This retreat helped me remember that God is always by my side

 

I feel more reflective, relaxed, and at peace.

 

This has just been a wonderful experience. It has helped me with themes of forgiveness and redemption. It has helped give me the best Lenten experience I’ve had in years. 

 

The retreat has provided a new forum for deeper prayer practice during Lent. It has also been a new experience of community sharing and prayer and a lovely opportunity to better know fellow parishioners.

 

I feel I have become closer to the person I have always wanted to be. I feel more comfortable in my own skin.

 

This retreat has helped me see prayer in a much deeper way. It has brought me closer to God and has given me a new perspective on my spirituality.

 

This retreat helped me walk with the Lord and meet new people.

​

My experience with Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life has been transformative, enlightening, and meaningful. The structured silence, meditations, and contemplation allowed me to connect with my inner self and uncover areas needing healing and growth. This journey has reinvigorated my spiritual commitment, infusing me with renewed vigor and dedication to my faith journey. The exercises have also deepened my prayer life, integrating contemplation and discernment into my daily routine and enhancing my ability to listen to God's guidance in all aspects of my life.

​

The facilitators were exceptionally knowledgeable and skilled in guiding us through the retreat—their expertise in Ignatian spirituality and compassionate, insightful approach enriched and supported the experience. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Loyola Institute for Spirituality for providing an exceptional, top-notch program. 

​

This SEDL program has enabled me to fall in love with Jesus for the first time.  Not a Jesus that judges or condemns me, and not even a Jesus that tells me I "should" love more, but a Jesus who is a personal expression of God, who wants my partnership for bringing more love into the world in my unique ways. I never thought I'd be able to say this, but I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ... and that Christ is in the form of a person and also in everything.  The 9 months felt like a love story of God calling me closer to him, who turns out to be everywhere and nowhere at once.  Also, as a queer man who has felt rejected by the church in many ways, this retreat has brought me back to my root religious tradition through direct and unmediated contact with God who truly welcomes all of me.  I am deeply grateful to the Loyola Institute, to my spiritual companion, and my faith sharing group for participating in this holy container for Ignatian Spirituality! 

​

For me there were two major and lifetime benefits. The first is realizing daily use of the Examen, even if you miss the prayer every now and then - is a profound way to recognize God in all things. By reflecting on the prior day, you are more attuned to recognize God in that upcoming day. Second, learning of the importance of Spiritual Freedom, and the critical ongoing work to recognize and address areas of 'unfreedom' in our lives, be they distractions, habits, outside influences, and internal fears that hinder our openness to God's voice. 

​

Participating in the retreat proved to be a most memorable experience.  I loved meeting with my spiritual director each week and breaking open what I had experienced with God that week.  I have learned to slow down, listen, trust God, and trust in the plan He has for my family and I.  This last year did not go as I had expected, but there is purpose in the pain and His love for my family and I have outshined any difficulty.  Going through the retreat while I received chemotherapy and radiation treatments as well as my bone marrow transplant really helped keep things in perspective for me and gave me the strength to push through the extra tough days.  This experience will carry me into the future, helping me through future adversities and challenges, knowing that God is always by our side - we only have to take the time to sit quietly and listen to Him.

 

Journeying through the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life (SEDL) retreat with Loyola Institute for Spirituality was a special, one-in-a-lifetime adventure that I now look forward to returning to during future seasons of life. SEDL enriched my prayer life with a new and deepened perspective. I looked forward to the small faith sharing groups each month, and my own journey with the exercises was enhanced by both the solidarity of the group members engaging with the same exercises and the diversity of experience in response to those exercises. Without a doubt, my life was completely transformed during the nine months of retreat--if only we could take "before" and "after" spiritual photos for comparison! SEDL heightened my spiritual awareness of God's movements in my life and helped me cooperate more fully with the Holy Spirit. My spirituality is forever positively impacted by SEDL.