Springboards might best be described as launching pads — words or sayings that challenge us to look further, to leave behind the shallow and superficial in our lives and go deeper. Ignatian spirituality has often been described as ‘obsessively reflective’; while author Christopher Gleeson is not sure about the accuracy of the term ‘obsessively’, he agrees that Ignatian spirituality is certainly reflective. He believes that all who share in the Ignatian mission to be reflective people and to grow in this quality during their life will enjoy these prayers and reflections for the beginning of class or meetings or simply at the start of your day. They are meant to be springboards for reflection and action, which inspire people to be bothered enough to make a difference for good in their world. The Reflections, Scripture, and Prayers in Springboards have been written and compiled with the idea that they can be read aloud by teachers and students; shared at home between parents and children; or enjoyed by the individual seeking to nurture their own spirituality. Reflection pages are included for those who wish to journal in their book. While this little book of reflections and prayers follows an Ignatian pathway, it begins with the wonderful words of a famous Dominican theologian, Edward Schillebeeckx: ‘People are the words with which God tells his story’. The tried and tested user-friendliness of Ignatian spirituality in these pages will assist readers to understand that God created us because He/She loves stories. Whether we are tellers or listeners, we are all caretakers of God’s story.
