The Spiritual Exercises are a compilation of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices developed by St. Ignatius Loyola to help people deepen their relationship with God. For centuries the Exercises were most commonly given as a “long retreat” of about 30 days in solitude and silence. In recent years, there has been a renewed emphasis on the Spiritual Exercises as a program for laypeople.  The most common way of going through the Exercises now is a “retreat in daily life,” which involves a monthlong program of daily prayer and meetings with a spiritual director.  The Exercises have also been adapted in many other ways to meet the needs of modern people.

About the Spiritual Exercises

What Are the Spiritual Exercises?
An introduction: the purpose of the Exercises and their structure.

Spiritual Exercises
By Ron Hansen
A noted novelist and essayist believes that Ignatius Loyola’s spiritual notebook is a practical manual for realizing our soul’s deepest yearnings.

An Interview with Fr. Joseph Tetlow, SJ, about the Spiritual Exercises
Fr. Joseph Tetlow, SJ, shares some basic points about the Spiritual Exercises in an interview from 1997. A good introduction for those unfamiliar with the Exercises.

Video: The Spiritual Exercises
Narrated by John Brown, SJ
The first part of this video describes the structure and purpose of the Spiritual Exercises.

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius: Instilling of Habits and Attitudes (PDF; article starts on page 31)
By Charles Carver
In a detailed survey of the movements of the Spiritual Exercises, Charles Carver shows that the key to the Spiritual Exercises is Ignatius’s desire for us to form lifelong habits that will daily help us find the Lord in all things.

dotMagis Posts About the Spiritual Exercises
From the category archives of the dotMagis blog.

Elements of the Spiritual Exercises

An Outline of the Spiritual Exercises
A simple outline of what is experienced at each stage of the Exercises.

The Text of the Spiritual Exercises (Web)
The Text of the Spiritual Exercises (PDF; 339 KB)
The Spiritual Exercises were not meant to be read by an individual but rather led by a retreat director.

Principle and Foundation: A Contemporary Version
By John Reilly, SJ
David L. Fleming’s contemporary reading of the First Principle and Foundation has more flair than John Reilly’s version here. It is, however, a decent attempt at rendering Ignatius’ words to make them more accessible to a modern audience.

Contemplation on the Love of God
A basic explanation of the concluding meditation of the Spiritual Exercises.

Ignatian Prayer and the Imagination
One of the principal forms of prayer in the Spiritual Exercises is imaginative reflection on scenes from the Gospels.

Ignatius’ Three-Part Vision
By David L. Fleming, SJ
Fleming, a renowned spiritual director and commentator on the Spiritual Exercises, describes Ignatius Loyola’s vision of life, work, and love.

Prayer Is a Conversation
By David L. Fleming, SJ
The essential activity of prayer springs naturally from our humanity. It is a matter of conversing with a very good friend.

Pray with Your Imagination
By David L. Fleming, SJ
Ignatius presents two ways of imagining in the Spiritual Exercises.

A Spirituality of the Heart
By David L. Fleming, SJ
Heart, in the sense of the totality of our response, is the concern of the Spiritual Exercises.

Using the Spiritual Exercises

In the Footsteps of Ignatius
An article about the ways people are making the Exercises today.

Ignatian Spirituality Project
A remarkable Chicago-based Jesuit ministry which offers retreats to those who are homeless and seeking recovery, to help them find meaning and purpose as they reclaim their lives. The Ignatian Spirituality Project also trains the formerly homeless to assist in giving retreats.

Co-Laboring with the Living Lord: Ignatian Companions on Mission Guide Book (PDF)
By Jim Connor, SJ
Designed and implemented by the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus, Co-Laboring with the Living Lord is a year-long guide through the Spiritual Exercises for Jesuits and laity praying for the graces of Gratitude, Healing, Call, and Co-Laboring. May be used by individuals and small groups.

Co-Laboring with the Living Lord: Ignatian Companions on Mission Resource Book (PDF)
By Jim Connor, SJ
This Resource Book is a companion to the Guide Book for the Year of Prayer of Ignatian partners of the Maryland Province. The readings provide the historical background and the Ignatian ideals that Ignatian partners can meditate on as they renew their mission of sharing faith and promoting justice.

Resources for Using the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola in the Classroom
By Anthony Borrow, SJ
Materials for religious educators to adapt the Spiritual Exercises for use in the high school classroom.

Draw Me Into Your Friendship: A Literal Translation and a Contemporary Reading of the Spiritual Exercises (Book)
By David L. Fleming, SJ
This modern paraphrase is widely used by spiritual directors and others who teach and study the Exercises.

Perspectives in Understanding and Using the Spiritual Exercises
By John Veltri, SJ
Different ways that spiritual directors approach the Spiritual Exercises. An article primarily for spiritual directors.

Adapting the Spiritual Exercises (PDF; 110 KB)
By Mark Rotsaert, SJ
The Spiritual Exercises must be adapted to suit the needs of the person doing them. What constitutes an authentic adaptation of the Exercises? What makes the Exercises “Ignatian”?

Ignatian Passion: The Challenge of the Cross in the 21st Century (PDF; article starts on page 5)
By David L. Fleming, SJ
Fleming shows the intimate connection between the Cross and the Eucharist in the thinking of Ignatius. The Cross is only a sign of the cost of love. The Eucharist is the reality of love Christ shares with us, no matter the cost. Ignatius would have us look at the Cross and see love first, and then ponder all the costs that love must bear. Eucharist is about Jesus taking the whole of his life and surrendering it to God and to us. Eucharist for us is our attempt to take the whole of our life and surrender it to God and to our fellow human beings.

Ignatian Spirituality and the Three-Fold Model of Organizational Life (PDF)
By Dianne Nettifee
The Three-Fold model is a process that assists organizations to imagine what “living fully alive” might look like. The author shows how Ignatian spirituality provides leaders with the ability to live and engage life from the “center.” A leader who has journeyed deeply into his own center will be capable of greater freedom in guiding an organization towards a more fully alive future.

Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life (Puget Sound)
Program information about a nine-month experiential retreat of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. The site also includes a daily prayer feature.

Listening to the Word of God: The Ignatian Exercises in a Lutheran Context
By Doug Giles
A Lutheran pastor explores ways in which the Spiritual Exercises may be adapted to a Lutheran audience. He discusses Ignatius of Loyola’s background, the roots of meditation in the Devotio Moderna, and the necessity of listening prayer. Giles shows how the Exercises are a process based on the Scriptures that helps the participant more deeply listen to God.