The Spiritual Exercises are a life-changing way to encounter Jesus. If you are looking for a deep, heart knowledge of who Jesus is, a way to experience Scripture as alive and full of possibility for your real life as it is today, and transformational growth towards the person God has truly created you to be, then the Spiritual Exercises might be for you.
The Spiritual Exercises were created by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, back in the 13th Century. He based them on his own journey towards a deeper intimacy with Jesus. The Exercises build in you a daily life of contemplation and prayer, a whole-person (body, emotions, mind) engagement with the Scriptures, and a dynamic understanding of God’s calling in you life. They grow you in love of God, friendship with Jesus, a sense of your unique calling as a follower of Christ, and spiritual freedom – the ability to “want and choose only what leads to God’s deepening life in me” (“The Principle and Foundation,” trans. David Fleming, SJ.). To this day, the Exercises are a crucial part of the formation of Jesuit Priests, who undertake the Exercises as part of their training.
Making the Spiritual Exercises
Classically, the Exercises are undertaken as part of a 30-day retreat away from the world. The retreatant spends their day in reading, prayer, and contemplation, except for a one-hour daily meeting with their director.
Of course, many people simply can’t stop their lives for 30 days. So the Exercises have been adapted to other forms. The 19th Annotation, or adaptation, is popularly known as “The Spiritual Exercises in Every Day Life,” because it’s meant to happen in the context of daily living. It takes a retreatant through a nine-month journey that begins in the fall and proceeds along with the church calendar. So if you start the Exercises roughly in September, you’ll be contemplating Jesus’ birth in the Advent season and journeying with Jesus to the cross at Easter. You should plan to set aside time every day for the Exercises – no less than half hour, as well as some time in the evening to pray through a Daily Examen. There are also adaptations that are meant for a shorter, less intense period or to be undertaken as a group.
How I Offer the Spiritual Exercises
For individuals over 9 months: Using one of these books:
The Ignatian Adventure, by Kevin O’Brien, SJ – This recent version of the Exercises uses contemporary, down-to-earth language, and takes place over 9 months. The retreatant needs to own a copy of the book.
Choosing Christ in the World, by Joseph Tetlow, S. J. – This version was created in 1990, so can feel a little more dated in its language and examples, but it’s often especially beloved by pastors. If you always want to live more deeply inside Scripture, this might be the version for you, as Tetlow almost always offers additional Scripture passages for you to read and pray with. For this version, I will send the retreatant a digital copy of the readings for each week. No purchase is required.
Journey with Jesus, by Larry Warner – This version has been adapted specifically for Evangelical Christians (rather than Catholics, who are the default audience for most versions of the Exercises.) It offers options for different reading schedules, for example for someone who can only commit three days a week to the Exercises. The retreatant needs to own the book.
For all of these options, you will need to schedule a weekly meeting with your director.
For Individuals or Small Groups over 10 weeks:
An Ignatian Journey is a shorter version of the Exercises for individuals or groups of 2-4 (including the director). The retreatant needs to purchase the guide through a donation amount of their choice to Sustainable Faith. This version would be ideal for someone who has limited time, wants a shorter introduction to The Spiritual Exercises or is unsure of their ability to commit to the nine-month version, or is newer to contemplative prayer practices and spiritual direction. This version of the Exercises requires an individual to meet weekly with a director for a half an hour or a group to meet weekly with the director for anywhere from a half hour to an hour and a half, depending on the group’s size.