Editor’s Note: Ignatian Contemplation is a distinctly Jesuit way of praying with Scripture that invites the reader to enter the scene using their imagination. Rather than analyzing the text, the goal is encounter—placing yourself within the Gospel story and noticing how God meets you there. As you watch, allow the video’s prompts to guide your prayer. To learn more about Ignatian contemplation, see our Jesuit 101 explainer in the archives.
“One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. – John 5:5-9 NRSVCE