Toward Greater Freedom

The Spiritual Exercises

Over 400 years ago, St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, went through a profound series of experiences that changed his life forever.  In his own way, he let God move more freely in his life and explicitly shape his will, mind, heart, and actions.  Ignatius felt moved to share those experiences with others, so he kept good notes on what helped and how. Those notes became The Spiritual Exercises, the heart of Ignatian spirituality, shared by Jesuits and lay persons the world over.

Toward Greater Freedom

The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius can be successfully made at most any stage of a person’s life. They are exercises for the heart, designed to help Christians explore priorities, deepen relationship with God, and more readily follow God's will. St. Ignatius encouraged that the Spiritual Exercises be adapted to the needs of those who entered them. Toward Greater Freedom is an adaptation of the Spiritual Exercises developed and written by Fr. Anthony Borrow, S.J. while he taught at Jesuit College Prep in Dallas.

Toward Greater Freedom through the Spiritual Exercises is in fact exercise. It is designed as a retreat to be made in your everyday life. As with all retreats, you are dealing with spiritual practice – your inner work – rather than with a study of theology or theory of spirituality. Hence, you, the pray-er, do the work of the Exercises with the support of those who’ve done it before you.

The Toward Greater Freedom text can serve as a retreat for students, parents, faculty, and alumni in schools, or for teens and adults in parishes. The retreat provides structured and specific spiritual exercises which help you discover tools of prayer and discernment for your everyday life.

If you would like more information about entering the Toward Greater Freedom retreat personally, or how to bring the retreat to your school or parish please send an email to info@towardgreaterfreedom.com and we will respond as promptly as possible.