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Ignatius of Loyola: The Spiritual Exercises

Ignatius of Loyola · translated by Elder Mullan · 1548; translation 1914

The four weeks of meditation and contemplation that formed the Jesuits and countless retreats since.

Edition: CCEL · www.ccel.org

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From the opening: Paul III, Pope for a Perpetual Remembrance

The cares of the pastoral charge of the whole flock of Christ entrusted to Us and Our devotion to the glory and praise of God impel Us to embrace what helps the salvation of souls and their spiritual profit, and cause Us to hearken to those who petition Us for what can foster and nourish piety in the faithful.

So Our beloved son, Francis de Borgia, Duke of Gandia, has lately brought it to Our notice that Our beloved son Ignatius de Loyola, General of the Society of Jesus, erected by Us in Our beloved City and confirmed by Our Apostolic authority, has compiled certain instructions, or Spiritual Exercises, drawn from Holy Writ and from experience in the spiritual life, and has reduced them to an order which is excellently adapted to move piously the souls of the faithful, and that they are very useful and wholesome for the spiritual consolation and profit of the same. This the said Duke Francis has come to know by report from many places and by clear evidence at Barcelona, Valencia and Gandia.

Hence he has humbly begged Us to cause the aforesaid instructions and Spiritual Exercises to be examined, so that their fruit may be more spread, and more of the faithful may be induced to use them with greater devotion. And he has begged Us, should We find them worthy, to approve and praise them and out of Our Apostolic goodness to make other provision in the premisses.

We, therefore, have caused these instructions and Exercises to be examined, and by the testimony of and report made to Us by Our beloved son John Cardinal Priest of the Title of St. Clement, Bishop of Burgos and Inquisitor, Our venerable Brother Philip, Bishop of Saluciae, and Our Vicar General in things spiritual at Rome, and Our beloved son Aegidius Foscararius, Master of Our Sacred Palace, have found that these Exercises are full of piety and holiness and that they are and will be extremely useful and salutary for the spiritual profit of the faithful.

We have, besides, as We should, due regard to the rich fruits which Ignatius and the aforesaid Society founded by him are constantly producing everywhere in the Church of God, and to the very great help which the said Exercises have proved in this.

Moved, then, by this petition, with the aforesaid authority, by these presents, and of Our certain knowledge, We approve, praise, and favor with the present writing the aforesaid instructions and Exercises and all…

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Contents (103 sections)

  1. Opening
  2. Title page
  3. Approbation of the Latin Texts
  4. Paul III, Pope for a Perpetual Remembrance
  5. Preface
  6. Preface
  7. Of Father Diertins
  8. To Give Some Understanding of the Spiritual Exercises Which Follow, and to Enable Him Who…
  9. Principle and Foundation
  10. Particular and Daily Examen
  11. Follow to Rid Oneself Sooner of That Particular Sin or Defect
  12. To Purify Oneself and to Make One's Confession Better
  13. Method for Making the General Examen
  14. General Confession with Communion
  15. It Is a Meditation with the Three Powers on the First, the Second and the Third Sin
  16. It Is a Meditation on the Sins and Contains in It After the Preparatory Prayer and Two…
  17. It Is a Repetition of the First and Second Exercise, Making Three Colloquies
  18. It Is a Summary of This Same Third
  19. It Is a Meditation on Hell
  20. To Make the Exercises Better and to Find Better What One Desires
  21. It Helps to Contemplate the Life of the King Eternal
  22. And One Colloquy
  23. The Second Contemplation
  24. Will Be a Repetition of the First and Second Exercise
  25. Will Be a Repetition of the First and Second
  26. Will Be to Bring the Five Senses on the First and Second Contemplation
  27. The Second Day
  28. The Third Day
  29. Preamble to Consider States
  30. The Fourth Day
  31. In Order to Embrace What Is Best
  32. The Fifth Day
  33. The Eleventh Day
  34. Prelude for Making Election
  35. To Get Knowledge as to What Matters an Election Ought to Be Made About, and It Contains…
  36. And Good Election
  37. To Make a Sound and Good Election
  38. To Make a Good Any Sound Election
  39. To Amend and Reform One's Own Life
  40. Jerusalem to the Last Supper Inclusively
  41. From the Supper to the
  42. Rules to Put Oneself in Order for the Future
  43. How Christ Our Lord Appeared
  44. Contemplation to Gain Love
  45. Contemplation to Gain Love
  46. And First on the Commandments
  47. Second Method of Prayer
  48. Third Method of Prayer
  49. The Mysteries of the Life of Christ Our Lord
  50. Of the Annunciation of Our Lady
  51. Of the Visitation of Our Lady to Elizabeth
  52. Of the Birth of Christ Our Lord
  53. Of the Shepherds
  54. Of the Circumcision
  55. Of the Three Magi Kings
  56. Of the Purification of Our Lady and Presentation of the Child Jesus
  57. Of the Flight to Egypt
  58. Of How Christ Our Lord Returned from Egypt
  59. Of the Life of Christ Our Lord from Twelve to Thirty Years
  60. When He Was of the Age of
  61. Of How Christ Was Baptized
  62. Of How Christ Was Tempted
  63. Of the Call of the Apostles
  64. Performed at the Marriage of Cana, Galilee
  65. Those Who Were Selling
  66. Of the Sermon Which Christ Made on the Mount
  67. Of How Christ Our Lord Made the Tempest of the Sea Be Calm
  68. Of How Christ Walked on the Sea
  69. Of How the Apostles Were Sent to Preach
  70. Of the Conversion of Magdalen
  71. Of How Christ Our Lord Gave to Eat Five Thousand Men
  72. Of the Transfiguration of Christ
  73. Of the Resurrection of Lazarus
  74. Of the Supper at Bethany
  75. Of the Preaching in the Temple
  76. Of the Mysteries Done from the Supper to the Garden, Inclusive
  77. Of the Mysteries Done from the Garden to the House of Annas, Inclusive
  78. Of the Mysteries Done from the House of Annas to the House of Caiphas, Inclusive
  79. Of the Mysteries Done from the House of Caiphas to That of Pilate, Inclusive
  80. Of the Mysteries Done from the House of Pilate to That of Herod
  81. Of the Mysteries Done from the House of Herod to That of Pilate
  82. Of the Mysteries Done from the House of Pilate to the Cross, Inclusive
  83. Of the Mysteries on the Cross
  84. Of the Mysteries from the Cross to the Sepulchre, Inclusive
  85. Of the Resurrection of Christ Our Lord of His First Apparition
  86. Of the Second Apparition
  87. Of the Third Apparition
  88. Of the Fourth Apparition
  89. Of the Fifth Apparition
  90. Of the Sixth Apparition
  91. The Seventh Apparition
  92. Of the Eighth Apparition
  93. Of the Ninth Apparition
  94. Of the Tenth Apparition
  95. Of the Eleventh Apparition
  96. Of the Twelfth Apparition
  97. Of the Thirteenth Apparition
  98. Of the Ascension of Christ Our Lord
  99. Proper for the First Week
  100. And They Help More for the Second Week
  101. The Following Rules Should Be Kept
  102. And Persuasions of Our Enemy
  103. Which We Ought to Have in the Church

How to cite it

Chicago
Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatius of Loyola: The Spiritual Exercises. Translated by Elder Mullan. CCEL, 1548; translation 1914. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/ignatius/exercises
MLA
Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatius of Loyola: The Spiritual Exercises. Translated by Elder Mullan, CCEL, 1548; translation 1914. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/ignatius/exercises
APA
Ignatius of Loyola (1548; translation 1914). Ignatius of Loyola: The Spiritual Exercises (Elder Mullan, Trans.). CCEL. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/ignatius/exercises

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