Creation is of the order of love. God’s love is the fundamental moving force in all created things.
Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 2015, n.77
Ecological experiences and conversion for individuals, groups, and organisations (staff, volunteers, leaders)...
Quiet Time in the Bush mornings
Contemplative/Prayer Walks: half and full day
Reflection Days
Wilderness Retreats
Australian Ignatian Trail Pilgrimages
Online Retreats
Formation experiences for your teams
Contact us today and we can tailor a program for you.
1300 392 636 or info@jisa.org.au
Being with God in Nature Quarterly Newsletter
With the rise of the industrial world, over the last couple of centuries, more and more men and women have become urbanised and as result more disconnected from Nature. We have come to see ourselves as the masters of Nature, with the Earth being an object for us to use to make our lives more comfortable. In this process, we have lost our connection with God’s presence in the Universe. Pope Francis, in his encyclical Laudato Si: On care for Our Common Home, invites us to reunite with God in the Earth, in the whole universe.
Jesuit and Ignatian Spiritualty Australia’s ministry, Being with God in Nature provides a variety of opportunities to experience Ignatian Spirituality in Nature, to spend time in a group, at times in silence, listening to God’s presence in Nature. The Being with God in Nature team takes people out into the Australian wilderness as well as experiencing Nature in our urban settings.
The entire material Universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains; everything is, as it were, a caress of God. Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 2015, no.84
There are opportunities to spend some contemplative time in nature. To enter into that contemplative place in your heart to encounter the Presence that is God in Nature, which leads to “ecological conversation” and reconciliation with Creation.
This responsibility for God’s Earth means that human beings, endowed with intelligence, must respect the laws of nature and the delicate equilibria existing between the creatures of this world. Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 2015, no.68
We invite you to explore our offerings and resources below…
Happenings
Encountering Creation - Weekend Retreat Gerroa NSW
Come and be nourished by the experience of beauty in this place and be blessed by the presence of all Creation.
Take some time to nourish and revitalize yourself amidst the beauty of creation staying just steps away from Seven Mile Beach and amidst the beautiful vistas and surrounds of Gerroa. There will be time to walk on the beach, relax, sit quietly, listen, and reflect on your journey with God and share with others.
Friday 26 June 4:30pm – Sunday 28 June 3pm, 2026
Contemplative Walks For Your Teams
Plan your 2026 formation days with us. Our Being with God in Nature facilitators can put together experiences in nature for your teams of staff, leaders, and volunteers. Walk in Nature and experience a sense of the sacred.
Contact us on 1300 392 636 or info@jisa.org.au to make an enquiry.
International Ignatian Eco-Spiritualty Conference – SAVE THE DATE
We are excited to bring you the second International Ignatian Eco-Spiritualty Conference in July 2027! It will be held online from Thursday 15 July to Sunday 18 July 2027, in the lead up to the Feast of St Ignatius. Stay tuned in our quarterly newsletters for more information.
What's On
Camino Ignaciano, Spain
Ignatian Camino, Loyola – Manresa Spain The Camino Ignaciano invites you to come to Spain to walk in the footsteps of Ignatius, and to experience what it is like to[...]
Quiet Time in the Bush, Pymble NSW
Come away to a quiet place and rest awhile. Mark 6.30 "There is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in[...]
Australian Ignatian Trail – BOOKED OUT
APPLICATIONS CLOSE: 10 JULY 2026 This ‘camino’ experience provides an opportunity for encountering Ignatian Spiritualty, discerning, and listening to God’s presence in Nature. Step aside from everyday life, walk, reflect,[...]
Australian Ignatian Trail – BOOKED OUT
APPLICATIONS CLOSE: 17 JULY 2026 This ‘camino’ experience provides an opportunity for encountering Ignatian Spirituality, discerning, and listening to God’s presence in Nature. Step aside from everyday life, walk, reflect,[...]
Quiet Time in the Bush, Pymble NSW
Come away to a quiet place and rest awhile. Mark 6.30 "There is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in[...]
Encountering Creation – Weekend Retreat
Come and be nourished by the experience of beauty in this place and be blessed by the presence of all Creation. The Spirit of God has filled the universe with[...]
Creative Contemplation with Nature
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1 A time to cultivate our ecological conversion. Pope Francis The seasons are symbolic of[...]
Quiet Time in the Bush, Pymble NSW
Come away to a quiet place and rest awhile. Mark 6.30 "There is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in[...]
Australian Ignatian Trail
This ‘camino’ experience provides an opportunity for encountering Ignatian Spiritualty, discerning, and listening to God’s presence in Nature. Step aside from everyday life, walk, reflect, experience nature day after day,[...]
Into The Deep
Formation and Resources
Reflection Video – Two Mountains
Two Mountains
From Knowing to Living
How does Action begin?
The Call to Care for Country and Creation
Deepening Our Emotional Bond with Nature
Laudato Si Goal Six: Ecological Spirituality
Lenten Calendar 2026
Ecological Conversion and the Interconnectivity of Creation
Contemplative Nature Practices Easing Ecological Distress
Lectio Devina with Ocean
Film Review: OCEAN with David Attenborough
Tree Ordination Ceremony: Promoting the Sacredness of Trees
Book Review: Ignatius was Green – Ecological Dimensions of the Spiritual Exercises
Mauricio López: A Call to Listen, Care, and Walk Together
15 Trees
Francis’ Legacy Shapes My Faith and Action
Helping Nature From Where You Are
My experience of the Australian Ignatian Trail
Reflecting on my Connection to God and Creation
Two Stories of Ecological Conversion
Season of Creation Contemplations – now available all year round!
Being with God in Nature @Home
Feast of Creation Resources
Ecological Spirituality by Diarmuid O’Murchu
Teilhard: Visionary Scientist – Online Film
The Two Mountains – an eco-spirituality awakening
The Spiritual Exercises and Ecological Conversion
Graced Encounters in the Community of Creation
Book Review: Come, Have Breakfast: Meditations on God and the Earth
International Symposium 2024 on the Spiritual Exercises and Ecological Conversion
Marking 100 years of Teilhard de Chardin’s Mass on the World
BOOK REVIEW – Teilhard de Chardin A Book of Hours
Reading Circle With Kathleen Duffy SSJ
Laudato Si’ – On Care for Our Common Home
Laudato Si’ is an encyclical of Pope Francis published in May 2015. It focuses on care for the natural environment and all people, as well as broader questions of the relationship between God, humans, and the Earth. We invite you to read this letter to “every living person on this planet” (LS 3).
Ecological Examen
In marking the 10th Anniversary of Laudato Si, we offer this spiritual exercise to help you respond to Pope Francis’ invitation to care for creation and to reconcile your relationship with God, creation, and one another. Join Sue Martin and Robyn Wunder as they guide you in this Ignatian Ecological Examen.
The Spirit hovers over Creation – a Spiritual Exercise for you
Join Being with God in Nature members Mary Robson and Chris Kennedy as they guide you in this Spiritual Exercise The Spirit Hovers over Creation.
A Laudato Si Checklist for you
Graphic provided by David McMahon, Australian Jesuit Proivnce Communications
Ignatian Ecospirituality Resources
These resources draw from the content and flow of the International Ignatian Ecospirituality Conference (IIEC).
A conference in 2022, now a treasure trove of resources for you.
Season of Creation Contemplations – now available all year round!
Heal and sustain your relationship with Earth, and with God in Earth. Contemplations to help us work together on behalf of all Creation.
First created for Season of Creation in 2023 and 2024, you can now access these contemplations all year round!
Being with God in Nature @Home
Links to assist your practice of Being with God in Nature:
JISA’s Being with God in Nature ministry provides opportunities to spend contemplative time in nature. All of creation is a revelation of God’s love and we receive grace to renew our spirit by being in nature using insights from St Ignatius of Loyola. You may consider one or more of the following ways to enjoy Being with God in Nature @Home.
The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola
The origin of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola are found in Ignatius’ own personal experience of conversion and prayer. He kept a journal where he recorded his particular spiritual experiences that he felt could be of benefit to others.
Through a process of reflection, Ignatius produced a manual of considerations, meditations, contemplations and notes to help others advance their spiritual life and deepen their relationship with God. Within a short period of time the Spiritual Exercises became renown for their transformative effect on those who received them.
The Spiritual Exercises invite us to contemplate the life and mission of Jesus and deepen this experience through accompanying Him in his life, pain and resurrected joy – as we experience in our own lives.
Contact us to find out how the Spiritual Exercises can be adapted for you or your group.
