One of the most influential Christian books of all time is The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, written in 1522-1524. The author, Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spanish soldier who was injured in battle by a cannonball.
While recovering, Ignatius was deeply impressed by a couple of books—one on the lives of the saints and Vita Christi or The Life of Christ by Ludolph of Saxony, completed in 1374.
Many lives of Christ were written in the Middle Ages, but Ludolph’s is exceptional due to its massive size—over 2,000 pages—frequent quotations of church fathers, and encouragement to readers to imaginatively immerse themselves in biblical scenes. Milton T. Walsh has made significant progress in translating it into English, with the publication of three of four projected volumes. Here is a sample of his work.
Patterned in part after Vita Christi, Spiritual Exercises is intended to be used during a four-week spiritual retreat under the guidance of a spiritual director. The exercises include detailed instructions for repentance, prayer, and meditation on the life of Christ. To be honest, much of this work is too meticulous for me.
However, I have always been drawn to his section titled Mysteries of the Life of Christ our Lord, where scenes from the Gospels are summarized into three points. Beginning with Gabriel’s announcement to Mary and ending with Christ’s ascension, readers are encouraged to meditate on individual scenes by using their imagination with each point then conclude with prayer. Here is an excerpt:
OF HOW CHRIST WALKED ON THE SEA
St. Matthew writes Chapter 14 [22-34].
First Point. First: Christ our Lord being on the mountain, made His Disciples go to the little boat. And having dismissed the multitude, He commenced to pray alone.
Second Point. Second: The little boat was beaten by the waves. To which Christ came walking on the water; and the Disciples thought it was an apparition.
Third Point. Third: Christ saying to them: “‘It is I, fear not,’” St. Peter, by His command, came to Him walking on the water. Doubting, he commenced to sink, but Christ our Lord freed him and reprehended him for his little faith, and then, as He entered into the little boat, the wind ceased.
Although these points are brief, they take time to complete when reading imaginatively and prayerfully. This way of reading is closely aligned with an ancient approach to Scripture called lectio divina or sacred reading, which encourages readers to listen to God’s voice then respond in prayer.
The “Mysteries” can be a great help for busy people who want to read the Bible but need extra help to make it easier. The whole section only takes up a few pages because Ignatius primarily focuses on key events in Christ’s life. I wonder if expanding the “Mysteries” to Christ’s teachings, the book of Acts, and even the Epistles would be helpful.
Here’s the entire Spiritual Exercises in English. (“Mysteries” begin on page 53.)
[About three months after writing this post, I published my first attempt in applying Ignatius’s approach comprehensively to one Gospel (Luke). You can find more information here.]
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. For a deep dive into church history and the character of God, see my book Surprised by Hell.