St. Ignatius offers us a framework for meditating on Scripture or spiritual exercise so we may encounter and discover the Word of God in a personal way.
Step 1: The Preparatory
The Preparatory is a time for recollection to dispose ourselves rightly in reverence and humility in offering ourselves.
Silence
We begin by standing in silence and raising our hearts and minds to settle into the reality of God's loving gaze as He looks down upon us in delight.
Offertory Prayer
Before meditating on the Scripture or Exercise, offer yourself to the Lord. Pray the words of St. Ignatius:
Take Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will, all that I have and possess.
Thou hast given all to me. To Thee, O Lord, I return it.All is Thine; dispose of it wholly according to Thy will.
Give me Thy love and thy grace, for this, is sufficient for me. Amen
Petitionary Prayer
The Petitionary Prayer asks God, Our Lord, for the grace that all of our intentions, desires, actions, and thoughts be ordered purely to the service and praise of God (SE#56). In the Spiritual Exercises St. Ignatius invites us to ask God for graces related to the subject matter of the meditation.
Step 2: Meditation
St. Ignatius invites us to a mental representation of the Scripture or Exercise by using our imagination. During meditation, we allow ourselves to be moved by the Holy Spirit. By using our imagination to relate to Christ, we allow God to shape us as we relate to Him personally.
Step 3: Close the Prayer
Make a Colloquy Prayer. (SE#54) Speak to God in a personal way as the Holy Spirit moves you. Talk to God as a friend speaks to a friend, as a child speaks to a mother or father, or as one would speak to someone they loved and cared for deeply. The colloquies are spontaneous prayers that communicate what is in one's heart at that moment. Close with an Our Father or Glory Be.
Step 4: Reflection
At the end of each prayer period, note your experiences in your Daily Prayer Journal and ask yourself: What are the insights, feelings, thoughts, images, and memories that came up in me? Savor the graces.
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