Contemplative at Home

“In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords he drove all of them out of the temple.”

Carrying on our meditation in John 2, we see Jesus make this dramatic gesture in the temple, driving out those who are looking to make a profit from the faithful, exploiting their intentions to draw near to God. At the outset of his ministry Jesus draws a firm, fierce boundary around the sacred. Find your favourite spot for prayer, grab your journal, and sit deeply with the yourself and the Lord for 20 minutes. May it be a blessing to you.

Contemplative at Home offers a guided prayer experience drawing on Ignatian spirituality and Lectio Divina.

John 2:13-17 is read from the NRSV

Some fine art on the passage which may help to deepen your experience with it can be found here.

For further reflection:

“Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” I Cor 3:16 What is sacred or precious in your own heart, mind, or life?  How healthy are the boundaries around those things just now?

This was first published at Contemplative at Home. Find us on: Facebook

If you found this helpful, consider sharing it with a friend who might also benefit from it. Thank you!

“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there…. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’”

Meditating on John 2:1-11, we are present at the first public miracle that Jesus performed. A celebration, family dynamics, and Christ graciously providing the best wine. Find your favourite spot for prayer, grab your journal, and sit deeply with the yourself and the Lord for 20 minutes. May it be a blessing to you.

Contemplative at Home offers a guided prayer experience drawing on Ignatian spirituality and Lectio Divina.

John 2:1-11 is read from the NRSV

Two paintings of the story which I find helpful:

Icon

James Tissot

This was first published at Contemplative at Home. Find us on: Facebook

Was this helpful for you? Do share it with a friend who may also find it helpful. Thank you!

“As soon as Jesus was baptised, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.”

My Friends! Welcome to the return of Contemplative at Home. I’m very excited to be sharing this first-of-many recording with you. My intention is to publish a weekly episode until July, and then see where the road takes us.

Meditating on Matthew 3:13-17, we are reminded that Jesus’ transition from the Hidden Life to public ministry was marked by his baptism, going down into the water to signify a change, a new beginning. John hesitates to baptize Jesus (I need to be baptized by you!), but much like the footwashing at the end of his ministry, Jesus insists that this is the appropriate allocation of roles. Find your favourite spot for prayer, grab your journal, and sit deeply with the yourself and the Lord for 20 minutes. May it be a blessing to you.

Contemplative at Home offers a guided prayer experience drawing on Ignatian spirituality and Lectio Divina.

Matthew 3:13-17 is read from the NRSV

As always, if you find this helpful, please to do share it with a friend.

There’s a lot of Baptism art out there! Here are a few pieces which draw me in:

Dave Zelenka

Icon written by Amanda de Pulford

James Tissot

This was first published at Contemplative at Home. Find us on Facebook

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:7

Dear Friends,

This mini-episode is a tiny gift to you from Contemplative at Home, just a brief ten-minute prayer for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. It was made quickly and spontaneously so please accept it in the spirit that it is given: with joy and gratitude (if not meticulous editing skills)!

May the joy of the angels,

the eagerness of the shepherds,

the perseverance of the wise men,

the obedience of Joseph and Mary,

and the peace of the Christ child

be yours this Christmas

Amen.

Thank you for praying here in 2016, may your journey continue to deepen and broaden you in 2017. I look forward to praying with you then.

Every blessing.

Image: By Gerard van Honthorst – Google Art Project, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45542035

Blessing: churchofengland.org

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. John 1:14 NRSV

Reading and praying through The Ignatian Adventure by Kevin O’Brien recently, I was struck by the concept that “God saves us in the detail of our lives.”

In today’s reflection, the final of our four on Christmas in Ordinary Time, we have time to ‘take stock,’ to consider the detail of our own lives, and with that in mind to pray with John 1.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

Out of His fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

I hope that pairing the self-reflection with John 1 will help the Good News to land concretely and specifically in your story again.

And as we draw nearer to Christmas now, may Christ, who by his incarnation gathered into one things earthly and heavenly, fill you with joy and peace. 

Every blessing my friends! Thank you so much for sharing this space with us.

Photo by Jaimie Trueblood/newline.wireimage.com

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night.

Luke 2:8

Why did God send the angels to these apparently unimportant shepherds?

This story is so familiar (you can probably nearly recite it yourself), and it raises so many questions for me. I hope that you will have space to meditate on your own questions as you pray with it again in this season.

Every blessing dear ones!

Image: The Angel and the Shepherds, James Tissot

“My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.” Luke 1:48

In this episode we continue our reflection on the profound blessing of saying yes to God, saying yes to the ways in which we are being called out of pride and fear and into redemption and creativity and wholeness and freedom and life.

Mary reminds us that this incredible journey only ever begins in humility.

Every blessing, friends!

Art: James Tissot , The Magnificat

For another lovely piece of contemporary art to assist your reflection visit this page.

The angel Gabriel… came to her and said “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.  

Luke 1:26, 28, 29

In today’s episode with pray with Mary, and the angel Gabriel’s incredible announcement to her. We observe her response and her willing participation in this story despite her fear and her lack of understanding.

Every blessing as you pray with this, my friends!

Artwork: The Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner

Hello friends,

We continue our series “With Jesus in Ordinary Time” thinking about one or two of the ways in which Jesus used the ordinary world around him to speak truth into the hearts of his followers.

Consider these wildflowers, he said. They don’t reap or sow or spin, but their beauty is remarkable.

You don’t need to worry. The Lord is graciously and lovingly taking care of you and your needs.

I was fortunate enough to have a weekend retreat in Wales earlier in the month, so I recorded this while I was there, considering the wild foxglove (!) on an early morning hillside.

May you know increased peace and trust as you sit with this text.

Every blessing, friends!!

 

Jesus invites his friends: “Come away with me to a quiet place and get some rest.”

In this episode you are invited to observe Jesus as he goes to a deserted place and prays to his Father, and to have your own conversation with God as well.

Every Blessing!