This session presents an introduction to the primary forms of Ignatian imaginative prayer. It begins with a short introduction, a guided imaginative prayer and a consideration of the importance of imagination in Ignatian prayer. It then presents an abbreviated imaginative contemplation, which you will be asked to select. Finally, it discusses an Ignatian prayer called "the application of the senses“ as well as provides a guided imaginative demonstration of this prayer before offering some concluding remarks.

So, before beginning, please decide whether you would rather pray on Matthew 13: 1-9 (Jesus teaching the parable of the sower), Luke 7: 36-50 (a story of Jesus’ forgiveness), or Luke 13: 10-17 (a story of Jesus’ healing power).

For Matthew 13: 1-9, please click here.
For Luke 7: 36-50, please click here.
For Luke 13: 10-17, please click here.

Then, create a physical space conducive to listening and prayer. This place should be inviting, both for personal prayer and for the sustained listening necessary to this session. With this in mind:
— Ensure that the seating is comfortable, even using cushions of the floor if you prefer.
— Eastablish a focal point in the room near where you are sitting, such as a candle or a religious icon.
— Make certain that the light in the room is not too bright without it becoming too dim.

When you are ready, play the MP3 file you downloaded and allow yourself to relax into the exercises it presents. You will need between 44 and 48 minutes to complete this session.

After completing this session, you may find it helpful to repeat the prayers you used in this session or approach options you did not use. This will help you develop your own particular way of praying in the Ignatian manner.

To download all the imaginative prayers for this session, please click here.

James C. Swonger engineered the sound for all these recordings.
To learn more about him and his career, please click here.

The resources on this page are compressed using the Zip File Format. After downloading these materials, please double-click the files to restore them as folders containing the appropriate information.

To return to the “Marking the Way” page, please click here.