Ignatian Spirituality

Making good decisions are among the most difficult challenges in life. In Discernment: The Art of Choosing Well, readers will find a comprehensive guide to making choices, either individually or in groups. It is based on the time-tested spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the sixteenth-century founder of the Jesuits who developed a systemic way of considering and making choices.

The author, a renowned teacher of Ignatian spirituality, leads readers on a journey of self-reflection, focusing on the process of discernment rather than on the particular problem at hand.

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In God Finds Us, author Jim Manney makes the Spiritual Exercises more accessible than ever by revealing his inner monologue of thoughts while he did the Exercises and giving everyday, relevant examples of sin, discernment, and meditating on the love of God. In his previous book, A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer, Manney presented the daily Examen to readers in a way that made them feel empowered to make it a part of their regular prayer life. Now he offers God Finds Us toshare his experiences of making the Spiritual Exercises in a down-to-earth, accessible narrative. Manney includes pertinent biblical examples that help us make the connections between how we pray, view sin, and make appropriate life decisions today.

What is discernment? Who was Peter Faber? Why do the Jesuits exude such optimism?

Awareness. Emotions. Love. Work. We use such words every day in normal conversation, but those same words take on special meaning when used in the context of Ignatian spirituality. Other words and phrases, such as finding God in all things, are distinctly associated with the Ignatian approach to spiritual development. Acquiring a general grasp of these terms will prove invaluable to those who desire a better understanding of the Jesuit / Ignatian way of life.

With Ignatian Spirituality A to Z, Jim Manney has provided a brief, informative, and entertaining guide to key concepts of Ignatian spirituality and essential characters and events in Jesuit history. The lexicon format allows readers to find terms quickly, and the concise descriptions are ideal for those new to the Ignatian story.

From Pedro Arrupe to Francis Xavier, from Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam to Zeal, this book uncovers the rich language of the Jesuits. It will be an indispensable tool to anyone interested in Ignatian spirituality, to staff, faculty, and students at Jesuit institutions and schools, and to clergy and spiritual directors who advise others about prayer and spiritual matters.

What would it be like to meet Jesus face to face? To walk with him along the roads and seashores of ancient Palestine, to eat with him, to hear his words, to witness his miracles?

For centuries, Christians have "walked with Jesus" through the practice of imaginative prayer. In Imagine You Walked with Jesus, you'll learn the method of imaginative prayer developed by Saint Ignatius of Loyola five hundred years ago. Then you'll be guided through forty Gospel-based encounters with Jesus, from his birth to his resurrection.

Key features of Imagine You Walked with Jesus include:

Jesus' invitation to walk with him wasn't limited to the people of the Gospels; Jesus invites each of us to walk with him today, too. Imaginative prayer is a deeply intimate way to respond to that invitation - and ultimately to be transformed by the encounter.

About the Author

Jerry Windley-Daoust is the author of more than a dozen books on Catholic social teaching, family spirituality, and Ignatian prayer. Cofounder of Gracewatch Media, which creates print and digital resources for Catholic families, he is especially grateful for the ten years he spent as a stay-at-home dad for his five children. Find him online at windhovering.com.

The cornerstones of Ignatius of Loyola's spiritual practice-meditation and contemplation-are clearly explained in this simple guide to the Ignatian method with examples from the experience of practitioners and quotations from Catholic spiritual teachers. In the process, the deeper structure of the spiritual practice is illuminated, and advice about adapting it to individual needs is offered. Topics include methods of praying, struggles and growth, and the importance and role of grace. Individuals who desire to pray with scripture, spiritual directors, and all who teach prayer with scripture will benefit from the counsel in this resource.

For most people most of the time, prayer is hard. It is especially difficult--not to mention unsatisfying--when people experience it as formal, dry, and repetitious. But what might happen if you discovered a simple prayer that changed all that? What if you discovered a prayer that changed you?

In A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer, Jim Manney introduces Christians to a 500-year-old form of prayer that dramatically altered his perception of prayer and the way he prayed. The prayer is the examen, which St. Ignatius Loyola developed for the purpose of nurturing a reflective habit of mind that is constantly attuned to God's presence. What makes the prayer so powerful is its capacity to dispel any notion that God is somewhere "up there," detached from our day-to-day tasks and concerns. Instead, the examen leads us into a relationship with a God who desires to be personally caught up in the lives of those whom he created.

By following five simple yet powerful steps for praying the examen, we can encounter the God who, as Scripture tells us, "is not far from each one of us"--the God whose presence in our lives can make all the difference in the world.

Wolff's translation is a definitive edition of this timeless classic, and the only complete, modern American translation of the Latin text recognized by the Vatican as the official version.

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Satan is always at work breeding sadness and anxiety while providing obstacles that prevent souls from making spiritual progress. In this concise yet powerful book, author Dan Burke presents the venerable, time-tested wisdom of Catholic mystics to help you understand the influence of the Enemy on your mind and heart, and the tactics you need to combat him.

With St. Ignatius as his guide, Burke presents here an indispensable, authoritative manual for engaging in daily battle with the Adversary--combat that is both inevitable and winnable. Burke will help you recognize the ebbs and flows of consolation and desolation, and distinguish between the voices of God and of Satan. Best of all, you'll come to see the spiritual life not as a science to be learned, but as an intuitive art to be practiced as you move with increasing success from habitual sin to sanctity.

The battle for our souls is unavoidable. The saints won theirs by learning how to be spiritual warriors and by recognizing that we become stronger through battle and grow weaker from avoidance. With this book as your guide, you'll grow in strength and contentment as you learn:

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?