Healing Prayer: Practical Mysticism and St. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises

Healing Prayer is a necessary aid to all who guide others into a life of prayer. It is especially meant for spiritual directors and pastors. Several chapters of the book contain interviews with people from various walks of life who share their experiences of praying through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.Testimonials: “This book will be of help to those who wish to reflect more deeply on their own experience of the Spiritual Exercises, as well as those who guide others in the ministry of spiritual direction. Father Horn shows why the Spiritual Exercises is a true classic.” – Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, S.T.L., D.D. Oklahoma City, OK“Healing Prayer: Practical Mysticism and St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises implements masterfully the mystical practices that aim for a profound personal transformation through the experience of unity with the divine. Through the use of ‘case studies,’ we are offered a window into being drawn by our desires to be fully consumed in God’s desire for us through the deep seeking of both directee and director in the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Jane Guenther, Director of Catholic Renewal Archdiocese of St. Louis, MO“Father John Horn, SJ, drawing upon the healing dynamics of the Spiritual Exercises, illustrates how the ‘everyday’ and the ‘practical’ provide the very substance of mysticism. The stories and reflections in this book offer tremendous hope and help the reader to see how everything human, brought to the light of prayer, becomes an opportunity for encounter and deeper communion with the Trinity.” – Fr. Christopher Murphy, Director of Spiritual Formation, Pontifical North American College, Rome, Italy“For more than five hundred years, people have experienced powerful healing through encountering the transformational love of Christ in making the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola. In this book, Father John Horn, SJ uses real-life interviews with people who have made these exercises in conjunction with delving into the Theology underlying, to allow us to understand and appreciate more deeply the powerful gift that Saint Ignatius offers us in his teaching.” – Sheryl Moran, Spiritual Director and Co-Founder of Bethany Retreat Center, Archdiocese of St. Paul, Minneapolis, Minnesota“The interplay of human memory and imagination at prayer is healing when connected to the living presence of Jesus. In my counseling, I have been privileged to witness the healing dynamic when psychological pain is allowed to be acknowledged and related to Jesus’ forgiving Heart that is described in this wonderful book. The Examen Prayer described in this work is a primary means through which we can daily access the forgiving, healing presence of Jesus’ Spirit. This work points the way to living in an on-going Pentecost.” – Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons, Director of the Institute for Marital Healing Philadelphia, PA“With personal testimonies and sharing graces given from retreat participants, and the additional insightful theological contributions from Father Horn, this book is informative, challenging, and encouraging for both the retreatant and the spiritual director.” – Adrienne Novotny, Emeritus Director of The Cenacle Spiritual Direction Certificate Program (affiliated with Franciscan University, OH), Clearwater, FL Read more