Putting on the Heart of Christ

The question is not "What has God called me to do?" but "Who has God called me to be?"

Many, if not most, people who have made the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius 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 Exercises: as a means of transforming the heart so that our entire lives might be changed.

In Putting on the Heart of Christ, Gerald M. Fagin, SJ, takes a fresh look at the Spiritual Exercises through the lens of virtue ethics. In doing so, he encourages us to reflect on and foster the virtues necessary to live lives of love toward God and service toward neighbor. Along the way, we come to view the 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 explores 15 virtues throughout the book, such as gratitude, reverence, and forgiveness. Each virtue is thoughtfully explained, both within the context of the Spiritual Exercises and the life of St. Ignatius, as well as within the context of Scripture. Ultimately, Putting on the Heart of Christ helps us see beyond the question "What has God called me to do?" and shifts our focus onto "Who has God called me to be?"

Gerald M. Fagin, SJ, has been a spiritual director for 35 years. He has taught courses on the Spiritual Exercises and on Ignatian Spirituality at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. For the last 12 years, he has taught courses in spirituality and moral theology in the Loyola Institute for Ministry graduate program at Loyola University New Orleans.



The question is not "What has God called me to do?" but "Who has God called me to be?"

Many, if not most, people who have made the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius 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 Exercises: as a means of transforming the heart so that our entire lives might be changed.

In Putting on the Heart of Christ, Gerald M. Fagin, SJ, takes a fresh look at the Spiritual Exercises through the lens of virtue ethics. In doing so, he encourages us to reflect on and foster the virtues necessary to live lives of love toward God and service toward neighbor. Along the way, we come to view the 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 explores 15 virtues throughout the book, such as gratitude, reverence, and forgiveness. Each virtue is thoughtfully explained, both within the context of the Spiritual Exercises and the life of St. Ignatius, as well as within the context of Scripture. Ultimately, Putting on the Heart of Christ helps us see beyond the question "What has God called me to do?" and shifts our focus onto "Who has God called me to be?"