The Spiritual Exercises Of Ignatius Loyola

About a year ago, I began to find genuine interest in spiritual knowledge and learning, and its value and many applications outside of formal education and studies. I began researching philosophers and reading their works regarding spiritualism, new ways of thinking and perceiving things, as well as how our lives as human work in conjunction with the universe around us. I find this kind of thinking, and discovering some of the infinite wealth of knowledge around me, to be both personal and liberating.

Directions: Read the book! And while reading, feel free to make notes in the margins on pages that contain what you believe are critical moments in the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Give in-depth definitions for each of the terms below. Type thorough and thoughtful responses to each of the questions below. Each response should be between 250-300 words in length. Be prepared to submit your study guide to your Scripture teacher during the first week of school. A summer reading quiz will be given during

Henri J. M. Nouwen’s book, Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life, examines three aspects of spiritual movement in which he unveils how humanity relates to self, others, and God to achieve true spirituality. The first movement revealed is the movement from loneliness to solitude, second is the movement from hostility to hospitality, and finally, is the movement from illusion to prayer.

Another, aspect, spirituality is not as much a prearranged system, it is a quest and a prolongation of one’s development.

Every single person in the world, regardless of their race, religion or gender, is different. Therefore, there is more than one way to reach God, enlightenment, or whatever each respected person chooses to believe in. In Christianity, there are two main paths taken to reach the divine; the communal path embracing obedience and the individual route which focuses on asceticism. The Sayings of the Desert Fathers and The Rule of St. Benedict in English reveal what each road to the divine entails while explaining how the ascetic hermits and monks live for the mutual goal of reaching unity with God.

During the course of the LDB481-17: Faith and Life Issues, Ms. Sams did not understand of the concept of vocation, before enrolling in the course. Nor, she has never heard the concept of vocation during at that time her twenty-two years on Earth. As she considers herself, a free spirit and a humanist regarding religion, Ms. Sams continues to note that she does not follow a particular religion. However, she keeps an open mind to how an individual’s religion has transformed his or her life. As a free spirit, by primarily having an open mind to the religious faith of Christianity, Ms. Sams assures that the spirit of God lives within each individual; regardless if he or she believes or does not believe in the spirit of God.

In the book ‘the varieties of religious experience’, James concluded that religious experience testifies that “we can experience union with something larger than ourselves and in that union find our greatest peace”.  He defined such experiences as “experiences of the divine” and believed that religious experience was at the heart of religion. For James, religious teachings, practices and attitudes are second hand religion, which later develop as individuals reflect on their common experience. It is the actual experiences that directly point to God. However this theory does little to prove religious experiences simply because many of his claims do not stand up to critical analysis.

Do you see that you don’t need to travel your spiritual journey alone? To bear the fruits of your spiritual beliefs requires assistance from a Higher

The Middle Ages was a time of new creation and discovery. This time also impacted the Catholic Church and the way it operated. A mover and shaker is a powerful person capable of starting big events and impacting other people and their life. Ignatius Loyola is considered a mover and shaker because his actions and teaching are still present in the future generations.

Dirks has a chapter on “Does the Bible say anything about Spiritual Direction?” In my church, brothers and sisters are cautious of practices that are foreign to their experience and they want to ensure it is from the Bible and they are anxious about the benefits of such practices. I concur with Dirks who says that “scripture gives evidence of spiritual guidance in the time of Jesus and the earliest days of the Christian community. People were not just taught about the Way they were helped to live in the Way” (P.42). Dirks shows me that spiritual direction is highly relational in nature (P.43).

Loyola deserted his career as a solider because the literature impacted him severely. “This literature so affected him (Ignatius Loyola) that he abandoned his career as a solider. (Noll 190)” During a long convalescence Loyola was given devotional literature dealing with the life of Christ, which overwhelmed him so greatly he left his career as a solider.

Thus, I need a guidance from the Spirit in both aspects of my spiritual journey – "being" and "doing". I want to deepen my connection with God and bring a good

In James Martin’s “The Jesuit Guide To (Almost) Everything: Six Paths”, raised a lot of questions regarding spirituality and religion. The questions that were prominent throughout the chapter called “Six Paths” were, what does it mean to be religious or spiritual?, what is the importance of religion and spirituality in a person’s life? He does this in order to show how religion and spirituality in someone's life can be something that may be helping them find themselves or find their God. Each path is represented as a step to find that balance between religion and spirituality. Martin explained that each of the six paths are something that you often find yourself going through during your lifetime and how you may find yourself on multiple paths at once. Out of the six paths, four showed the great importance in finding your balance of religion and spirituality: the path of belief, disbelief, exploration and independence.

His practices and works depict his way of living from the true self. A monumental element in Ignatius practices are The Spiritual Exercises. This practice “served as a systematic way to come to a deep spiritual conversion” (176). Thus becoming in touch with one’s true self through a month long retreat. This was Ignatius’ way of dropping into that state necessary to be a contemplative. The spiritual exercises meant “every method of examination of conscience, of meditation, of contemplation, of vocal and mental prayer, and of other spiritual activities” (176). This show the variety of ways one can get in touch with one inner and true self. Reaching this state allows one to rid “of inordinate attachments, and, after their removal, of seeking and finding the will of God in the disposition of our life for the salvation of our soul.” (176) Ignatius also was always looking to help those on the margins of society, creating relationships and spreading love to those who were seen as lesser was his way of

Ignatius de Loyola was born in 1491 in Azpeitia in the Basque province of Guipuzcoa in northern Spain. He was the youngest of thirteen children. When Ignatius turned sixteen years old, he was sent to be a page to Juan Velazquez, the treasurer of the kingdom of Castile. Since he became one of the Velazquez households, he was often at court and he liked to be there, especially with the ladies. He became addicted to gambling and engaging in.