Image found at Conversation on blogs.Do you think that God feels like the person pictured above? "Talk to me?"
The idea of prayer being more like a sit-down chat with God can sometimes be difficult to understand and practice.
I came across the definition of a prayerful "colloquy" earlier today while reading and praying with Sacred Space. This text below was found in the helpful prompts they place in each section of the daily prayer prompts. (Click on the "guide" tab to see it there.)
The picture of a colloquy painted by Ignatius, is a little warmer and color filled that what I found at a generic online dictionary...
1. a formal conversation or conference
2. a literary work in dialogue form
3. an informal conference on religious or theological matters
• Saint Ignatius calls this conversation a 'colloquy', and says:
• A colloquy is made, properly speaking, in the way one friend speaks to another, or a servant to one in authority - now begging a favour, now accusing oneself of some misdeed, now telling one's concerns and asking counsel about them. .... In the colloquies we ought to converse and beg according to the subject matter; that is, in accordance with whether I find myself tempted or consoled, desire to possess one virtue or another, or to dispose myself in one way or another, or to experience sorrow or joy over the matter I am contemplating. And finally I ought to ask for what I more earnestly desire in regard to some particular matters.
• The Spiritual Exercises nos 54, 199
Defining prayer as an open-honest-friendly-yet-respectful conversation draws my heart to that experience of prayer. The word Colloquy, itself reminds me of a term used to describe a movement of classical music. Where one instrument is featured for a measure, a second responds in the next measure and in the next two measures they play harmony and melody in perfect time and tone.
That kind of prayer and connection with G-d is what I crave to live. Prayer colloquy is music to my ears, mind, and spirit.
Come to think of it - this kind of conversational prayer is probably what G-d enjoys too.
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