Ignatian Contemplation
This method is known by various names such as Gospel Contemplation, Method of Contemplation and Ignatian Contemplation. In the Ignatian tradition, praying with the imagination is called contemplation. St. Ignatius of Loyola was convinced that God can speak to us as surely through our imagination as through our thoughts and memories.
The Ignatian Contemplation method uses our five senses, seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling in an imaginative way to reflect on a Gospel passage to make the Gospel scene real and alive.
Here is how you can enter into the Gospel.
(1) Select a short passage whereby Jesus is interacting with others and there are colours, action and people.
(2) Rest in God’s presence and think about what you want from this session.
(3) Read the Gospel passage several times so that the story and details become familiar.
(4) Close your eyes and reconstruct the scene. Let the scene sink into your imagination. The surrounding, the smell, the people, their conversation, their emotions and what are they doing, what is Jesus doing? Put yourself into the scene.
(5) Let the scene happen and play. Be as passive as possible and let the “people” (Holy Spirit) control the event, remain alert.
(6) Do not reflect or rationalize or think “you should this or you should that”. Absorb yourself in the gospel event.
(7) As this session finishes, take a moment to speak person to person with Christ saying what comes from the heart.
(8) End the session with a prayer of thanks and reflect on what took place during the session. What is the message or experience like?
Some people find this method difficult. They may not be able to visualize the scene, yet they may hear or feel the story. Just go with what comes naturally for you don’t try to force it. Let the Holy Spirit lead. Rest assured that God will speak to you, whether through your memory, understanding, intellect, emotions, or imagination.
