.jpg)
"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
Questions, Doubts, and Faith
In this week's episode of "Life, Love, & Light," we discuss the epilogue to the gospel of John, in which the Risen Jesus appears to seven disciples as they return from a frustrating night of fishing on Lake Tiberias. This resurrection appearance includes another miraculous catch of fish, a breakfast with Jesus on the beach, and a poignant conversation between the Lord and Peter, in which the disciple who denied Jesus three times is given the opportunity to affirm his love three times.
Then we examine repeated attempts at "alternative interpretations" of all Christ's appearances that have challenged faith in his bodily resurrection. Most Christians probably do believe that Jesus really died, that his tomb was empty, and that he came back to life. But how many Christians have really considered in what way he came back to life? Was it a resuscitation, only a spiritual resurrection of his soul, or a vision of a different Jesus altogether? Are the resurrection appearances merely pious legends or pre-scientific myths? Did the disciples truly believe that Jesus had risen in a glorified body? Or did they simply "feel" the continuing presence of the Lord in their midst? Does the New Testament language of the evangelists and of Paul really mean what it says? Or was the crucial "resurrection" event what happened to the disciples and not what happened to Jesus at all? Or does Jesus only live on in the salvific preaching of the church? We delve into these and other modern and postmodern interpretations and then consider the earliest creedal formulations in the four gospels, in the letters of St. Paul, and in the Acts of the Apostles to discover the bedrock of our faith: What Christ's Resurrection really means. Blessings to all!
Please Note: This fourth season of podcasts is drawn from my book "Living Resurrected Lives: What it Means and Why it Matters," co-authored by my daughter, Eva Natanya PhD. It won a 2021 Catholic Media Association Book Award for Contemporary Spirituality and is available from the publisher, Wipf & Stock, and from Amazon worldwide: https://smile.amazon.com/Living-Resurrected-Lives-Means-Matters/dp/1725253240/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1645836812&sr=8-2