63 young people, between 20 and 30 years old, are following the Spiritual Exercises in Ordinary Life organized by the Platform & Co (Paris). That number could have been higher, but we were forced to refuse people.... Last November there were 52, which is also a record for the fall session. The surveys carried out for more than a year in the context of the preparation of the Synod on "young people, faith and vocational discernment" (next October) also confirm the very great demand for spiritual accompaniment.

What are Spiritual Exercises in Ordinary Life (SEOL, in French EVOs)? For four weeks, the participants commit themselves to a daily prayer time (the texts and indications are in a booklet). They have a weekly meeting with their spiritual guide and meet together, once a week, for a sharing of experience in small groups, a convivial time as well as two or three short interventions (ex: spiritual accompaniment, the rereading of prayer, feeling and tasting, entering into the presence of the living and risen Jesus in daily life, etc.).

The proposed Exercises are various: praying from a biblical text, but also reading and listening to the news, in a queue or on the subway, etc. We invite them to "anchor their lives in prayer and prayer in their lives. »

Who are they?

40% are students, the others are young professionals or looking for work

60% women, 40% men

30% discover the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola

15% foreigners (Italy, Spain, Lebanon, etc.)

They join the Exercises in Ordinary Life to "weave a more special relationship with the Lord", "take a break and[ask] the right questions", "refocus on the essential. "It's about "making an important decision and meeting other young people who have the same desires[as themselves]", etc.  

For example, a young professional (former of Ginette and a Grande Ecole) wishes to revitalize her life of faith and discern her commitments in society; one student is currently taking a competition to be a teacher and is asking herself the question of consecrated life; another is preparing for confirmation; another has come on the recommendations of her Dominican accompanier, etc.

They heard about this session by word of mouth, by a priest or thanks to the MT (the Mass which takes its Time gathers about 200 young people every Sunday evening in Saint-Ignace Church in Paris).

25 guides were mobilized, including 16 Jesuits, 6 religious and 3 lay people. The organizer of the EVO is himself a young PhD student... He forms a binomial with a Jesuit and he relies on cooking and music teams. The diversity of facilitators in the session itself gives value to the proposal. The themes have different tonalities, whether one is French or Portuguese religious, Japanese or Belgian Jesuit, Jesuit journalist, etc..

The Exercises in Ordinary Life have initiated a new session: "the Exercises in the long run". This proposal is aimed at more experienced young people and draws on experiences in Portugal and Spain. It was launched last October, thanks in particular to the support of Remi de Maindreville (Christus). 23 young people participate.

We are also talking about exporting the session (the historical version, the 4 weeks version) to other locations...  

It is a grace to be a witness of a soul which, more, understands the action of the Spirit and knows how to respond to it.  

He is happy to share with a greater number one of the treasures of our spirituality, AMDG.