
Practice Being Known Prayer
"You are my beloved child; with you I am well pleased."
Luke 3:22
The first practice, "Practice Being Known," is an imaginative prayer focused on "beginning as beloved."
When we seek to grow in deeper connection and intimacy with God, we can’t go very far on a negative foundation like fear or shame. Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest, emphasizes, “We have to begin positive—by a wonderful experience, by something that’s larger than life, by something that dips us into the depths of our own being. That’s what the word baptism means, 'to be dipped into.'" (CAC Daily meditations)
This idea is reflected in the baptism of Jesus in the Gospels, where God's speaks a blessing over Jesus, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased," or "I love you, and I like you." Just as Jesus began his ministry with this baptismal blessing, we are invited to start—and restart—our relationship with God from a place of blessing as God's beloved children. Beginning as Beloved may not come naturally to us, yet it’s a truth that we can both claim and practice until it becomes more natural to us.
Imaginative prayer, or imaginative contemplation, is a creative practice from the Ignatian tradition that engages your imagination, senses, and heart to connect with God. Its goal is to foster intimacy with God, potentially allowing for a face-to-face encounter. If visualizing God’s physical form feels uncomfortable, you can adapt the prompts to focus on other senses, such as hearing God's voice.
(Use the arrows on either side to navigate to the next page of the practice.)


