What are the Spiritual Exercises?

The Spiritual Exercises grew out of Ignatius personal experience as a man seeking to grow into deeper union with God and to discern God’s will. He kept a journal as he gained spiritual insight and deepened his spiritual experience. He added to these notes as he directed other people and discovered what “worked.” Eventually Ignatius gathered these prayers, meditations, reflections, and directions into a carefully designed framework of a retreat, which he called “ The Spiritual Exercises.”

Ignatius wrote that the Exercises: “have as their purpose the conquest of self and the regulation of one’s life in such a way that no decision is made under the influence of any inordinate attachment.” He wanted individuals to undertake these exercises with the assistance of an experienced spiritual director who would help them shape the retreat and understand what they were experiencing. The book of Spiritual Exercises is a handbook to be used by the director, not by the person making the retreat.

The Structure of the Exercises

Ignatius organized the Exercises into four “weeks.” These are not seven-day weeks, but stages on a journey to spiritual freedom and wholehearted commitment to the service of God.

Prayer in the Exercises

The two primary forms of praying taught in the Exercises are meditation and contemplation. In meditation, we use our minds. We ponder the basic principles that guide our life. We pray over words, images, and ideas.

Contemplation is more about feeling than thinking. Contemplation often stirs the emotions and enkindles deep desires. In contemplation, we rely on our imaginations to place ourselves in a setting from the Gospels or in a scene proposed by Ignatius. We pray with Scripture. We do not study it.

The discernment of spirits underlies the Exercises. We notice the interior movements of our hearts, and discern where they are leading us. A regular practice of discernment helps us make good decisions.

Taken from www.ignatianspirituality.com

How to make the Exercises?

In their complete form, The Spiritual Exercises may be made in either of two primary ways. The first way is to set aside a period of some thirty days of silent withdrawal for a concentrated experience of prayer and reflection under the direction of an experienced guide.  Alternatively, for those who are unable to put aside so much time, the full Exercises can be made in daily life over an extended period of time, again under the direction of an experienced guide. The Exercises in Daily Life require a commitment to daily spiritual practice of about one hour as well as a weekly or fortnightly meeting with a spiritual director. This spiritual adventure can last from eight months to two years, depending on the pace at which a person moves through the experience under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Following the lead of St. Ignatius himself, who suggested that the Spiritual Exercises should be adapted to the circumstances in which people find themselves.

The Exercises can also be undertaken as an online retreat.

Manresa the Jesuit Centre for Ignatian Spiritualyty offers other kinds of retreat: eight days, four days, three days, weekends, single days and even a few hours. These retreats are based on the insights and dynamic which are at the heart of Ignatian spirituality. www.manresa.ie

If you would like more information about the Exercises contact Terry Howard SJ at:

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