Preview the Spiritual Exercises.

Preparing for the four movements.

The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius are structured in four movements (traditionally called “weeks”). In a 19th Annotation “retreat in everyday life,” each “week” is actually about four to 10 weeks long.

  • Movement 1 looks at my loving createdness and also my disorderedness or pattern of sin.

  • Movement 2 allows me not only to look closely at the life of Jesus that chooses to enter into this disordered world—but also to follow Jesus around in the concrete details of his daily life.

  • Movement 3 takes me to the final days of Jesus’ life, where I can stay by his side to the end.

  • Movement 4 experiences Jesus’ Resurrection, ascension and gift of the Holy Spirit that sends me specially according to his unique invitation for me.

But to get to where we desire, starting in Movement 1, takes a bit of preparation. The role of the “Disposition Days” is lay some of that important groundwork at the beginning of your retreat. Some of the key goals of the Disposition Days are to:

  • Develop a healthy, sustainable rhythm of prayer I can continue for the duration of the Spiritual Exercises (even if through “trial and error”)

  • Build up a comfortable endurance for uninterrupted prayer periods of 45-60 minutes

  • Above all, internalize a deep experiential conviction of God’s love for me (only with this foundation of love can I rightly imagine how God sees my disorderedness in Movement 1 and bear to look openly and compassionately with God at my patterns of sin.)

To give you a taste of what a prayer period while making Spiritual Exercises could look like, you can preview the first week of the Disposition Days below.

 

Daily Exercises from Week 1 of the Disposition Days.

 

Hungry for more?

Of course, there’s more to the Spiritual Exercises than daily meditations, and each week of the four movements comes together to create a dynamic personal journey over many months.

Weekly accompaniment with a spiritual director not only helps tailor these prayer periods to you but also provides guidance, instruction and support for one of the most well-traveled paths in Christian spiritual formation.

Inquire about the Exercises.

Take the first step on a 500-year-old pilgrimage upon a well-traveled path, and let’s pray about your decision together.