The Ignatian Way

In 1521 Ignatius of Loyola decided to change his life, and he became a pilgrim, setting out for Jerusalem. Ignatius the pilgrim lived radically: traveling on foot, seeking reconciliation, and striving for interior transformation through a deep encounter with God. Through this book modern pilgrims can follow his example and the route he took to Manresa, Spain, near Barcelona. The route began in the castle of the Loyola family, where young Ignatius, the wounded soldier, was recovering from injuries received in battle. His body was broken, but his heart was ardent as he longed to recuperate and to rebuild his life. What should he do with himself? What is the true path to happiness? Should he pursue a career in the king's court or follow some other course? These were the questions Ignatius was asking himself. He was experiencing a sixteenth-century identity crisis, which was in many ways like the twenty-first-century version. This book is a guide to Ignatius' experiences of conversion, healing, and freedom. It includes accounts by various people who have taken the Ignatian Way and offers guidance for planning and embarking on a similar pilgrimage, with some help from the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius. Anyone can use this book to create his own way, even without leaving home, for as Ignatius says, the fundamental goal of the pilgrim is to come into contact with his inner source of light and happiness—God the Creator.

Although many books have been written on Ignatian spirituality, most focus on highly specific and scholarly details, rendering them too academic and specialized for the average reader. This book remedies this problem by compiling a more general guide to the basic aspects of Ignatian spirituality. Addressing everything from the life of St. Ignatius Loyola to his Spiritual Exercises to methods of dealing with contemporary world issues in a Jesuit spirit, it offers a comprehensive yet conversational approach to Ignatian spirituality. Whether readers are studying or teaching at a Jesuit school, seeking spiritual direction on a retreat, discerning a possible vocation to the Society of Jesus, or simply seeking more exposure to Ignatian spirituality, this book is an invaluable guide. Book jacket.

Many of us do not trust our own thoughts, feelings, and desires when it comes to discerning God’s will. Instead we look outside ourselves to determine what God wants from and for us. In God’s Voice Within, spiritual director Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ, shows us how to use Ignatian discernment to access our own spiritual intuition and understand that the most trustworthy wisdom of all comes not from outside sources, but from God working through us. God’s Voice Within is intended for people who know that there is more to the spiritual life than they are currently experiencing and are ready to take the next step in their walk of faith by making effective discernment—specifically Ignatian discernment—a daily practice. Ultimately, God’s Voice Within teaches us to discern what is at the root of our actions and emotions, which in turn allows us to respond to God’s promptings inside us rather than unconsciously reacting to life around us.

Following the example of St. Ignatius, we believe that praying the Examen will lead to a better life. The 500-year-old daily practice of honest self-assessment and reflection is a founding principle of Ignatian spirituality. What we don’t know is if St. Ignatius ever felt like changing it up a bit. Jesuit speaker and author Mark Thibodeaux, SJ, is confident that St. Ignatius wouldn’t mind a little flexibility in his prayer. Join Thibodeaux as he guides you through new and unique versions of the Examen, totally flexible and adaptable to your life. In ten minutes, you can tailor your daily prayer practice to fit your personal and situational needs, further enhancing and deepening your meditation. Reimagining the Ignatian Examen—the only book of its kind—will lead you through a fresh and stimulating reflection on your past day, your present state of being, and your spiritual desires and needs for tomorrow.

NOW AVAILABLE IN SPANISH AS La aventura ignaciana! Third Place, Prayers & Spirituality category ACP Excellence in Publishing Awards, 2012 There is no better guide than St. Ignatius Loyola if one desires to discover how faith and everyday life can thrive together. In The Ignatian Adventure, Kevin O’Brien, SJ, follows St. Ignatius’s lead and offers today’s time-strapped individual a unique way of “making” the Spiritual Exercises in daily life. The first part of O’Brien’s book provides helpful background information, including a brief history of St. Ignatius, an explanation of the Spiritual Exercises and their purpose, and a description of different ways to make the Exercises. The book’s core offers 32 weeks of prayer and meditations to draw participants into a deeper encounter with God. But what truly sets this book apart from other 19th annotations is how O’Brien has woven throughout the chapters his own personal accounts of living out the Exercises in everyday life. Through his deeply moving stories, readers discover how the Exercises intersect with the real world. The Ignatian Adventure is an ideal resource for spiritual directors, but its user-friendly, down-to-earth style also makes it perfect for any individual seeking a deeper life of prayer.

Its effects are often life changing. But what exactly is it, and why do so many people embrace it? The most influential spiritual movement of the modern age is Ignatian spirituality, an approach to the spiritual life based on the insights of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatian spirituality teaches an active attentiveness to God joined with a prompt responsiveness to God, who is ever active in people’s lives. In What Is Ignatian Spirituality?,David L. Fleming, SJ, provides an authoritative yet highly accessible summary of the key elements of Ignatian spirituality, among which are contemplative prayer, discernment, and dynamic involvement in service and mission. In twenty concise chapters, Fr. Fleming explains how this centuries-old method of disciplined reflection on God’s work in the world can deepen our spiritual lives today and guide all the decisions we make. Also available in Spanish! ¿Qué es la espiritualidad ignaciana?

Ignatian spirituality is a way to pray, an approach to making decisions, a point of view about God, and a practical guide to everyday life. An Ignatian Book of Days is an invitation to help attune ourselves to the Ignatian conviction that we can find God in all things, that our personal experience can provide authentic knowledge of God, and that we can clearly see, feel, and experience God’s presence through an Ignatian lens in our daily lives. Accessible, inviting, richly rewarding, and filled with insights and reflections from favorite Ignatian leaders, including James Martin, SJ, Pedro Arrupe, SJ, Margaret Silf, and of course, St. Ignatius, An Ignatian Book of Days sees God as actively involved in the world and intimately involved with us in every moment and place.

This book is about a walk on the Camino Ignacio in Spain, that ended in failure through injury that ironically illustrates key aspects of Ignatian Spirituality. Ignatius himself was a ‘wounded’ soldier and limped his way across Spain as he managed to turn apparent failure into a great conversion to Christ. Ignatius’ injury revealed that God had a better plan for him and letting go of control paradoxically allowed God in. This book illustrates that same dynamic: an unexpected injury that throws everything up in the air, the struggle to let go of plans and expectations, trying to discern in difficult situations with incomplete information. It is a roadmap for those seeking to make sense of failure and reinterpret it in God’s eyes that allows for new life and meaning. The fact that this walk takes in key Ignatian sites such as Loyola, Naverette and Manresa, gives even more insight into Ignatius’ experience as a limping pilgrim. Readers will find here a concrete ‘spirituality of real-life’, that helps with decision making, dealing with suffering, facing failure, perseverance, surrendering to life and making the best out of difficult situations. Those dealing with failure, disability or injury will find a message of hope and consolation to deal with hopelessness and depression.