"Fr. Gallagher provides a much-needed handbook that supports spiritual directors in accompanying others through St. Ignatius' classic guidelines for spiritual decision-making. He is a sure guide who leads us with clarity and helpful precision through Ignatian terminology and method. Always faithful to the mind of Ignatius, Fr. Gallagher supplements the original laconic text by helping to answer many of the questions that we may have wanted to ask Ignatius. This is an eminently useful reference book, full of illuminating insights and practical suggestions."  -Paul Empsall, spiritual director, faculty of the Ignatian Centre, Montreal      "The text of the Spiritual Exercises of St.

Ignatius is meant as an aid to "the one who gives the Exercises." It is, therefore, the first handbook or directory to guide a person who engages in this ministry. However, its brevity and economy of words led, even in Ignatius' lifetime, to requests for further clarifications. Hence the series of Directories penned by various Jesuit authors during the sixteenth century that culminated in the comprehensive Official Directory of 1599 . This is the practice or genre continued by Timothy Gallagher in his latest contribution to Ignatian studies. However, rather than producing a handbook for giving the Exercises as a whole, Gallagher here has a precise and focused issue in his sights: how does a spiritual director guide someone seeking help in discovering God's will in their life? This question can be posed within a retreat situation but also (perhaps more frequently) outside such a context, i.e. in the course of ordinary life.

In either case, Gallagher argues, the director's approach, expectations, and role will be essentially the same. Readers who are conversant with Gallagher's other writings will recognize here a familiar methodology. As always he relies on his detailed, empathetic knowledge of the Spiritual Exercises themselves, and also of the early Directories. This provides him with a sound basis on which to build his contemporary interpretation and presentation of the tradition. A characteristic part of Gallagher's style has also been his use of case studies, mostly drawn from his own long experience of being a spiritual director of the Ignatian School. These real-life stories put flesh and blood on the teaching of Ignatius as it applies (in this book) to serious, committed, faith-filled decision-making. Their relevance is always clear and enlightening." -Brian O'Leary, S.

J., writer and retreat director, Dublin, Ireland.