The Second Session

I've been experimenting since Launch. Here is the thread of my second major Centaur Ignatian Examen session:

https://share.google/aimode/2LBVbmgkv5POfXcGH

Q1. Is it recommended to learn the discernment of spirits before the Examen in Ignatian formation?

A1. Learn the Examen first.

Q2. Is the Ignatian Spirituality website the most respected resource in the field on this topic? How do practitioners get training and is it restricted to Catholics or ecumenical?

A2. It is one of several. Practitioners typically undergo several years of rigorous formation. While rooted in Catholicism, Ignatian formation is highly ecumenical and open to all.

Q3. Is it ever too late to learn?

A3. In Ignatian formation, it is never too late to learn. 

Q4. I'd like to leave the door open to guiding others eventually but for now let's start with training for personal growth. What is the recommended sequence for a 50-something beginner?

A4. Phase 1 (Months 1-3): Practice the Examen daily for at least 15 minutes in the evening and read some good introductory books. Phase 2 (Months 4-6): Introduce additional structured Ignatian prayer exercises beyond the Examen and begin studying the first set of Ignatius's 14 Rules of Discernment. Phase 3 (Years 1-2): Deepen the prayer habit and complete the 19th Annotation Retreat. Phase 4 (Years 3+): Discern the call to guide. You will have the necessary spiritual resume to apply for formation programs.

Q5. Let's go with a list of self-guided books for Phase 1.

A5. Provided. See thread.

Q6. David Fleming has also written an introduction to Ignatian spirituality. Can you tell me how it compares to Inner Compass by Silf and which might be better for me?

A6. Yes. See thread.

Q7. What about Mark Thibodeaux's God Voice Within?

A7. Discussed. See thread.

Q8. I am a celibate hermit and have some difficulty relating to the lay life these days. I previewed Silf's Inner Compass and Fleming's What is Ignatian Spirituality? on Amazon, and I am strongly drawn to Fleming. Can I go too far wrong if I start with Fleming for an Ignatian spirituality overview and A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer by Jim Manney for a jump right into the daily Examen?  

A8. No.

Q9. Can you provide a suggested "reading schedule" to integrate Fleming's chapters with the practice of the Examen over my first few weeks? 

A9. Yes. See thread.

Q10. I've done a lot of work in weekly and monthly sessions with secular therapists and faith-based psychiatrists over the last six years, and it feels like this applies in many ways to Ignatian spirituality. Has Ignatian spirituality ever been integrated into long-term behavioral healthcare for persons with psychiatric disabilities?

A10. Yes. See thread.

Q11. I am very interested in learning more about I-SIT.

A11. Information provided. See thread.

Q12. Could you say a bit about the relationship between I-SIT and DBT?

A12. Discussed. See thread.

Q13. Now that you mention it, how about an overview on the finely balanced tension between scrupulosity and flexibility in the horarium of an eremitic maestro?

A13. Discussed. See thread.

Q14. Right now, my strongest anchor point is probably my 6 AM to 8 AM Torah Study block, but it could also be my 5 AM to 6 AM wakeup and morning prayer block. Does it matter which one I start with?

A14. Yes. Start with the 5 AM to 6 AM wakeup and prayer block.

Q15. My 5 AM block currently feels more like a "Sacred Invitation" than a "Rigid Requirement" - can you say more about that?

A15. Yes. See thread.

Q16. If past experience is prologue, I will last 1-3 months before this prayer invitation starts to feel like a rigid requirement or my psychiatric symptoms interfere or a crisis in the world news upsets my morning routine for several days and I give up on the practice for a while. But something about this time around feels different - more hopeful and enduring. What can you say about that.

A16. Discussed. See thread.

Q17. Please identify a "Minimum Viable Prayer" - a version of my 5 AM block that lasts only 5 minutes - to use specifically on "symptom days" so I never have to "give up" the practice entirely.

A17. Discussed. See thread.

Q18. Should I wait to read The Discernment of Spirits by Gallagher until after I have read Fleming's Introduction and Manney's guide to the Examen, or should I try reading them all together?

A18. Given your eremitic life and your preference for the clear, structured style of David Fleming, you should read them all together, but with a specific hierarchy.

I am now on Day 2 of this reading program, having acquired digital versions of What is Ignatian Spirituality? by David Fleming, A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer: Discovering the Power of Saint Ignatius of Loyola's Examen by Jim Manney and The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living by Timothy Gallagher.