Imagine You Walked with Jesus: A Guide to Ignatian Contemplative Prayer
Contemplative, or imaginative, prayer is a method of meditative prayer developed by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in which you imagine yourself as a character in a Bible story, experiencing the events described in the passage as if you were actually there. As you prayerfully immerse yourself in the Bible passages in this book, you’ll be invited to draw on your imagination to rewrite the story from your own perspective: what you saw and heard, your feelings and emotions, and how you interacted with Jesus and the other people present in the story.
What would it be like to meet Jesus face to face? To walk with him along the roads and seashores of ancient Palestine, to eat with him, to hear his words, to witness his miracles?
For centuries, Christians have "walked with Jesus" through the practice of imaginative prayer. In Imagine You Walked with Jesus, you'll learn the method of imaginative prayer developed by Saint Ignatius of Loyola five hundred years ago. Then you'll be guided through forty Gospel-based encounters with Jesus, from his birth to his resurrection.
Key features of Imagine You Walked with Jesus include:
- An introduction to the practice of imaginative prayer (also known as Ignatian contemplation)
- Forty step-by-step guided encounters with Jesus, with the complete Gospel text and questions for personal reflection or small group discussion
- Cultural and geographical background to help you imagine each encounter more vividly
- A leader's guide for using Imagine You Walked with Jesus in a small-group setting
- Twelve reading plans organized by Gospel and liturgical season
- A guide to journaling your imaginative prayer, with five examples
- A list of thirty additional Gospel texts for imaginative prayer
Jesus' invitation to walk with him wasn't limited to the people of the Gospels; Jesus invites each of us to walk with him today, too. Imaginative prayer is a deeply intimate way to respond to that invitation - and ultimately to be transformed by the encounter.
About the Author
Jerry Windley-Daoust is the author of more than a dozen books on Catholic social teaching, family spirituality, and Ignatian prayer. Cofounder of Gracewatch Media, which creates print and digital resources for Catholic families, he is especially grateful for the ten years he spent as a stay-at-home dad for his five children. Find him online at windhovering.com.
| Author | Jerry Windley-Daoust |
|---|---|
| Copyright Year | 2021 |
| Number of Pages | 248 |
| ISBN | 9781681927039 |
