Ten Month Prayer Journey

Hi everyone,

Once again, Claudia Weiland from our Squamish church is leading a guided prayer journey, inviting people in our churches to join her.  As with prior years, she is using the "Spiritual Exercises" developed by Ignatius of Loyola.  

Claudia writes:

The Spiritual Exercises are a compilation of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices developed by Ignatius of Loyola (+1556) to help people deepen their relationship with God.

For centuries, the Exercises were typically given as a retreat of 30 full days in solitude and silence. Today, however, the most common way of going through the Ignatian Exercises is the “Retreat in Daily Life” (also known as the 19th Annotation), where the program of daily prayer and meetings with a spiritual director is stretched out over 30-35 weeks.

Since the fall brings an opportunity to start in alignment with the liturgical calendar, from September to May you would spend an hour a day, five days per week, in prayer. Immersing yourself in daily prayer like that provides a beautiful framework and rhythm that helps you grow in your (heart-) knowledge of God’s love and, in turn, you will find that your love for God increases as well: "Being together with Jesus" for that much time - encountering Him perhaps in fresh, new ways - is truly transformational and life-changing. And wonderful.