The Way of Ignatius

The journeys, struggles and insights of two great spiritual pilgrims – Ignatius Loyola and Mary Ward – are skilfully woven together here to invite today’s pilgrims into their own Ignatian adventure. Gemma’s own knowledge and love of both of these wise guides shines through these pages as she offers us a map for our own journey that is deeply grounded, practical and real. An excellent and very readable companion through Lent, and far beyond. – Margaret Silf, author and spiritual explorerLearning to pray drawing on contemplation is vital today to be able to discern God speaking through the details of your lives. To sustain a depth of faith in our challenging world, we need forms of prayer to maintain a rich and deeply resourcing spiritual life infused by the love of God. In this wonderful book, Sr Gemma explores and unpacks the method of prayer developed by St Ignatius in a way that makes this profound approach to prayer of the Jesuits accessible to those who want to get serious about their prayer life. I highly recommend this book if you are hungry and seeking to encounter and discover God in a deeper way. – Ian Mobsby, Anglican priest, writer, speaker and Prior, Wellspring New Monastic Community, Peckham, South LondonIf you are looking for insightful and encouraging spiritual reading for Lent (or any other time), you have found your book! Grounding the spiritual in the practical, Simmonds invites us to be pilgrims in the company of Jesus, Ignatius and Mary Ward. Learning from them along the way, we discover our own path to greater faith, hope, and love. – Kevin O’Brien, SJ, author of The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius in daily life, and Dean, Jesuit School of Theology, Santa Clara University, California

Dr Gemma Simmonds is Senior Lecturer in Pastoral and Social Studies and Theology at Heythrop College, University of London, where she teaches Ignatian spirituality. A sister of the Congregation of Jesus, she has worked in teaching and in university and prison chaplaincy and done missionary work among women and street children in Brazil. She has been a spiritual director and retreat-giver since the 1990s and is a renowned international speaker and a regular broadcaster on religious programmes.