Teresa of Avila: The Second Dwelling: Lectio Divina
Contemplative at Home
A 24-minute audio guided meditation with an excerpt from The Second Dwelling by Teresa of Avila, in the contemplative Christian tradition. Teresa of Avila's feast day is on the 15th of October, so I wanted to revisit her words in meditation this week. I have selected a few phrases from the Mirabai Starr translation of the Interior Castle that caught my attention. Teresa pictured the soul, the inner self, as a castle which was comprised of many dwellings. At the centre of the soul, in what she refers to as the seventh dwelling, the Spirit of God resides or dwells or abides. Teresa...
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Come and Follow: Imaginative Contemplation: Mark 1:16-22
Contemplative at Home
A 26-minute audio guided meditation in Mark’s Gospel, in the contemplative Christian tradition. Mark 1:16-22 (this is a mix of NRSV, TLB, the Message and one or two of my own phrases...which I believe are true to the text!) "As Jesus was walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew fishing with nets. Fishing was what they did for work. And Jesus called out to them "Come and follow after me! Come and walk in my way. I will make you into fishers of people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. A bit further up the beach, Jesus saw...
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Jesus came to Galilee: Imaginative Contemplation: Mark 1:14-15
Contemplative at Home
A 22-minute audio guided meditation in Mark’s Gospel, in the contemplative Christian tradition. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’ Mark 1:14-15 We pray with this very short section of text today, because I was struck by the dramatic tension between John's arrest and Jesus launching forward into his proclamation of the good news, the good tidings! That the kingdom of God is at hand. It is a tiny foreshadowing...
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The Spirit : Lectio Divina : Mark 1:9-13
Contemplative at Home
A 23-minute audio guided meditation in Mark’s Gospel, in the contemplative Christian tradition. Baptism, Spirit, Dove, "Beloved", Wilderness, Angels. Mark is sparse with his story telling - the pointed highlights only, sharp and quick fire. But it's all here: Spiritual awakening, the voice and presence of God, the immediate expulsion to the wilderness, the angels in the wilds. May these familiar words fall on you afresh, may one word touch your story in a new way for this season. May you meet the Beloved yourself. Blessings as you pray. offers guided meditative prayer – space to...
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Prepare the Way : Lectio Divina : Mark 1:1-4
Contemplative at Home
A 22-minute audio guided meditation in Mark’s Gospel, in the contemplative Christian tradition. The beginning of the good news.... As it was written in the prophet Isaiah, "See! I am sending my messenger ahead of you... the voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight" (From Mark 1:1-4) We prayed with Mark 1:1-8 last week, but I wanted to come back to these opening verses, to linger longer, to give you space to dive deeper and allow them to open more fully in you. What would it mean in your inner being to prepare the way of the Lord, to...
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A Baptism for Metanoia : Lectio Divina : Mark 1:1-8
Contemplative at Home
An 18-minute audio guided meditation in Mark’s Gospel, drawing on the contemplative Christian tradition. John the Baptiser appears in the wilderness with clarity of mind and heart and speech. He offers those who come the "baptism of metanoia". Metanoia comes from two greek words: 'meta' which means after or beyond and 'noein' which means perception or way of thinking. There is an invitation to step into a whole new understanding of yourself, the Spirit, and your role in the world. We can think of it as 'life change'. It is often translated as 'repentance'. In this meditation we also...
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Meditation: The Gifts of Spring
Contemplative at Home
A 22-minute audio guided meditation, referencing Isaiah 43. Spring is a season of new beginnings, new life, renewal and hope. As the northern spring begins to find its stride, birdsong and flowering bulbs hint at a waking world. In this meditation you are invited to imagine yourself in this 'waking world' -to breathe in this new life, and to listen to what this first flush of generative energy may have to say to you. "See I am doing a new thing - now it springs up - do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness, a stream in the barren land." Isaiah 43:19 Are you ready to...
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Pause for Christmas Eve - A Guided Meditation
Contemplative at Home
This 16-minute guided meditation invites you to review your Advent meditations, to hold silence on the threshold between Advent and Christmas, and to imagine God's new life being born again within you. Dear Ones--- This guided meditation is for anyone who has been praying throughout Advent and would like to hold a moment of stillness between the longing and hope of Advent, and the celebratory feast of Christmas. You are invited to be still, to wait, to remember, to imagine. We are held in the paradox between what is and what is to come, the paradox between our poverty, our dependence, our...
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God's Deepening Life in Me: Lectio Divina: Teachings of St Ignatius
Contemplative at Home
A 22-minute audio guided meditation with the teaching of St Ignatius. "I want and I choose what better leads to God's deepening life in me." Last week we had a meditation on the and today I offer you a meditation with a more contemporary translation of the text. You may find this translation easier to connect with in places. The closing phrase "I want and choose what better leads to God's deepening life in me" comes to me regularly, offering a rudder as I navigate questions of discernment or direction. I hope you'll find a phrase or two here that nourishes you. Blessings as you pray....
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The Principle and Foundation : Lectio Divina : Teachings of St Ignatius
Contemplative at Home
A 19-minute audio guided meditation on the Ignatian 'Principle and Foundation,' using Lectio Divina. In his "Spiritual Exercises," Ignatius invites us to consider who God is, who we are, and how we therefore invited to relate to God and all of the created order. In the Principle and Foundation, with which you are invited to pray in this meditation, Ignatius assumes that the pilgrim is comfortable with the fact that God is the source of all love, life, goodness and flourishing. With this in mind, he infers that the path to human flourishing is to be as free and open to relationship with God as...
info_outlineA 22-minute guided meditation with Psalm 96, using Lectio Divina.
Psalm 96 is a Psalm of rejoicing, celebrating in the greatness of the Lord. It is a Psalm for Christmas.
This guided audio meditation invites you to be aware of your body and your breath as you meditate, allowing the words of the Psalm to wash over you and through you.
"Tell it out among the nations: "The Lord is King!
he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity."
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it;
let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy
before the Lord when he comes,
when he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with his truth." - Psalm 96:10-13
May the joy of the goodness of God infuse all of your days, Christmas or otherwise.
Blessings!
Lissy
Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer - space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God's love for you today - drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.
Click here for more meditations on Christmas, click here for more meditations with the Psalms.
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All music by Pete Hatch.