Talking with Jesus
Somewhere along the way of my childhood, I was taught that Jesus was my friend. As a boy, it seemed easy to picture Jesus as sitting beside me, watching me play and hearing me pray. It was even easy (and seemingly natural) to talk to him.
One of my favorite old hymns growing up was called “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” and it contains these lines:
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
But as we grow older, we can sometimes lose this childhood ability to just talk to Jesus as a friend. Perhaps learning to pray what St. Ignatius of Loyola called a “colloquy” could help us connect once again with the Divine. Rooted in St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises, a colloquy is a personal and heartfelt conversation with Jesus (or God, Mary, or the saints). This form of prayer is simple, accessible, and transformative, offering a unique way to deepen our spiritual lives.
Unlike more structured prayers, a colloquy is spontaneous and reflective, allowing us to express our thoughts, feelings, desires, and struggles to someone we love and trust. It’s a moment of genuine connection where we can speak from the heart and listen deeply for a response.
How to Pray a Colloquy
Praying a colloquy involves a few simple steps:
Prepare: Begin by finding a quiet space where you can be alone with your thoughts and free from distractions. Take a few moments to calm your mind and center yourself, perhaps through deep breathing or a brief moment of silence.
Choose: Decide to whom you want to direct your prayer. This could be God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, Mother Mary, or a particular saint. Each choice can shape the tone and content of your conversation.
Open up: Start speaking as if you are having a conversation with a close friend. Share your thoughts, emotions, worries, joys, and whatever is on your mind. There is no need for formal language; speak naturally and honestly.
Listen: After expressing yourself, take some time to listen. This may involve sitting in silence, paying attention to any thoughts or feelings that arise, or reflecting on how you sense God’s presence in your life.
Reflect: End your colloquy by reflecting on the experience. What did you feel during the prayer? Did any insights or emotions come up that surprised you? How do you sense God is inviting you to respond or act?
The Fruits of Praying a Colloquy
Regularly praying this way can bear numerous spiritual fruits, including greater intimacy with God, increased self-awareness of what’s going on in our hearts, enhanced ability to discern God’s will for our lives, a deeper sense of peace and consolation, and new strength to live out our lives of faith more fully and authentically.
Our conversations with trusted friends and family members often shape and transform our lives, leading to clearer insights and revelations that we may have never seen on our own. How much more, then, might our conversations with God, Jesus and the saints lead to deeper, fuller, more inspired lives?
Praying with colloquy helps break down the barriers and formalities that sometimes creep into our lives of prayer, allowing for more genuine, natural, and heartfelt conversation. This new-found freedom to “speak to Jesus as if a friend” has the power to transform our spiritual lives, making our faith a lived and dynamic relationship rather than a distant obligation.
