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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
A Contemplative Practice
In this final episode of the Fourth Season of the "Life, Love, & Light" podcasts, we examine a method of contemplative prayer that can help us come to a greater awareness of the reality of Christ’s resurrected life that lives within us. I draw on Part Two of our book, "Living Resurrected Lives," which was written by my daughter, Dr. Eva Natanya. Eva is a theologian, a scholar, translator, writer, teacher, spiritual director, and a dedicated contemplative.
As Eva points out, the spiritual logic is simple. If we have any hope of coming to live a resurrected life, we must do our part in developing an ever more intimate relationship with the Lord, the very one in whose resurrected life we wish to share. If we can recognize that all our current problems are ultimately a result of our deep-seated spiritual blindness, then we must gradually learn to see ourselves and each other with "the mind of Christ." If all the negativity that festers within our subconscious and causes us to harm others, even in the slightest way, is a result of our failing to understand how and by whom reality is created in every moment, then we must strive to discover the supreme reason for loving our neighbor as ourselves. And this discovery can only be made in the silent depths of our own hearts.
Thus it is imperative that we learn to meditate in a steady flow in order to gain the capacity to understand something that was always within, but that previously we were unable to recognize: Divine Awareness. And if we wish to break through to this Divine Awareness, to glimpse the true source of all things, then we must make contemplative practice our first priority, every day. With Eva's guidance, we discuss how to create a sacred space for meditation, how to choose a comfortable meditation posture, and most importantly, how to acquire a mind-body equilibrium that is essential if we are to experience the transformative reality of the resurrected Christ. As Eva writes, this is the goal of our lives: "to prepare for what Christ has always been preparing for us. And for which he begs us to be ready."
PLEASE SHARE this essential podcast with your family and friends who may be seeking a spiritual practice that can lead them beyond their pain, suffering, and fear, and offer hope that the divine process of transformation into our resurrected minds and bodies is already happening, here and now. Easter blessings to all!
NOTE: This series of podcasts is based on themes from my award-winning book, "Living Resurrected Lives: What it Means and Why it Matters," co-authored by my daughter, Eva Natanya, PhD (Cascade Books, 2020).