The Exercises of St. Ignatius
About:
For nearly 400 years, the Exercises of St. Ignatius have been a gift to Christians around the world. As a young man, Ignatius of Loyola began to grow curious about the movements happening in his soul, and developed these “spiritual exercises” to train others to grow deeper in Christlikeness. They are prayers, reflections, meditations, mental exercises, and directions designed to be read and carried out over a 28 to 30-day time period with the aid of a spiritual director or guide.
These exercises grew out of Ignatius' own desire to seek God's will and to follow Christ no matter what the cost. Ignatius' intent was that the exercises would help others to discern God's will for their lives. The purpose of the Exercises is very practical: to grow in union with God, who frees us to make good decisions about our lives and to “help souls”.
Our Resource/Guide:
The Ignatian Adventure by Kevin O’Brien
In The Ignatian Adventure, Kevin O’Brien, SJ, offers a unique way of experiencing the Spiritual Exercises in daily life. However, this follows Ignatius’ intent. Ignatius insisted that the Exercises be adapted to meet the particular needs of the person making them. The goal is drawing closer to God, not just mechanically running through the exercises. The key word is adaptability.
Cost:
This is a “Pay What You Can” offering.
We want to make this experience available to as many people as we can. We also want to be able to provide our facilitators a stipend for the time they invest in this. A donation can be made at any time during the experience through this link. Please make a note on the donation form that it’s for the Ignatian Exercises.
Format:
The Ignatian Adventure facilitates an eight-month long retreat in daily life. There are 32 weeks of readings and meditations with suggestions for each day of the week. It is highly encouraged to spend 30–60 minutes daily in prayer and journaling.
As such, praying the Exercises requires a significant commitment of time. However, each participant can choose a daily/weekly rhythm that works best for them. Once a week, the group will gather online or in person at the Abbey of the Heights for reflection and listening.
Gathering:
60-75 minutes/week online (Zoom) or at the Abbey of the Heights in Tulsa.
The weekly gathering will open with a time of centering, followed by a time of listening, sharing, and reflecting on our experiences over the previous week. We’ll close our gathering with prayer and look forward to what’s coming next.
Day/Time:
Days and times will be determined by the facilitators based on the availability of those interested.
Groups will begin the first week of September.
There will be weeks where conflicts or unexpected things occur. We will also build in designated “off” weeks around holidays. The goal is to be completed with the Exercises before Memorial Day 2026.
To sign up:
If you’d like to participate in one of these groups (space is limited), email us through the button below and let us know your preference for in person or online.