The First Spiritual Exercises: Four Guided Retreats

by Michael Hansen

Overview

For almost five hundred years, the Spiritual Exercises have been available only to priests and religious who could spend thirty days in silence under the guidance of a spiritual director. Now they are available as four retreats on inner peace to people in every stage of spiritual growth. Years of research and testing take form in Michael Hansen, S.J.'s recreation of the way that St. Ignatius actually first gave the Exercises as he travelled with four companions, begging in bare feet and dressed in sackcloth. Each retreat guides the reader in an hour of daily prayer through four weeks, Monday to Thursday, and includes Sunday Eucharist and a weekend exercise—twenty-two days in all. The retreats offer four paths to inner peace: in divine love, in the service of God, in darkness and light, and in friendship with Jesus. Additionally, the book contains ten guides and helps for prayer, including four forms of a guided awareness prayer called the Examen, as well as guides to journaling, spiritual direction, and discernment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594713781
Publisher:	Ave Maria Press
Publication date:	04/22/2013
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	464,715
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Michael Hansen, S.J., is a retreat leader, speaker, and spiritual director on the retreat team at the Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality in Kew, Victoria, Australia. He has worked in schools and parishes and produced radio and television programs. He is the author of four other books.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

The First Spiritual Exercises

Spiritual Desire 3

My Desire for Inner Peace 5

Introducing the First Spiritual Exercises 12

Expectations 20

The Four Retreats 25

Inner Peace in Divine Love 27

Inner Peace in Darkness and Light 82

Inner Peace in Friendship with Jesus 152

Inner Peace in the Service of God 212

Spiritual Progress 271

Keeping the Graces Received 273

Receiving Further Exercises 278

Giving the First Exercises to Others 282

Guides and Helps

Spiritual Life 289

The Ignatian Awareness Examen 292

The Ignatian Particular Examen 294

The Ignatian Reconciliation Examen 296

The Ignatian Healing Examen 298

Spiritual Guides 301

The Ignatian Guide to Enhance Exercises 303

The Ignatian Guide to Twelve Ways of Prayer 312

The Ignatian Guide to Christian Belief 339

Spiritual Conversation 347

The Ignatian Guide to Spiritual Journaling 349

The Ignatian Guide to Spiritual Conversation 354

The Ignatian Guide to the Discernment of Spirits 360

A Note on the Texts 365

Notes 366