Visio Divina
"The experience of praying with icons and other images is quite different from praying with words."—Christine Valters Paintner, Illuminating Mystery: Creativity as a Spiritual Practice, Reflections in Word and Image (Abbey of the Arts Press, 2009).
God speaks to us in many ways—through relationships, our experiences, sacred texts such as the Bible, and other avenues. Visio divina, Latin for "divine seeing," is a form of prayer that involves meditating on images to listen to God's words. It is similar to Lectio divina, Latin for "divine reading," in which we pray with sacred texts such as Holy Scripture. There are four steps we can follow to practice Visio divina:
1. Sit quietly, close your eyes, and be aware of your breathing. Practice a body scan. Open your eyes and look at the artwork slowly, taking in the colors, people, places, and things. Stay with the image for one to two minutes. You may want to jot down a few words about the image.
2. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Open your eyes. Take another, deeper look. Is there movement? Are there relationships? Use your imagination. What is the story? Can you place yourself in the story and the image? Do you see deeper meanings beyond the surface?
3. Respond to the image with prayer. Does the image evoke an experience or remind you of a person or issue for which you want to offer thanksgiving or intercession? If so, offer that prayer to God.
4. Find your quiet heart center. Stay connected to your body. Breathe deeply. Relax your shoulders, arms, and legs. Rest in this quiet. Imagine God praying within you. God prays beyond words.
Nouwen has written about his profound experience praying and meditating on Rembrandt's painting, "The Return of the Prodigal Son." This image is an excellent starting point. Then, read Henri Nouwen’s The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming.
—From Kathryn Shirey, "How to Pray with 'Eyes of the Heart' Using Visio Divina" at www.KathrynShirey.com.
Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/