Rule of Life: Time-Honored Pathways

As I imagined what my future in monasticism looked like, I was faced with some decisions about next steps beyond prayer and reflective meditation. My feet had started on a journey of purpose, but discernment was needed to discover what that purpose was or could become. To guide me along the discernment pathway, I embarked on a 9-month version of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius. I experienced the daily meditations that served as sign posts that generations of monastics have looked to for guidance in their lives. The Exercises pulled back the veil on old questions that I had stuffed into the back closet of my mind and forced me to face them and to dialogue with God about them. The Scriptures pierced into the innermost parts of my soul and resonated with all that is true within me. I found my balance, and the real me started to break through. Each week my spiritual director listened and provided helpful insight into what God was putting His finger on. This time-honored pathway began to lighten the road ahead of where God was leading me to go.

I used the book The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in Daily Life by Kevin O'Brien as my road map. However, I would echo the generations of Ignatian travelers before me and caution you that this is not a journey that you want to take alone. Spiritual direction is a very important component to the Ignatian Exercises and should not be skipped in the process if at all possible. To find a spiritual director near you who can guide you on your journey, visit sdiworld.org.

I later compiled some of the poems and thoughts that I experienced during the Spiritual Exercises into a book called Rhythm & Rhyme. This book is a compilation of poems, songs, prayers, and reflections written throughout my life. Each one represents a thread which God has woven together to draw me into the monastic lifestyle. The book is divided into four sections in honor of the four Rhythm of Life areas: Rest, Study, Work and Prayer. To order the book, click here to order.