Our lives are in God and in him alone, do they derive meaning. However, our world`s great desire has always been an emancipation from God. This refusal of God has led to great desolations, calamities and distress as experienced by our world today. From this perspective, the Spiritual Exercises comes as a vast spiritual heritage vouchsafing transformation and healing to our world, through the encounter with God. Hence by exploring the Spiritual Exercises, we order our lives towards salvation by leading them to God.
The journey with the Spiritual Exercises is an exercise of listening to God speaking to us through the scripture, the action and life of Jesus. Hence, we ought to become good listeners so as to promptly convey the Way to God. More so, the practicality of the spiritual exercises should enhance the envisioning of new dynamics, wisdom and creativeness in showing the Way to God. This can be ensured via the adjustment of the Spiritual Exercises respective to various cultural, social and religious diversities.
At the core of the Spiritual Exercises is experience. How can we show the way to others without being illuminated ourselves by that very experience of God? Thus, we ought to transcend the written Spiritual Exercises to become living testimonies of the encounter with God and to speak out of that very experience. Also, placing God at the center of our discussions with people is an effective means to get to God.
More so, accompaniment through modern communication tools such as social media helps us to adjust the Spiritual Exercises to individual experience. Notwithstanding, the Covid19 era, by limiting physical interaction, has become a challenge to this spiritual journey. Also, the incapacity when exposed to one`s reality is another challenge. Nevertheless, the consolation of the risen Christ has always been our strength. May our efforts be visible to all.
Compiled by Donfack Tsague Marc Donatien SJ