Visio Divina

Pastor Chris
Jun 5
1 min read

Updated: Jun 10

Saint Ignatius often stresses in his writings about “finding God in all things”, which led some of his followers in the Society of Jesus to become priest-scientists. Some people may be surprised that for these religious, science and faith are not at odds, but rather science is a spiritual pursuit all its own.

Visio Divina is a practice that invites us to look at what Jesuits call “the book of nature” to find God. Science is about noticing, recording, and repeating. The scientific method can be a liturgy into the wonder of God’s creative imagination.

If God can be found in all things, God is where we look. Visio Divina can be translated as a holy looking. Whether we look at a flower, a piece of art, or the face of another human, we can find that we are looking at God and God’s fingerprints.

Movements of the practice

1. Let your inside noise quiet, and put yourself in God’s presence. Invite the Holy Spirit to guide your prayer. 2. Gaze at the image with openness, and seek to see with God’s eyes. 3. Notice what stirs within you. What responses, memories and feelings does the image evoke? What connection does the image make with your life? Take your time. 4. Respond to God about what you are seeing and sensing. What do you want to take with you and remember about this time of prayer. Let the image continue to remind you to seek God.

(Adele Ahlberg-Calhoun, “Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, pg 48)