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The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius

Ignatius of Loyola,

Louis J. Puhl (Translator)

4.03 · Rating details · 3,432 ratings · 84 reviews

2010 Reprint of 1951 Edition. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, (composed from 1522-1524) are a brief set of Christian meditations, prayers and mental exercises, divided in four thematic 'weeks' of variable length, designed to be carried out over a period of 28 to 30 days. They were composed to help to discern Jesus in everyday life. Though the underlying ...more

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Paperback, 236 pages

Published June 16th 2010 by Martino Fine Books (first published 1548)

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Jan 20, 2012 Tim Byron rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: jesuit, religious

This is not a book to be read – but a book to be experienced. What is meant by this is that the manual was never intended to be read, curled up by the fire, you would be inevitably disappointed (as famously Thomas Merton was). It has no literary or aesthetic pretensions. Ignatius intended it to be a manual to help the person 'directing' the Exercises, not the person making the Exercises. It attempts, often successfully, to create a space where the creature and the creator can encounter each othe ...more

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Dec 04, 2016 Roy Lotz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: religion-mysticism-theology, eurotrip

Just as taking a walk, journeying on foot, and running are bodily exercises, so we call Spiritual Exercises every way of preparing and disposing the soul to rid itself of all inordinate attachments, and, after their removal, of seeking and finding the will of God in the disposition of our life for the salvation of our soul.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491 – 1556), the founder of the Society of Jesus, has a claim to being among the most influential Spaniards in history.

His beginning was quix

Just as taking a walk, journeying on foot, and running are bodily exercises, so we call Spiritual Exercises every way of preparing and disposing the soul to rid itself of all inordinate attachments, and, after their removal, of seeking and finding the will of God in the disposition of our life for the salvation of our soul.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491 – 1556), the founder of the Society of Jesus, has a claim to being among the most influential Spaniards in history.

His beginning was quixotic. The son of a Basque nobleman, his imagination was fed, like the Don’s, on tales of knight errantry and romance. This led to a career in the army, cut short by a canon ball that struck and permanently crippled his leg. His shattered bone had to be set, and then re-set twice, in order to heal properly; and by then his injured leg was too short, and he had to endure months of painful stretching. He walked with a limp the rest of his life.

During his convalescence, deprived of his usual adventure stories, he read about the lives of the saints. This, combined with the pain and immobility, worked a religious conversion in him. When he healed, he resolved to devote his life, no longer to earthly glory and the favors of young Doñas, but to God and the Catholic Church. Thus, eventually, the Society of Jesus was formed, which bears the military stamp of its founder in its dedication, organization, and devotion.

The Jesuits soon acquired a reputation for being excellent educators. Voltaire himself, no friend of anyone in a robe or a hood, received his early education from Jesuits, and always had a good word to say about his instructors and his tutelage. The success of the Jesuits in education is somewhat ironic, considering its founder’s lack of interest in formal schooling. In the words of this edition’s translator, St. Ignatius wrote in “limping Spanish,” since he had “only the elements of an education” and used the Spanish language “with little knowledge of its literary form.”

I should pause to note that this translation, by Louis J. Puhl, a Jesuit himself, is excellent. The language is clear, simple, and idiomatic. To achieve this, he had to depart somewhat radically from the original sentence structure, as well as abandon the sixteenth-century Spanish idioms used by St. Ignatius. He justifies this by noting that the book is meant to be a practical manual, not a work of literature, and I think he is right.

The Spiritual Exercises is meant for a month-long retreat. To that end, the exercises are divided into four weeks. We begin with an examination of our conscience. What sins are we committing? We are invited to compare our many sins with the fallen angels, now demons in hell, who committed only one sin. Then we are instructed to contemplate the sin of the rebellious angels and the first sin of Adam and Even in the Garden. What is the nature of those sins? What makes them tempting? What makes them abhorrent in the eyes of God? After that, we shall vividly imagine the tortures of the damned: the smell of burnt bodies, the screams and cries of the hopelessly sinful, the burning flames and the sea of writhing flesh. (The epic of Dante or the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch are helpful.) This is the first week.

The schedule is demanding: “The First Exercise will be made at midnight; the Second, immediately on rising in the morning; the Third, before or after Mass, at all events before dinner; the Fourth, about the time of Vespers; the Fifth, an hour before supper.” I don’t know how many hours that would be in total. Elsewhere, he says: “One who is educated or talented, but engaged in public affairs or necessary business, should take an hour and a half daily for the Spiritual Exercises.” I imagine this total number of hours would increase for somebody on a spiritual retreat.

Before I mention what I liked, I will state my reservations. For me, the fixation of sinfulness and the terrors of hell have always been the most disagreeable aspects of Christianity. I don’t think it is healthy to despise one’s own body, to focus relentlessly on one’s faults, or to act in accordance with a moral code for fear of eternal torment. For somebody, such as myself, who has grown up in the post sexual liberation era, quotes like the following are hard to swallow: “I will consider all the corruption and loathsomeness of my body. I will consider myself as a source of corruption and contagion from which has issued countless sins and evils and the most offensive poison.”

In one section, St. Ignatius even recommends hurting oneself for penance: “The third kind of penance is to chastise the body, that is, to inflict sensible pain on it. This is done by wearing hairshirts, cords, or iron chains on the body, or by scourging or wounding oneself, and by other kinds of austerities.” And in another section, he states that all believers must submit unhesitatingly and completely to the church: “If we wish to proceed securely in all things, we must hold fast to the following principle: What seems to me white, I will believe black if the hierarchical Church so defines.” Neither of these strike me as a good idea.

All these reservations aside—and if a pagan such as myself can judge—I think that this book can be profitably used by contemporary Christians seeking to have a deeper spiritual experience.

I myself tried to do some of the exercises in this book. This was a challenge. I am not a Christian and my knowledge of the Bible is not as intimate as could be desired. What is more, I did not have an hour and a half every day; the most I was willing to spend was half an hour. In any case, even if I was a practicing Catholic, these exercises are not meant to be used without a knowledgeable guide. My attempt to do the exercise was an experiment to see if I could interpret the mythology of Catholicism in a way that had meaning for my own life. And I am happy to report that, despite some struggles, I made considerable progress in experiencing this grand faith, which I have long admired as an outsider. And if a lost soul such as myself can do it, I'm sure that believing Catholics have much to gain. ...more

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Oct 06, 2008 booklady rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2005, classic, favorites, spiritual, non-fiction, prayer, religion, theology, worth-reading-over-and-over, hagiography

Beautiful and simple translation of the original. Based on my highlights and notes from 8 years ago when I did the Spiritual Exercises this was my favorite book of the three translations I worked with.

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Jun 26, 2013 James Millikan SJ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Be advised, The Spiritual Exercises is a sort of religious exercise routine for developing the spirit; it is not a treatise on theology or an account of the life of this great saint. At the hands of a prudent spiritual director, this manual is sure to bear much fruit in the life of an individual on retreat. I did not encounter The Spiritual Exercises in this way--either as a director or as a participant in a formal retreat--and so if you are considering using this text to administer the spiritua Be advised, The Spiritual Exercises is a sort of religious exercise routine for developing the spirit; it is not a treatise on theology or an account of the life of this great saint. At the hands of a prudent spiritual director, this manual is sure to bear much fruit in the life of an individual on retreat. I did not encounter The Spiritual Exercises in this way--either as a director or as a participant in a formal retreat--and so if you are considering using this text to administer the spiritual exercises, this review may not be helpful.

I finished The Spiritual Exercises on the feast of St. Ignatius on the night before completing the Camino de Santiago in Spain. I read a small section each night over the course of one month on the pilgrimage, and would contemplate what I had read the following day. I found this to be fairly helpful in developing a framework to pray about my own spiritual development and it gave me some insight into the fervor of the Catholic faithful in the Iberian Peninsula during the 16th century. Some of the exercises explained, such as contemplating the Our Father word by word over the course of an hour, proved to be very powerful in stirring the heart and mind, whereas other practices proved to be too taxing to complete without a spiritual director.

What I enjoyed most about the Spiritual Exercises--besides the bits of wisdom about concrete steps of how to conform a life to that of Christ--was the image it paints of the early Society of Jesus. The intensity of St. Ignatius's religious zeal, his deep concern for religious orthodoxy, and his practice of imagining oneself in key events in the life of Christ as presented in scripture, made this text not only spiritual nourishing, but also intellectually engaging as a snapshot of the state of Christianity at this point in Western history.

Recommended for those interested in the early years of the Jesuits, scholars of programs of religious formation, and historians seeking insight into the spirit of the Counter-Reformation. ...more

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Oct 25, 2013 Galicius rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: spanish, spiritual, religion, basque, nonfiction

As many of the readers below have indicated this is not a book to be read. It’s a rough guide for a retreat, or spiritual exercise that my take three or four weeks at the least to lead you to some sort of awareness that the founder of the Jesuits intended for you. The Catholic Thought reading group has selected this reading and we are in the fourth week of doing the exercises. You are welcome to join the group if you wish to get more than the limited space in this review area allows.

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Feb 28, 2014 Red rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mon-dieu

back in 1986 halfway my gt some cool people brought me to the black virgin of montserrat. that is nearby barcelona. i decided to stay there for a while. next day i went down the mountain in search for some cash. in returning the road was blocked by a huge bushfire. waiting for the things to come i met a couple from chicago, christopher and nina (yes in a red dress). silently we watched the moon rise and the fire grow. at midnight we had to run for our lives because also fire came from behind.

the ...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Daphne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A very good friend introduced me to Ignatian Spirituality after years of studying it himself. While I can't afford to make one of those retreats that are popular around my neck of the woods, I figure the book is the next best thing! First off, this book isn't meant to be read like any other book. And this book is really meant for spiritual directors - like my friend, as its a bit difficult to really know what St Ignatius is trying to point out if you have no backgound in this type of thing. The ...more

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Jun 02, 2007 C. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: spirituality_ignatian, spirituality_general

Excellent reference for the Spiritual Exercises ~ as close a literal translation of Ignatius' writing from 15th/16th century Spanish to English as I am aware. A note of caution ~ without taking the in the context and traditions of his time, expressions found in this book, like "The enemy conducts himself as a woman" can take on a completely distorted meaning ~ I have been told by various Ignatian spiritual directors that what he most likely meant was "The enemy conducts himself as a *disordered* ...more

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Jul 19, 2020 Emily rated it it was amazing

Shelves: catholic-read

Man. Wise words from one of the most fascinating and misrepresented Saints. If the Jesuits I knew in college spoke like St. Ignatius, there would be a lot more faithful and catechized Catholics. It's basically full of prompts for prayer, but dang that's what makes it so awesome. ...more

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Jun 12, 2013 Vincent rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: saints

The Good: can transform steadfast individuals potent meditations

The Bad: not a conventional read; a serious conviction is required to see it through

As Robert Gleason calls it, this book is "a complete guide and framework for achieving Christian perfection." The organization of the book is well-described in the introduction:

"The first week is designed to help the retreatant to purify his soul and put his life in order; the aim of the second week is to lead the soul to a greater knowledge The Good: can transform steadfast individuals potent meditations

The Bad: not a conventional read; a serious conviction is required to see it through

As Robert Gleason calls it, this book is "a complete guide and framework for achieving Christian perfection." The organization of the book is well-described in the introduction:

"The first week is designed to help the retreatant to purify his soul and put his life in order; the aim of the second week is to lead the soul to a greater knowledge and love for Jesus Christ; the third week is devoted to freeing the will from the psychological obstacles which stand in the way of a generous decision to follow Christ; and the fourth week is intended to purify the heart in the highest degree from false attachment to creatures, goods, or worldly ambition and honor."

While it is ideally for retreatants because they can devote time to these exercises, it can also be used on an individual basis. However, this is intended for people who have a serious conviction to model their lives in God's image. For all practical purposes, this book isn't for a single read-through, but rather to be used as a reference several times daily over the course of one to four months, depending on the spiritual progress of the "exercitant.

This is not a book you're just going to pick up, read, feel daunted about what is required, and give up. The effectiveness and powerful nature of the meditations hit you in such a way, that it fills you with zeal, and somehow gets you excited to perform the exercises on a daily basis. Obviously there is always some difficulty or reluctance when it comes to incorporating a new routine into your life. But you will feel the desire to remain firm and steadfast, to see this thing through to allow the Holy Spirit take a hold of you.

The book gives a brief history of the beginning of Ignatius' life and how he initially longed for worldly things. This is encouraging because it signifies that the Ignatian method doesn't merely work for superhuman persons of heroic virtue; it works for any person that has enough conviction to see these exercises through to the end.

To give you an of idea of the content, here is an excerpt of one of the meditations:

The second prelude is to ask God our Lord for what I want and desire. The request must be according to the subject matter. Therefore, if the contemplation is on the Resurrection I shall ask for joy with Christ rejoicing; if it is on the passion, I shall ask for pain, tears, and suffering with Christ suffering. In the present meditation I shall ask for shame and confusion, for I see how many souls have been damned for a single mortal sin, and how often I have deserved to be damned eternally for the many sins I have committed.

As you can see, St. Ignatius doesn't fool around. Historically, the Ignatian method has delivered results, and it's plain to see from his Spiritual Exercises that when one follows it today in a steadfast manner, he will most definitely be a changed man. ...more

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Dec 02, 2013 Malcolm rated it liked it · review of another edition

For non-Catholics, its difficult to get past the myriad of scandals that constantly plague the church's image, but if judgement is suspended temporarily, one can see the spiritual life of devout Catholics unencumbered by abuse and corruption, and its interesting. I read this book for the same reason I've been reading many of the famous books on Catholic spirituality by great saints and mystics. Because while the hypocrisy and misery of the Vatican is infamous, behind that are thousands of monast ...more

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Mar 12, 2015 Denny rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Seriously dedicated spiritual seekers with an inordinate amount of free time.

Shelves: nonfiction, christianity, how-to, spirituality, philosophy, theology, classics

Don't let my seemingly low rating fool you into thinking there's little or no value in Ignatius's thought and teaching. It's a bit disingenuous to say I read this book as a large portion of it consists of strenuous intellectual exercises meant to be carried out by the spiritual seeker and that I made no attempt to do, and another segment of the book is meant as a guide for directors of intensive spiritual retreats. Similarly, it's not fair to call this a review since I didn't do the exercises so ...more

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Jul 15, 2013 Melissa rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: religion, nonfiction

What I like about his book:
1) The Preparatory Prayer
This is my paraphrase --
First of all, when you pray, ask God to help all your motives, actions and goals to be directed only toward serving and praising God.

2)Ignatius encourages his readers to study other Christian classics, the gospels, and the lives of great Christians

3) Interesting quotes:
"... it is necessary to make ourselves indifferent to all created things in all that is allowed to the choice of our free will and is not prohibited to i ...more

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Jan 05, 2016 Christopher Floss rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola offers a means to encounter God through self-introspection and meditation on Scripture. Arising from Ignatius's own quest for God, the Exercises are meant as a guide for the seeker who desires to know God and His will. While they are meant to be used under the direction of a guide in a retreat context, the Exercises can be used as a part of one's daily spiritual regimen.

There are several themes throughout the "weeks" of the Exercises that resona ...more

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Sep 26, 2016 Alcebiades Diniz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A book for those seeking ecstasy in intellectual, physical and spiritual terms, and the continuous renewal of that ecstasy when the exhaustion seems the only possible way.

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Feb 03, 2020 James Imelda added it · review of another edition

The nature of the book leaves my review without a star rating. For those who don't know, this book is designed to be used as a sort of manual or guide while on a spiritual retreat. It's not just a spiritual book like something by St. John of the Cross that one would read daily and meditate with. Ideally, one has a director and is on a retreat, not doing it on one's own while living a life that contains work and other secular tasks. I did do it that way, though, and I still benefited from it—but The nature of the book leaves my review without a star rating. For those who don't know, this book is designed to be used as a sort of manual or guide while on a spiritual retreat. It's not just a spiritual book like something by St. John of the Cross that one would read daily and meditate with. Ideally, one has a director and is on a retreat, not doing it on one's own while living a life that contains work and other secular tasks. I did do it that way, though, and I still benefited from it—but I would not recommend that to many people—if anyone—nor would I recommend it to all Christians even if able to do it on a retreat.
The book guides one through on rigorous path to unite the mind, the emotions, and the will in order to detach from sins, from the worldly and temporal, and from oneself, so as to produce a disciplined servant of God whose desires and whose whole life are set on the Eternal. The methods St. Ignatius uses employ the senses and the imagination in various practical (though not easy) exercises, divided up into different 'weeks' (not necessarily seven days), with a different spiritual goal in mind. I would recommend it to anyone new to the faith, or new to taking their faith sincerely, if they are able to find such a retreat; or to someone who is more advanced in the spiritual life and desires such a means of disciplining themselves, getting out of their routine and comfort zone, and growing by trying the body, mind, and spirit. However, if such a person could not find a retreat and director, it would only be helpful if he already has a lifestyle and personal discipline conducive to such a retreat on some level. Even so, they would not benefit as much as they might want; nor did I benefit, I think, as much as I could have in a better setting and with a guide. If one were to do it oneself, I give the following cautions: Read through the entire book first (this is necessary to undertake the exercises), and maintain caution. St. Ignatius is rightly honoured for his catechesis on discernment and for his zeal for God. However, I do not agree with everything in this book, and doing it alone could be dangerous for someone not already practised in spiritual discernment. And while St. Ignatius' teachings on discernment and prayer are great and many of us have learned them without knowing it was in part through him, one can read elsewhere about his rules for discernment (for instance, Fr. Gallagher's 'Discernment of Spirits'). Finally, do not read the Louis Puhl translation that I read.
Also, there is a section of mysteries of the life of Jesus, which I did not read all of—but neither would many going through these exercises, and I think what I've written still holds. ...more

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Oct 10, 2017 Dennis Podryadchikov rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: spiritual-formation

This work by a sixteen-century monk can help anyone who is ready to spend a month in spiritual exercises. Primarily written for those in ministry, the book can be adapted for interested believers. Ignatius of Loyola readily presents instructions (so-called "rules") and delineates thirty days filled with times of focusing on different gospel narratives. His goal is to see God in everything. His means is what today we call contemplation or reflection. It is better to try these exercises under a gu ...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Martha Smith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: christian-history

Religion/History
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, one of the greatest masterpieces of the Christian canon, today continues to offer some of the most accessible and insightful guidance for going on retreat-whether as 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. Definitively a worthwhile ...more

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Apr 03, 2015 Luke Langley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Spiritual Exercises is a program for a 30 day retreat beginning with reflections of sin, the mercy of God, lectio divina reflections on the life death and resurrection of Christ and discernment of spiritual practices and interior movements of the heart. It is however a guided retreat and without the opportunity to go through it formally the book alone can seem dry or incomplete and that is because it is more of an outline than fully fleshed reflections. So as a book, a tough read, but the re ...more

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Jul 14, 2007 Andrew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: religion-theology

My first reading foray into Catholic writing were the Spanish mystics and Merton, wonderful but also very... well... mystic. Then there are so many, much more dry books of religious instruction out there that are classics as well. To me this book represented a very good middle ground to that. Straightforward, simple, direct but also very soulful and does not try to delineate some cold, formulaic form of spirituality.

Why did I stall so long to read this?

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Sep 09, 2007 Stevie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: spiritual-kog, books-owned

Short and interesting meditation manual by the great St. Ignatius. He talks a lot about meditating and putting yourself in the shoes of the folks during biblical times. I think his view of poverty, penance, and marriage are not wholly biblical. Good read though.

Pros:
Instructive towards meditation
Insights into the enemy

Cons:
Legalism at ever so often

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Dec 01, 2009 Diane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius focus on two things, putting yourself in the place of the events of the Bible and meditating on God's will and seeking to obey it. The book is written as a devotional, although I read it all the way through in two days, rather than devotional style. However, I thought the book has much to offer in either capacity. ...more

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Dec 30, 2017 B.J. Richardson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a book meant to be lived, not just read as one would normally read a book. Ignatius wrote the exercises as a manual for those on a spiritual retreat. It is not profound theology. It is not a literary masterpiece. It is a program for fine-tuning one's spiritual discipline so that they may, in turn, return to the world and live a godlier life. Don't just read this book, practice it. ...more

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Feb 17, 2013 G rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

the purpose of the exercises is the conquest of self and the regulation of ones life such that no decision is made under the influence of any inordinate attachment. what more needs to be done with ones life?

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Jun 05, 2016 Don rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

spiritual warfare verses world flesh devil, be aware of battle field on, need all armor of God as Paul described as virtues, devil lets no crisis go to waste to create doubt anger unforgiving pride despair.

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Dec 05, 2015 Mel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The bit I found most useful and enlightening was the section on discerning consolations and resolutions. Never change a decision when feeling desolution. Be resolute! :)

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Nov 12, 2019 A.J. Mendoza rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a wonderful source for understanding spiritual formation in the 16th century. Though this should not be read as a book, for it functions as a manual for leaders in St. Ignatius' retreats. That being said, there are sections where St. Ignatius outlines the principles he wants his leaders to emphasize. This contains great practices that translate wonderfully today (e.g. the Examen) and some that would be more difficult to employ (e.g. the use of imagination to construct a hell and heaven e ...more

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Jul 07, 2018 Selah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: spiritual-reading

Remember: this is guidebook for Christian meditative prayer. It is written by a religious brother in the Catholic Church for the rest of the community in union with the Catholic Church, to deepen their prayer life in a retreat setting. It is not intended to discuss theology.

On a personal level, meditating on the words provided a deep prayer experience for me. However, I had to be reminded that I was dearly beloved by God, despite all the offences I committed against Him. A trained Spiritual Dire ...more

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Jun 20, 2019 Bradley added it · review of another edition

Shelves: academia, philosophy

I'm not really finished. This book is a method. It's a set of rigorous instructions to be followed for spiritual development. It's strict and should bear fruit. Most folks might see it as asking too much and giving too little. The book is not meant to be read and that's my fault for trying to read through the instructions to gain some insight or knowledge, and while that can happen it's primary purpose lay in its routine exercises aimed at anointing individuals in spiritual refreshment within t ...more

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Jul 04, 2019 FatherSwithin rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: prayer

I’m certain that the value of The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius is far above my 3-star rating. For my modern eyes, the material seems more like a lengthy outline for a spiritual retreat, with the reader left to fill in all the details. Now, this may be due to the expectation that the ‘exercitant’ will be guided by a Spiritual Director who is very familiar with the content of the Exercises, and who will put it all together for him/her. After I consult with someone more familiar with the Exer ...more

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Goodreads Librari...: Please add edition to existing book in Goodreads	3	6	Sep 06, 2020 03:49AM
Catholic Thought: The Fourth Week	3	9	Oct 01, 2016 09:32PM
Catholic Thought: The Third Week	5	9	Sep 26, 2016 07:58AM
Catholic Thought: The Second Week	7	16	Sep 23, 2016 10:06AM
Catholic Thought: The First Week	15	15	Sep 14, 2016 12:43PM
Catholic Thought: Preparation for the Spiritual Exercises	16	19	Aug 31, 2016 07:20PM
Catholic Thought: The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola - Welcome	9	37	Aug 24, 2016 08:34AM

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About Ignatius of Loyola

Ignatius of Loyola

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Saint Ignatius of Loyola was the principal founder and first Superior General of the Society of Jesus. The compiler of the Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius was described by Pope Benedict XVI as being above all a man of God, who gave the first place of his life to God, and a man of profound prayer. He was very active in fighting the Protestant Reformation and promoting the subsequent counter-reformati ...more

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“[L]ove ought to manifest itself in deeds rather than in words.... love consists in a mutual sharing of goods, for example, the lover gives and shares with the beloved what he possesses, or something of that which he has or is able to give; and vice versa, the beloved shares with the lover. Hence, if one has knowledge, he shares it with the one who does not possess it; and so also if one has honors, or riches. Thus, one always gives to the other.” — 24 likes

“For it is not knowing much, but realising and relishing things interiorly, that contents and satisfies the soul.” — 18 likes

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