Adventures of the Spiritual Life by Judith Lawrence (reprinted with permission June 22, 2011) “Recollection,” says Evelyn Underhill, “is the traditional term by which mystical writers define the voluntary concentration, a first collecting or gathering in of the attention of the self to its most hidden cell. That self is as yet unacquainted with the… Continue reading ADVENTURES OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
Tag: Judith Lawrence
PRAYER IN TIMES OF DIVINE CHAOS
Prayer in Times of Divine Chaos by Judith Lawrence In the book, Entering the Castle, by Caroline Myss, subtitled An Inner Path to God and your Soul, the author speaks of chaos as an organic expression of the divine. She says that divine chaos cannot be stopped, manipulated, postponed, or bargained with. “It sweeps into your life, taking… Continue reading PRAYER IN TIMES OF DIVINE CHAOS
PRAYING THE CONTEMPLATIVE WAY
Praying the Contemplative Way by Judith Lawrence We must expect contemplative activity to show itself in different ways and take many different names since its character will be governed by individual temperament. Evelyn Underhill: Mysticism (page 222) Spiritual growth is unique to each one of us and cannot be compared to or measured alongside another’s… Continue reading PRAYING THE CONTEMPLATIVE WAY
OPENING THE DOOR TO LOVE
Opening the Door to Love by Judith Lawrence “Though the state which contemplatives call the prayer of quiet is a common condition of mystical attainment, it is not by itself mystical at all. It is a state of preparation: a way of opening the door. That which comes in when the door is opened will… Continue reading OPENING THE DOOR TO LOVE
ACQUIRING THE ART OF CONTEMPLATION
Acquiring the Art of Contemplation by Judith Lawrence Contemplation has been spoken of as art. The person who prays as a contemplative does not speak in words so much as in intuition; she is a soul who is like an artist or a poet, a soul who yearns to be with God in wonder and… Continue reading ACQUIRING THE ART OF CONTEMPLATION
THE PERSISTENT WIDOW
The Persistent Widow by Judith Lawrence (reprinted with permission August 2010) This month’s meditation is on the 15th parable of Jesus unique to the Gospel of St. Luke. It is the Parable of the Persistent Widow, and is found in Luke 18 verses 1 – 8 (NLT). Jesus takes every opportunity afforded to him to… Continue reading THE PERSISTENT WIDOW
PRAYER WITHOUT WORDS
Prayer Without Words by Judith Lawrence There are times in life when there seem to be no words to speak in prayer to God, times when one seems to be in a situation beyond words. When I was in hospital recently, not knowing what was happening to me, I found myself just lying there asking… Continue reading PRAYER WITHOUT WORDS
YOUR UNIQUE AND ONE-OF-A-KIND PRAYER LIFE
Your Unique and One-of-a-kind Prayer Life by Judith Lawrence Each one of us has a unique prayer life that has a direct line to God’s heart. Each one of us has a different door into God’s divinity; each one of us stands on our individual threshold where we join with God in our God-given way… Continue reading YOUR UNIQUE AND ONE-OF-A-KIND PRAYER LIFE
LITANY OF PRAISE
Litany of Praise by Judith Lawrence Sometimes, when I read the scriptures in my morning prayer time, certain words jump out at me and I write them down in my journal before they pass me by and I forget what seemed so important to me as I read the words. When I read St.… Continue reading LITANY OF PRAISE