SoulStream Ignatian Spiritual Exercises

SoulStream offers accompaniment in The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola

Ignatian Spirituality affirms God is present “in all things” and “labours on our behalf” to draw us close to God. Jesuit educator and author Kevin O’Brien SJ, says that in the Exercises, “Ignatius invites us into an intimate encounter with God revealed in Jesus Christ so that we can think and act more like Christ.”

Why the Spiritual Exercises?

In the Spiritual Exercises, the retreatant engages in an intimate encounter with Jesus, journeying with him from his birth to his death and resurrection. The Exercises are good for increasing one’s openness to the movement of the Spirit, for bringing to light hindrances within us that may obstruct one’s attunement to the Spirit and their truest self, and for strengthening and supporting them to open more fully to God’s boundless love and live more freely from this truth.

Ignatian Spirituality affirms that God is present in all things—creation, our relationships, our jobs, our thoughts, our culture—and in all we do, allowing us to be who we were created to be.

What is the 19th Annotation/Retreat in Daily Life?

St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) initially intended that the Spiritual Exercises be given by a spiritual guide and made by a retreatant in a thirty-day silent retreat of daily prayer and daily sessions with the guide. However, he soon realized that many who desired to make the Exercises were not in circumstances that allowed them to leave their homes, families, and responsibilities for a month. Thus, he developed the 19th Annotation, an adaptation to the Exercises, to make it possible to complete the full Spiritual Exercises in 30-35 weeks while living their daily life. In this format, a retreatant commits to a disciplined daily habit of prayer and exercises of 45-60 minutes per day, six days a week over a period of eight to nine months.

The Retreat in Daily Life offers an opportunity for the retreatant to integrate the blessings of their prayers into all aspects of their life, engage in various prayer forms, deepen their trust and intimacy with God, and grow in discernment that will last a lifetime.

The Structure of the Spiritual Exercises

The Spiritual Exercises follow closely the key events in the life and ministry of Jesus. By engaging with scripture and prayer, and with exercises of the imagination called meditations and contemplations, the Spiritual Exercises help the retreatant to consider who they are for God and who God is for them.

The Spiritual Exercises is structured into four phases, or what Ignatius called “weeks”, with a preparatory phase before entering. The preparatory phase is an introduction to the prayer forms and sets the context for entry into the body of the exercises. The Weeks organize distinct themes of prayers, contemplations, and meditations for the retreatant to learn to experience God’s nearness and God’s graces.

Each retreatant meets individually with their spiritual companion weekly. During these sessions, their spiritual guide listens to the prayer experiences of the retreatant from the week before and assigns prayer exercises for the week ahead. Each of our companions has received training in guiding those making the Spiritual Exercises.

Program Details

September 22, 2025 to May 30, 2026

Cost: $1775 plus a $75 non-refundable registration fee.

Included:

• 33 individual weekly sessions (50-60 minutes, virtual or in-person) with their assigned spiritual guide/companion
• Seven group teaching sessions (60-minute, virtual) held each four to six weeks on a
  Monday at 4pm PT / 7pm ET

The group sessions will include teachings that will support a deepening of prayer and an opportunity for brief sharing around the circle. These sharing times allow us all to hear the many unique ways God’s loving presence and invitations may be experienced. (NB: All sharing times are voluntary.) The teaching segment of group sessions will be recorded and made available to participants.