The document provides an overview of Ignatian spirituality, including key aspects such as discernment, prayer, and approaches advocated by St. Ignatius of Loyola. It discusses Ignatius' life and conversion, the Spiritual Exercises he developed, the founding of the Society of Jesus, and hallmarks of Ignatian spirituality such as a focus on incarnational prayer, discernment, and finding God in all things. The document also outlines Ignatian practices including meditation, spiritual direction, and the examen as ways to develop spiritually.

1. St Paul’s Cathedral
August 15, 2012
Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary

2. The Catechism
 Q. What are the principle kinds of prayer?
 A. The principle kinds of prayer are adoration,
praise, thanksgiving, penitence, oblation, intercession,
and petition.
The Book of Common Prayer, p.856

3. St. Ignatius of
Loyola
 1491-1556
 Conversion experience in
1521
 Spiritual Exercises, 1524
 Ordained priest, 1537
 Founded Society of Jesus in
1539
 Constitutions, 1540

4. Ignatian sources
 Spiritual Exercises
 Meditations intended to be followed during a 4-week
retreat (19th annotation)
 Covers sin, the life of Christ, the Passion, and the
Resurrection
 Discernment
 The examen is used after the Exercises
 Constitutions
 Structure of the Society of Jesus
 Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
 The Autobiography of Ignatius of Loyola
 Provides details on Ignatius’ life
 Gives insight into the Spiritual Exercises

5. The Jesuits
 Currently 20, 000 priests
 Founded to be fiercely loyal
to papacy
 Militaristic hierarchical
structure
 Counter Reformation focus
 Highly political and divisive
 Multiculturalism
 History of martyrdom, education, scholarship
 Important missionaries in Far East, India, New World,
Holland
 Suppressed between 1773-1814
 Changes since mid 20th century include liberation theology
and papal intervention in 1981

6. Hallmarks of Ignatian spirituality
 Incarnational
 Adoring
 Penitential
 Corporate and personal
 Scriptural
 Magis
 Intercessory and grateful
 Structured and goal-oriented

7. Ignatian piety
 AMDG
 The Holy Name
 Devotion to the Sacred
Heart and the
Eucharist
 Devotion to the Blessed
Mother

8. Ignatian approaches
 Discernment
 Deciding between options; magis
“The human person is created to praise, reverence, and serve God
Our Lord, and by so doing to save his or her soul… We should
desire and choose only what helps us more towards the end for
which we are created.” Exercises
 Spiritual direction
 Ongoing relationship with a director
to calibrate, share insights
 Critically important during the
Exercises
 Aids in discernment
 Sometimes can be in a group setting

9. Ignatian approaches,
continued
 Meditation
 Composition of place
 Imagination
 Fruits
 Spiritual Exercises
 Use of emotion
 Goal is union with Christ and perfection of discernment
 Use of meditation, examen, and spiritual direction
 Four weeks: sin, the life of Christ, the Passion, and the
Resurrection
 Satan and Christ

10. Ignatian approaches, continued
 Examens
 General examen, to be performed twice daily, and acts as
an examination of conscience
 Particular examen, often tied into meditations, and
reviews a specific theme or virtue to be developed
 Acts of love
 All Ignatian approaches should lead to acts of service
and love for others
 Often, discernment happens through these acts

11. After the meditation
 Impressions?
 Things to share?
 Questions?

12. Next steps
 Take action!
 Examens