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The Retreat in Daily Life Together is a resource for prayer originally developed as an integral part of the year-long celebration of the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.
Founded in 1846, the Society’s special anniversary year extends from October 2020 to October 2021, and the retreat has spanned eight months within that year. Holy Child sisters, associates, ministry partners and many friends, from Africa, the Americas and Europe, took part in various ways — individually, in small or large groups, virtually or face-to-face, locally, nationally and internationally, in English and Spanish. All in all, about 400 people engaged together in this extended time of prayer within the context of their everyday lives.
The content and dynamic of the retreat is based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola — his priceless legacy which continues to transcend the ages as a powerful aid to spiritual growth for people today. In fact, at this very time, the global Ignatian “family” is celebrating the impact of the moment, 500 years ago, when a cannonball shattered Ignatius’ leg during combat, triggering his profound transformation into a zealous follower of Christ and a man for others.
Essentially, the Ignatian Exercises are an invitation and opportunity to deepen our personal relationship with God and our lives of love and service in communion with all that God has created. The spirituality of the Exercises is at the heart of the life of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.
Now, as we enter the final months of the anniversary year, the Society is pleased to make the specially prepared retreat material available beyond this year for ongoing use by past participants and newcomers, both as groups and individuals. There are a few changes: time-sensitive references have been removed; the format and packaging is slightly altered, and a comprehensive bibliography has been added.
Also, we are pleased to offer a mini-retreat — for past participants wanting to refresh and renew the experience of last year, and for newcomers interested in sampling it within a short and flexible time-frame. Scroll down to access the mini-retreat (both as an e-book and a PDF document) and the other retreat documents.
Scroll down to access the retreat material, organized under the five headings that describe the movements of the Exercises: Preparation Days, First Week, Second Week, Third Week, Fourth Week.
