Contemplative at Home

 A 21-minute audio guided meditation in the contemplative Christian tradition.

In today’s meditation, I invite you to gaze at the image of a tree in Autumn, and to listen to the voice of the Beloved as you consider this tree.

You might want to use the above image taken by my dear uncle, Scott, whose nature photography always stills me.

Or you may want to go outside and sit with an autumn tree in your own vicinity. You are also welcome to simply call to your imagination a tree in its autumn garb.

I love praying with Macrina Wiederkehr’s poem “The Sacrament of Letting Go” in this season and commend it to you.

If you are in the southern hemisphere, The Gifts of Spring meditation may be more appropriate for you just now!

Blessings 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.

Sign up for Lissy’s newsletter “The Contemplative Window” to find out about monthly mini retreats on Zoom or in person, and Retreats in Daily Life. 

You can support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, making a one-off donation or becoming a member. Thank you so much!

Meditation and shownotes written and spoken by Lissy Clarke, music by Pete Hatch, editing by Kristy B Lust. Photo: Scott Hatch. We send our audio through Auphonic which uses AI software to mix the levels. We are otherwise AI-free.

The post The Gifts of Autumn: Visio Divina appeared first on Contemplative at Home.

A 22-minute audio guided meditation in the contemplative Christian tradition.

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

  a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
  a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
  a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
  a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
 a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
  a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
 a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

We are asked to use our discernment in a thousand ways each day – what is mine to do? And what moment am I in? Is this a time to tear or a time to mend? A time to embrace or to refrain from embracing? A time to weep or a time to laugh? (Sometimes these last two are surprisingly interwoven, in my experience.)

Ignatius invites us to cultivate a kind of inner freedom so that we have the spiritual flexibility to move towards the right thing at the right time. He invites us to always choose “what will better lead to God’s deepening life in me.” This may look like embracing when it is time to embrace, or throwing away when it is time to throw away.

May hearing these old, familiar words be a new experience for you today. May they shimmer and illuminate your present moment and may you have the inner freedom to move as the Spirit leads.

Every blessing.

The post A Time for All Things: Lectio Divina: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 appeared first on 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 describes the pilgrim’s journey in prayer through these interior “dwellings” in her book The Interior Castle, a journey which ultimately brings the pilgrim to the centre of her own soul and union with God. It is important to remember that this journey isn’t linear, that we are all sliding back and forth through various “dwellings” at various times, with the hope that the general trajectory of our lives is towards greater intimacy with both ourselves and God.

In no way should these selected lines be seen as a summary of the whole of Teresa’s concept of “the second dwelling”, but just a few passages from the chapter that landed deeply with me.

I pray that they will draw you into the heart of God, and that Love will speak to you as you pray.

“What hope do we have of finding rest outside of ourselves if we cannot be at ease within?

Peace, Peace, Christ says, my friends. He often urged peace upon his own disciples. If we don’t cultivate peace at home we will not find it in alien places.

Trust more in the mercy of God and less in your own judgement.

The door to this (interior) castle is prayer. It is ridiculous to think that we can enter Paradise without first entering ourselves! We must get to know ourselves, reflect on our limitations, acknowledge our gratitude for God, and solicit his mercy.

Christ, who is love, says: No one gets the Father except through me. He also says: He who sees me sees my Father. If we never look at him or reflect on what he has given us, and the death that he endured for us, then I can’t imagine how we will come to know him or do good works in service of him. What is faith without works? And what are works without connection to the goodness of Christ? Who will awaken us to love the Beloved?

And so we must pray without ceasing and leave temptation behind.”

From The Interior Castle of St Teresa of Avila, translated by Mirabai Starr, pages 62-64.

I would like to clarify my thoughts on the line “Trust more in the mercy of God and trust less in your own judgment”, as I think it could be read in a harmful way. This line is offered in the context (that I’ve not included here) of the temptations and attractions of things that take us away from the Beloved. I personally hear this to mean that we are invited to trust less in our critical self-judgement, for example negative thoughts about our inherent self-worth. I think she is also referring to our ‘judgements’ about the kind of habits and attachments we form to things that may salve for a moment but create more problems in the long run.

I know that some of us have been taught not to trust the voice of our own true self, to shut down the voices of our preferences and inner knowing. This is not what Teresa is advocating and the line should not be read in this way. There is a discernment in knowing when an inner voice of love or the true self is speaking within, versus the voice of fear, pride, or condemnation. If you have any personal questions about this please take this to your spiritual director or a friend with whom you feel safe disclosing inner questions.

Blessings!!

The post Teresa of Avila: The Second Dwelling: Lectio Divina appeared first on 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 James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in their boat, mending nets.

He immediately called them and they, too, left their father with the hired hands and followed him.

Then they entered Capernaum. When the sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and taught. He didn’t teach like the scribes, quoting and quibbling, but he taught as one who had authority. And they were astounded at his teaching.”

I am often struck by the phrase Jesus saw. He often seems to see very deeply.

I wonder what Jesus perceived when he met Simon, Andrew, James and John at their work on this ordinary day? What did he see that made him call each of them, specifically? How much was he hoping that they would come and follow? Why did they all jump so quickly? Were they fed up with their work and restless for a way out? Were they honoured to have been asked?

There are lots of things we just can’t know. But we know ourselves. And we know how we respond when we encounter Jesus in the text.

I invite you to be very honest with yourself, and curious. Are you engaged by this text, or a bit bored? Does Jesus feel near or distant to you? Is there an invitation for you today? Or only silence? Regardless of your answers, I invite you to lean in, to be curious, to listen and wonder where this story might take you today.

Blessings 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.

Sign up for Lissy’s newsletter “The Contemplative Window” to find out about monthly mini retreats on Zoom or in person, and Retreats in Daily Life. 

You can support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, making a one-off donation or becoming a member. Thank you so much!

Meditation and shownotes written and spoken by Lissy Clarke, music by Pete Hatch, editing by Kristy B Lust. Photo by Sylvain Brison on Unsplash. We send our audio through Auphonic which uses AI software to mix the levels. We are otherwise AI-free. 

The post Come and Follow: Imaginative Contemplation: Mark 1:16-22 appeared first on 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 of the Paschal mystery, that new life follows all our deaths, unfathomable as that may be.

I wonder what this co-mingling of treachery and hope have to say to you today?

What signs that the Kingdom of God is at hand are apparent to you, as you pause to attend the Spirit today?

Blessings

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.

Sign up for Lissy’s newsletter “The Contemplative Window” to find out about monthly mini retreats on Zoom or in person, and Retreats in Daily Life. 

You can support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, making a one-off donation or becoming a member. Thank you so much!

Meditation and shownotes written and spoken by Lissy Clarke, music by Pete Hatch, editing by Kristy B Lust. Photo by Lissy, Capurnum, 2016. We send our audio through Auphonic which uses AI software to mix the levels. We are otherwise AI-free. 

The post Jesus came to Galilee: Imaginative Contemplation: Mark 1:14-15 appeared first on 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.

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.

Sign up for Lissy’s newsletter “The Contemplative Window” to find out about monthly mini retreats on Zoom or in person, and Retreats in Daily Life. 

You can support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, making a one-off donation or becoming a member. Thank you so much!

Meditation and shownotes written and spoken by Lissy Clarke, music by Pete Hatch, editing by Kristy B Lust. Art: Briton Rivière, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. We send our audio through Auphonic which uses AI software to mix the levels. We are otherwise AI-free. 

The post The Spirit : Lectio Divina : Mark 1:9-13 appeared first on 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 make the path straight?

What is blocking or tangling your freedom of spirit just now? What is demanding your best?

The beginning of the good news of the LORD has to do with clearing space, making room, releasing the things that no longer serve the Living Spirit.

How might you invite the Lord afresh?

I invite you to breathe through this text, to listen for the thread of the Holy Spirit, to notice the word or phrase that transports you into a new seeing, hearing or tasting.

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.

Sign up for Lissy’s newsletter “The Contemplative Window” to find out about monthly mini retreats on Zoom or in person, and Retreats in Daily Life. 

You can support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, making a one-off donation or becoming a member. Thank you so much!

Meditation and shownotes written and spoken by Lissy Clarke, music by Pete Hatch, editing by Kristy B Lust. Photo by Jurre Houtkamp on Unsplash. We send our audio through Auphonic which uses AI software to mix the levels. Our production is otherwise AI-free. 

The post Prepare the Way : Lectio Divina : Mark 1:1-4 appeared first on 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 hear the following words:

“It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,

it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction

of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.

Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying

that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers not messiahs.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation

in realising that. This enables us to do something,

and to do it very well.

Amen”

Just for these few minutes, I invite you to leave your dogma, your creed, your thoughts, and your rational mind aside, and become present to your deeper self, your true self or essential self. I invite you to a way of unknowing, a place of deep being. 

Blessings 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.

Sign up for Lissy’s newsletter “The Contemplative Window” to find out about monthly mini retreats on Zoom or in person, and Retreat in Daily Life. 

You can support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, making a one-off donation or becoming a member. Thank you so much!

Meditation and shownotes by Lissy Clarke, music by Pete Hatch, editing by Kristy B Lust. Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.  Audio is mixed by Auphonic using AI software. We are otherwise AI-free. 

The post A Baptism for Metanoia : Lectio Divina : Mark 1:1-8 appeared first on 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 emerge from the dark emptiness of winter? If not there is room to notice what might be around that for you, as well.

As always, blessings 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.

Sign up for Lissy’s newsletter “The Contemplative Window”

You can support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, making a one-off donation or becoming a member. Thank you so much!

All music by Pete Hatch. 

Photo: Rachel Tweedale

The post Meditation: The Gifts of Spring appeared first on 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 frailty and the fullness of life that is poured out to us each and every day.

We pause here to acknowledge that tension, to attend to the Holy One who comes anew in us.

References in the meditation:

Lamentations 3:22-23

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning.

Isaiah 43:19

See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

Prayer of Teilhard de Chardin (excerpted from Hearts on Fire, Praying with the Jesuits)

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.

And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through some stages of instability—
and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;
your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.

Blessings, Dear One….

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.

Sign up for Lissy’s newsletter “The Contemplative Window” or find out about upcoming retreats here.

You can support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, making a one-off donation or becoming a member. Thank you so much!

All music by Pete Hatch. 

The post Pause for Christmas Eve – A Guided Meditation appeared first on Contemplative at Home.