In last week’s blog, Fr. John Auther encouraged us to make time for “spiritual viewing” as a way to uplift, challenge and instruct our spiritual lives. One of my favorites is the Arts and Faith series found at www.loyolapress.com , in which we are invited to enter into a visual prayer experience. Each week provides a video commentary about a work of art inspired by the Sacred Scriptures. We can use our Ignatian imaginations to take a new look at this Lenten season of spiritual renewal through the lens of sacred art.
A directed reflection can be found dotMagis, which offers ways to use the art as a means of personal prayer: a visio divina.. The process is simple:
As you gaze at the image, notice your breath and your body.
Simply be present to the image and allow it to speak to your heart, without any particular agenda. It might speak to you in words or wordlessly.
How do you feel looking at the image?
If you had to describe the image in a sentence or two silently to yourself, what would you say?
If you were in the image, where would you place yourself ?
Do you get a glimpse of the sacred from this image? Is God speaking to you in this image? Does a name for God arise for you from this image? In silence, sit with what you have received.
-https://www.lindsayboyer.com/visio-divina
Mary McCarty is a native of Southern California and has been managing the bookstore at the Jesuit Retreat Center for over 4 years.
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