For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts. – Isaiah 55:8-9
Parables, like the one we have for our Gospel reading today of the generous landowner (Matthew 20:1-16), are an excellent way to encounter God through imaginative prayer. St. Ignatius of Loyola believed that God can use our imagination in order to speak deeply to our minds and hearts. Ignatian prayer is a type of contemplation where we place ourselves inside a Bible passage in order to understand it from God’s point of view. It also helps us to hear how God is speaking to each of us personally through His Word.
Begin by placing yourself in God’s presence. Read the passage through once, seeking to understand the story. You could also read the passage in its context by reading the verses around it in the Bible. Underline or repeat Jesus’s words out loud. Pay attention to the setting and the people who are present in the passage. Notice how they react to Jesus’s words and actions.
Next, read the passage a second time. Then close your eyes and breathe in and out gently. Ask Jesus to guide you as you imagine the scene and to help you see from His point of view. Place yourself in the scene. You could choose to be a person named in the passage, or you could be a bystander. You could also imagine standing next to Jesus in order to see what He sees. What do you see, hear, and even smell around you? Just try to let go and let God take over your imagination.
End by reading the passage a third time. Ask Jesus to reveal something personal to your heart as you imagine the scene once more. Try to remember His words. Notice your thoughts and emotions. What’s stirring in your mind and heart? Does Jesus have a personal message for you? Is there some repentance, resolution, or charitable action He is calling you to?
For this specific passage, consider imagining that you are one of the workers who was hired early in the day. Encounter the parable from that perspective. Then pause for a moment and imagine instead that you are hired at the end of the day but still receive the same wage. What are your thoughts and emotions about this passage after considering both points of view? How is Jesus calling you to grow in holiness after encountering this new point of view?
Jesus, help me encounter You in the scriptures in this new way. Open my imagination to seeing things from Your point of view.