One of the greatest spiritual gems and treasures that flows from the life of Saint Ignatius of Loyola is the Spiritual Exercises. The Foundation of the Society of Jesus, known as the Jesuits, their Constitutions, the Rules for Discernment, the almost 7 thousand letters written by Saint Ignatius—all of the above-mentioned—are treasures bequeathed to the Church by Saint Ignatius and represent a wealth of spirituality. However, many would agree that the Spiritual Exercises is the claim to fame and the greatest hallmark of the charism and contribution of Saint Ignatius of Loyola to the world.
DEFINITION: WHAT ARE THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES? How then might we define the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola? In the text itself of the Spiritual Exercises, actually Number One of the Annotations, Ignatius in his clear, concise language defines exactly what the Spiritual Exercises are.
“By the term ‘Spiritual Exercises’ is meant every method of examination of conscience, of meditation, of contemplation, of vocal and mental prayer, and of other spiritual activities that will be mentioned later. For 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.” (Spiritual Exercises #1, transl. Puhl, S.J.)
Off the bat in the text of the Spiritual Exercises composed by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, inspired by the Holy Spirit, we read a very substantial and clear definition, as well as explanation of the Spiritual Exercises.
As a means of encouragement for those who have done the Spiritual Exercises, whether it was the thirty day retreat, eight day retreat, or even Annotation 19 or 18, we would like to highlight many of the extraordinary graces that flow from the Exercises to hopefully move you to take them again and go deeper! As well as for those who have never had the grace and blessing to undertake and live out the Spiritual Exercises, it is our hope that you will make the dive into the infinite ocean of God’s blessings that are in store for you.
The following are some of the most enriching spiritual blessings that flow from the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. These Exercises have radically transformed lives of countless individuals, transforming tepid, lukewarm and mediocre individuals into fervent, fiery and zealous saints. A few examples: Saint Francis Xavier, Saint Peter Faber, Saint Peter Canisius, Saint Isaac Jogues, Saint John de Brebeuf, Saint Robert Bellarmine!
1. MEDITATION. Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Saint Teresa of Avila, and Saint John of the Cross, just to mention three, insist on the indispensable importance of learning the art of Meditation as a means to be detached from sin, overcome disordered attachments, and discover God’s will in one’s life. The Spiritual Exercises is a school in the art of meditation.
2. CONTEMPLATION. Another form or mode of prayer is that of Contemplation. Differing from meditation, contemplation leads to us to union with God by means of training our imagination. The imagination can be used for good or bad. Ignatian Contemplation trains us to imagine ourselves present in the graphic scenes/mysteries of the Life of Christ. Jesus calms the storm; just so Jesus calms the storms in my life. The imagination and identification of our lives with the life of Christ results in imitation of Christ and eventually transformation. Such that with frequent and assiduous practice of contemplation, our goal is to say with Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live but it is Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20)
3. VOCAL PRAYER. Any form of prayer that is done with humility, purity of intention and under the action of the Holy Spirit is pleasing to God. In Annotation # 1, Saint Ignatius states that vocal prayer is also a form of Spiritual Exercises. Parents should teach their children vocal prayers as soon as possible. A simple vocal prayer emanating from the heart and lips of an innocent child has great power before the throne of God. Also our own heart-felt vocal prayers!
4. INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS, TO LOVE HIM MORE ARDENTLY, AND FOLLOW HIM MORE CLOSELY. Once we undertake the most noble Exercise of Prayer—vocal prayer, mental prayer/meditation, as well as contemplation, then miracles occur. One of the most sublime graces and miracle of grace is that we begin to know Jesus and to love Him ardently with a fervent desire to follow Him. Thus transformation takes place. Our interior fire becomes so ardent that we share Jesus with others. The dynamic and sequence is the following in our relationship with Jesus: knowledge generates love; love generates following; following generates a desire to make the lover known and loved by others. The net result is a real transformation: the lover (each of us) starts to imitate the Lover, and that Lover is Jesus the Lord!
5. EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE. Those who have gone through the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola will eventually encounter the spiritual treasure of the Examination of Conscience. Pope Pius XII stated: “The sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin.” The Exercises serve in helping us to examine our conscience in the light of the Holy Spirit and Magisterial Teaching. A once dulled, blurred, or deformed conscience becomes enlightened with the Moral Truths that are often not recognized or simply denied.
6. GENERAL CONFESSION. What follows on the heels of the formation of one’s conscience is that of the meticulous but arduous Examination of Conscience culminating in the encounter with the Merciful Heart of Jesus, the Divine Physician, in the Sacrament of Confession. Finally, possibly after years and even decades, and poor catechesis, the Exercises help us to rewind our lives and see with great clarity God’s infinite mercy but also our profound moral misery. With the priestly absolution: “I absolve you of your sins, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”, a life-time load of sins are forgiven and washed clean by the Precious Blood of Jesus.
7. PEACE OF HEART, MIND AND SOUL. Therefore, in being liberated from the slavery of sin, the clouds of sadness, and the bonds of the devil as a result of the Spiritual Exercises and the making of the General Confession, a profound peace enters and permeates the soul. This is a peace that perhaps one never experienced before!
8. DAILY EXAMEN. Another superb blessing that flows from the dynamic of the Spiritual Exercises is the practice of the Daily Examen. Upon sending Saint Francis Xavier, one of the greatest missionaries who ever lived, off to India, Malaysia and eventually Japan, Ignatius insisted that Xavier should never neglect his Daily Examen. By this is meant, in a nutshell, to review our day, walking side by side with Jesus. As such, we see how God has been active in our lives with His countless blessings, but also our resistance to God’s graces and inspirations; then comes the proposal to be more faithful to God’s loving invitation to hear His call and follow Him!
9. APOSTOLIC ZEAL. If indeed we carry out the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola diligently, we get to know Jesus, love Him ardently, and follow in His footsteps. In concrete this means that we love what Jesus loves. What does Jesus love most? Quite clearly: Jesus loves the salvation of immortal souls! In the Ignatian Contemplation, “The Call of the King”, we beg for the grace not to be deaf to the Call of the King. What does the King so ardently desire? One thing: the conversion and salvation of as many souls possible. The Exercises launch us to work ardently with Jesus to save souls. “Every individual soul has more value than the entire created universe.” (Saint Thomas Aquinas)
10. MARY: OUR GUIDE AND INSPIRATION. According to tradition, after his conversion in Pamplona and his General Confession in the Marian Sanctuary in Montserrat, Spain, Saint Ignatius of Loyola had an encounter in the cave of Manresa that radically transformed his life! While undergoing much intense suffering, bouts of profound desolation and tortuous scrupulosity, Our Lady appeared to Ignatius. It was Mary who dictated to Ignatius the blueprint of the Spiritual Exercises. There is a painting well-known by the Oblates of the Virgin Mary of Venerable Bruno Lanteri (Founder of the Oblates) portraying Ignatius in the cave with Our Lady dictating to him, and Ignatius writing down the blueprint for the Spiritual Exercises. One of the titles that Saint Ignatius loved most in his devotion to Mary was “La Madonna de la Strada”—translated: “Our Lady of the Way”. In a word, the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola are impregnated and imbued with the Presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Indeed, Our Lady ardently desires to accompany us in our journey and pilgrimage in life to our eternal home—Heaven!
In conclusion, it is our most ardent desire that all of you who have had the opportunity to live out the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola will revisit this spiritual gold-mine because there are still many more precious gold nuggets and even diamonds to discover and make your own!
That being said, if it is such that you have never had the opportunity and blessing to live out, in one form or other, the Spiritual Exercises, perhaps now indeed is the time. If it were not for the powerful influence of the Spiritual Exercises quite possibly, we would not be honoring in the calendar these great saints—Frances Xavier, Pierre Favre, Isaac Jogues, Peter Canisius, Robert Bellarmine and so many other brilliant stars in the firmament of Heaven. Quite possibly God has a place for you as a future star in the firmament of heaven after you have experienced and lived out the marvelous fruits of the Spiritual Exercises, a place that likely you would never have reached on your own. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us!
