Ignatius 90

Introduction

The best of all prayers is made by keeping our thoughts always fixed on God.

-St. Ignatius of Loyola

We’ll begin by easing into the Exercises. Start practicing with your journaling if it’s not a habit you have already. Find a space that is quiet and conducive for prayer. Be mindful of your posture and position; you want to be comfortable, but not so comfortable as to fall asleep. The goal is to pray for at least one hour. If you struggle, keep at it. Set a timer, but turn it away so as not to be distracted by the clock. Place yourself in God’s presence. 

• Day 1: Entering God’s Presence
  • Write your own preparatory prayer to be used at the beginning of each prayer period. Example:

• Read Presence of God sheet- Considerations
• Choose 1
  • 1 John 4: 7-21 God’s love for us
  • Mark 6:45-52 The storm at sea

• Day 2: Nature as God’s Creation
  • Any Special memories or experiences from your life?
    • Psalm 8 What is a human being?
    • Psalm 104: Creation is glorious
• Day 3: Pray over Memories
  • The first part of my Life (How have I been loved, become the person I am?
    • Jeremiah 29: 11-13 I know the plans I have for you
    • Psalm 139 I am fearfully and wonderfully made
    • Hosea 11: 1-4, 8-9 When Israel was a child, I loved him.

• Day 4: Prayer over Memories
  • The Second part of my life
    • John 1:29-42 What are you looking for?
    • Isaiah 43:1-7 Fear not, I am with you.
• Day 5: Repetition
  • Choose a moment from this week when you felt greater consolation or Desolation or greater spiritual appreciation
• Day 6 – Days of Repose
  •  Rest. Go to Mass

Consolation: 

A state where a person is moving closer to God. Spiritual Consolation, on the surface can feel like happiness, joy, and life can feel easy. One is on fire and burning with passion for God and feels a great closeness to Him and desire to serve Him. However, one can also experience hard Consolation. They may be feeling down or sad, yet still feel drawn closer to God. This can happen if they are engaging in sinful behaviors and recognize the sinfulness and feel a great sadness at what they have done, or merely in times of struggle.

Desolation:

A state of being where a person is being drawn away from God. Spiritual Desolation however can have darkness, a dryness, or turmoil. One may feel doubts, be bombarded with temptations, and feel abandoned by God. These feelings, in Ignatius’s words, “move one toward a lack of faith and leave one without hope and without love.