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St. Ignatius' mystical experiences led him to help others discover how Christ was calling them to be his disciple. This mystical and practical experience went into writing his book of the Spiritual Exercises. It is used by a spiritual director to guide someone in encountering the action of God in their prayer and life, often particularly focussed on making an important life decision. An original element from Ignatius is his Rules for Discernment of Spirits. He described, from his own experiences, the patterns he learned for how one can decide whether an interior feeling or thought is from the good spirit, one's own spirit, or an evil spirit. The days spent "doing the Exercises" are a time for mediating on and responding to God's actions revealed in biblical and church history, one's own history, and present prayerful experiences.

St. Ignatius and his companions were called by God to found the Society of Jesus to serve all people and the Catholic Church. They created a new kind of religious order that didn't practice the Liturgy of the Hours in common several times a day as previous orders had. This freed them to practice "contemplation in action" in their work as world missionaries, teachers

scientists, theologians. They founded many schools around the world and developed an original curriculum. The Society of Jesus takes a special vow of obedience to the popes, who have given them specific missions to take on for the church.

These are a very few brief points that begin to answer the question. There are numerous websites by and about the Jesuits (members of the Society of Jesus) that wiil expand the answer.

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15y ago

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