Ignatian Meditation

Ignatian meditation is a way to pray that utilizes the gift of our mind and intellect to grow in understanding of God and our lives. In an Ignatian meditation, we are invited to consider, think about, and ponder over a Scripture passage, a written passage like the First Principle and Foundation from the Spiritual Exercises, a poem or painting, or any other medium that invites us to think about God, creation, and the things of God. The purpose of an Ignatian meditation is to be thought provoking and aims to help us deepen our understanding of who we are, who God is, and what God’s relationship to us is.

Thus, an Ignatian meditation is not quite the same as an Ignatian contemplation, in which we are invited to compose a scene or passage from Scripture and imagine our place in the scene. An Ignatian meditation is, for the most part, thinking and mulling over a passage or reflection in an intellectual way. An Ignatian meditation helps us to understand God more clearly and how we relate to God; by understanding God more clearly, we can follow God more closely, and love God more deeply.

In short, Ignatian meditation helps us begin the journey from careful intellectual consideration to sincere prayer of the heart and onto loving commitment and resolution.