Edina Hall

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today in the church calendar we remember Ignatius of Layola (1491-1556).

At sixteen, Ignatius (Iñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola) became a page to the treasurer of the Kingdom of Bastille and was, by many accounts, a ladies' man, cad, “playa” and/or had a lot of “rizz.” He joined the army at seventeen and soon after, at the Battle of Pamplona, his leg was fractured by a cannonball ricocheting off a nearby wall.

During his convalescence, he asked for books on chivalry. Having none, his sister-in-law gave him books on the life of Christ and the saints. It was within this space and time that Ignatius felt God “prompting, guiding and inviting.”

He would go on to shed his noble trappings and pray in a cave where he began outlining his work that later became entitled “Spiritual Exercises.” He eventually went back to school (starting grade school at age 33!), attended the University of Paris, became a priest and founded the Jesuit order. (For more visit jesuit.org)

Curious, I bought a copy of the “Spiritual Exercises.” This small book is an outline for those leading a retreat and guiding a retreatant in prayers and meditative themes.

While not through it yet, it has caused me to think about my spiritual retreats.

The most impactful one for me was as a teen at a Happening Retreat (like Cursillo), the most needed one was a Contemplative Prayer Retreat (Sewanee) after leaving pharmacy residency, and the most sustaining one was our global retreat during the COVID pandemic (my living room).

My most recent boost was last month at Family Camp (Chapel Rock, Prescott), and a future one will be at the Holy Cross Monastery in New York (TBD).

I feel like I don’t need to tell anyone why a spiritual retreat is a good idea, and I won’t presume to recommend a certain one—there are plenty out there. Since I’m not done, I can’t even recommend (or not) “Spiritual Exercises.”

But I DO recommend one!

In the words of St. Ignatius, “by remaining alone in this way and undisturbed by many distracting concerns, [one] can direct [their] entire attention to one purpose, that is to the service of his Creator and to his soul’s advantage...”

Or as I like to think “For a day in Your courts, is better than a thousand...” (Psalm 84:10)

Retreating for renewal,

—Edina