The Ignatian Spiritual Exercises
The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola
A Retreat In Daily Life
The spiritual exercises were crafted by Ignatius to help people in all stages of life connect with God. The emphasis of the Exercises is to help people find greater freedom in Christ, and greater intimacy and union with God. The Exercises are built on Scripture and Jesus, with the majority of the material coming from the Gospels.
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What are the benefits?
-Encounter with God in your personal story, creation, and current life circumstances.
-Learn to pray with scripture using contemplation, meditation, and imagination.
-Grow in discernment
-Finding God in all things
-To be able to reflect and verbalize your spiritual experience.
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How does it work?
-The Exercises can begin at any time.
-The Exercises typically take 8-9 months to complete.
-The Exercises are 32 weeks of material.
-You will be accompanied by a Spiritual Director throughout the Exercises.
-Examen at some time in the day.
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Spiritual Direction Options
-Track 1: Meet with your Spiritual Director weekly (32-34 sessions)
-Track 2: Meet with your Spiritual Director bi-weekly (16-18 sessions).
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What is the cost?
-Track 1: Fees are $75/session or $300/month
-Track 2: Fees are $75/session or $150/month
-Materials are estimated at $25 for the course ($15 for the book, $10 for journals and pens)
Ignatius Spiritual Exercises
The Ignatius Exercises are a school of prayer. The purpose of the Exercises is very practical: to grow in union with God, who frees us to make good decisions about our lives and to "help souls." Ignatius invites us into an intimate encounter with God, revealed in Jesus Christ, so that we can learn to think and act more like Christ. The Exercises help us grow in interior freedom from sin and disordered loves so that we can respond more generously to God's call in our life. The Exercises demand much of us, engaging our intellect and emotions, our memory and will. Making the Exercises can be both exhilarating and exhausting; it's no wonder that Ignatius compared making the Spiritual Exercises to doing physical exercise, such as "taking a walk, traveling on foot, and running”.
