Thirty Days: On Retreat with the Exercises of St. Ignatius

by Paul Mariani

From the day Paul Mariani arrives at Eastern Point Retreat House to take part in the five-hundred-year-old Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, he realizes that his expectations and assumptions about who he is, what he knows, and what he believes are about to change radically. In this profound memoir Mariani blends a brief life of St. Ignatius and meditations on the life of Jesus with the day-to-day unfolding of thirty days of silence at the retreat house. His journey of introspection, self-revelation, and spiritual renewal leads him to a new understanding of his relationship with God and of what it truly means to put others before oneself.

Genres: Memoir, Religion, Spirituality, Theology

300 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admired his deft biography of Hopkins, which I read when it was published quite a few years ago, but I hadn't any idea he'd written this account... As he estimates, the first journal of someone going through the Long Retreat of the titular span. Parts of this resonate with me, for I am now about three years older than Mariani was when he made the Spiritual Exercises around 2001. Other parts less so, as there's understandably a lot of paraphrased and quoted Scripture. While this makes sense for a personal journal, where the retreatant records his or hers own encounters with the Word, it doesn't create the effect for another reader that his meditations and recollections do...given one's presumed familiarity with these Gospel passages. Still, it's worthwhile to witness another's consolations and desolations, to use Ignatius of Loyola's terms, and this demonstration helped me better comprehend the challenges raised and emotions faced down in this intensive regimen.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm approaching the end of the book that, at cursory glance, wondered if it was worth reading. I've found that I can barely put it down and trying to discern what it is that draws me. "Deep calling onto deep," -- that quest for the deeper meaning. The author describes the natural world in such beautiful terms,(much like my fondness for Whitman's Specimen days), but it is really the slog of days, hour by hour, that compels, as I follow his reflections on the Gospels. I would be fascinated to know how the director goes about selecting passages and giving commentary to the retreatant, but that is for another book. This should be compulsory reading for anyone wishing to know more about the Ignatian exercises and/or who is planning an Ignatian retreat. Blessings and thanks to Mr. Mariani for sharing his experience and his heart.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been curious about and interested in the "Long Rettreat" which is a 30 days silent retreat (directed) using the spiritual exercises of Ignatius Loyola. This book goes day by day during the four "weeks" of the retreat and gave me a sense of both the power and strength of this process and the ways in which it differs strongly from my own spirituality. Mariani is an excellent reporter and observer and I recommend this to anyone who shares my interest.

[Stephen Fahrig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who has ever made an Ignatian retreat or has considered doing so will be fascinated by Paul Mariani's book, in which he provides a detailed and brutally honest account of the high points and low points of his experience of the Ignatian exercises. I read this last fall for a class I took on Ignatian spirituality and found it highly interesting.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. I kind of got bogged down in places, but overall, I enjoyed reading about this man's personal retreat experience using the Exercises of St. Ignatius. I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in spiritual biographies or who wants to know more about Ignatian Spirituality.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful 30 day silent retreat for the voyeur! Although vicarious, it was helpful and full of insights into this Ignatian exercise. Of course eavesdropping on the commentary of a poet made this especially rich.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange book to have been the first one I finished during the#readathon

[Carolyn J.]

Amazing so far.

[Philippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius have been practised by many for over 500 years since this saint developed them in the early to mid 1500’s. They can be practised in a variety of ways over an 8 day retreat, over 30 days spread throughout a year or on a 30 day retreat. In this book, Paul Mariani records his thoughts, his spiritual struggles, food eaten and conversations with his spiritual advisor over the course of a 30 day retreat.

Thirty Day retreats are not to be taken lightly. A spiritual retreat is one where the aspirant wants to engage with God at a much deeper level. To those who have never done a spiritual retreat my guess is that this book would start to bore. The mention of food eaten at each meal and the struggles would just seem repetitive. To those who have worked through the spiritual exercises of St Ignatius this book is a gift. Mariano’s engagement with the scriptures and his insights enable the reader too to reflect on their experience and then gain from his writing. Mariani is a poet and now Emeritus Professor at Boston University specialising in Various genres of literature and poetry. In other words, he can write and write well.

This book is not to be rushed. I took my time reading one of the journal entries each day until the last week and thena few at a time. This allows you too, to journey with Mariani in some way.
For me, this book was a gift. Thank you 5 stars.

[Susan Lees · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Ending, So Soon.

Wow!!! A truly wonderful, beautifully written book that allowed me to journey with a passionately committed man on his Thirty Day Retreat with the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius. How I wished I, too, was making that retreat. How I envied Mariani’s Dedication, Honesty, and Passion. I would have loved a follow-up book relating what happened and how Mariani’s life changed, in his opinion, after returning home.

[Erin Garlock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having gone through Ignatias' exercises, I has hoping for a new perspective or some nugget of illumination. What I found was a book perhaps useful for some new to the exercises. There was a lot of rambling about the local scenery and coversations that had no tie back to matters of faith. I would label this book a memoir with a some amout of religion thrown in.

I also found the writing to be overly slick and eloquent. Normally I would consider this a quality, but in this case, it is a detriment as it made the entirety of the book come off as disingenuous.

[Steve Hannafin]

It's embarrassing that I haven't read this book yet, because I am in it. This book is about a 30-day retreat that I was on at the same time as the author. I am mentioned by name on several pages. I'd like to read it soon and relive those thirty days.

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wrote down some good quotes and good ideas I got from this book. But it was too long and drawn out for me.

[Daven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful memoir of an Ignatian retreat, with very meaningful and relevant reflections.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I expect, we Protestants have lost something in terms of need to withdraw, pray, be silent, be directed, and to have time to reflect on scripture in and extended way.