Visio Divina: Praying with the eyes of the heart
This prayerful practice does not require any special knowledge or appreciation of art or nature, just a willingness to interact with the colours, textures, forms and overall impressions in an image or natural object.
We ask for grace to be open to the image and receptive to what God wants to show us.
In stillness, we gaze and allow the image/object to reach beyond the intellect and into the unconscious level of our being.
In wonder, we are invited to look at every aspect of the image/object and ponder it as an encounter with God.
In responding, we allow the image/object to speak its truth to us. Allowing God to speak to our life and condition through the image.
In rest, we take time to rest quietly in the presence of the image/object. Being patient. Staying with our experience. Seeing beyond seeing and allow the image/object to speak its truth to us.
It is a way of seeing an aspect of ourselves in God, at the non-verbal, heart level. The image/object then becomes alive with personal meaning, meant just for us. This is the same movement of the Spirit we can experience with Lectio Divina and Scripture – gazing, reflecting, responding and resting.
Visio Divina facilitates a relationship with an image/object, patiently being with it, receptive in mind and heart, perhaps even in dialogue with it and develops our ability to behold the sacred in the world around us.
Responses: No need to be an artist for this:
• sketch or colour the image
• make a representation in collage
• follow the lines as you see them, eg; tracing them on paper. Or, you may trace the image with your finger — or both.
• perhaps some journaling.
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