A 15-Minute Ignatian Way for Busy Catholics

A Simple Guide for Busy Lay People: How to Pray the Ignatian Way

(Using the story of the paralytic at the pool – John 5:1-18)

Imagine yourself as the man who had been sick for 38 years, lying on a mat by the pool of Bethesda.
You’ve tried everything. You’re tired, discouraged, maybe even a little bitter.
Then Jesus walks up, looks at you with love, and says, “Rise, take up your pallet and walk.”
Instant healing! You’re walking, leaping, praising God.
Later, Jesus finds you again in the temple and says very quietly,
“See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you.” (John 5:14, RSVCE)

That short sentence is pure Ignatian spirituality in action:

• Jesus sees the whole person (body and soul).
• He heals first, warns second.
• He invites the man (and us) to a new way of living so that something worse than 38 years of paralysis—separation from God—doesn’t happen.

Here is how any ordinary Catholic—parent, worker, student—can live this same spirituality every single day in 15–20 minutes.

1. The Daily Examen – “Where was Jesus looking at me today?”

(St Ignatius said: if you do nothing else, do this.)

1. Sit quietly for a moment and say: “Lord, You are here. Thank You.”
2. Look over your day like a short movie, with gratitude. Thank God for three things, even tiny ones (coffee, a smile, the bus that came on time).
3. Ask: “Where did I feel peace, joy, or energy toward God today?” (That’s consolation—Jesus was close.)
   “Where did I feel irritated, empty, or restless?” (That’s desolation—something pulled me away from Him.)
4. Pick one moment (good or bad) and talk to Jesus about it, honestly, like a friend.
   Example: “Jesus, when I snapped at my teenager this morning, I felt that same old paralysis of impatience. I’m sorry.”
5. End by asking for tomorrow’s grace: “Lord, tomorrow help me love with Your patience.”
   Finish with an Our Father.

Do this every night for two weeks and you’ll start noticing Jesus finding you in the temple of your day, saying, “Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you.”

2. Imaginative Prayer – Put yourself by the pool

(10–15 minutes, once or twice a week)

• Read John 5:1-18 slowly.
• Close your eyes and be the paralytic. Feel the hot sun, the dust, the disappointment.
• Hear Jesus ask, “Do you want to be healed?” Answer Him out loud or in your heart.
• Let Him lift you up. Feel the strength in your legs.
• Then hear Him say later, gently but firmly, “Sin no more…”
  Ask Him: “Lord, what is the ‘something worse’ You want to protect me from today?”
  Stay there and listen. He always answers with love, never with contempt.

3. The Two Flags (30-second check during the day)

Ask yourself quickly:
“Am I marching under the flag of pride today (irritation, judging others, wanting to be right) or under the flag of Jesus (humility, mercy, wanting to love)?”

4. The Suscipe – When you feel stuck again

Just pray St Ignatius’ short surrender prayer (you can say it while driving or washing dishes):

Take, Lord, and receive
all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will—
all that I have and possess.
You gave it all to me; I give it back to You.
Do with it whatever You wish.
Give me only Your love and Your grace;
that is enough for me. Amen.

5. Colloquy – Talk to Him like a friend

At the end of any prayer time, just chat.
“Jesus, thank You for picking me up today when I felt paralyzed by worry… Help me walk in Your freedom tomorrow.”

That’s it. No monastery required.
Just a heart that wants to notice Jesus finding you every day and hearing His gentle, life-giving words:

“See, you are well.
Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you.”

---

Aside
I share these little guides and reflections openly because this is truly how I myself am learning to draw nearer to Jesus each day. Writing them, praying them, living them—it’s all part of my own slow, stumbling process of becoming more like Him. The paralytic at the pool is me more often than I like to admit, and every time I come back to John 5, or to the woman at the well, or to the words “sin no more,” I hear the Lord speaking first of all to my own heart. So if anything here helps even one person feel less alone on the same road, or hear Jesus a little more clearly, then every minute spent typing is worth it. We’re all just beggars learning where to find the Bread—together.

God Bless