As a retreat experience, the Spiritual Exercises are another particularly rich and powerful experience of the same way of living, only now in the situation of retreat, prayer and reflection. Their purpose, says Ignatius, is to lead a person to true spiritual freedom.

There are two formats for experiencing the "full" Exercises. One is experiencing them in a thirty-day period during which one meets daily with a spiritual director and has regular daily prayer periods. Another format that is especially popular with lay persons is the "retreat in daily life" (often called "the 19th Annotation"), in which the retreatant meets regularly with a spiritual director, prays more regularly and somewhat longer than previously, but continues living in his/her usual environment and continues most, if not all his, usual activities. This retreat experience lasts for many months.

During an experience of the Exercises, the five marks of our way of living are sought and deepened as personal gift in an encounter with God.

The freedom I have been given is to be transformed as I see the need and resolve to put my relationships in order, as Christ becomes a personal friend with whom I can collaborate, attentive trying to follow His Spirit in building the Kingdom - all this so that I will be truly free to find God in all things.

God comes to meet me where I am now and transforms my freedom, drawing me to know and love him more, enabling me to better find Him in all things and in every situation of my life.

Retreat and daily existence are two different ways of living the same loving collaboration with Jesus which is characteristic of our CLC spirituality.

For most people the full Spiritual Exercises are something they experience once in their life but we are also encouraged to make shorter retreats regularly either away from home or in daily life. These can be seen as a top-up experience for those who have made the Spiritual Exercises, or a preparation for those who have not. Christian Life Community tries to provide us with opportunities for this.

"Take, Lord, and receive

My entire liberty, my memory,

My understanding and my will

All that I am, and all that I have,

Thou hast given me,

and I surrender them to Thee

To be disposed of according to thy holy will.

Give me only Thy love and They grace;

With these I am rich enough and desire nothing more.

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Last modified: February 27, 2007