Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to make the Spiritual Exercises?
1. A desire for God and a wish to seek Jesus 2. A willingness to share with and listen to a director who will help to guide the process. 3. Weekly meetings with the director, and prayer. 4. A Bible and a journal book.
Why is a director necessary to the retreat?
The director helps you to understand how to do the Exercises and to discern how the Spirit moves in your heart, so you can be aware to accept good spirits and reject bad spirits. You'll also receive help from the director's explanation of the different ways of praying and the difference between meditation and contemplation. The director will guide you through the Preparation Week, First Week, Second Week, Third Week, and finally, the Fourth Week. (Note that Week is not an actual period of 7 days but the name that refers to the time periods to complete the material.)
What are the director's qualifications?
The Spiritual Exercises director must have made the Exercises and received specialized and supervised training as a spiritual director and in guiding the Exercises. The Spiritual Exercises Ministry director is Margarita Hua, who holds an M.A. in Spirituality from Santa Clara University and a certificate in the direction of the Spiritual Exercises from the Jesuit Retreat Center in Los Altos, CA.
What is the difference between the 30 day, the 18th, and the 19th Annotation retreat?
A 30-Day retreat takes place at a retreat house where the retreatant meets with the director daily and spends an hour in prayer 5 times a day, in solitude and silence. The 19th Annotation Retreat takes place at home or any comfortable place to pray; the retreatant meets with the director once per week and prays an hour per day. The 19th Annotation requires 8-9 months to complete. The 18th Annotation Retreat is an adaptation of the 19th. It typically will last for 16 weeks and take place at home. It requires daily prayer and weekly meetings for an hour and a half in small groups with the spiritual director.
Is there a fee for the Spiritual Exercises?
We encourage retreatants to make a donation to support the Most Holy Trinity Ignatian Spirituality Center. A donation helps to defray the cost of insurance, maintenance and written prayer materials.