  | Book Details Title: The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola: With Points for Personal Prayer From Jesuit Spiritual Masters |
Book DescriptionReview “The Spiritual Exercises were not written to be ‘read’ but to be ‘done.’ Manresa, a precious book that comes to us from mid-nineteenth century France, wants to accompany the personal use of the text of St. Ignatius. It represents an insightful attempt to illustrate the inner journey, but also to make readers desire to judge with the thoughts and feelings of Christ. Fr. Salai has added with care and wisdom supplemental material for personal prayer.”–Fr. Antonio Spadaro, S.J., Editor, La Civiltà Cattolica “Father Salai creatively eases the reader into the Saint’s vision of the Christian life. He complements Ignatius’ original text with helpful ‘prelections’ that focus the points for prayer. I recommend this book both for veterans seeking a refresher and for those coming with new eyes to one of the Church’s greatest masters of faith.”–Fr. Stephen M. Fields, S.J., Professor of Theology, Georgetown University.“This revised edition of a spiritual classic from 19th-century France – Charles Deplace’s Manresa, an adaptation of St. Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercises for the ordinary Christian’s daily prayer and meditation – is a real gift for anyone who hopes to let Ignatian spirituality become the heart of his or her intimacy with God. This is a great link to a living spiritual tradition.”–Fr. Brian Daley, S.J., Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame, and winner of the 2012 Ratzinger Prize in Theology.”This book gives new life to a very special translation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Father Sean Salai enriches the original text with his own comments and with quotations from a wide range of Jesuit authors from the 16th to the 21st century. May this work achieve its goal of opening the Exercises to an ever greater number of persons and helping them to deepen their spiritual lives.” —Fr. John O’Malley, S.J., Historian and Professor of Theology, Georgetown University “A great gift for the modern Christian, this fresh approach to a spiritual classic will introduce a new generation to a vital and life-changing way of praying. Following The Spiritual Exercises has transformed countless lives across the centuries. With his edition, Sean Salai has helped ensure that even more will be uplifted, challenged, and inspired by the timeless wisdom of St. Ignatius.” —Deacon Greg Kandra, Blogger and Author, The Busy Person’s Guide to Prayer “In the sixteenth century, God gave the Spiritual Exercises to St. Ignatius of Loyola. As they brought about conversion and renewal in the past, so they can do the same today. If you’re looking for solid, time-tested spiritual practices, these Spiritual Exercises are for you!”–Fr. Jeff Kirby, S.T.D., Diocese of Charleston, Crux Senior Contributor.”Cardinal Newman said our Catholic faith remains the same, but our devotion changes. Father Salai’s new devotional edition of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises is a brilliant example of Newman’s insight. Skillfully chosen texts from Jesuit spiritual masters invite readers to grow in devotion while exercising their faith with an accessible translation of Ignatius’ prayer manual. Old friends invite new friends into renewed friendship with our blessed Lord. What could be better?”–Fr. John Belmonte, S.J., Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Diocese of Joliet.”Sean Salai, S.J. takes up a bold pastoral mission here. As he explains in his preface, he understands all the reasons Ignatius was reluctant to give the text of the Exercises to people making a retreat. This work is a welcome resource to help people experience the movements of the Exercises.”–Fr. Andy Alexander, S.J., Creighton University’s Online Ministries”This edition of St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises, accompanied by the reflections of those who have been formed by its richness, is an example of the eternal ‘newness’ of the gifts God has poured into His Church. These gifts are not limited to the past — and the wisdom of St. Ignatius allows men and women of our time to reap the fruits of the Holy Spirit, who never ceases to inspire saints in every age.”–Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, S.V., Superior General, Sisters of Life.”Fr. Sean Salai, S.J. has given the Church a great gift in this new edition of the Spiritual Exercises. Here is a version specifically designed to make Ignatian riches available to a broad popular audience. Bathe in it and let your spirit profit not only for your salvation, but for the work to which we are called as lay disciples and apostles.”–Mark P. Shea, Author, By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition.”In this terrific edition of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, Fr. Sean Salai, S.J., draws on numerous Jesuit saints and scholars to illuminate the meaning of the text. This book may be the most useful edition of the Spiritual Exercises available today.” —Dr. Christopher Kaczor, Professor of Philosophy, Loyola Marymount University, and Author, The Gospel of Happiness”There’s nothing like holding a fine hardcover volume in hand, but from the first page, Sean Salai, S.J., brings the Spiritual Exercises of St.Ignatius alive in a fresh and attractive way, along with a handy ribbon to mark your journey of prayer.” —Bishop Robert P. Reed, President, CatholicTV Network, Archdiocese of Boston “We should be grateful to Fr. Salai for producing, in an accessible and enriched form, this classic translation of the Spiritual Exercises. For those who cannot attend preached or guided retreats, this method for making the Exercises in a self-guided manner could change their lives.”–Fr. Gerald O’Collins, S.J., Theologian and Author, The Beauty of Jesus Christ “This most beautiful edition of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius is a priceless gift for anyone sincerely seeking to follow Christ. Enriched with scholarly and spiritually discerning annotations, it will be a powerful instrument of grace, a sure guide to prayer and growth in faith, a great light in a darkening age, for this generation and for those who are yet to be born.” —Michael D. O’Brien, Author, Father Elijah series “For hundreds of years, Christians have used the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius to deepen their prayer lives. In this edition, Fr. Salai’s notes and insights gathered from Jesuit spiritual masters who themselves were formed by the Exercises offers a deeply faithful and fresh presentation, helping further illuminate the way to a deeper friendship with Christ.”–Amy Welborn, Writer and Speaker”The Spiritual Exercises of the soldier saint Ignatius Loyola have provided discipline and direction for those engaged in spiritual warfare for five hundred years. Fr. Salai has had the foresight to include reflections and recommendations throughout the book from an army of sane and saintly Jesuits. This new edition dishes out solid substance for spiritual growth for a new generation of spiritual warriors.” —Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Author, Praying the Rosary for Spiritual Warfare “The painstaking work Fr. Salai has devoted to this text is evident from the start, and the result is a vibrant and deftly rigorous edition of St.Ignatius of Loyola’s masterpiece of spiritual enlightenment. Through his contemporary annotations, Fr. Salai guides us through this often-challenging text with a gentle and encouraging spirit — bringing a semblance of having a trusted retreat master by our side as we journey into a deeper understanding of God’s love.”–Paolo Dy, Writer-Director, Ignatius of Loyola movie “This new edition of the Spiritual Exercises unites indispensable lessons from the first generations of Jesuits with voices from the most faithful sons of Ignatius today, reminding us that Christ’s Church truly is ever ancient and ever new. Fr. Salai’s selections will assist any serious person of prayer in the Holy Spirit’s gifts of self-knowledge, discernment, freedom and a greater sanctifying love of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only true giver of the Exercises.”–Fr. David Meconi, S.J., Director of Catholic Studies Program at Saint Louis University and Editor, Homiletic & Pastoral Review “Father Salai has done the Church a great service in editing and republishing this classic French version of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Not a substitute for making an Ignatian retreat, it is a very attractive entrée and resource for both the retreat master and the retreatant — a timely response indeed to our Jesuit Father General’s recent decision to make the Spiritual Exercises an Apostolic Priority for the whole Order.”–Bishop Michael C. Barber, S.J., Diocese of Oakland Read more From the Author Many people talk about the impact of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, but few Christians actually read or follow the text itself with profit. Why? It’s because the book is actually a fairly inaccessible 16th century retreat manual for spiritual directors, not a mystical treatise for personal edification, and it’s full of prayer methods oriented more toward doing God’s will than toward studying it without the in-person assistance of a spiritual guide. Yet some past versions of the work have attempted with mixed results to offer a more popular translation for general readership. Serious Christians who lack the time or money to attend a retreat house still want to read the book, but it simply hasn’t existed until now in a particularly readable form..With that in mind, I have edited this new DIY-retreat deluxe devotional edition of a classic translation and annotated it for self-guided prayer simply because nothing else like it currently exists in the English-language market. You will not find any edition of the Spiritual Exercises more readable and accessible than this one, as I have included a preface (summarizing the translation history, my editorial work, and how to use the book) in addition to various quotations from Ignatian spiritual masters using the lives of saintly Jesuits and great spiritual authors to illustrate the prayer exercises. Included in this synthesis of centuries of wisdom on the text are journal exercises within the “prelections” explaining the text for self-guided retreatants. .This edition of noble construction from TAN will cost you a bit more than other versions of the text, as it comes in a durable soft-lined hardback with high-quality paper and a ribbon marker. All other versions of the Exercises that you will now find online, in whatever translation, come in bare-bones paperbacks. That includes the TAN Classics paperback edition of the Exercises, a different work from this one. My new edition is the the only “bedside reading version” of the Spiritual Exercises geared toward the devotion and self-guided prayer (especially on retreats, whether at home or in a more formal setting) of ordinary Christians who wish to profit from the text without needing to read a library of other books to understand it. This edition now represents the most reader-friendly version of the Exercises available, offering essential wisdom as a one-stop compendium of Ignatian prayer helps which explain and contextualize the work. Give it a try and see what you think! Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam! Oremus pro invicem! Read more From the Back Cover “A real gift for anyone who hopes to let Ignatian spirituality become the heart of his or her intimacy with God.”–Fr. Brian Daley, S.J., Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame.It’s time to take your spiritual pulse, reorient yourself to your Creator, and seek His guidance to live your faith more seriously. And there is no better way to do so than by delving into Saint Ignatius’ classic Spiritual Exercises, which started the modern retreat movement and played a pivotal role in the conversions of many saints to a radical following of Christ. This book is one of very few that can truly be said to have changed the world. Now, let it change you!.This beautiful deluxe edition has been edited for the modern reader by Father Sean Salai, S.J., and contains a new preface to help orient readers to this timeless classic..Arranged as a DIY retreat, it is an essential part of developing a fruitful and consistent interior life, a soldier-saint’s battle plan for spiritual warfare..Peppered with quotes from Jesuit saints and spiritual masters, this new deluxe edition of The Spiritual Exercises brings St. Ignatius’ powerful spirituality to a new generation of Christians striving to become saints themselves..(From the back cover insert) Read more About the Author Father Sean Salai, S.J., is a Jesuit priest and special contributor at America Media. He is also a Doctor of Ministry candidate in evangelization and media at Catholic University of America. Father Salai holds an M.Div from Santa Clara University, an M.A. in Applied Philosophy from Loyola University Chicago, and a B.A. in History from Wabash College. The author of several books, he entered the Society of Jesus in 2005 and was ordained a priest in 2017. Read more Customers Review: Before Bergoglio, there was St. Ignatius. As the Platonists observe, the Form is more true than the Imitation. This volume, lovingly updated by Fr. Sean Salai, makes available the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius to a new generation of the faithful and the intellectually curious (which needn’t be mutually exclusive). I bought a copy for myself and another copy as a gift for a dear friend. | |
8 reviews