Our Questions:
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Is this legitimate?
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Don’t you need a “director”
to “make exercises”?
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What would Ignatius say?
 St.
Ignatius was on our minds
as we imagined this kind of
retreat.
We imagined that,
if Ignatius were alive today,
he would have added an annotation,
perhaps between
numbers 18 and 19.
The Annotations
20 Introductory Observations
at the beginning of the Spiritual
Exercises.
The 18th Annotation:
“Light Exercises”
“The Spiritual Exercises must be adapted
to the condition of the one who is to engage
in them,
that is, to his/her age, education, and talent.
…
“This method is more appropriate for
those who have little natural ability or are
illiterate. …
“This is especially to be observed when
much better results could be obtained with
other persons,
and when there is not sufficient time to take
everything.”
The 19th Annotation:
“Retreat in Everyday Life”
“One who is educated or talented,
but engaged in public affairs or necessary
business,
should take an hour and a half daily
for the Spiritual Exercises.”
The 20th Annotation: “The
Full Spiritual Exercises of 30 days”
“To one who is more disengaged,
and desirous of making as much progress as
possible,
all the Spiritual Exercises should be
given
in the same order in which they follow below.”
Might Ignatius have enjoyed
a new annotation?
For those highly engaged
in a busy life,
hungry for growth in their relationship
with God,
eager to find intimacy with
God
in the midst of the details
of their daily lives,
adapt the movements of these
Exercises
to be available to them, at
their finger tips,
24 hours a day, anywhere in
the world.
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