The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life

A wordless form of prayer. The Greek word for contemplation is theoria, meaning view, and the Christian tradition often describes contemplation in terms of sight: the soul gazing towards the Divine. Ignatian Contemplation is a particular way of using the imagination, or the inner sight: One imagines a Biblical scene and places oneself in it as an observer, feeling the emotions that one would feel if one were there.

Discernment is the decision-making process that Ignatius describes in the Spiritual Exercises. The goal of the exercises is to clarify one’s desires in relation to God’s wishes so that better decision making will result in one’s life. Discernment aids in finding one’s vocation.

A daily prayer that Ignatius codified and popularized based on the examination of one’s conscience. It has two preparatory steps, expressing gratitude and asking for awareness of one’s sin. The main practice is making a mental account of one’s entire day, from waking onward. The last and fifth step is asking for forgiveness.