Who are the Spiritual Exercises for?

The Spiritual Exercises can be appropriate for everyone desiring a deepened personal experience of Jesus—a monk, a single parent, a retiree, a college student. Historically, they’ve been especially helpful for considering a transition or discerning a major life decision (accepting a call into ministry, getting married or just listening for “what’s next”)—but you don’t need to have a question in mind to benefit from them.

How long is a 19th annotation retreat?

Retreats unfold over seven to nine months (30+ weeks). In order to personalize the Exercises to how God is creating your experience, your director may extend or accelerate some portion by one or more weeks. It’s not uncommon for some retreatants to go a little longer than they might just “by the book.”

What’s the time commitment?

The Spiritual Exercises are a daily and a weekly commitment. For at least 30 weeks, you spend a solid 40-60 minutes in prayer each day—plus time for reflection and journaling after. You also meet with a director for up to an hour each week.

Of course, life happens during a “retreat in everyday life.” You might miss some days. One week, you may need to cancel. That’s OK. But before starting, we look at our season of life and do our best to be realistic about whether we have the margin to commit this kind of time in good faith.

Do I have to meet with a spiritual director weekly?

Some directors may agree to meet only biweekly, especially if cost is an issue; however, the Spiritual Exercises are structured week-by-week and designed for careful, personal accompaniment. Meeting weekly allows your director to track carefully and prayerfully with your daily unfolding experience.

How much do the Spiritual Exercises cost?

The Spiritual Exercises are often priced as a whole to reflect the cost of 30+ weeks of weekly spiritual direction but may be paid over time.

Brian offers the 19th Annotation retreat through the Order of the Common Life for 1,800 USD.

Is a 19th Annotation retreat right for me?

The best way to tell if a 19th Annotation retreat is right for you in this season is for you to learn more about the Spiritual Exercises, speak with a spiritual director and pray about whether you experience n invitation.

We typically consider things like:

• Ability to keep a more or less regular prayer time each day

• Some familiarity with meditative or contemplative prayer (such as being comfortable imagining things with God and speaking openly to God as to a friend)

• Being presently free of any major life transitions or decisions (cross-country moves, divorce or marriage, etc.) that need to happen in the next eight months

• Being comfortable bringing doubts or theological questions into conversation with God and a trusted person

• Reasonable ability to make the daily and weekly time commitments

If it doesn’t feel like there’s an invitation to the Spiritual Exercises at this time, that’s OK too. This may be a season simply to journey with a spiritual director.

How do I get started?

A 19th annotation retreat is designed to fit into everyday life, but it is a major commitment. Take time to pray carefully about it, including what your hope to receive from it.

Then, reach out to a spiritual director specially trained in directing the Spiritual Exercises to discuss any questions, feel out whether they’re a fit for you and see if there’s a consistent weekly time to meet over the next eight months.