Training the Heart: 8 Weeks with Benedict & Ignatius

6 or 8-week Experience

Benedict (d. 547) and Ignatius (d.1556) are often contrasted for their distinct schools of spirituality and very different perspectives on discipleship. The underpinnings of their prayer forms, however,  have more in common than meets the eye, beginning with the fact that both saints spoke  spiritual guidance into supremely difficult times. Hundreds of years later, as spiritual seekers face crises of historic proportion -- pandemic, injustice, political discord -- the threads binding the teachings of Benedict and Ignatius still offer encouragement and practical wisdom. Join spiritual directors Sam Rahberg and Peter Watkins to explore and experience how time-tested practices, especially Ignatius’ Praying with Imagination and Examen, can complement and support a life of prayerful service.

Goals and major concepts:

1. Looking through the lenses of Benedictine and Ignatian traditions we will invite participants to expand their awareness of how God’s Spirit is active in their lives.
2. Just as Benedict and Ignatius responded to the events in their time, participants are called to respond to the events of our time. 
3. By learning the stories of Ignatius and Benedict we will find new meaning in our stories and richer appreciation for the context of our spiritual practices. 
4. By exploring prayer forms from Benedictine and Ignatian tradition, participants will engage their practice of prayerful discipleship in fresh ways.