Contemplation to Gain Divine Love

Oda Wey Dem Go Follow for Holy Hour

Lesson: Saint Ignatius call this one “contemplation” because e no too be study wey person use mind alone take understand wetin love mean; instead, na invitation to grow deeper for love of God through wetin person dey do. The aim of this contemplation must be to allow no be only your mind to understand love, but also to allow love of God fill your power to choose, all your strong feelings and all the powers of your soul completely.

The final aim of The Spiritual Exercises na to give God the greatest glory wey person fit give for this life, by growing as deep as possible for love of God until e become steady habit. As “habit,” love must become part of who you be.

Throughout the meditations for this book, you don especially focus on how to grow towards perfection for the virtue of charity. As you dey grow for love of God, you dey also grow for love of other people. You don also use the beautiful prayer of Saint Ignatius wey start with “Take, Lord, receive…” This prayer, wey tradition dey call Suscipe Prayer (Prayer wey say Receive), reach the heart of wetin true love really mean. Love mean to give yourself to another person, without holding anything back; and then, if the person return the love, you receive am from person wey also give freely and completely. This sharing of life with each other must always be your aim. With other people, you dey share wetin you know, your affection, support for each other, time, care and plenty other things. With God, you dey share everything wey you be, and in return, you receive everything wey God be, so that His divine grace go change you. Love na mainly action wey you take give yourself completely.

The gifts wey you receive from God pass wetin you fit ever count or understand. Na Him create all things, and na Him dey sustain all things. E dey dwell inside all things and dey change all things to resemble Him more deeply. God and His gifts na everything, and your only response suppose be gratitude wey come from the deepest part of your heart.

The best way to show God your gratitude na to give yourself completely to Him and to seek nothing apart from God and His will for your life. When you make God and His will the only thing wey your life dey aim for, you receive everything in return. Then you go fit give everything wey good to people around you, for the way wey God call you to give. Na the love wey you receive make you fit give love, and the love wey you receive dey help you give more deeply and completely, without holding anything back.

Suscipe Prayer of Saint Ignatius

Lord, take and receive all my freedom,
my memory, my understanding,
and my whole will,
everything wey I get and everything wey be my own.

Na You give me everything.
Lord, na to You I dey return am.

Everything na Your own; do wetin You want with am.
Give me only Your love and Your grace.
That one don reach for me.

Reflection: These things go help guide you for this meditation, as Saint Ignatius recommend:

First, see yourself as you stand before the throne of God with the angels and saints as dem dey pray for you.
Second, make request like this: My precious Lord, give me this one grace: make I see all the good things wey You don give me. As I dey see them, help me understand everything wey You don give me, so that gratitude go fill the deepest part of my heart, and Your love go move me so much that na only to love You back I go desire, to serve Your divine will for all things and for Your greater glory. Amen.
Use your mind and affection take remember everything wey God don give you: how E create you, how E redeem you, and every other gift wey E give you in particular for your life. Think deeply about these things with gratitude. Think deeply, especially, about how God want give you His very self as gift.
Now think about wetin you must give our Lord in return for everything wey E don give you. You owe Him everything. Go back to the Suscipe Prayer (Take, Lord, receive…).
Now think deeply about this truth: God dey dwell inside all things. Think about how E dey dwell for the physical world and sustain am for plants and animals. Think about the different ways wey E dey dwell inside each one.
Now think deeply about how God dey dwell inside you in special way. As E dey dwell inside you, E dey give you life, emotions, feelings, mind to understand, power to choose and everything wey make you who you be.
Go back to the Suscipe Prayer and think about wetin you suppose give God in return for all these gifts.
Now think deeply about how God dey actively work inside you and for you. E no dey far away, and E no dey idle. God dey work inside you. As you dey think about the divine things wey God dey do for your life, throughout your life, allow your gratitude to grow.
Go back again to the Suscipe Prayer and remember everything wey you must give God in return because of the divine work wey E don do and still dey do inside your soul.
Finally, think about the divine qualities, like Goodness, Justice, Mercy, and others. See them as rays of light wey dey shine from Heaven. See them as dem dey shine on you, and grow even deeper for gratitude for these divine qualities for your life.

Go back one last time to the Suscipe Prayer. Try to pray this prayer more deeply and with less thought for yourself than any other time wey you don pray am.