Developed by St Ignatius Loyola 1491 1556 Compilation

§ Developed by St. Ignatius Loyola (1491 -1556) § Compilation of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices designed to help people deepen their relationship with God § Traditionally given as a “long retreat” of about 30 days in solitude and silence § In recent years, there has been a renewed emphasis on the Spiritual Exercises as a program for lay people § Now given as a “retreat in daily life, ” which involves a month-long program of daily prayer and meetings with a spiritual director

§ St. Ignatius on the Exercises: “[The Spiritual 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. ” § Exercises focus on spiritual integration – integration of contemplation and action, prayer and service, emotions and reason

§ Organized into four contemplation and prayer “weeks” of - Not seven day weeks - Represent stages on a journey to spiritual freedom and commitment to the service of God § Done as an extended retreat with a spiritual director

§ Week One: - A time of reflection on our lives in light of God’s love for us - Ends with a meditation on on Christ’s call to follow him § Week Two: - Teaches us how to follow Christ as his disciples - Meditations on Christ’s birth and baptism, his Sermon on the Mount, his ministry of healing and teaching, and his raising of Lazarus from the dead

§ Week Three: - Meditations on Christ’s Last Supper, Passion, and death - Sees Christ’s suffering and the gift of the Eucharist as the ultimate expression of God’s love § Week Four: - Meditations on Jesus’ Resurrection and his apparitions to his disciples - Walk with the risen Christ and set out to love and serve him in concrete ways in our lives

§ Prayer is a central component of the Exercises § Meditation: use of the mind to ponder the basic principles that guide our lives, such as divine love § Contemplation: use of the imagination to place ourselves in a setting from the Gospels or in a scene proposed by Ignatius § Discernment of spirits: noticing the interior movements of our hearts and discerning where they are leading us - Consolation: feelings of peace, closeness with others, balance, inspiration, energy, a focus on others, and an awareness of God’s activity in our lives - Desolation: feelings of turmoil, agitation, isolation from others, hopelessness, lack of energy, a focus on ourselves, and distance from God