The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, one of the great masterpieces of the Christian canon, today continues to offer some of the most accessible and insightful guidance for going on retreat -- whether as a part of a group or by oneself. Based on the rich fruit of St. Ignatius' own meditations and practice, this guide for spiritual perfection has been treasured and faithfully used for centuries by members of the saint's Jesuit order and by millions more.
Divided into four weeks of reflections and four key meditations -- on the Kingdom of God, the Two Standards (of Christ and Satan), the Three Classes of Men, and the Three Modes of Humility -- the whole retreat has at its center the emulation of Christ. Retreat masters, retreatants, and readers will benefit particualrly from Anthony Mottola's new translation, which renders the timeless masterpiece into language both accessible and faithful to St. Ignatius' original expression and spirit.
The Exercises have been universally recognized as a brilliant and inspired guide to the development of a deeper Christian spirituality ever since St. Ignatius completed them in 1533. Great saints -- as well as countless religious and lay people -- have been spiritually shaped through their dedicated use. This four-week system of meditation and prayer continues to be the very backbone of Ignatian retreats, where earnest seekers come to examine their lives, contemplate the future, face decisions, and revitalize their souls. Both religious and lay people make Ignatian retreats to renew their Christian dedication and enthusiasm, but even those who cannot make such retreats have profited greatly from a careful reading of the Exercises.
It is impossible to exaggerate the influence of
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius since its completion in 1535. In these exercises, as the editor writes, "St. Ignatius' personal insights into ascetical theology found their clearest expression; in them, too, each new generation of Jesuits is formed according to the spirit of St. Ignatius." A man of great practical genius, Ignatius created the book as the basis for retreats given to priests, lay people, and monastics. Organized according to five major themes (Creation, Mankind, The Kingdom of God, Christ, and the Trinity), the exercises are divided into four "weeks" of meditations--although these weeks may last a few days or a few months. The overall goal is to lead the retreatant through a series of meditations on the life of Christ, beginning with reflections on the disorder and chaos of one's own life and progressing to a series of meditations on Christ's life, inviting the retreatant to a knowledge and love of Christ. The third week of exercises focuses on the crucifixion, and the fourth and final week develops meditations on the resurrection, leading ultimately to "the assimilation of the soul to God... so that one lives one's life exclusively for God in joyous service."
This is not so much a book to be read as a path to be entered. Still used around the world (and not just by Jesuits), it remains one of the clearest roads to a deeper spiritual life. --Doug Thorpe
