spiritual exercises

By Owen Carr

* How to do the Spiritual Exercises

*What Are the Spiritual

Exercises?*The Spiritual Exercises are a compilation of prayers, meditations, and contemplative practices

*Created by St. Ignatius of Loyola to help deepen your relationship with God and to “conquer yourself”

*The Structure of the Exercises

*It is divided into four stages called “weeks”

*Was traditionally a 30 day event, usually spent in complete silence and solitude

*In recent years, a new 30 week event has been made to help fit into people’s busy lives

*Types of Prayer in the Exercises

*Meditation- pondering the basic principles that guide our life

*Discernment of Spirits- reflecting on your thoughts ,feeling, emotions, etc. and attempting to understand them

*Contemplation- relying on your imaginations to place yourself in a scene from the Gospels

*Week One

*It is a time to reflect on God’s love for us

*See that our response to God’s love is hindered by our sins

*End the first week with a meditation on Christ’s call to follow him

*Week Two

*Your meditations and prayer help you follow Christ like his disciples

*Reflect on: *Christ’s birth and baptism

*His sermon on the mount

*His ministry on healing and teaching

*His raising of Lazarus from the dead

*Week Three

*Meditate on:*The Last Supper

*The Passion and death of Christ

*See how his suffering and gift of the Eucharist are the ultimate example of love

*Week Four

*Meditate on:*Christ’s Resurrection

*His apparitions to the disciples

*Think of ways to serve God in the world

*Thank You for Reading