The Magis Paris Network organizes every year two sessions of the Spiritual Exercises in Ordinary Life for young people between 20 and 30 years of age. The 15th edition, between Easter and Pentecost, took place in 100% Zoom. It was a great success: 123 young people were able to experience a great closeness to Christ during one month... despite the distance!

For this edition the number of participants doubled compared to the previous one  for two reasons.

First of all, the strange and trying period of confinement has given rise to a great desire to turn to the essential and to pray. The young people were looking for a framework for prayer; they felt carried along by the other young people and those accompanying them. The distance meetings also enabled about twenty young people from outside Paris to take part in this edition. They live in Lille, Lyon, Rennes, Auvergne and also abroad, in Ireland or Switzerland...

During the four weeks of the Exercises in Ordinary Life, the participants commit themselves to a daily time of prayer (the texts and indications are in a booklet). They have a weekly meeting with their spiritual guide and participate, once a week, in a sharing of experience in small groups and in two or three short topos (talks). The Exercises are animated by young people for young people. These young people in charge (true "missionary disciples", some of whom come from the "Long Course Exercises" over eight months) impress us by the quality of their interventions and their witness.

A few figures for this distance edition: 40% of the young people knew about the Exercises in Ordinary Life by word of mouth (friend, roommate...). 46% of the young people did not know Magis Paris (the pastoral aspect of the Magis House). 60% discovered the Spiritual Exercises.

180 people embarked on this adventure: 123 participants, 50 companions, 10 young people in the animation, 13 sharing groups, an organizational team composed of 3 young people and 2 Jesuits.

Confinement, at least and most...

Certainly, for this edition, we did not taste the good dishes cooked in the Maison Magis, nor did we sing beautiful songs together. The Eucharistic celebration of the sending off, which is usually a very strong moment, was also cancelled and the "goodbyes" by Zoom clearly lacked warmth... Certainly, the exchanges during the accompaniments and times of sharing are more provided in the presence of others because all the senses (or almost all) are awakened.

However, this original edition also had its advantages. In addition to the participation of young people from outside Paris, the topos (a nice challenge to talk about consolation/desolation for seven minutes) were more creative and more striking because the technique allows presentations that strike the spirits. The young people will long remember the jug filled with water that symbolizes the grace of God, the stethoscope of a nun or the breathtaking intervention of a young person on "the presence of the Risen One in our daily life". The accompaniers were amazed at the trust of the young people and their journey.

May the Spirit of Pentecost accompany us in this new stage!

Paul Catherinot S.J. and Claude Philippe S.J.