This course, which relied this time with the participation of 42 people among them religious and laity, has the purpose of training the participants in imparting spiritual exercises and workshops on prayer according to St. Augustine. It is the first of the four programmed activities for the corresponding theme for the year 2016: “Revitalization, Discernment and Restructuring”. The next schedule will be in the Casa de la Recolleccion (Cuernavaca, Mexico), from 3 to the 7th of November 2015.
Spiritual accompaniment through the spiritual exercises
The course was given by Enrique A. Eguiarte, president of the Team of Revitalization of the Order. After the reception and the presentation of the course, Eguiarte made a brief exposition of the dynamics of the augustinian spiritual exercises, particularly that which pertained to the spiritual accompaniment and the Lectio Divina, for those who participate for the first time.
Afterwards the explanation of the theme of the spiritual Augustinian exercises for the year 2016 started. Besides, during the first day of the course, the exposition, in the morning as well as in the afternoon, of the Blessed Sacrament, was made, as an invitation to all the participants to prayer and reflection.
Revitalization and discernment
In the second day of the meeting, the activities were focused in one part the expounding which Eguiarte made on the topic of revitalization and discernment, as well as in the practice of the Lectio Divina. In the afternoon a workshop on spiritual accompaniment was scheduled, in which Eguiarte explained the different steps and procedures of spiritual accompaniment within the Augustinian spiritual exercises.
New spiritual tool
The third day of this course revolved around in the novelties for this year 2016, as in the presentation of a newm spiritual tool which is called “Walking way up high. Spiritual Exercises in the daily life with St. Augustine” and consists in the implementation of the spiritual exercises with St. Augustine applied in the daily life, in such a way that what could be made in a week of intensive spiritual exercises, can also be done in the daily life of each one, dedicating into it twenty minutes everyday.
In the fourth day of the course, in the afternoon was the penitential service, following its own outline of the spiritual exercises with St. Augustine. And finally, on the last day Eguiarte spent it in emphasizing the importance of discernment.