SPIRITUAL EXERCISES (Ejercicios Espirituales). The Jesuits have occupied a prominent place in the intellectual and spiritual life of the world since their foundation nearly 400 years ago. Their founder, Saint Ignatius Loyola, as well as the Jesuits themselves have always attributed whatever of influence they had to the formation of their characters by the 'Spiritual Exercises.) This is a little volume which contains the result of Ignatius' own ex periences in the spiritual life. The title given it by its author was 'Spiritual Exercises To Conquer Oneself and Regulate One's Life and to Avoid Coming to a Determination Through any Inordinate Affection.' He wrote it in Spanish, but made a translation into Latin, and it is this which is usually referred to as the original. The book is really a manual for four weeks of meditations on the significance of life and how it should be lived. The four weeks have been summed up briefly in the words (1) deformata reformare; (2) reforniata con formare; (3) conformata confirmare; (4) con firmata transformare; that is (1) to reform what is deformed by sin; (2) to make what is thus reformed conform to the Divine model, Christ; (3) to strengthen what is thus con formed; (4) to transform by love the firmly made resolutions. The first week of the Exer cises is called °the purgative way" because it dwells on cleansing from sin; the second and third are called °the illuminative way" because they are devoted to the intensive contemplation of the light cast upon life by the example of Christ's life; finally there is "the unitive way" by -which intimate union with Christ is sought.
So far from being a merely conventional spirit ual book, the 'Spiritual Exercises' has been set beside the 'Imitation of Christ' by many com petent critics. Janssen the German historian declared that "no other ascetic work may be compared to it." The French positivist, Lafitte, in a lecture delivered at the College de France, declared aThese exercises are to my mind a real masterpiece of political and moral wisdom and merit careful study." It is not a book to read merely, but to live for the periods indi cated. It is the basis of retreats for religious and seculars throughout the world, and serious non-Catholics often turn to it for direction in spiritual exercises. Consult Clare, 'The Science of the Spiritual Life According to the Spiritual Exercises' (New York 1896) ; Diertins, 'His toria Exercitiorum spiritualium) (Rome 1732); Roothaan,