The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius by St. Ignatius of Loyola

The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius
by St. Ignatius of Loyola

Is it time to take your spiritual pulse, re-orient yourself to your Creator, and seek His guidance to live your faith more seriously? The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola outline the rigorous self-examination and spiritual meditations St Ignatius set forth. Readers will learn how to make a new beginning on the path to holiness, repenting of their sins and attaining freedom from Satan's power. Though St Ignatius wrote The Spiritual Exercises as a handbook for a four week guided retreat, this edition contains step by step explanations suitable for independent use over any time period. This is the original TAN edition now with updated typesetting, fresh new cover, new size and quality binding, and the same trusted content.

About the Author:
St. Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491 in Guipuzcoa in the Basque country. He was brought up in the household of Ferdinand and Isabella as head treasurer and joined the army in 1517. In 1521, while defending the citadel of Pamplona his leg was broken by a cannonball and, having nothing to read but the Life of Christ, and the Lives of the Saints during his recuperation, he became inspired to direct his competitive spirit toward heavenly goals. In 1537 after many trials he would be ordained a priest and in 1541 founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He died at Rome in

1556

and was canonized in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV.

Product Details:
Item No: TC1592 (Grouped)
Pages: 344
ISBN: 9780895551535
Publisher: Saint Benedict Press, LLC
Imprint: TAN Books
Publication Year: 2010
Binding: Paperbound
Dimensions: 5.5" X 8.5" X 0.75"

Excerpts from this Book:
"Man was created for a certain end. This end is to praise, to reverence and to serve the Lord his God and by this means to arrive at eternal salvation. All other beings and objects that surround us on the earth were created for the benefit of man and to be useful to him, as a means to his final end; hence his obligation to use, or to abstain from the use of, these creatures, according as they bring him nearer to that end, or tend to separate him from it."
— St. Ignatius of Loyola, p.18

"Many try to fly away from temptations only to fall more deeply into them; for you cannot win a battle by mere flight. It is only by patience and humility that you will be strengthened against the enemy. Those who shun them outwardly and do not pull them out by the roots will make no progress; for temptations will soon return to harass them and they will be in a worse state. It is only gradually—with patience and endurance and with God's grace—that you will overcome temptations sooner than by your own efforts and anxieties . . . Gold is tried by fire and the upright person by temptation. Often we do not know what we can do until temptation shows us what we are . . . This is how temptation is: first we have a thought, followed by strong imaginings, then the pleasure and evil emotions, and finally consent. This is how the enemy gains full

admittance

because he was not resisted at the outset. The slower we are to resist, the weaker we daily become and the stronger the enemy is against us."
— Thomas à Kempis, p. 32-33

  "Consider not only that God your benefactor is present but also that He acts continuously in all His creatures. And for whom is this continual action, this work of God in nature? For you. Thus, He lights you by the light of day; He nourishes you with the productions of the earth; in a word, He serves you by each one of the creatures that you use; so that it is true to say that at every moment the bounty, the wisdom and the power of God are at your service and are exercised in the world for your wants or pleasures. This conduct of God toward man should be the model of your conduct toward God. You see that the presence of God in His creatures is never idle; it acts incessantly, it preserves, it governs. Beware, then, of stopping at a sterile contemplation of God present in yourself. Add action to contemplation; to the sight of the Divine presence add the faithful accomplishment of the Divine will."
— St. Ignatius, p. 182

"The beatitude of the saints is immutable, like that of the Son of God. . . Add ages to ages; multiply them equal to the sand of the ocean or the stars of heaven; exhaust all numbers, if you can, beyond what the human intelligence can conceive, and for the

elect,

there will be still the same eternity of happiness. They are immutable, and this immutability excludes weariness and disgust. The life of an elect soul is one succession, without end, of desires ever arising and ever satisfied, but desires without trouble, satiety or lassitude. The elect will always see God, love God, possess God and always will wish to see Him, love Him and possess Him still more. This beatitude is the end destined for all; God has given us time only in order to merit it, being and life only to possess it. Reflect seriously on this great truth, and ask yourself these three questions at the foot of the crucifix: What have I done hitherto for heaven? What ought I to do for heaven? What shall I do henceforward for heaven?"
— St. Ignatius of Loyola, p. 179