The Jesuit Guide To (Almost) Everything - James Martin [58]
In twenty-one years as a Jesuit I’ve only met two people who have told me they have heard God speak to them. One is Maddy, a joyful and prayerful woman who is a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, Massachusetts. Maddy and I first got to know each other when we were both working in East Africa in the 1990s. Today she works at the Jesuit retreat house in Gloucester, Massachusetts, where we have often directed retreats together.
Since we are longtime friends, I figured I knew her well. But this no-nonsense woman surprised me during one of these retreats when, during an afternoon talk to the retreatants, she said that when she was young and considering entering a religious order, she heard God’s voice saying, “I have chosen you to be with me. You will find your way.”
Before entering the Jesuits, I would have thought Maddy was insane. But now I believe that those moments—while very rare indeed—can be privileged experiences of God’s presence. Still, we have to weigh them carefully, ruling out any psychological illness, comparing them to what we know about God, and submitting them to experienced spiritual guides.
Most of us will never have that kind of experience. (I never have.) So if you’re worried about hearing voices, don’t be. Or if you’re frustrated that you’re not hearing God speak to you in that way, don’t be.
On the other hand, many people say that during prayer, even though they don’t audibly hear God’s voice, they feel as if God were speaking with them. This can happen in ways both subtle and not so subtle. It can even happen outside of formal prayer. For example, a friend may say something so insightful that it is almost as if a window into your soul had just been opened: you may feel as if your friend’s words are a way that God is communicating with you.
Another example: my mother once told me that she was looking out the window and said to God, “Do you love me?” And the words “More than you know!” instantly came to mind. “It wasn’t a voice; it just popped into my head.” My mother wasn’t seeking that answer; it came spontaneously. And of course God does love her more than she can know. But for many people these experiences are rare, too.
So, are there other ways to listen to God? Absolutely.
Sometimes, for example, when you try imagining yourself speaking with God, you might also try imagining what God would say in return. That’s a popular way of prayer for many Christians, and it is something that Ignatius suggests as one technique in the Spiritual Exercises.
Praying in that particular way is difficult for me. But for some people it’s not difficult at all. When they picture themselves speaking with God, they can easily imagine God speaking to them, naturally and easily. Sometimes it helps to imagine listening to Jesus in a familiar place from Scripture—like by the Sea of Galilee or even in his house at Nazareth. However, what you imagine him saying must always be tested against what you know about God, what you know about yourself, and what your faith community believes about God. Does it lead you to be more loving and compassionate? Does it sound authentic? “God’s words,” as Vinita Hampton Wright says in Days of Deepening Friendship, “have the ring of truth.”
If that kind of prayer is too difficult, you might try something that I stumbled upon recently: imagine what you think God would say based on what you know about God.
Here’s where the friendship analogy is again helpful. Let’s say you have an elderly friend who is known for giving excellent advice. She’s experienced, wise, and compassionate. Over the years, you have come to appreciate, and know, her outlook on life. When you tell her a problem, sometimes you don’t even have to wait for her to respond: you know what she’s going to say.
Since it’s hard for me to imagine God literally speaking to me, I sometimes ask myself, “Given what