#Meaning of colloquy how to

They give us words when we’re not sure what to say-remember when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray? That’s when he gave them what we have come to call the Our Father. There’s nothing wrong with traditional prayers-they are foundational to the ongoing human conversation with the Divine. You imagine Jesus or Mary or another saint sitting or walking with you, and you share what is in your heart and mind.Ĭolloquy can be intimidating for someone whose only prayer has been expressed in traditional prayers memorized and recited.

That is, you say directly and honestly what is going on with you. You communicate with God as you would speak with another person sitting across from you. Some traditions use “conversational prayer,” which is basically the same as a colloquy. The colloquy is important in the Spiritual Exercises, because Ignatius was intent on people discovering that they could develop a relationship with God that was personal, honest, and uncomplicated. In the colloquy, we speak and listen as the Spirit moves us: expressing ourselves, for example,Īs a person speaks to one whom he or she has offended, orĪs a child speaks to a parent or mentor, or Let this conversation naturally develop in your prayer.

It often occurs at the end of a prayer period, but it can take place at any time. What is a colloquy? I’ll let Kevin O’Brien, SJ, explain:Ī colloquy is an intimate conversation between you and God the Father, between you and Jesus, or between you and Mary or one of the saints.

Meaning of colloquy