19 August 2022
Friday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola often invite retreatants to make three colloquies. A colloquy is a conversation held during prayer with God the Father, with God the Son, or with the Mother of God. Sometimes Ignatian colloquies can be rather empty, but, at other times, they can be rich. In most cases, the retreatant who perseveres in prayer, in solitude and in asceticism, will find the three colloquies to be inspirational indeed.
There is a distant echo of the Ignatian triple colloquy in today’s first reading at mass. In the valley of the dry bones, Ezekiel, makes not three colloquies but three prophecies. The first prophecy is to the dry bones, telling them that they will soon be covered in flesh. While Ezekiel is still speaking, the prophecy comes true. Then he makes a prophecy to the spirit, to the breath that dwells among the four winds. He summons it to breathe life into the bodies which just received flesh. The spirit then comes upon them, and they begin to be living human beings. Then Ezekiel makes his third prophecy, telling all the people that God will cause a resurrection of the dead. It is this third prophecy that gives hope to all the people.
Try making a triple colloquy today. First consider what it is that you desire? Is it healing for a physical ailment? Is it a spiritual gift? Is it hope? Whatever it may be, present your desire to the Mother of God, listen to her answer, then pray the Hail Mary. Then present your desire to God the Son, listen to his answer, then pray the Anima Christi. Then present your desire to God the Father, listen to his answer, then pray the Our Father. May you have the grace to hear all that the Lord will say to you.