A few weekends ago we had a retreat at the college seminary. A Jesuit priest came and directed us, taking us through several Ignatian mediations. St. Ignatius was a famous 16th century saint, who experienced a great conversion to Christ while recovering from battle. Instead of seeking to battle against humans, he sought to battle against the bigger problems that all humans face: sin and the attack of the Evil One. If we take a step back, we can realize all battles, all confrontations in the entire history of the world have been good vs. evil. St. Ignatius wanted to win, for the “greater glory of God” — a common phrase coined by the Jesuit order he founded.
Anyway, these Ignatian mediations are “gameplans” on how to pray. Prayer can be very difficult because of either commitment issues or distractions. Often we do not feel enough love of God to take the time to pray, to carve out time in our busy schedules. Or, once we get to prayer, we are bored, distracted, and might think it is a waste of time. If you have experienced either of these two situations, you are not alone! However, this format laid out by the Ignatian method might prove helpful to you as you continue to foster a life of prayer which is essential if you are discerning a priestly vocation and wanting to grow in holiness.
The basic format starts with asking God for a grace: what do I hope God will give me out of this prayer time? Next, take the time to truly realize you are in the presence of God, by making the sign of the cross. The bulk of the time of prayer is this next part: meditating on part of the daily Gospel, another part of Scripture, or perhaps a quote from a saint or from the Catechism. Pick something and be concise. Focus on these few lines of text you have choosen, rereading it a couple times and see what sticks out to you: writing this down will be helpful. Really think and let God guide you to teach you what he wants you to know from this short passage. Near the end of your prayer time, speak to God as if he is truly right next to you. Speak from your heart. Thank him for the message he brought to you, for the time together, for whatever else you might want to say. End by reviewing how the time went and end with an Our Father. This little structure in prayer may help you to rid of distracting thoughts and open you in a new way to a closer friendship with God. It’s the prayer that counts, not the format. This is only a suggestion!
May this Lent be that we turn away from our sins that obstruct us from seeing God more clearly. In prayer ask for the grace to turn away from the sins that hurt your relationship with God and neighbor the most. He can and he will transform us if we allow him too!
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