By Gladyce Janky
Ignatian spirituality reminds us that God is already present in the ordinary moments of our lives. The Spiritual Exercises simply teach us how to notice.
On March 25, sixteen individuals gathered with Ignatian Spiritual Directors Joan Murphy and Gladyce Janky for an introductory session on how the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises will be offered at our parish beginning this fall. The meeting provided an opportunity to learn not only what the Spiritual Exercises are, but why they have shaped the prayer lives of Christians for nearly 500 years.
Participants learned how a serious battle wound changed the trajectory of the life of Inigo Lopez de Loyola. During his recovery from life-threatening injuries, he had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary calling him to serve her son Jesus. Following recovery, he abandoned his old life as a courtier and committed himself to the work of “saving souls for God.” His life’s work included writing the Spiritual Exercises and forming the Society of Jesus. Ignatius originally designed the Exercises as a thirty day silent retreat, a format that remains a powerful path of spiritual renewal. Yet, for most people, spending a full month away at a retreat center is simply not possible. Fortunately, Ignatius anticipated the need for adaptations. He included in the Annotations what we now know as the Nineteenth Annotation, thus allowing retreatants to experience the Exercises in their daily lives with the format offered at St. Elizabeth Seton.
Using The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life by Fr. Kevin O’Brien, SJ, retreatants will journey through the Exercises over 34 weeks, with scheduled breaks for Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year. Beginning this in the fall allows the weekly scripture themes to integrate seamlessly with the liturgical seasons of Advent and Lent, creating a natural rhythm of prayer that follows the Church year.
The Nineteenth Annotation is intense because of the daily, weekly, and monthly “exercises,” which gradually strengthen and “stretch” the spiritual muscles of retreatants’ souls as they learn to notice God’s presence in all things. Daily practices include assigned scripture passages, spiritual readings, journaling, time for quiet prayer, time for silence, and the Daily Consciousness Examen—a gentle, structured way to review the day with God. Weekly practices include either a group gathering or a one on one meeting with an Ignatian spiritual director, offering space for deeper reflection and personal accompaniment. Monthly optional gatherings provide additional formation and communal support.
Throughout April, those who attended the introductory meeting entered a period of discernment, prayerfully considering whether they felt called to continue into the six week Preparatory Period. This phase allows participants to “test the waters” by experiencing the rhythm of the Exercises before committing to the full retreat. It is a time of listening to God, one’s own desires, and to the subtle movements of the heart that often signal where the Spirit is leading.
The Exercises are not a program to complete but a journey to begin and continue. They invite us to grow in freedom, deepen our relationship with Christ, and discover how God is already at work in the ordinary moments of our lives. Many who make the Exercises describe them as life changing, not because they add more tasks to the day, but because they teach us to live the same day with a God-focused perspective.
The Ignatian Adventure at St. Elizabeth Seton will officially begin in mid to late August.Until then, please keep our discerners and future retreatants in your prayers. And if you happen to see someone carrying a well worn journal, a copy of The Ignatian Adventure, and perhaps a slightly contemplative expression, feel free to smile—they may already be practicing their daily exercises.
After all, every great adventure begins with a single step… and sometimes with a quiet moment of prayer.
