Ignatius of Loyola

Dear friends,

In twenty-five years as a priest, the question I'm asked most often is: "How do I know what God wants me to do?"

Should I take this job or that one? Should I stay in this relationship or leave? Should I move or stay? Should I speak up or stay quiet? How do I make decisions that align with God's will?

These aren't abstract theological questions. They're the daily struggles of people trying to live faithful lives in a complex world.

And the best toolkit I've found for answering them comes from a 16th-century Spanish soldier turned saint: Ignatius of Loyola.

Ignatius's Spiritual Exercises aren't just for Jesuit priests making 30-day retreats. They're practical tools anyone can use to discern God's will in everyday decisions.

Let me show you how.

What Are the Spiritual Exercises?

First, let's clarify what they are—and aren't.

The Spiritual Exercises aren't a book you read for inspiration. They're a manual for a guided retreat, originally designed to last about 30 days, where you pray, reflect, and discern God's will for your life.

The full Exercises follow a structure:

• Week 1: Confronting sin and receiving God's mercy
• Week 2: Contemplating Christ's life and making a fundamental choice
• Week 3: Entering into Christ's passion
• Week 4: Experiencing resurrection joy and being sent on mission

But here's what's beautiful: Ignatius designed the Exercises to be flexible. He knew most people couldn't take a month off to pray. So he also described a version of the Exercises "in daily life"—where you maintain your normal routine but dedicate time each day to prayer and discernment.

And even if you never do the full Exercises, Ignatius gave us tools that work in everyday life:

• The Daily Examen
• Rules for Discernment of Spirits
• Methods for making good decisions
• Ways to find God in all things

Let's explore each.

The Daily Examen: 15 Minutes That Change Everything

The examen is the single most practical spiritual practice Ignatius gave us. It takes 10-15 minutes, ideally at the end of each day.

Here's how it works:

1. Become aware of God's presence (1 minute) Pause. Breathe. Acknowledge that God is with you, has been with you all day, and wants to meet you now.

2. Review the day with gratitude (2-3 minutes) Walk through your day from morning to now. Notice moments of gift, grace, beauty, connection. Give thanks for them.

This isn't just "counting blessings." It's training yourself to see where God was present—in a conversation, a moment of beauty, a problem solved, a kindness received.

3. Pay attention to your emotions (3-4 minutes) Review the day again, this time noticing your feelings. When did you feel alive, peaceful, joyful, connected (what Ignatius calls "consolation")? When did you feel anxious, scattered, dead, disconnected ("desolation")?

Don't judge the feelings. Just notice them.

4. Choose one feature of the day (2-3 minutes) Pick one moment that stands out—for good or ill. Pray with it. What was God saying in that moment? How did you respond? What might you do differently?

5. Look toward tomorrow (1-2 minutes) What's coming tomorrow? What challenges or opportunities? Ask God for help with what's ahead.

That's it. 10-15 minutes.

But done daily, it's transformative. Why?

Because the examen trains you to notice God's presence in your actual life, not just in prayer times or church.

I've seen this change people:

• The exhausted parent who starts noticing moments of grace in the chaos
• The depressed person who discovers they're not completely numb—there are flickers of life
• The busy professional who realizes their work can be prayer
• The doubter who finds God in unexpected places

The examen is Ignatian spirituality at its simplest and best: paying attention to your real life and finding God there.

Consolation and Desolation: The Language of God

At the heart of Ignatian discernment is learning to read your interior movements—what Ignatius calls consolation and desolation.

Consolation is any interior movement that draws you toward God, hope, love, peace, courage. It might feel like:

• Peace in the midst of difficulty
• Energy and enthusiasm for something good
• Deep joy (different from superficial pleasure)
• Clarity and light
• Love expanding outward
• Increased faith, hope, and charity

Desolation is any interior movement that draws you away from God, toward fear, despair, selfishness, or spiritual death. It might feel like:

• Anxiety, restlessness, agitation
• Spiritual dryness or deadness
• Darkness and confusion
• Love contracting inward
• Discouragement and hopelessness
• Decreased faith, hope, and charity

Here's the key insight: Consolation indicates you're moving in the right direction. Desolation indicates you're moving in the wrong direction—or being tempted away from God.

But there's nuance:

Not all good feelings are consolation. The pleasure of gossip might feel good but leads away from love. The high of impulsive shopping might be exciting but leads to regret.

Not all bad feelings are desolation. The discomfort of having a hard conversation might be unpleasant but lead to deeper relationship. The anxiety of starting something new might be scary but moving toward growth.

The question isn't "Does this feel good?" but "Where does this lead? Toward God or away? Toward life or toward death?"

Practical Example: Discerning a Job Decision

Let me show you how this works with a real-life example I've counseled people through many times: deciding between two job offers.

Job A: Higher pay, more prestige, longer hours, requires moving away from family and church community.

Job B: Lower pay, less prestigious, better work-life balance, stay in current community.

Logically, you could argue for either. So how do you discern?

Step 1: Pray with both options. Spend time imagining yourself in Job A. Really picture it—the daily routine, the relationships, the work itself. Notice what you feel. Then do the same with Job B.

Step 2: Notice consolation and desolation. When you imagine Job A, do you feel energized and alive? Or anxious and constricted? When you imagine Job B, do you feel peaceful and aligned? Or disappointed and diminished?

Step 3: Test the spirits. Here's where it gets tricky. Sometimes our egos produce false consolation. The excitement about Job A might be ego (prestige, status) rather than God. The peace about Job B might be fear (avoiding challenge) rather than God.

So you pray: "God, help me discern. Is this consolation from you or from my ego? Is this desolation from you (warning me away) or from fear?"

Step 4: Seek freedom (Ignatian indifference). Try to reach a place where you're genuinely okay with either option. "God, I'll take Job A if that's your will. I'll take Job B if that's your will. I just want what you want."

This isn't easy. It requires letting go of attachment to outcomes. But it's essential—because if you're not free, you can't truly discern.

Step 5: Imagine yourself at death. Ignatius suggests this: Imagine you're 80 years old, looking back. Which choice will you be glad you made? Or imagine you're on your deathbed. Which choice aligns with how you want to have lived?

Step 6: Make a provisional decision and test it. Choose one (tentatively). Sit with it for a few days. Do you experience deep peace (consolation)? Or growing anxiety (desolation)?

Step 7: Seek confirmation. Talk to wise, spiritual people. Do they see evidence of God's leading in your discernment? Pray for confirmation. Watch for signs (not superstitious signs, but the way circumstances unfold).

Step 8: Decide and trust. Eventually, you have to choose. Make the decision with as much prayer and discernment as you can. Then trust that God will work through your choice, even if it's imperfect.

This process works for all major decisions: relationships, moving, career changes, having children, caring for aging parents.

Rules for Discernment: When to Trust Your Feelings

Ignatius gives us "rules for discernment of spirits"—guidelines for when to trust our interior movements and when not to.

Rule 1: In desolation, make no changes. When you're depressed, anxious, or spiritually dry—don't make major decisions. Wait. The clarity will return.

I've seen so many people quit jobs, end relationships, or abandon commitments during desolation—and regret it later. Ignatius says: Hold steady. Don't act out of desolation.

Rule 2: In consolation, store up strength. When you experience consolation—peace, clarity, closeness to God—savor it. Remember it. Write it down. You'll need that memory during future desolation.

Rule 3: The enemy of human nature (Ignatius's term for evil spirits or temptation) works differently with people moving toward God vs. away from God.

For people moving away from God, the enemy makes sin look attractive, pleasant, harmless. "It's no big deal. Everyone does it. You deserve it."

For people moving toward God, the enemy uses false reasoning, anxiety, and obstacles. "You're not holy enough. This is too hard. You're fooling yourself."

Knowing this helps. If you're trying to live faithfully and suddenly feel bombarded by doubts or obstacles—that's often a sign you're on the right path. Keep going.

Rule 4: The good spirit (God's grace) works in opposite ways.

For people moving away from God, the good spirit uses "sting of conscience"—discomfort, guilt, the sense that something's wrong.

For people moving toward God, the good spirit brings peace, encouragement, strength—"gentle raindrops on a sponge."

Finding God in All Things

Ignatius's most famous teaching is "finding God in all things."

This doesn't mean "everything that happens is God's will." That's fatalism, and it's false. Bad things happen that God doesn't want.

What it means is: God can be encountered anywhere, in any circumstance, if we're attentive.

• In work: The task itself becomes prayer when offered to God
• In relationships: Every person is an icon of Christ
• In nature: Creation reveals the Creator
• In suffering: Christ is present in the crucified
• In joy: All beauty points to divine Beauty
• In failure: God works through our brokenness

I've counseled people who think God is only present in church, during formal prayer, or in dramatic experiences. They miss God in the ordinary.

Ignatius teaches: God is as present in washing dishes as in receiving Eucharist—if you do both with attention and love.

This is liberating. You don't have to be a monk or mystic. You don't need dramatic spiritual experiences. You just need to pay attention to your actual life and say: "God, where are you here? What are you doing? How do I cooperate?"

The Principle and Foundation: Why Any of This Matters

The Exercises begin with what Ignatius calls the "Principle and Foundation":

"Human beings are created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by means of doing this to save their souls. The other things on the face of the earth are created for human beings, to help them in working toward the end for which they are created. From this it follows that we ought to use these things to the extent that they help us toward our end, and free ourselves from them to the extent that they hinder us from it."

Translation: You were made for God. Everything else—money, career, relationships, possessions, achievements—is a means, not an end. Use them if they bring you closer to God. Let them go if they don't.

This is the heart of Ignatian spirituality: radical freedom from attachment so you can choose what actually leads to life.

Most of us are enslaved to something: money, approval, security, comfort, success. And that slavery prevents us from freely choosing God's will.

Ignatius invites us to freedom: "I'm not attached to any particular outcome. I just want what God wants. And I trust that what God wants is what will actually make me happy."

Practical Steps to Start Today

You don't need to make a 30-day retreat to start using Ignatian spirituality. Here's what you can do today:

1. Start the daily examen. Tonight, before bed, spend 10 minutes reviewing your day. Notice moments of grace. Notice feelings. Choose one moment to pray with. Look toward tomorrow.

Do this every night for a month. See what happens.

2. Learn your patterns of consolation and desolation. Pay attention. What activities, relationships, choices lead to consolation (peace, energy, connection to God)? What leads to desolation (anxiety, deadness, disconnection)?

Start choosing more of what brings consolation, less of what brings desolation.

3. Practice Ignatian indifference with small things. In a minor decision (what to eat, what to watch, how to spend an evening), try being genuinely okay with either option. "God, I'm fine with A or B. What do you want?"

This trains you for bigger decisions.

4. Find God in one ordinary thing today. Washing dishes, walking, working, eating—choose one ordinary activity and do it as prayer. Pay attention. Notice God's presence there.

5. When facing a decision, use the discernment process. Don't just flip a coin or follow impulse. Pray with options. Notice consolation and desolation. Seek freedom. Imagine yourself at death. Make a choice and test it.

6. Read the Spiritual Exercises. They're available online for free. Or get a modern translation with commentary. You won't understand everything, but you'll get a sense of Ignatius's spiritual vision.

7. Consider making a retreat. Many retreat centers offer "Ignatian retreats in daily life"—8 weeks, meeting weekly with a director, praying 30-40 minutes daily. It's life-changing.

For Those Who Are Stuck

Maybe you're reading this and thinking: "This sounds great, but I feel nothing when I pray. I can't discern consolation or desolation. God seems absent."

I hear you. I've been there.

A few thoughts:

First: Spiritual dryness is normal. Even Ignatius experienced long periods of desolation. The tools still work—you just have to persist without feeling anything.

Second: Sometimes we're too close to see clearly. A spiritual director can help. They can notice patterns you miss, ask questions that help you see where God is working.

Third: Healing might be needed first. If you're dealing with trauma, depression, anxiety, or addiction, those need to be addressed. Ignatius's tools work for healthy spiritual life, but sometimes we need therapy or medical help first.

Fourth: God's love doesn't depend on your ability to discern. You're beloved whether you're spiritually sensitive or not, whether you make perfect decisions or not. The goal isn't perfection. It's growing relationship with God.

The Soldier's Gift

Ignatius never stopped being a soldier. He just redirected his strategic mind to spiritual warfare—not fighting people, but helping souls.

The Spiritual Exercises are his gift to us: a battle plan for living a discerned, intentional life aligned with God's will.

You don't have to be a Jesuit. You don't have to go to a 30-day retreat. You don't have to master complex theology.

You just have to pay attention to your life, notice where God is at work, and choose to cooperate.

That's it. That's Ignatian spirituality.

And it works.

Try it. Start tonight with the examen. See where it leads.

God is waiting to be found—in all things, including your ordinary, messy, beautiful life.

A Prayer in the Ignatian Spirit

Lord Jesus,

Teach me to find you in all things, at all times, in all people.

Give me eyes to see where you're at work in my ordinary life.

Give me ears to hear your voice in consolation and desolation, in joy and in suffering.

Give me freedom to choose what you want, not what my ego demands.

Give me courage to act on what I discern, even when it's hard.

And when I get it wrong— when I misread the signs, when I choose poorly—

Remind me that you work through my mistakes, that you can make even my failures fruitful.

I don't ask for certainty. I ask for enough light to take the next step.

And I trust that if I keep paying attention, keep choosing love, keep seeking your will—

You'll get me where I need to be.

Through St. Ignatius, who found you in a cannonball's destruction and gave his life to helping others find you too,

Amen.