The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola
in Daily Life
Led by trained and experienced Ignatian spiritual accompanists
What are the Spiritual Exercises?
The Spiritual Exercises, written by Saint Ignatius more than 500 years ago, grew out of his personal and profound transformatory experience as a man seeking to grow in union with God and to discern God’s will. During this time, and as he accompanied other people, Saint Ignatius kept a journal and added notes as he gained insight and deepened his spiritual experience. These prayers, meditations, reflections, and directions were collated into a carefully designed framework of a retreat, which he called “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.”
The Spiritual Exercises are undertaken with the assistance of an experienced spiritual accompanist who helps retreatants to shape the retreat and understand what they are experiencing. The Spiritual Exercises give each retreatant the opportunity to grow into a more personal relationship with Jesus.
Who are the Spiritual Exercises for?
- All those who are serious about their Christian life
- Those who desire to grow in their relationship with Christ
- Lay persons, religious, priests, Christians from any tradition
- Those who have important decisions to make about their life
- Those who have the potential to spread the Gospel
- Those who seek to understand the path their lives have taken, are taking or, will take
- People on sabbatical or involved in a change of career
- Those making decisions during a period of transition
- People in positions of leadership
- Those in Christian formation programmes, as part of a community or volunteer organisation
- Those engaged in the ministry of spiritual accompaniment (direction)
The Structure of the Exercises
The Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life (19th Annotation) is organised into four “weeks” (not seven-day weeks): stages on a journey to spiritual freedom and wholehearted commitment to the service of God. Each person is on their own journey and so the time taken to complete the 19th Annotation fluctuates.
1 First "Week"
The first "week" is spent reflecting on our lives in light of God’s boundless love for us.
We notice our response to God’s love in the reality of a sinful world and become aware of our sinfulness.
We face these sins knowing that God wants to free us of all that obscures our loving response to him, and appreciate the fact that we forgiven and loved children of God.
The first "week" ends with a meditation on Christ’s call to follow him.
2 Second "Week"
In the second "week" we reflect on Scripture passages and use meditations and prayers that teach us how to follow Christ as his disciples.
During this "week" we follow the early life and ministry of Jesus by immersing ourselves in the heart of the Gospel.
This time is spent deepening our understanding of Jesus, growing in friendship and loving him more intimately.
3 Third "Week"
This focus of the third "week" is the Last Supper, passion and death of Jesus. Through meditation and Imaginative Contemplation, we come to understand the depth of Christ's suffering and the gift of God's self-sacrificial love.
4 Fourth "Week"
In the final "week" we meditate of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God's presence with us today, his love for the world and our loving response to others.
The invitation is to walk with the risen Christ and set out to love and serve him within our daily lives.
"All the characteristic themes of Ignatian spirituality are grounded in the Exercises. These include a sense of collaboration with God’s action in the world, spiritual discernment in decision making, generosity of response to God’s invitation, fraternity and companionship in service, and a disposition to find God in all things. Spiritual integration is a prominent theme of the Exercises: integration of contemplation and action, prayer and service, and emotions and reason."
Prayer in the Exercises
Meditation and imaginative contemplation are the two primary forms of praying taught in the Exercises.
Imaginative Contemplation
Imaginative contemplation is about feeling, emotions are stirred and deep desires are kindled. When we contemplate, we rely on our imaginations to position ourselves in a setting from the Gospel or in a scene proposed by Ignatius. "We pray with Scripture. We do not study it".
Meditation
When we meditate, we use our minds and consider the basic principles that guide our life. We pray about words, images, and ideas.
Discernment of spirits
We can make good decisions when we employ a regular practice of discernment. The discernment of spirits underlies the Exercises. In the process of discernment, we notice the interior movements of our hearts, and decide where they are leading us.
Spiritual Accompanists
Our team includes qualified Jesuits and lay people.
Application Process
A significant investment of time and energy is required on the part of the retreatant and accompanist.
Applicants should:
- have the experience of regular spiritual accompaniment
- have the ability to pray with Scripture and the experience of Imaginative Contemplation
- be in the general habit of daily prayer and be ready to commit to 45-60 minutes of prayer each day for the duration of the journey
- have submitted an application form
Investment
- This can be negotiated with your spiritual accompanist. The Jesuit Institute South Africa suggests a minimum payment of R200.00 per session.
