The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola have been a mainstay of Christian prayer life for almost five hundred years, but many priests, religious, and lay ministers simply don’t have the time to perform the full thirty day retreat with a spiritual director. For these busy people, Thomas Rausch’s An 8 Day Ignatian Retreat for Priests, Religious, Deacons, and Lay Ministers provides an excellent new way to benefit from the Exercises’ timeless method of spiritual formation.
Using contemplations from the Spiritual Exercises and meditations on the life of Jesus, this book guides the reader on a prayerful, eight-day journey into the heart of an Ignatian retreat, with a particular focus on ministry. The deliberately short chapters are structured to lead the retreatant to a deeper awareness of God and self. This book is not a “lighter” version of the Exercises, but rather a dynamic way for hard-working priests, religious, and lay ministers to apply Ignatius’ insights to their own interior life and to experience rejuvenation and growth. An appendix offers additional scriptural texts.
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