Spiritual Exercises
In Everyday Life
About the Exercises
In 1521, St. Ignatius experienced a profound conversion as he was recovering from a battle injury with two books, the Lives of the Saints and the Book of the Gospels for companionship. His practice of prayer and praying the Scriptures helped him to grow closer to God, recognize God’s movement in his everyday experiences and find the spiritual freedom to respond wholeheartedly to God’s call. This collection of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices around the life of Christ and the Holy Scriptures developed into what is now known as the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius from which emerged the Jesuit Order and the foundation of what is now referred to as Ignatian Spirituality. The two formats of the full Exercises is a 30-day silent retreat, and a retreat format spread out over approximately 9 months, to be incorporated into daily life (19th annotation or the Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life). From centuries ago to modern times, those who make this retreat in either form experience a profound conversion. I direct people through the 9-month format which consists of daily prayer with Scripture, journaling, and a weekly Spiritual Direction session. From this practice, the following pillars of Ignatian Spirituality organically emerge in your life:
- Seeing God in everything
- Growing closer to God in faith, hope and love
- Spiritual Freedom
- Healthy attachment and detachment from created things
- Spiritual Discernment and decision-making
- Being a contemplative in action
Who are the Spiritual Exercises for?
Making this retreat is a significant commitment and choosing it takes discernment. Many people have the desire, but the right time of life must be discerned. Conversely, one may have the time, but the call is not present. I can help you discern whether this is an appropriate commitment in an initial conversation. That being said, the following are some categories of people who are drawn to the Spiritual Exercises:
- Anyone who wants to deepen their relationship with God
- People making an important life decision and seeking God’s will
- People preparing themselves for a life of service or ministry and who want that service to be focused on God
- People already engaged in any active ministry – pastoral work, teaching, chaplaincy, ordained ministry
Commitment
This particular Ignatian retreat is a profound experience that requires the dedication of time and discipline alongside your normal life and work. Those who do embark on this retreat commit to the following:
- One period of daily prayer and journaling (40-60 minutes)
- Weekly spiritual direction sessions (Discuss experiences over the past week and receive material for the coming week.)
Financial Cost
The spiritual direction sessions are weekly and 45-60 minutes in length. The cost is $50/session. However, a sliding scale is available and an arrangement can generally be made that fits an individual budget.