Letting God Come Close: An Approach to the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises

An approach to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius As more and more people begin to reclaim their spiritual heritage, longoverlooked traditions resurface, offering seekers new ways to rekindle their spiritual selves. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola is such a tradition, and its recovery in the church has sparked the interest of many believers—religious and laypeople alike.
In light of this resurgence, Fr. William A. Barry, a director of the Spiritual Exercises for more than thirty years, offers Letting God Come Close, a guide that shows spiritual directors how to effectively and creatively help individuals meet the living God through the Exercises. Using clear, down-to-earth examples from his own experience, Fr. Barry hopes to instill in the director the trust, confidence, and skills needed to help retreatants approach God. “Spiritual directors will find a gold mine here of help in understanding and giving the Exercises.”
—George Aschenbrenner, S.J., director, Jesuit Center for Spiritual Growth “For over thirty years Barry has listened attentively for the ways God deals directly with God’s people through the Spiritual Exercises. God’s voice comes through and Barry helps directors pay attention.”
—George R. Murphy, S.J., adjunct lecturer in spirituality at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley