Contemplative at Home

At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Today we are invited to be present to Jesus as he hangs on the cross. Mark (15:22-41) exposes the various people who bore witness to these moments, Simon who helped to carry the cross, the women who watched, who stayed, and the many who mocked, derided, and t...

Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, "Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean."   But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, "I do not know this man you are talking about." Mark 14 In Mark 14:66-72, Peter is watching as Jesus is on trial with the chief priests, the elders and the scribes. A servant girl knows she has seen him with Jesus and yet Peter preten...

Suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. Judas approached Jesus to kiss him;  but Jesus said to him, "Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?" In Luke 22:47-53, on a dark and quiet evening, the garden where Jesus has been praying in anguish is suddenly filled with torchlight, and an aggressive crowd led by one of the twelve. The...

"And he said to them, 'I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.' " In Mark 14:32-36, just after the Passover meal, Jesus leads his friends out to an olive grove where they have stopped together many times before. As Jesus grapples with his own impending death, he asks for his friends to stay present. Find your favourite spot for prayer, grab your journal, and sit deeply wit...

"While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, 'Take; this is my body.'"   In Mark 14:17-25, Jesus and his friends gather in an upstairs room to celebrate the Passover together. At the table, Jesus says that one of the twelve will betray him. While they are eating, he picks up a loaf and offering it around says "Take, this is my body...

"Then they brought the colt to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on it, they set Jesus on it.   As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road.. and the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen" We are spreading the events of Holy Week out across Lent for our meditations at Contemplative at...

"Jesus was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,[a] sitting at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head." Meditating on Mark 14:3-9, we are present with Jesus as he prepares for his death. A meal for guests, a lavish and controversial act of reverence, Jesus mentally preparing for the coming...

While he was still speaking, suddenly, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, 'This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!' As we are nearing Lent, this week's meditation is on Matthew 17:1-8, when Jesus and his closest friends go on a long walk and experience the quintessential mountain-top spiritual high. Transfigure means "to transform int...

A teeny tiny Christmas gift to you from Contemplative at Home, in case you can find 10 minutes on Christmas to sit quietly with the story of Christ's birth in Luke 2.   Contemplative at Home is a meditative prayer experience in the Ignatian tradition.   For more information and show notes please visit www.contemplativeathome.com or find us on Facebook or Instagram.

This is the final of four special episodes entitled Christmas in Ordinary Time, considering the ways in which the Christ-child was born to very ordinary people in ordinary circumstances. Praying with John 1 "the word became flesh and dwelt among us," we accept the Ignatian invitation to consider how "God saves us in the detail of our lives."   Published for Christmas 2016, this episode can be used...

The third of four episodes on Christmas in Ordinary Time, we consider the Shepherds, people without status, wealth or apparent importance, to whom God sent the heavenly host to announce the good news.   Published for Christmas 2016, this episode can be used at any time of the year.   Contemplative at Home is a meditative prayer experience in the Ignatian tradition. This is one of four special epis...

This is the second of four special episodes entitled Christmas in Ordinary Time, considering the ways in which the Christ-child was born to very ordinary people in ordinary circumstances. Mary sings her response to God's work in her life, reflecting on God's regard for the lowly. Published for Christmas 2016, this episode can be used at any time of the year. Contemplative at Home is a meditative p...

During advent we consider how God's redemption story was unfurled through very ordinary people in an ordinary place. In this 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. Published for Christmas 2016, this episode can be used at any time of the...

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.   Contemplative at Home is a meditative prayer experience in the Ignatian tradition. This is the fourth episode in Season Two: With Jesus in Ordinary Time.   Fo...

In the wilderness, Jesus is tempted by power, security and control. In this episode we pray with Luke 4:1-13, Jesus's temptation in the wilderness, where Jesus faced his deepest temptations and emerged, ready to begin his public ministry. Join us for contemplative prayer with this story. Contemplative at Home is a meditative prayer experience in the Ignatian tradition. This is the second episode i...

Have you ever considered Jesus’s life before his public ministry began? In this episode we will pray with the Hidden Life: the years Jesus lived in obscurity, humbly given over to the hard work of a small community eking out a living from the land.   Contemplative at Home is a meditative prayer experience in the Ignatian tradition. This is the second episode in Season Two: With Jesus in Ordinary T...