Using Colloquy in Prayer – Meditation and Contemplation with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Timothy Gallagher discusses the significance of the colloquy in Ignatian prayer, describing it as the culminating moment when meditation or contemplation transitions into direct, heartfelt conversation with God. Using examples such as the Beatitudes and the storm at sea, he illustrates how scripture reflection leads naturally into personal dialogue with the Lord. This moment of prayer arises spontaneously when the heart, filled with the Word, begins to speak back to God in trust and petition. St. Ignatius encourages resting in this heart-to-heart communication for as long as the soul desires, making it the deepest part of the prayer experience.
Fr. Gallagher also offers a structured example of praying with scripture through the passage of Bartimaeus in Mark 10. He outlines how one might enter into the scene, imagine the setting, and allow the words and actions of Jesus to stir personal prayer. The process includes reading the passage, asking for a specific grace, and then moving into contemplation, where the heart responds to God’s presence.


Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

* Recognizing God’s Plan: Reflect on how God’s unique design for your life shapes your purpose and daily decisions.
* Overcoming Feelings of Unworthiness: Consider how Peter and Isaiah’s encounters with God challenge you to trust in His call despite your weaknesses.
* Living Marriage as a Vocation: Examine how your marriage or relationships reflect the self-giving love and commitment God calls you to.
* Finding Holiness in Suffering: Contemplate how trials in your life can become a path to greater faith and deeper union with Christ.
* Understanding the Depth of Vows: Reflect on the lifelong commitment of marriage or religious vows and how they shape your journey to holiness.
* Trusting in God’s Timing: Consider how surrendering control to God’s plan can bring peace and clarity in uncertain situations.
* Embracing Self-Sacrificial Love: Meditate on how you are called to give of yourself more fully in your relationships and daily life.
* Seeing Christ in Family Life: Ponder how Christ is present in your family’s struggles and joys, guiding you toward holiness.
* Responding to God’s Invitation: Examine how you can take concrete steps to follow God’s call more faithfully in your current state of life.
* Becoming a Witness of Faith: Consider how your actions and choices reflect Christ’s love and serve as a testimony to others.


Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.  Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life:  The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola.” For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio, which are available for purchase, please visit  his  website:   frtimothygallagher.org

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