The Role of Memory & Imagination, Intellect & Emotion, and Will & Action in Vox Divini Meditation

In Christian anthropology, the human soul possesses faculties that reflect the imago Dei. St. Augustine, in De Trinitate (Book X), describes memory, intellect, and will as a trinitarian analogy for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Memory stores divine truths. Intellect understands them. Will chooses to act in love. St. Ignatius of Loyola, in his Spiritual Exercises, emphasizes imagination to vividly encounter Christ in the Gospels. This makes scripture a living reality. St. Teresa of Ávila, in The Interior Castle, notes emotions, guided by intellect and will, deepen union with God. They should not dominate. These faculties enable holistic engagement with God, aligning the soul with His will.

In Vox Divini Meditation, these faculties transform one who meditates into Christ’s likeness. Memory and imagination recall and visualize Gospel scenes. Intellect and emotion discern and connect with Jesus’ motives. Will translates insights into actionable resolutions. This structured use ensures meditation is transformative. Wis 18:14-16 describes the Word leaping from heaven to ‘fill all things with death.’ The following sections detail how these faculties are employed, with examples to illustrate their application.

Memory and Imagination

Role in Vox Divini Meditation: Memory and imagination are foundational to the Engage step. One who meditates vividly recalls and visualizes Gospel scenes to focus on the character of Christ. Memory retrieves specific Gospel passages and incidents from Jesus’ life, providing content for meditation. Imagination brings these scenes to life. It allows one who meditates to observe the setting, hear words of Jesus, and sense the environment as a quiet observer. It’s important that one avoids inserting oneself into the narrative by applying the words to himself or herself (5th Principle). This strong use of memory and imagination, inspired by St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises, makes the Gospel tangible. It fosters a personal encounter with Jesus. For example, scenes like the healing of the Gerasene demoniac (Lk 8:27-39) or Jesus’ teaching in Mt 5:14 are visualized. One who meditates enters the moment as if present, focusing on Jesus’ actions and words.

How They Are Used:

Memory: In the Word step, one who meditates selects a verse or phrase the night before, such as “You are the light of the world” (Mt 5:14). They write it in a notebook. During the Engage step, memory recalls the Gospel context—Jesus speaking on the mount. We remember to whom he spoke, who else was present and so on. After identifying the qualities or motives we use the memory again to retrieves two additional incidents where Jesus displays the same quality. For instance, after we identify that by calling them light, Jesus was encouraging and validating them memory recalls two connected incidents. It recalls Mk 5:34, where Jesus encourages the woman with the hemorrhage. It also recalls Mt 14:29, where Jesus encourages Peter to walk on water. This anchors meditation in scripture, ensuring a Christ-centred focus.
Imagination: In the Engage step, imagination paints the scene vividly. One who meditates pictures the hillside, the crowd’s murmurs, the breeze rustling grass, and Jesus’ voice saying, “You are the light of the world.” They imagine disciples’ faces, the sun’s warmth, or dust on Jesus’ sandals. They remain as observers, not as participants. They avoid thoughts like “Lord, You are telling me that I am the light.” This visualization, inspired by Ignatian contemplation, makes the scene real. It helps connect with Jesus’ presence.
Significance: Memory helps us to be faithful to the scripture narrative, grounding meditation in God’s Word. Imagination makes it experiential. St. Ignatius instructs to “see the persons” and “hear the words” (Spiritual Exercises, First Week). Together, they prevent meditation from becoming a vague or abstract thinking on gospel passages. They foster immersive reflection on the character of Christ.

Example (Mt 5:14 – “You are the light of the world”):
In the Engage step, one who meditates uses memory to recall the Sermon on the Mount. They picture Jesus seated, addressing disciples. Imagination visualizes the Galilean hillside, the crowd, the sound of Jesus’ voice, and disciples’ attentive gazes. They ask, “Lord, why did You say this?” After identifying qualities, memory retrieves two incidents—Jesus encouraging the woman (Mk 5:34) and calling Peter to walk on water (Mt 14:29). These show encouragement. Imagination enhances this by picturing Jesus’ gentle tone or outstretched hand to Peter. It reinforces His encouraging nature without self-reference.

Why It Matters: Without memory, meditation lacks scriptural grounding, risking vague reflections. Without imagination, the Gospel remains distant, reducing the encounter to analysis. Together, they make Jesus’ life vivid. This aligns with St. Ignatius’ call to enter the Gospel “as if present” (Spiritual Exercises, 114).

Intellect and Emotion

Role in Vox Divini Meditation: Intellect and emotion are engaged in the Engage step to discern and connect with the qualities and motives of Jesus. Intellect asks questions like, “Lord, why did You say this?” or “Why did You do this?” It uncovers reasons behind Jesus’ actions or words. It identifies a specific quality or motive, like compassion or encouragement. Emotion allows one who meditates to feel what Jesus might have felt, such as love or concern. Emotion is not the goal but this interplay ensures a balanced reflection. Intellect provides clarity. Emotion deepens connection to Jesus’ heart. St. Teresa of Ávila, in The Interior Castle (Fourth Mansion), advises feelings serve understanding and love, not dominate.

How They Are Used:

Intellect: In the Engage step, intellect analyses the Gospel verse’s context and Jesus’ actions. It identifies a positive quality or motive. For Mt 5:14, one who meditates asks, “Lord, why call the disciples the light of the world?” Intellect discerns Jesus’ desire to encourage, seeing potential despite flaws. They identify two incidents (Mk 5:34, Mt 14:29), underlining “encouragement” in their notebook. This ensures focus on Jesus’ character, not personal feelings.
Emotion: In Vox Divini Meditation’s Engage step, emotion helps you connect deeply with Jesus’ heart, even though you keep yourself out of the scene to stay focused on Him, as Principle 5 requires. For example, when reflecting on Matthew 5:14 (“You are the light of the world”), you imagine Jesus’ encouraging words and feel His warmth or love for the disciples, or in Luke 8:35, you sense His compassion for the healed Gerasene demoniac, like being moved by a powerful movie without being in it. This emotional connection, guided by intellect, keeps your focus on Jesus’ qualities, not yourself, avoiding self-centered distractions. In the Response step, you get personally involved by expressing a desire to imitate Jesus’ qualities, like compassion or encouragement, and planning specific actions, but the focus remains on becoming like Jesus, not on your weaknesses. Dwelling on your flaws or feeling pity for your sinful condition might make you feel aware of your shortcomings, but it doesn’t help you grow or rise above them. By focusing on Jesus’ heart and actions, emotion in both Engage and Response fuels a transformative, Christ-centered meditation that inspires you to live like Him without getting stuck in self-pity. This addresses the critique that ‘intentionally keeping oneself out’ reduces emotional involvement. It shows that POWER Meditation fosters a deep, affective bond with Jesus while keeping Him at the centre.
Significance: Intellect provides clarity, preventing sentimental meditation. Emotion fosters personal connection to Jesus’ heart. St. John of the Cross, in The Living Flame of Love (Stanza 3), notes understanding God’s actions stirs love. Together, they help see and feel Jesus’ qualities, preparing the will for action.

Example (Lk 8:35 – Gerasene Demoniac):
In the Engage step, one who meditates asks, “Lord, why did You heal this man?” Intellect identifies compassion and underlines it. Memory recalls Jesus being moved with pity (Mk 1:41) and he having compassion for the crowd (Mk 6:34). Emotion imagines Jesus’ gentle gaze on the demoniac. One who meditates senses His love and relief at the man’s restoration. They avoid thoughts like “Lord, I need your healing too or Lord, I too need your healing touch,” etc. They focus on Jesus’ compassion, feeling His heart without forcing emotionalism.

Why It Matters: Without intellect, meditation can risk becoming vague or emotional. At the same time without emotion, it may feel dry as well. But together, they align with St. Teresa’s teaching that understanding God’s actions stirs deeper love (Interior Castle, Fifth Mansion).

Will and Action

Role in Vox Divini Meditation: The will is engaged in the Response with Resolution step. One who meditates expresses a desire to imitate the qualities of Christ. They translate insights into concrete actions. This involves the will’s choice to love and follow Jesus through specific resolutions. The SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Repeatable, Time-bound) resolution ensures practical change. This aligns with St. Ignatius’ emphasis on “love shown in deeds” (Spiritual Exercises, 230). The will transforms insights into a lived response. It makes meditation a pathway to holiness.

How They Are Used:

Will: In the Response step, one who meditates admires the quality from the Engage step, like encouragement or compassion. They say, “Lord, I want to be like You.” For Mt 5:14, they state, “Lord, I admire how You encourage others. I want to encourage others as you did.” This choice aligns with Christ’s character.
Action: They write two concrete situations to practice each quality. For each Engage, two actions are listed and one action is chosen as a SMART resolution. For example, to imitate encouragement, they resolve: “I will tell my friend Sam he did a great job at lunch.” This is specific, measurable, attainable, repeatable, and time-bound. The will’s choice ensures action.
Significance: The ‘will’ bridges reflection and practice. Jas 1:22 urges, “Be doers of the word.” POWER Meditation is not just a theoretical thinking, but a concrete experience to go through. St. Ignatius stresses love is shown through deeds (Spiritual Exercises, 231).

Example (Lk 8:35 – Gerasene Demoniac):
In the Response step, one who meditates says, “Lord, I admire Your compassion. I want to be compassionate.” They list: “I will visit my sick neighbour after school” and “I will listen to my friend at recess.” They choose: “I will visit my neighbour at 4 PM.” This SMART resolution mirrors Jesus’ compassion practically.

Why It Matters: Without will, meditation remains introspective. Without action, resolutions are vague. The will and action align with St. Teresa’s call for prayer to lead to virtue (Interior Castle, Seventh Mansion).

Conclusion

Vox Divini Meditation engages memory, imagination, intellect, emotion, and will to transform one who meditates into Christ’s likeness. Memory and imagination recall and visualize Gospel scenes, making Jesus’ life vivid, as St. Ignatius advocates. Intellect and emotion discern and connect with His motives, balancing clarity and heart, as St. Teresa teaches. The will, through SMART actions, ensures practical change, as St. James and St. Ignatius emphasize.