If any of you readers have not done either the Thirty Day Ignatian Retreat or the various shorter version, (six day, ten day, fourteen day), I highly recommend you doing so. Saints Philip Neri, Charles Borromeo, Francis de Sales, and Alphonsus Liguori all practised this spirituality.
The spirituality of today's saint cannot be underestimated for the lay person. I experienced my first Ignatian Retreat at twenty or so and then, again about three years later; again about twenty years later and again within the last two years.
The shortened versions are excellent and not to be missed, if one cannot take thirty days off of a busy schedule.
For those deciding on a vocation, the Thirty Day Retreat is a must, as it is all about discernment.
What I learned from those retreats was meditation and journalling the results of meditation.
St. Ignatius developed this form of retreat for his own seminarians, but he experience this mode of meditation himself first, learning the steps and which Scripure passages to use from the Holy Spirit.
That the saint was inspired is important. And, do not follow any New Age interpretations of this method, of which there are many on line. Sadly, and no offence, the ones on line from the Jesuits in the States are among the worst. There are also Anglican adaptations to avoid.
I recommend these books, and one must have a spiritual director.
http://archive.org/stream/a588350800loyouoft#page/n5/mode/2up
http://archive.org/stream/a588350800loyouoft/a588350800loyouoft_djvu.txt
CLARE, The Science of Spiritual Life according to the Spiritual Exercises (New York, 1896)
Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Translated and Edited by Louis J. Puhl
St. Ignatius, Louis J. Puhl
Published by Martino Publishing (2010-06-16)
