10 Weeks to Spiritual Advancement with St. Ignatius

About twenty years ago, I launched a program for daily life that has since changed thousands of lives—one based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Years later, I still frequently encounter people grateful for having gone through this ten-week program, as it radically transformed their ways of thinking, deciding, acting—in fact, their total way of living and being.

Consequently, I decided, with the help of a team of wonderful collaborators, to format and articulate this work in book form, Ten Weeks to Spiritual Advancement, scheduled for release in mid-April 2026.

So what are the Spiritual Exercises, and what are the steps towards this transformed way of living?

From the very outset of the text itself, St. Ignatius succinctly explains what the Spiritual Exercises are and their primary purpose:

By the term Spiritual Exercises is meant every method of examination of conscience, of meditation, of contemplation, of vocal and mental prayer, and of other spiritual activities that will be mentioned later. For just as taking a walk, journeying on foot and running and bodily exercises, so we call Spiritual Exercises, every way of preparing and disposing the soul to rid itself of all inordinate attachments, and after their removal, of seeking and finding the will of God in the disposition of our life for the salvation of our soul. (Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius #1)

In my forthcoming Ignatian literary work, the exercises are divided into ten specific topics, one for each week, that help the individual through prayer, meditation, contemplation, and examination of conscience to arrive at a purification, illumination, and sanctification of life, by docility and openness to the workings of the Holy Spirit. Here is a concise summary of these ten basic themes.

WEEK 1: FIRST PRINCIPLE AND FOUNDATION

The first week focuses on our raison d’etre—the very reason and purpose of our existence. Ignatius asserts: “We are created to praise God, reverence God, serve God and by means of that to save our souls” (Spiritual Exercises #23).

WEEK 2: THE TRIPLE SIN

After absorbing the reason for our existence—to praise God and to save our souls—we are challenged to meditate upon our major obstacle: sin. Ignatius shows us sin from the divine perspective through three classical meditations: the sin of the angels, the sin of Adam and Eve, and the sin of an individual who lost his soul due to one mortal sin.

WEEK 3: ESCHATOLOGY, MEDITATION ON THE LAST THINGS

Another powerful vehicle of conversion, to move us from sin to the love of God is the meditation on the “Last things,” known as Eschatology. They are the following: Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell, Purgatory—all of which are permeated with the reality of Eternity.

WEEK 4: THE CAPITAL SINS

This week we are invited, along with Dante in the Divine Comedy, to visit Purgatory and delve deep within our own hearts to discover our bad tendencies, inclinations, and proclivities that are part of our nature due to Original Sin. With Dante, we are challenged to beg for self-knowledge, detect our “Kryptonite,” our basic weak point, and then strive to practice the opposite virtue. The seven Capital Sins are: Gluttony, Lust, Avarice, Sloth, Anger, Envy, and Pride.

WEEK 5: MERCY AND THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION

This week we concentrate on delving deep within the inner recesses of our conscience, making a profound examination of conscience, culminating in a General Confession of all the sins of our life—following in the footsteps of St. Ignatius in Montserrat—entrusting all to the infinite mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

WEEK 6: THE CALL OF THE KING AND INFANCY NARRATIVES

This week we are called to beg for the grace not to be deaf to the Call of the King (Spiritual Exercises #91-98). The King desires the eternal salvation of souls and invites us to collaborate in His noble mission. Then we are invited into the Immaculate Heart of Mary to contemplate with her heart the Incarnation, birth of Jesus, and the Joyful Mysteries.

WEEK 7: THE IGNATIAN CLASSICS

This week we enter deeply into what we call the Ignatian classics, the very heart of Ignatius and his primary themes: the two Standards (Christ and Satan), the three classes of men, the three grades of humility, and the reform of life through formulating a Plan of Life. Now is the time to make important decisions as well as to “order the disordered” in our lives (Spiritual Exercises #1).

WEEK 8: PUBLIC LIFE OF JESUS/LUMINOUS MYSTERIES

Now we plunge into the Public Life of Jesus and contemplate Jesus’ words, actions, gestures, and derive abundant fruit. These contemplations are taken from the Apostolic Letter of Pope St. John Paul II, “The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary.” We are challenged to contemplate the Face of Jesus through the eyes and heart of Mary. Ignatius advises us to humbly beg for “intimate knowledge of Jesus, so that we love Him more ardently and follow Him more closely.” The end goal is that of St. Paul: “No longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.”

WEEK 9: THE PASSION AND DEATH OF JESUS OUR SAVIOR

In this week we immerse ourselves into the depths of the love of Jesus by contemplating His suffering, passion, and death on the cross. Ignatius wants us to be very personal with the Lord. Jesus suffered every detail of His excruciating agony, passion, and death for all of humanity, meaning each and every one of us. Even if you were the only person in the world, Jesus would have gone through His passion and death for the salvation of your soul. How precious you are in His eyes!

WEEK 10: THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD JESUS

The program concludes with contemplating the culmination of the Paschal Mystery, the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Alleluia! Jesus has truly risen from the dead never to die again. The grace we beg for is most intense joy due to the risen Jesus. We pray that one day we will share in the fullness of the Risen Jesus in Heaven—the fruition of First Principle and Foundation.

BONUS: ONE-HOUR VIDEO PRESENTATIONS

To further enrich your spiritual journey through each week’s readings and meditations, I have recorded a one-hour video presentation for each, carefully aligned with the themes of each respective week. These videos are available on the Oblates of the Virgin Mary website and are designed to deepen your understanding, inspire reflection, and support your prayer life throughout the program.

In sum, we invite all to purchase our spiritual Ignatian classic: Ten Weeks to Spiritual Advancement. May it help you initiate your journey on the highway to happiness, holiness, and your heavenly goal. Many blessings!

Title photo by Megan Watson on Unsplash. In-text photo provided by the author.