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Two weeks ago I challenged everyone to spend more time in front of the Blessed Sacrament during Lent. I answered the question “what do I do if I were to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament.” I answered with praying over Sacred Scripture. I suggested Lection Divina as a way of praying with scripture. Last weekend, I gave the steps on how to pray Lectio Divina with scripture. Lectio Divina is a great way when one is experiencing interior quietness and calm. If one is restless, spending time with Lectio Divina can bring calm so prayer can happen.

There is another method of praying with scripture I want to explain this weekend, The Ignatian Meditation for Praying with scripture, named after St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits who gave us a beautiful explanation of this method. Here, we are encouraged to bring our imagination to the scripture reading.

Here is how it works: Read the Sunday Gospel (or any piece of scripture you choose.) Read it to understand the scripture passage for what is happening in the scene and who is in the scene. Read it again focusing on what it is you have already learned from the first reading. Now, again, this time read it as if you are an observer in the scene. Fill in the details. What is everyone wearing? What is the landscape? What season is it? What time of day is it? How is each person reacting to what is said and what is heard? What does the speaker’s voice sound like and how does the speaker look? How does the crowd react with their facial reactions? Now, read it as if you were each person in the story. How are you reacting to what is going on in the story with you being each character? How are you feeling being that person; how are you as that person reacting to everyone else in the story and what everyone is saying? Fill in more of the gaps that are not written but you are experiencing as you are each person in the story. Let each of your senses enter into the story. When you look at the landscape, can you smell the scents of the landscape? When you are near the other people, can you “smell like the sheep” as the late Pope Francis called us to do? What else besides the words in scripture are you hearing? What’s the background noise; what are the side conversations taking place? What does it feel like to be at this place at this time of day/night? Enter deeply into the story.

The church has been teaching the Ignatian method since before the time of St Ignatius. It’s that he described it in terms everyone can appreciate. You can see this method at work for the public whenever an artist paints a scene from the bible. (The call of St. Matthew by Carravagio for example.) You can see it in sculpture (King David or The Pieta by Michaelangelo.) When movies are made, the writers and producers need to fill in sections of the scene not written in the Bible. Now, I tell people, the best way to see the Ignatian Method of Praying over scripture come to life is any Gospel Story explained in the series, “The Chosen.” It is beautiful Ignatian Meditation come to screen. But, it’s those writer’s Ignatian Meditation; you may read the same story and through your senses, where you are today, experience something totally different and that is beautiful! God is speaking to you today in his Word through this method if you so choose to use it. Let your imagination go in the Sacred Text and listen to what The Lord God will reveal to you. Give it a try.