9The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius remain an abiding source of inspiration and wisdom for Christians in the modern day who wish to be closer oriented to God and his Kingdom.

Ignatius of Loyola was initially a Spanish page in service of a knight, who later became a knight himself. Ambitious and eager for fame and glory, Loyola was gravely injured when a cannonball collided with his legs, leaving his left leg multiple fractures. The surgery of the time was crude; he would walk again, but with a permanent, pronounced limp.

As he lay convalescing, Loyola experienced a series of visions. Being as the hospitals of the era were run by religious orders he spent weeks bedridden, reading the many texts concerning Jesus Christ and the saints. This experience buoyed and inspired Loyola to lead his life in the same fashion as the heroic saints; living to spread the holy word and undertake great pilgrimages.

The unique means of meditation devised by Loyola involves intense contemplation and visualizing the various scenes of the Gospels. This, practiced regularly, would result in the believer arriving closer to God and Jesus Christ. The book, which passed the papal inspection, is arranged as to be carried out by the reader between 28 and 30 days.

Loyola spent his life in the service of the Christian faith, studying and preaching the doctrines to audiences impressed by his conviction and charisma. Perhaps most famously of all was Loyola's instrumental role in founding the Jesuit order, also known as the Society of Jesus. Emphasizing subordination to the Catholic Church, Loyola's movement endures to this day.

This premium edition of the text contain illustrations of Loyola himself, as well as the major churches and artworks dedicated in his honor.