What are the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius?

St. Ignatius of Loyola

• 15th-16th Basque nobleman

• Developed his exercises white recovering from a cannonball wound

• Observed how God guided him like a patient teacher, so he refined his personal prayer journal in the same structure

St. Dominic and Francis

Saintly inspirations for St. Ignatius to abandon his life of privilege to serve God and “help souls” through spiritual conversations

Four Essential Movements/Weeks (AG SU)

Function as a map for spiritual progress rather than rigid stages, esp. for retreatants

1. Self-awareness

2. Self-giving

3. Self-sacrifice

4. Self-understanding

Self-awareness (1st Week)

• Focuses on longing to be known and loved by God

• Seeking spiritual freedom from obstacles that hinder one’s relationship with God

• Experiencing God’s endless love despite personal shortcoming

• Opening the heart to conversion

Self-giving (2nd Week)

• Centers on loving Christ intimately and crafting one’s life story into his

• Praying with the mind, heart, and all senses to hear Christ’s call and discern choices that deepen their relationship with him

Self-sacrifice (3rd Week)

• Remaining present with Christ in his suffering and death

• Inviting him into personal moments of suffering

• Experiencing the depth of his sacrificial love

Self-understanding (4th Week)

• Understanding one’s indissoluble relationship with Christ and all of creation

• Living with a resurrected spirit of hope

• Preparing to bring retreat graces into everyday life

Primary Formats of Ignatian Retreat

1. Traditional 30-Day / Month-long retreat

2. Abbreviated 8-Day Retreat

3. Retreat in Daily Life (Nineteenth Annotation Retreat)

Ignatian Spirituality

Defined as incorporating the priorities and worldview of the Spiritual Exercises into daily living

The Examen of Consciousness

• Daily prayer practice of Ignatian spirituality

• Involves (1) expressing gratitude to God, (2) reflecting on daily experiences to recognize God' s activity, and (3) asking for future light

• Viewed as essential to pray twice daily to maintain the spirit of the exercises in everyday life

• “Bread and butter”