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"Life, Love, & Light" with Veronica Mary Rolf
In the FIRST SEASON of "Life, Love, & Light" podcasts, we delve into the wisdom of the beloved medieval mystic, JULIAN OF NORWICH, to discover how her "Revelations of Divine Love" may inspire, encourage, and guide us on our own spiritual path. The first episode is entitled "Sheltering in Place" and introduces Julian of Norwich, an enclosed anchorite who received sixteen Revelations of Divine Love and heard Christ tell her: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and thou shalt see thyself that all manner of thing shall be well." The season includes twenty-five episodes with Guided Meditations following each episode. In the SECOND SEASON, we meet a fascinating variety of Old and New Testament BIBLICAL MYSTICS. We discover men and women who faced major challenges and crises in their lives, made some really big mistakes, were forgiven, received mystical revelations, and then dared to act on those revelations. Their stories may become powerful inspirations in our own time of crisis, fear, and uncertainty. In the THIRD SEASON, we discuss THE MYSTICAL PATH and consider what is involved in following such a path – not only through the practice of contemplative prayer – but in every aspect of our daily lives. We explore the three stages of the mystical path and discuss how to deal with distractions, dullness, and agitation in order to focus on silence, stillness, and surrender, toward a deeper union with God. In the Guided Meditations, we practice becoming aware of thoughts, emotions, and memories that arise, without becoming attached to them. In the FOURTH SEASON, we delve into the all-important but rarely discussed topic of Resurrection, based on my recent award winning book, "LIVING RESURRECTED LIVES: WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT MATTERS," co-authored by my daughter, Eva Natanya, PhD. In the first episode -- entitled "What is Resurrection?" -- we consider ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Hebrew ideas about the afterlife: what it was, what it was not. Then we examine biblical references to life after death in the psalms, prophets, apocalyptic literature, and the Book of Wisdom. Following episodes examine the four biblical accounts of Christ's resurrection to discover the bedrock of Christian belief in bodily resurrection. We also consider how we may begin living resurrected lives even now, as sons and daughters of the resurrection. At this time of great disharmony, fear, crisis, and suffering in our world, one thing remains certain: The love of God is everlasting. PLEASE SHARE these "Life, Love, & Light" podcasts. They are available on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, and all the major directories as well as on https://lifelovelight.buzzsprout.com/. Podcaster VERONICA MARY ROLF is a medieval scholar, retreat leader, and master teacher of dramatic arts. She is the author of "Living Resurrected Lives: What it Means and Why it Matters" (Cascade Books, 2020), co-authored with Eva Natanya, PhD, which won a 2021 Catholic Media Association Book Award for Spirituality, and "Suddenly There is God: The Story of Our Lives in Sacred Scripture" (Cascade Books, 2019), which won a 2020 Catholic Media Association Book Award for Scripture. She is also the author of "An Explorer's Guide to Julian of Norwich" (IVP Academic, 2018) and "Julian's Gospel: Illuminating the Life and Revelations of Julian of Norwich" (Orbis Books, 2013), which have won numerous awards, including a First Place Catholic Media Association Book Award and the Nautilus Gold Medal for Spirituality. Veronica blogs on two websites: www.VeronicaMaryRolf.com and www.JuliansVoice.com.
"Life, Love, & Light" with Veronica Mary Rolf
Abram: Father of Faith
In this Second Season of the Life, Love, & Light podcasts, we will explore a fascinating variety of biblical mystics -- the very mystics who inspired and guided Julian of Norwich, whose Revelations of Divine Love we explored during our First Season of podcasts. Indeed, mystics throughout the ages have always been steeped in and nurtured by the stories and characters of sacred Scripture. Over the next weeks and months, we will be meeting these men and women who faced major challenges and crises in their lives . . . made some really big mistakes . . . were forgiven . . . received mystical revelations . . . and then dared to act on those revelations.
These biblical mystics were not ready made saints. They were ordinary and imperfect people just like us who hoped and struggled, questioned and doubted, and sometimes even despaired. As we will see, they did not always make the right choices. But because they were willing to listen to divine guidance within and to learn from their mistakes, eventually, they were given the light and grace to follow the path that was revealed to them and to obey the call of God.
I hope their stories will become powerful inspirations for us in our own time of crisis, fear, and uncertainty, and that these biblical mystics will become our personal spiritual guides. Exploring the stories of biblical mystics may also help us recall and re-evaluate the ways in which God has spoken to us in the past . . . and is speaking to us right now.
We begin with the story of "Abram, Father of Faith," and four mystical "Theophanies" -- or divine revelations -- that he received from the Lord. We examine the nature of the divine call and the journey and struggles it entails. And we relate Abram's questions, doubts. and eventual surrender in faith to our own spiritual path. This is an immensely important reflection, especially in this time of pandemic. Please share this podcast with your family and friends who may be seeking the Lord’s will in their own lives, or who may be depressed or full of doubts about their path, or who may need to be reminded that the Lord speaks to us through our own circumstances . . . at every stage of our spiritual journey. Blessings to all!