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REST STOP #2: Praying the Lord’s Prayer with St. Ignatius

St. Ignatius, a Catholic monk, writer, scholar and saint, taught his followers a unique way to pray the Lord’s Prayer, found in Matthew 6:9-13. Taking this most well known prayer, he directed them to ponder and pray one word at a time. Starting with “our,” the first word, his disciples prayed and meditated on each word. Some spent much time on “Father,” others on “daily” and still others on “forgive.”
Try to pray the Lord’s Prayer in this way. Follow these simple guides.
• Find a quiet place to pray. Spend time in silence, before you pray, to help you focus on God.
• Pray in a way that is meaningful to you. If you like to write or if writing helps you focus, then write out your prayer. If you like to use your imagination, then picture each word of the Lord’s Prayer floating before you. Then see and hear Jesus speaking to you through that word. If you like to draw, then write out the word you are praying on a blank piece of paper. Then start to draw images that correspond with that word. Perhaps you like praying with clay. Shape the clay into “our” and then let the shape be transformed into “Father.” Continue on until you are finished praying.
Remember that it’s okay if you don’t make it through the entire prayer. It’s fine to linger for an hour on just one phrase.


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