Contemplative at Home

Contemplative at Home offers guided prayer, Christian meditation and contemplation. This space will help you 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, with episodes from the Gospels and the Psalms.

Advent: The Shoot of Jesse 12/03/2019

Advent: The Shoot of Jesse During Advent, we remember and prepare for the coming of Christ in three ways: firstly, we remember the generations who awaited the birth of Messiah, recorded in the prophecy and longing of the Old Testament. Secondly, we prepare our own hearts for dawning of Christ’s light in new and deeper ways, and thirdly, we look to Christ’s return. Again, advent is a time to be “present to our longing and vulnerable to hope” (Gertrude Mueller Nelson). For personal meditation on that theme, see last week’s bonus “Advent Meditation: Longing and Hope.” Today we pray with Sunday’s lectionary reading from Isaiah 11:1-10, the prophecy of the shoot coming up from the stump of Jesse, and a vision of the peace and righteousness that will bring. A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. For further Ignatian reflection on this passage, I’d encourage you to visit IgnatianSpirituality.com, where you will find a video meditation on Stumme’s painting of this scene, and a written guided meditation. Every blessing as you pray. 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. For more information and show notes please visit www.contemplativeathome.com or find us on Facebook. All music by Pete Hatch. petehatch.com. /episode/index/show/contemplativeathome/id/12264146

Mary's Gratitude 11/29/2019

Advent Meditation on Longing and Hope 11/27/2019

Found Gratitude 11/22/2019

Found Gratitude This November, with a nod to the American Thanksgiving holiday, Contemplative at Home will pray with stories on the theme of Gratitude. In this episode we are with Luke 15:3-10, the shepherd who rejoices over a found sheep and a woman who rejoices for her found coin, stories which point us to the angelic rejoicing when a sinner repents. “Sinner” and “repent” are both slightly loaded words, so I invite you to unpack them a bit… an imperfect creature turning towards healing, growth, wholeness, life... this may take myriad different forms at different times. While you may be moved by any number of things in this text, I bring it to you as a study in gratitude. Perhaps you reflect on what means the most to you, what you would scour every corner to find once again, to how you have felt in the past when something precious returns to you. Perhaps you reflect on your own gratitude, or on the gratitude God feels in response to your journey of healing and growth. We open with a short prayer by Fr Finbarr Lynch : “Take Lord, the little that I offer, the tiny one I am, and give me the all that I hope for, the much that is you” Before moving on to the text: Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Thank you for being here and every blessing as you pray. ** If you listen to Contemplative at Home in a podcast app such as Apple Podcasts or Google Play would you be so kind as to leave a review or rating? That may help others to find us. Thank YOU. ** 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. For more information and show notes please visit www.contemplativeathome.com or find us on Facebook. All music by Pete Hatch. petehatch.com. /episode/index/show/contemplativeathome/id/12093044

Meal at Bethany 11/15/2019

Ten Lepers 11/06/2019

Meditation on St Patrick's Breastplate 11/01/2019

Meditation on St Patrick's Breastplate A guided, prayerful reading and meditation on an excerpt from St Patrick's well-known prayer, the Breastplate. I imagine myself rising for the day, with the same Spirit who powers the light of the sun, the radiance of the moon, and the depth of the sea also empowering me. I imagine Christ's presence above and below me, behind and before, to my right and to my left. The Breastplate of St Patrick: I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation. I arise today, through The strength of heaven, The light of the sun, The radiance of the moon, The splendor of fire, The speed of lightning, The swiftness of wind, The depth of the sea, The stability of the earth, The firmness of rock. I arise today, through God's strength to pilot me, God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me, God's shield to protect me, God's host to save me From snares of devils, From temptation of vices, From everyone who shall wish me ill, afar and near. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation. Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer - space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being borne out of God's love for you today - drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina. Every blessing as you pray. For more information and show notes please visit www.contemplativeathome.com or find us on Facebook. All music by Pete Hatch. petehatch.com. /episode/index/show/contemplativeathome/id/11817734

Meditation on Christ's Love for You 10/24/2019

Meditation on the Eyes of Christ (Jesus sees the Law) 10/17/2019

Meditation on the Eyes of Christ (Jesus saw Levi) 10/06/2019

Meditation on The Eyes of Christ (they removed the roof) 10/02/2019

Meditation on The Eyes of Christ (they removed the roof) 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. In this episode we return to the story of the man lowered through the roof by his friends, and engage our sense of sight – being mindful of what and how Jesus saw. We pray with Mark 2:1-8 and 10-11 (NRSV): When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. 3 Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” 12 And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” Lord Jesus, Open my eyes that I may learn to see as you see, not being caught up in things at the surface but present to things of the heart. For more information and show notes please visit www.contemplativeathome.com or find us on Facebook. All music by Pete Hatch. petehatch.com. /episode/index/show/contemplativeathome/id/11482091