1. By Spiritual Exercises is understood certain operations of the mind and heart, such as the examination of conscience, meditation, contemplation, mental and vocal prayer, which are employed in order to free the soul from its irregular affections and so to put it in the way of knowing and embracing the will of God toward it.

2. As it is the soul that is to be exercised in making a retreat, we must seek from our spiritual guide only what is necessary to enable it to act with uprightness and certainty. We must not expect from him many words or long explanations, nor to hear long sermons or interesting lectures. It is not the quantity of food but a healthy digestion, which nourishes the body; so it is not the great amount of knowledge communicated but the manner in which the heart receives it, and is nourished by it, that satisfies the needs of the soul. Moreover, experience proves that the heart will receive with delight, and with greater real profit, what it discovers for itself, either by its own reflections or by the light shed upon it by Divine grace, than what is presented to its intelligence by lengthened discourses.

3. These Exercises engage both the understanding and the will of man. The understanding seeks by reasoning to obtain the full knowledge of the subject proposed to it; the will produces the various affections that result from the knowledge acquired. In these acts of the heart, wherein it approaches God and converses with Him, the faithful soul ought to be careful never to forget the inward as well as the external respect that the presence of the Divinity requires.

4. Although St. Ignatius has divided the Exercises into four series or weeks, each consecrated to a special work of reform, or a distinct study of Our Lord Jesus Christ, it must not be supposed that these weeks are necessarily of seven days. Each one ends when its aim is attained: this happens soonest to the most diligent and those whom the grace of God influences most quickly; later to those who, notwithstanding their goodwill, are longer tried by contending feelings. Generally, the complete course of these Exercises requires about thirty days.

5. The person in retreat will find everything easy, and himself wonderfully assisted by grace, if from the beginning he brings to God a large and generous heart; if he abandons himself with all his wishes and all his liberty to the action of his Creator; if he is disposed to allow his Sovereign Lord to order him, and all that concerns him, according to His good pleasure.

6. The rules that are given for the discernment of spirits will assist the soldier of Jesus Christ—sometimes consoled by Heaven as he will be and sometimes a prey to desolation—to know and avoid the snares laid for him by his enemies. If he feels neither consolation, nor sadness, nor other movements of the heart, he must examine himself carefully on the manner in which he performs these Exercises. Does he perform them at the time prescribed and in the manner pointed out? Does he observe the methods and rules traced out for him? In moments of temptation and dryness let him encourage himself; let him reassure himself with the hope of soon being consoled; let him, moreover, have recourse to the counsels of his spiritual director.

7. It is well for the person in retreat to concentrate his thoughts on the subject presented to him at the moment, without preoccupying himself at all about the day or the week that is to follow. Let him give an hour to each of the Exercises of the day; and as the evil one uses every means to make us shorten this time, let him take care to be able to reassure himself always with the thought that he has lengthened rather than shortened it. The time will appear short if it pass in the midst of consolation but very long in moments of desolation and dryness. It is at these times that it would be well to prolong the Exercise, to conquer ourselves and to show the enemy that his attacks are not only resisted but also turned to the advantage of our souls.

8. When consolation is abundant, no vow or promise should be made without having taken time to reflect and consult. When the soul, on the contrary, feels inclined toward things inferior or less perfect, every effort must be made to elevate it and give it a contrary direction. To obtain this grace from the God of all goodness, besides assiduous prayer, let other pious exercises be added; beg Our Lord not to allow us to obtain or keep anything, whether honors, riches or happiness, until our irregular inclination for these things has been reformed and rendered subordinate to the interests of His service and glory.

9. That the director may guide with certainty the soul placed under his care and judge of its spiritual progress, we must faithfully tell him, not precisely our own thoughts and opinions, or our sins (the latter will be told in confession) but the agitations and different movements that the Spirit of God, or the evil spirit, may produce in us.

10. In order that the number, the length and the nature of the Exercises may be suited to the age, capacity and inclination of the person in retreat and that no one may be overburdened and all may have what is suitable to their particular dispositions and wants at the time, each one will receive from his director, at the beginning, a rule fixing the hours of rising, of meditation, of meals and the other exercises and occupations of the day. His spiritual guide also will visit him as often as he thinks requisite, setting him the employment for each day as well as the directions, advice and encouragement that he judges to be suitable and useful. The author of the Exercises, like the Apostle, made himself all things to all men. To strong, able, generous-minded men and to those who are masters of their time and of their state of life, he recommends four meditations a day of an hour each; another meditation of an hour in the middle of the night; an examination of conscience in the middle of the day and another before going to rest. Some relaxation will be allowed these persons, if required, during this laborious course. Persons who unite all these conditions, except the time, and who cannot give more than an hour or an hour and a half a day, the rest of their time being occupied in their ordinary avocations, will receive directions how to occupy themselves each day for an hour. By these means they will advance more slowly, but nevertheless in order, and will secure the continuity of the Exercises by one or two repetitions of each meditation. The Exercises of the first week are those that are suited to the capacity and devotion of the greater number. Such will come out of the retreat with a deeper fear of God having made a good general confession, knowing how to examine their consciences well and to approach the Sacraments more regularly. Others again must be satisfied with less. To these the commandments of God and the Church, and the method of examining their consciences and going to confession, will be explained; they will be instructed in the three methods of prayer that are mentioned further on. It is desirable that such persons should devote half an hour every morning to these Exercises and that they should approach the Sacraments every week or fortnight.

11. But those who have their time at their disposal and who wish to derive all the benefit possible from these Exercises must perform them exactly as they are laid down. They must place before their eyes, either written or printed, the principal points of the Meditations and the abridgment of the methods, that they may not escape their memory. Their progress in the spiritual life will be the more rapid according as they more completely separate themselves from their acquaintances and friends and from worldly thoughts and business. Therefore such must, if possible, leave their homes and retire to a more solitary room or house and only come out to assist at Mass and the offices of the Church, so as not to meet with interruptions. This solitude will procure, among others, three great advantages: first, in separating in this manner from friends, relations and worldly affairs, we shall obtain abundant grace from Heaven. Then, as the mind is less distracted during this voluntary retreat and not drawn off to other subjects, the thoughts are more easily fixed and concentrated on the one thing necessary—the service of God: and the will follows the subject that the understanding offers to it with all the liberty and energy of its nature. In fine, the more the soul is disengaged and separated from creatures, the more she is at liberty to follow and attain to her Creator and Master, who only approaches her to enrich her with the infinite gifts of His bounty.

12. That the relations between him who gives the retreat and those who make it may be as agreeable and as profitable as possible, neither must lose sight of this advice: every good and pious Christian must be disposed to receive in a favorable sense and to take in good part every word susceptible of being so received and understood, rather than to take it in a rigorous and objectionable sense. If it happen that the expression is not defensible, ask the person his intention in saying it; and if he is really in error, point it out to him in a charitable manner, that he may set himself right on the point.

Meditation consists in calling to mind some dogmatic or moral truth and reflecting on or discussing this truth according to each one’s capacity, so as to move the will and produce in us amendment.

Thus, if you have to meditate on the sin of the angels, you will call to mind how they, having disobeyed their Creator, forfeited grace and were cast out of heaven into hell. You will then reflect attentively on this subject, so as to feel confounded by and blush at the multitude of your sins, compared to this one single sin that ruined the rebel angels. In fine, you will conclude that you have often merited the same punishment as they, since you too have so often sinned.

To meditate usefully, observe well the following rules:

Before Meditation

1. The subject should be divided into two or three points, that the meditation may be rendered easier by a division that is natural and easy to remember.

2. Before beginning, we must by a preparatory prayer beg of God by His grace to direct all the powers and operations of our souls to His service and glory alone.

3. The heart having taken this proper and generous resolution, the faithful soul must impress the subject proposed on the mind, the imagination and the will.

If the subject of the meditation is a history—for example, that of the Prodigal Son—the memory must recall the principal facts. This is the first prelude as generally used, particularly during the second and following weeks.

The imagination seizes its object by placing it in a certain spot that the mind represents to itself. This has caused the name of “composition of place” to be given to the second prelude. If the meditation is on some visible object, such as the birth of Jesus Christ, we must figure to ourselves the place where this mystery was accomplished—the stable at Bethlehem, the manger or elsewhere. If the mind is occupied by a truth purely intellectual—for example, the misery of sin—we may assist ourselves by a picture of a soul imprisoned in the body, banished among animals in this vale of tears. The object of this prelude is to give the soul the impression that would be produced upon it by the sight of a picture representing exactly the subject of meditation; or, still better, by the sight of the place where the mystery occurred. We must avoid in this, even more than in other points, all violent efforts of the mind, or loss of time. Since every person’s imagination is not sufficiently lively and docile to succeed easily in this prelude, it must be set aside if it prove an embarrassment.

The will is exercised in soliciting a grace according to the mystery: for example, contrition, sorrow, joy and so on.

During Meditation

1. We must endeavor to understand and feel inwardly the truth on which we meditate, rather than think much on it.

2. If facility and consolation are experienced, we must beware of vain satisfaction. We must never make a vow lightly or without advice. Our reflections and sentiments must always be directed toward our own amendment.

3. In times of dryness and desolation we must be patient and wait with resignation the return of consolation, putting our trust in the goodness of God. We must animate ourselves by the thought that God is always with us, that He only allows this trial for our greater good and that we have not necessarily lost His grace because we have lost the taste and feeling of it.

4. Meditations should be ended by one or several Colloquies. These are familiar conversations in which we speak to God like a son to a father, a servant to a master, one friend to another, a criminal to a judge; sometimes acknowledging our faults, sometimes exposing our wants, sometimes asking graces. These colloquies are addressed to the Blessed Virgin, to Our Saviour or to God the Father, sometimes to all three successfully. This is the part of the meditation requiring the most liberty and confidence but also the most respect. They must be concluded either by the “Ave Maria” the “Anima Christi,” or the “Pater,” according to the person to whom they are addressed. These colloquies may take place not only at the end but also at the beginning or in the course of the meditation, as devotion may inspire. When we address ourselves to Jesus Christ and beg Him to intercede for us before God, it must be understood that we consider Him, not simply as God, but in His human nature as our Mediator and Advocate.

After Meditation

When two meditations have been made, it is customary to repeat them once or twice. This method is very useful, for it often happens that the first view of a mystery offers food chiefly to the curiosity of the mind; but, this desire of knowledge once satisfied, the soul returns calmly to its first impressions and can more easily give free course to its affections; for it is in the affections of the heart that the fruits of an exercise consist. In these repetitions, we must avoid all long reasonings and only replace before our eyes and run over, so to say, our first thoughts, dwelling on them with our will and heart. The use of the colloquies should be more frequent during the repetitions than during the Exercises.

Additional Recommendations / In the Form of Resolutions, Which Will Assist Us in Making the Exercises Well and Obtaining from God What We Ask of Him

1. On lying down, before going to sleep, during the short time that will suffice for repeating the “Hail Mary,” I will fix the hour of my rising and review in my mind the points of my meditation.

2. On awakening, immediately excluding all other thoughts, I will apply my mind to the truth on which I am going to meditate; at the same time, I will excite in my heart suitable sentiments. For example, before the Exercise on the “triple sin,” I will say to myself while I dress, “And I, loaded with so many graces, the object of predilection to my Lord and King, I stand convicted of ingratitude, of treason, of rebellion, before His eyes and those of His whole court.” Before the Exercise on personal sins, “Behold me, a criminal deserving death, led before my Judge loaded with chains.” These sentiments must accompany the act of rising and will vary according to the subject of meditation.

3. Standing a few paces from the spot where I am going to make my meditation, I must recollect myself, raise my mind above earthly things and consider Our Lord Jesus Christ as present and attentive to what I am about to do. Having given to this preparation the time required to say the “Our Father,” I will offer the homage of my soul and body to Our Saviour, assuming an attitude full of veneration and humble respect.

4. I will then begin my meditation, if I am alone in my chamber or elsewhere without witnesses, in the posture most suitable to the end I propose to myself, sometimes with my face bowed to the earth, sometimes standing, sometimes sitting; only observing that if I obtain what I seek kneeling, or in any other attitude, I ought to remain so without seeking anything better. In the same way, if any particular point causes me to experience the grace that I am seeking, I must remain there calmly until my devotion is satisfied, without caring for anything more.

5. After having finished the Exercise, I will either walk about or sit still and examine how it has succeeded. If it has not, I will ascertain the cause, sincerely repent and make firm resolutions for the future. If the success has been satisfactory, I will make acts of thanksgiving and resolve to follow the same method for the future.

6. I will lay aside during the first week all joyful thoughts, such, for instance, as the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. This thought would dry up the tears that I ought at this period to shed over my sins. I must rather call up thoughts of death and judgment, in order to assist my sorrow.

7. For the same purpose, I will shut out the daylight, only allowing sufficient light to enter my room to enable me to read and take my meals.

8. I will carefully avoid all laughter or anything that can lead to it.

9. I will not look at any one, unless obliged to salute them or say adieu.

10. The tenth “recommendation” will be found in the Second Part, under the title of “Rule of Penance.”See p. 205.

Veni Creator. Ave maris stella. Invoke St. Joseph, your angel guardian and your patron saints. Then read attentively the subject of meditation that is to open the Exercises.

First Consideration / What God has Prepared for You in Retreat

God has prepared for you a superabundance of His graces in this retreat. It is the same in retreat as in the great solemnities of religion and in certain privileged sanctuaries of Mary. Jesus Christ has graces for every day; but He reserves His choicest ones for the days on which the Church celebrates the great mysteries of His life on earth. Mary is always our benefactress and our mother; but she has favorite sanctuaries, to which she attaches her greatest blessings and miracles. The privilege of a retreat is to draw down upon us all the graces of God in their greatest plenitude. “Behold, now is the acceptable time: behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).

Consider, with St. Bernard, that it has been in retreat that God has always pleased to signalize His greatest mercies toward men. It was in retreat on Sinai that Moses received the tables of the law; it was in the retreat of Carmel that Elias received the double spirit that animated him; it was in the retreat of the desert that John the Baptist received the plenitude of the Spirit of God; it was in retreat that the Apostles received the gifts of the Holy Ghost; it was in retreat that God converted the most illustrious penitents, that He raised up the most fervent apostles of the new law, that He inspired the founders of religious societies; in fine, it was in the retreat of Nazareth that Mary became the mother of God; and it may be said that all the life of Jesus Christ was a retreat. “Solitude was witness of the vigils of Jesus; solitude heard the prayers of Jesus; solitude saw Him come into the world, preach, be transfigured, die, rise from the dead, ascend into heaven” (P. de Celles).

Believe, then, and rest assured that all the graces of God await you in this retreat.

Who are you who this day begins these holy Exercises? Who are you? A soul established in virtue? You need renewing. The most solid virtue is a perfume that evaporates, a mirror that tarnishes, a water that becomes impure in the midst of the world. “Bless the Lord, O my soul… who satisfieth thy desire with good things; thy youth shall be renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps. 102:1, 5). To you the grace of a retreat will be one of renovation.

Who are you? A soul divided in the service of God? A soul embarrassed by a multitude of human affections? You have now to detach your heart from creatures. “How long do you halt between two sides? If the Lord be God, follow Him” (3 Kings 18:21). For you the grace of retreat will be a grace of detachment.

Who are you? A soul given to worldly pleasures? One who does not pray, or prays badly? You must return to yourself and to God. “Return, ye transgressors, to the heart” (Is. 46:8). “We ought always to pray” (Luke 18:1). For you the grace of retreat will be one of recollection and prayer.

Who are you? Lastly, are you a guilty soul? Perhaps a soul grown old in sin, perhaps an impenitent soul, perhaps a soul struck with blindness and hardness? And if this question alone does not make you tremble, certainly you are a hardened soul. Ah! You require nothing less than all the graces of God; and this retreat offers them to you—the grace of light on your state, on the enormity of your faults, on the greatness of your losses for eternity, on the judgments of God that menace you; the grace of compunction; the grace of firm resolution; the grace of a real and solid conversion.

Second Consideration / What God asks of you in this retreat

God requires two things of you, on which depend all the graces of the retreat.

1. Recollection of spirit. You are in retreat to listen to God. “I will hear what the Lord God will speak within me” (Ps. 84:9). But the voice of God only makes itself heard in the repose and silence of the soul. It is true that the voice of God, having once fully penetrated the heart, becomes strong as the tempest and loud as the thunder; but before reaching the heart, it is weak as a light breath that scarcely agitates the air. It shrinks from noise and is silent amid agitation. “The Lord is not in the earthquake” (3 Kings 19:11). Retire into your heart with God, to meditate, to pray, to weep, to speak to the Lord and to listen to Him. You will not be alone when you are with Him. “How can he be alone who is always with God?” says St. Ambrose. If you are deprived of the conversation of men, you will enjoy that of the saints, of the angels, of Jesus Christ.“I call to me whom I will: I possess the society of saints; a troop of angels accompany me: I enjoy converse with Jesus Christ Himself” (St. Jerome).

2. Perfect docility of heart. This comprises three things: fidelity to rules; application to the exercises; obedience to all the movements of grace. Be afraid of refusing anything to God: however small the sacrifice may be, perhaps our conversion, our salvation, may depend on it. A single word of the Gospel converted St. Anthony; a word from a sermon converted St. Nicholas Tolentino; a fact of history, a reading, a conversation, began the conversion of St. Augustine, of St. Ignatius, of St. Francis Xavier. Can you tell to what sacrifice God may have attached the change of your heart? Enter, then, into the disposition of the prophet: “My heart, O Lord, is ready” (Ps. 56:8). Do not fear to be too generous with God, and do not be afraid of the sacrifices He may ask of you; this sweet experience will force you to cry out with St. Augustine, “How sweet has it been to me to be deprived of the miserable delights of a frivolous world! and what incomparable joy have I felt after a privation once so dreaded!” Cast yourself, therefore, at the feet of Jesus Christ, and say to Him, “Lord, Thou hast given me a soul capable of knowing and loving Thee; I return it to Thee, not adorned with the grace and virtue that Thou bestowedst on it in baptism, but covered with the scars and wounds of sin; cure it, O heavenly Physician, and restore to it its pristine life and beauty.”

“Lord, I offer Thee my understanding; enlighten it with Thy brightest light. ‘Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep in death’” (Ps. 12:4).

“Lord, I offer Thee my memory; blot out from it the remembrance of the world, and leave in it only the memory of Thy mercies to bless them, and of my sins to weep for them.”

“Lord, I offer Thee my heart; change it by Thy grace. ‘Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within me’” (Ps. 1:12).

“Lord, I offer to Thee the senses of my body, the powers of my soul, my whole being; dispose of them for my salvation and for Thy greater glory. ‘I have put my trust in Thee, O Lord; I have said Thou art my God; my lot is in Thy hand’” (Ps. 30:15).

Pater. Ave.