Spiritual Exercises

Father Hardon’s writings on the Spiritual Exercises explore the Ignatian tradition of prayer, discernment, and spiritual transformation. These articles examine meditation, examination of conscience, detachment, and the pursuit of deeper union with God through disciplined spiritual practice.

Knowledge of Our Moral Limitations

Ignatian Retreat (August 1975) Conference by Father John A. Hardon, S.J. Still reflecting on the human side of our nature, we might begin by observing that moral limitations are about the same as moral weaknesses. But this is not the same as sinful tendencies. In essence, sinful tendencies are common to all people and are, […]

Our Capacity for Sacrifice

Ignatian Retreat (August 1975) Conference by Father John A. Hardon, S.J. For our present conference, I suggest that we reflect on what might be called the obverse of reflection on our past sins and moral weaknesses, and that we reflect on the self-knowledge of our past virtues and spiritual potential. We might begin by asking […]

Generosity

Ignatian Retreat (August 1975) Conference by Father John A. Hardon, S.J. We are on the subject of self-knowledge, and specifically we are asking ourselves how we can better serve God by improving our knowledge of ourselves. We are still considering our spiritual potential and more specifically our capacity for sacrifice and for generosity. While the […]

Christ, Our Light

Ignatian Retreat (August 1975) Conference by Father John A. Hardon, S.J. In his address for the opening of the Holy Year for 1975, Pope Paul VI said something that must have seemed odd to many people. He stressed the need especially for a renewal of faith among the faithful during the Jubilee Year of renewal […]

Christ, Our Hope

Ignatian Retreat (August 1975) Conference by Father John A. Hardon, S.J. There are few religious subjects on which more has been written than the subject of hope. Not only volumes but whole courses, and not one but many of them, are available on “The Theology of Hope,” on “Hope for the Modern Man,” on “Hope […]

Christ and the World

Ignatian Retreat (August 1975) Conference by Father John A. Hardon, S.J. There is so much talk these days about Christians relating to the world that some analysis of what this means seems imperative. Certainly we cannot hope to grow in the likeness of Christ unless we know something of the mind of Christ regarding the […]

Christ, Our Strength

Ignatian Retreat (August 1975) Conference by Father John A. Hardon, S.J. We do not normally think of Christ or speak of Him as our strength. More frequently we refer to Him in the terms He used of Himself when He said He was the Way, the Truth and the Life. Moreover, we usually ask our […]

Decision Making in the Spiritual Life

Ignatian Retreat (August 1975) Conference by Father John A. Hardon, S.J. If there is anything characteristic about Saint Ignatius, it is his maxim that people make up their minds and decide with their wills. Perhaps a one word description of Ignatian spirituality would be “decisiveness”. However, quite apart from this being characteristic of Ignatius, it […]

The Sacrifice of the Mass

Ignatian Retreat (August 1975) Conference by Father John A. Hardon, S.J. We know that in Sacred Writing and in the teachings of the Church, the Mass has acquired a variety of synonymous names. It is called the Eucharistic Sacrifice, the Eucharistic Liturgy, or simply, the Liturgy; it is the Eucharistic celebration, the Holy Sacrifice, or […]

The Real Presence and Sanctity

Ignatian Retreat (August 1975) Conference by Father John A. Hardon, S.J. In speaking about holiness it is remarkable how we can overlook the obvious. For example it is obvious that we cannot become holy unless we obtain the extraordinary graces needed to reach sanctity. Hearing about holiness; reading about it; even seeing holiness, does not […]

The Primacy of Peter

Ignatian Retreat (August 1975) Conference by Father John A. Hardon, S.J. Rather surprisingly, Saint Ignatius makes a great deal of the appearances of Christ after the Resurrection. He recounts no less than fourteen appearances. Also, but not so surprisingly, Ignatius believed that Christ’s first appearance after His rising from the dead, was to His Mother […]

The Holy Spirit and Community Life

Ignatian Retreat (August 1975) Conference by Father John A. Hardon, S.J. We are hearing so many things about the Holy Spirit these days that it might be well to reflect on the sequence of events which took place on Pentecost Sunday. My plan is first to give the verses from the Acts of the Apostles […]

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