The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola are a means of opening oneself to the work of God in one’s life. Ignatius, a Basque nobleman of the late 15th and early 16th centuries underwent a powerful spiritual conversion in his late twenties. Recovering from a battle wound over the course of many months, Ignatius spent hours contemplating his life’s purpose and the compelling examples set by saints such as Dominic and Francis. He determined to leave the life of privilege to which he had become accustomed, and commended himself and all of his energies to serving God. Ignatius’ desire was to “help souls” and he engaged in spiritual conversation with almost anyone he met. The experience of his own conversion led Ignatius to share what he learned with others and, eventually, refine his personal prayer journal into what we now call the Spiritual Exercises.

There is a pattern to the Spiritual Exercises, consisting of four essential movements or “weeks,” each with its own spiritual gifts (Ignatius called them “graces”) and challenges. Ignatius originally conceptualized the retreat as a one-month experience, so these weeks were merely approximations of time, always to be adapted by the director.  These are not rigid stages for a retreatant to follow. Rather, they represent a map for identifying one’s spiritual place and progress.

There are two primary ways to make the Exercises. The first is the “30-Day Retreat,” in which the retreatant goes through the Exercises in their entirety in about a month of continuous, silent prayer, usually in a retreat house.

For those whose schedule does not allow for 30 consecutive days on retreat, there is a second option. Ignatius appended 20 notes, called “annotations,” to the Spiritual Exercises. In the 19th, he writes that the format in which the Exercises are made can be adapted, so that the Exercises can be made in the midst of daily life. The 19th Annotation, sometimes called “the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life,” is not an abridged version, or second-best to the 30-Day retreat. It is the full Exercises made over a longer span of time—typically about nine months.

Bill is an experienced “giver” (director) of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises and looks forward to discussing the options for accompanying you in the Spiritual Exercises.