Spiritual Exercises
Kardia Formation offers the full Spiritual Exercises over thirty days in an enclosed live-in retreat, as a retreat in daily life over approximately thirty five-weeks, or a ninety-day at-home retreat.
What are the Spiritual Exercises?
A tool in which to grow in one’s relationship with God … Four seasons of prayer and spiritual companioning (spiritual direction) in which one learns how to live a discerning life in the company of the Spirit of God. At Kardia we use a contemporary approach to giving the Spiritual Exercises, integrating art, poetry and music into the retreat giving processes, following the dynamic and structure of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises.
Who might pray the Exercises?
Anyone who seeks a loving and free relationship with God through Christ Jesus can pray the Exercises. However Ignatius said that the Exercises were not for everyone. He said that there are some people who for various reasons are not able to make the transition from intellectual knowledge of God to a more integrated knowledge of God involving both ‘head and heart’ (Kardia – seat of knowledge). Ignatius says: “For it is not in knowing much, but realizing and relishing things interiorly, that contents and satisfies the soul”[2],[1] which might be said more contemporarily like this:
Let your heart rise to meet your thoughts.
Savour harmony.[2]
It is hoped people want to make the transition from trying to live their faith through distorted images of God, to living faith with God as loving Creator and Companion. God as Creator and Companion is the image communicated through the book of life and through Christ Jesus in the gospels.
If you are interested in learning more about the Spiritual Exercises, contact Kardia
Kardia Full Spiritual Exercises Application Form
Full Spiritual Exercises Live-In Retreat
By private arrangement – contact Kardia
Making the Full Spiritual Exercises as a live-in retreat means leaving family, friends and business responsibilities and dedicating oneself to the discipline of silence and of four or so periods of prayer each day. Each day retreatants will meet with their director and reflect on their experience in prayer. For more information, please contact Kardia or complete the Kardia FSE application 2023-4. Upon receipt of the application form, you will be invited to an interview at Kardia in which we will discern together whether this retreat is the best way for you to make the full Spiritual Exercises.
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Full Spiritual Exercises in daily life.
Anytime
Kardia spiritual directors will offer the full Spiritual Exercises as a retreat in daily life during 2016. You may commence at a time that works for you and your spiritual director and will meet for spiritual direction weekly either at Kardia or via Skype.
St. Ignatius foresaw that some people would be ready for the experience of the full Exercises but unable get away for a 30-day period and so suggested that one can make this retreat in the midst of ordinary daily life at home with guidance from a spiritual director. It involves a daily commitment of 60-90 minutes in prayer and reflection centred on the themes of the Exercises and a weekly meeting with the spiritual director for approximately nine or ten months. It is usually called The Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life.
For more information, please contact Kardia or complete the Kardia FSE application 2023-4 Upon receipt of the application form, you will be invited to an interview at Kardia in which we will discern together whether this retreat is the best way for you to make the full Spiritual Exercises.