“Saint Ignatius created the Rules of Discernment for us as a sort of spiritual ‘flare’ or night vision device to cut through the fog.” – Megan Hjelmstad
“As motives continue to be examined, the retreatant prays an exercise known as the Three Classes of Men. The purpose of this exercise is ‘to choose that which is better’ (Sp. Ex. 149).” – Debra Black
“The retreatant takes an honest look at the worldly things that capture his/her fancy and upon which they have built their identity. In prayer, they are led to consider materialism and all the ‘stuff’ in their life from the honest perspective of how they see themselves with that stuff.” – Debra Black
“Wealth, poverty, illness, and health are neither good nor bad. What determines their goodness or badness is our intent and use of these.” – Debra Black
“Coupled with the meditations of the Exercises, healing takes place and self-reliance is slowly replaced with God-reliance. The enemy loses his hold on them.” – Debra Black
“In surrender, I’ve found strength, not weakness; freedom, not confinement. I’ve discovered that in letting go, I am held more closely than ever by the One who loves us most.” – Mary Lenaburg
“The spiritual life, our relationship with God, is eternal and never-ending. Similarly, the Spiritual Exercises have no ‘end’.” – Debra Black
“In the meditation known as The Call of the King, Christ is beckoning us to a perfect loyalty to Him, one that is founded in and driven by love.” – Debra Black
“From journaling prayer, one can learn to discern God’s ‘voice’ and presence as distinguished from our own thoughts and emotions as well as those placed upon us by the enemy.” – Debra Black
“Discerning God’s action and invitations in one’s life requires that kind of intensely personal and personalized dialogue. A group setting, with one spiritual director and a bunch of directees, would significantly change that essential dynamic.” – Fr. John Bartunek