Putting on the Heart of Christ

A fresh look at the Spiritual Exercises through the lens of virtue ethics

Many, if not most, of the people who have made the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola have done so in order that they might better discern God's will for their lives. This book suggests that there is an additional way of understanding and applying the Spiritual Exercises: as a means of transforming the heart so that our entire lives might be changed.

Putting on the Heart of Christ mines the insights of a contemporary movement in moral theology known as virtue ethics. In doing so, the book encourages us to reflect on and foster the virtues necessary to live lives of love toward God and service toward neighbor. As Gerald Fagin, SJ, leads us through the book, we come to see the Spiritual Exercises as an essential tool in learning how to become the kind of person whose very life is in tune with the heart of Christ.

Fr. Fagin covers 14 virtues throughout the book, such as gratitude, reverence, and forgiveness. Each virtue is carefully and thoughtfully explained, both within the context of the Spiritual Exercises and the life of St. Ignatius, as well as within the context of Scripture. The goal of each chapter is to help us go beyond the question "What has God called me to do?" and to think more specifically in terms of "What has God called me to be?"