While still a layman, the founder of the Society
of Jesus, St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) had a profound religious conversion
that changed his life. Fortunately, for his followers, Ignatius later reflected on the process
of his conversion and recorded his experience. The result is a small
book known
as
The Spiritual Exercises, which
is the basis of Ignatian spirituality. This gift
of Ignatius to the world is a “method” that allows one to discover the voice
of God within one’s own heart. Ignatius
believed one can “speak with God as a friend to a friend.” This
intimacy thus can help one move into a deeper spiritual freedom that leads
to more appropriate life choices.
Making the complete Exercises involves an hour of prayer each day for
seven or eight months and a weekly meeting with one of our spiritual directors. During that time the director gives guidance and suggests Scripture
passages about creation, one’s dignity as God’s creature, and God’s
forgiving love. At the heart of the
Exercises is prayer with the Scripture passages on the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus. Ignatius
also includes meditations that are unique to the Exercises that help move the
retreatant in the direction of a greater freedom from what distracts him or her
from a full response to God’s love.
The retreat is tailored to each person. Preparation time and duration of the retreat can vary. Some prior experience with spiritual direction or making directed
retreats is helpful for preparing to make the full Exercises. This “19th Annotation Retreat,” as it is called, is made
in the midst of one’s daily life. As
many that have done the retreat can attest, it can be a life-transforming
experience.
As one writer put it, The Spiritual Exercises can help
in some or all of the following ways:
