After your initial consideration of the Celtic Christian traditions, you will make a three-part journey through The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. Composed almost half a millennium after the decline the early Celtic churches, these exercises present an invitation to share in the redemption of God’s creation through the prayerful contemplation of our relationship to a loving God and our subsequent invitation to companion Jesus Christ as sons and daughters of God.
The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola are divided into four “weeks” of varying lengths contemplating our status as “loved sinners”, the earthly ministry of Jesus, the passion and death of Jesus, and Jesus’ continuing presence after his resurrection. These topics may be presented in a 30-day secluded retreat or in daily life over a period of approximately 30 weeks, which can be completed together or in thematic segments completed separately.
In this program, you complete the Ignatian exercises in three 9-day or 9-week retreats using Timothy J. Ray’s “Finding Your Place of Resurrection” series: “From Loss to Love”, “From Disciple to Friend” and “From Passion to Resurrection”. Each book in this sequence contains prayers and stories connecting a particular Celtic saint to the presentation of the Ignatian exercises themselves as well as shaping the follow-up activities to each retreat.
Preparation
Before beginning your journey through the Ignatian exercises, you should determine the way you will proceed through them and acquaint yourself with the different prayer styles you will use during them as well as decide if you want to use any alternative methods or materials for your spiritual journey. Finally, you should become familiar with the equipment you will use (and the procedures you will follow) during the retreats.
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The Retreats
The retreats in this program are designed to be made using virtual reality equipment, however they may also be completed in daily life following the approach outlined in the books in the “Finding Your Place of Resurrection” series.
“From Loss to Love”
— an examination of the love at the heart of God’s desires for humanity and the rest of creation, the forces of sin that resist these desires, and the compassion and forgiveness God offers to help men and women overcome that resistance
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“From Disciple to Friend”
— an exploration of the early life and public ministry of Jesus of Nazareth as well as Jesus’ continuing invitation for men and women to join him in his ongoing ministry of love and reconciliation
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“From Passion to Resurrection”
— an invitation to feel the depth of Jesus’ isolation, suffering and death before experiencing the joy of his resurrection — as well as the fullness of their own desire to serve God with unreserved love and devotion
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Review
After completing all three retreats, you should consider your experiences during these times of prayer. You also will find it helpful to reflect again on the spiritual ideals of Ignatius of Loyola and the early Celtic Christians, the parallels between these ideals and the experience of the Ignatian exercises, and how to nurture the graces you received during your retreats.
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For Further Reflection and Study
To help you process your retreat experiences, various Ignatian materials are suggested at the end of the review section. However, if you want to explore various Celtic-inspired approaches to prayer, you may find Timothy Ray’s Seeking our Place of Resurrection helpful (since it contains the prayer sequences used in the retreats without specific scriptural references) as well as the writings on prayer by David Adam, David Cole, Esther de Waal, J. Philip Newell and Ray Simpson.
For collections of ancient and folk prayers, you should consult Alexander Carmichael’s Carmina Gadelica and Alistair Maclean’s Hebridean Altars as well as Paul Stratman’s collections of Celtic prayers and liturgies.
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