The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in Daily Life Paperback – September 1, 2011

I purchased this book over a year ago on the recommendation of a friend, shortly after returning from an extended visit to one of my favorite monasteries. I have been a student and practitioner of the Exercises of Ignatius for a number of years now, and I've leaned heavily on several resources to assist my teaching and leading in the Exercises. I was relatively comfortable with my collection of resources, but the endorsement of my friend for The Ignatian Adventure prompted me to order it out of sheer curiosity... I'm so very glad I did!My first reading of this book was shortly after I received it and consisted mostly of a "speed read" and general comparison of content between a couple of my other Ignatian Exercises resource materials. I was reasonably impressed with what I found, but planned to spend more "practiced" time with The Ignatian Adventure before writing out a review. Now, after journeying through thirteen plus weeks with a friend, I feel that I have the hands on experience I was waiting for.For the record, the following titles are my ready resources for teaching and leading others in the Ignatian Exercises: The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola (there are various English translations and I don't know that any one of them is necessarily better than the other), Inner Compass by Margaret Silf, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by James Martin, S.J., Journey with Jesus by Larry Warner, and The Ignatian Workout by Tim Muldoon. While each of these titles has its place in my resource list, I'm putting The Ignatian Adventure by Kevin O'Brien S.J. at the top of my list for the "go to" journey companion for working through the weeks of the exercises. Even with this affirmation, I think there are a few pro and con statements worth mentioning.For the "pro" side, I think the methodology and instruction that O'Brien leads the retreatant through the weeks is better than any of the other resources I have in my possession. The instructions are clear, information regarding the process of the exercises is shared in "bite-size" pieces making them helpful in the meditation and reflection process, and he (O'Brien) sprinkles prayers, affirmation, encouragement, and anecdotal stories to help round out interactive elements of the experience. While I personally believe the Ignatian Retreat is best experienced with one or two people going through the Exercises together, the way Kevin O'Brien has ordered this guide makes it very accommodating for a single person experience (this also assumes that the single retreatant is reporting to or being guided by a spiritual director/companion who is familiar with the Exercises of St. Ignatius).My only criticism is the lack of depth in background information surrounding Ignatius and the Exercises. There is information included in the Adventure, but it is surprisingly brief. It is for this reason that I think I would recommend supplemental reading or companion resources before recommending this book as a standalone resource. There is certainly enough background and information to get someone started, but because of my experience, enjoyment, and wisdom gleaned from other sources, I think a little more time spent in preparation and background instruction would be very helpful. On the other hand, if someone were in the position of choosing only one book for working through the Ignatian Retreat, this one would receive my hearty endorsement.

Father Kevin O'Brien's book, The Ingatian Adventure, is a journey worth taking. This insightful work is a must read for anyone who is challenged by the activity of daily life but wants to experience the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ingatius Loyola at a steady but manageable pace. Through Father Kevin's guidance I believe that I have come closer to Jesus by developing a better understanding of the Gospels while living up to the challenge of being somewhat of a contemplative in a very busy world.From my point of view three threads run through the book:* Father O'Brien in easy to read prose teaches the reader about the Spiritual Exercise and clearly explains what the individual should accomplish during a particular phase / week of the retreat. Saint Ingatius segments the Exercises into time slices that he refers to as weeks. If the individual were following the classic thirty day Exercise the retreat would be broken into roughly four, seven day segments.* Through the careful selection of Bible verses, Father O'Brien challenges the reader to join Jesus on His journey. The reader is challenged to enter into Jesus life through their imagination; putting themself at the manager, at the Jordon for the Baptism by John, at the Wedding Feast of Cana, one of my favorites, at the cross, at the "breakfast on the beach" with Peter and the other apostles, and at many other events in the life of Jesus. The reader is encouraged to pray the scripture and reflect on how God has played a role in their life by practicing the Examen.* Finally, each week ends with a new and special prayer / reflection. The authors of these reflections range from the poet Mary Oliver, to Pedro Arupe, SJ, to Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman. Cardinal's Newman's prayer struck a specific chord with me in that he said; "God has created me to do Him some definite service; ... in my own place". I truly believe that is true.This book closes with a bibliography of books and web sites for those interested in continuing to experience the Spiritual Exercises.I encourage anyone who wants to develop a more meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ to acquire a copy of Father O'Brien's book and start their own Ignatian Adventure.

This Retreat was truly amazing. I did the 32 Weeks of Prayer in 32 days. It took me over 2 hours each day but I wouldn't do it any other way. The questions were insightful. The Scriptures chosen inspired me. Every day I experienced the presence of God. I am praising God for this experience and for Kevin O'Brien SJ.

If you are looking for a guide that helps you to break down the Spiritual Exercises to complete them over a long period of time (several months) on your own--twenty to thirty minutes or so per session, this book is useful for that purpose. I already had some familiarity with aspects of the exercises but always wanted to complete the whole course, start to finish. It follows a format that most often resembles lectio divina--on many days you are offered a scripture passage to reflect on, using the exercises to provide a backdrop. I would say this is a book of scope more than depth. If you want to really understand the discernment of spirits, for example, I would recommend Fr. Timothy Gallagher's books. I would also suggest keeping the original text of the Spiritual Exercises by St. Ignatius close at hand as well. This book is not a substitute for the primary source, but it brings the text down to the level of a modern reader and for a person who is perhaps a step beyond the very beginning and into a mid-level range of growth. It could also be adapted for your own needs--you can spend more time in certain areas, if you prefer. The author encourages flexibility. I have worked in a journal format and will go back and review and summarize sections to gain more insight. St. Ignatius was truly a gift for us all.