The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in Daily Life

Imagine how God looks upon you: with great joy and gratitude for your offering of time. Imagine God’s long, loving gaze upon you.

Read Jeremiah 18:1–6 (We are like clay in the potter’s hands). Consider: How do I find myself being shaped and molded by God now? How am I pliable or resistant?

Find a posture conducive to prayer: sit, kneel, stand, or recline in a relaxed position (SE 76).

wonder at God’s ongoing creation; gratitude for the gift of God creating me and creating the world.

Read Romans 8:18–25 (All creation is unfinished and yearns for fulfillment in God). Consider: What are the particular highlights or milestones of my life, including my life of faith? How patient am I with the incompleteness or gradual unfolding of my life?

Ignatius advises that after we formally close our prayer, we reflect on our experience of prayer (SE 77). Keeping a journal is most helpful during a retreat. This exercise can be challenging because we are trying to put into words our encounter with God, who is Holy Mystery.

In making the offering, you remind yourself at the outset that you are not thinking about God but encountering God in a very real way.

In meditation, we use our intellect to wrestle with basic principles that guide our life.

Second Week: Having experienced God’s faithful love, we are moved to respond with greater generosity.