You have now gone through the Principle and Foundation of the Exercises and the First Week, covering these themes:

From Principle and Foundation

  • Your image of God
  • God’s love for you
  • Your relationship with other human beings and creatures/creation
  • Inner freedom
  • Discernment of spiritual influences that pull us away or toward God (consolation and desolation)
  • Emotions and the spiritual life

From First Week

  • Cosmic, global, and historical dimensions of sin
  • Personal sin
  • God’s mercy
  • Inner freedom and discernment (continued)
  • Longing and praying for transformation (global and personal)

You have also been introduced to different types of prayer:

  • Examen
  • Traditional prayers (e.g. Anima Christi)
  • Preparatory prayer
  • Praying with the body
  • Praying Scripture with the senses
  • Triple Colloquies

Spend some time this week reflecting on the journey so far. Look back over your journal and/or other sign posts. Ask God to bring to the surface what is most important for your spiritual process. As you reflect, keep prayer at the center (not just intellectual or meditative review). The goal is always connection with God.

  • What emotions or desires come up for you as you reflect on your experience of the Exercises so far, especially the First Week?
  • What stands out to you the most? (e.g. Recurring patterns? Specific images or Scriptures?)
  • Are there areas that you would like to go back to and spend more time on? If so, you can revisit them this week.
  • What kind of conversations are you having with God? Are there things you have not talked with God about?
  • How are you doing with practicing discerning, on a daily basis, spiritual movement toward God or away from God? What movements have you noticed?
  • How comfortable are you with honestly looking at and confessing sin?  How comfortable are you with accepting God’s mercy and unconditional love?
  • What is your level of longing for freedom?

Ignatius hoped that by reflecting on sin and mercy that we would 1) be awakened to areas where we are not living out our created purpose and mourn that tragic reality and 2) be awakened to God’s amazing mercy that helps us return to loving well. Both of these perspectives have the ultimate goal of filling us with desire to throw off all that hinders and eagerly pursue God’s will for us. Has your journey through the First Week accomplished this? Talk with your spiritual director about where you are at.