Ignatius of loyola spiritual exercises

During the 1520’s, St. Ignatius Loyola began writing about the emotions that took hold of him — feelings of gratitude and anguish, consolation and sadness — while encountering the Scriptures.

Those meditations eventually became the Spiritual Exercises, which were first published in 1548.

The Spiritual Exercises is a compilation of meditations, prayers, and other contemplative practices. It is not like other classics in Western spirituality that are typically read from beginning to end.

It is more like a handbook, especially for use by spiritual directors who accompany and guide people through this dynamic process of reflection.

And while the Spiritual Exercises is a book, it is also a series of exercises developed by a man who believed that stretching oneself spiritually is as important as an athlete’s conditioning routine.

The object is to help people develop their attentiveness, their openness, and their responsiveness to God. The Exercises ar