The Ignatian tradition offers another method for praying with Scripture. This method uses all of our senses and our imagination to immerse us in the Scripture passage. St. Ignatius invites us, after reading the passage to enter into the text by imagining ourselves as one of the characters in the story. Ignatius says that we should see, hear, smell, and touch each facet of the event. As we experience the gospel scene, we are called to be aware of how we respond on a feeling level and to consider what it might mean for us at this time.
Here are some guidelines to follow when praying in the Ignatian tradition: As with all methods of prayer you want to begin by
- Open the time of prayer with a request for a specific grace.
- Read the passage. Imagine the setting as vividly as you can. What do you hear? What do you see? Are there people? What are they doing?
- Insert yourself into the scene. What are you doing there? What are your feelings? Sometimes in your prayer the story can change and take unexpected twists. Allow this to happen. Often something very significant is revealed to us in the changes.
- Talk to the character in the story. Is Jesus there? Talk to him about what he is doing. Is there anything you want to ask him? Does he ask you anything?
- Listen to what Jesus says to you. What are you feeling?
- Spend time in prayer in the company of Jesus.
- When you are ready give thanks and close with a prayer in which you offer yourself to God.
- Say the Lord's Prayer.
St. Ignatius recommends that after a period of prayer, the person spend some time reviewing and reflecting on how the prayer went. Was it alive? Dry? Was I too tired? Distracted? Become familiar with the way that God speaks to you, or rather, the way you hear God. Can you recognize the imprint of God's finger in your day?
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