneliness?

III. What Is This Saying to Me Here and Now:
I need to be alone at times.

This reminds me of the need for time alone. Whether it be at Mass or walking in the woods, a visit to the chapel or time before I fall asleep, I need to make time to be alone and think and reflect upon my life as it is happening. I might even need a formal retreat every year to really get away and be alone with myself, far from the distractions of daily life and closer to getting in touch with who I am, what I am doing and God's will for me.

I know that when I have done this in the past I do benefit from it. My perspective is changed, and I tend to be more open and caring and considerate. If it1s been a tough day at football practice or in class and I find myself getting upset or feeling hurt, taking some alone, to calm down, to think about what Jesus would want me to do and to feel, always helps me to feel better and figure out what I should do.

This happened the other day at football practice. Some things happened and I felt very frustrated and angry. So toward the end of practice I just went off by myself, sat down and thought: "What am I really doing and what should I do, what should I feel?" I thought to myself, "Jesus, what would you have me do?" I came back to practice the next day very different. I know it helped me and I think it helped the team.

(Note: I did not double or 1 1/2 space so I could get all one one side.)

Guidelines for the Typed Assignment.

1. Properly head the assignment. Give name, date, class and title of the assignment at the top left of the page.

2. If you type it, use one inch margins on sides and on the top and bottom. Double space or 1 1/2 space between lines of the paper.

3. The assignment had three parts. Set up your paper by doing three separate sections with each section properly headed

Please send any comments, suggestions
or corrections to Matthew Sciuto

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