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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
Overcoming Distractions
In this week's episode of "Life, Love, & Light" podcasts on The Mystical Path, we deal with the all-important topic of distractions: the barrage of thoughts, images, memories, and emotions that rise up and clamor for attention in our mind just when we want to be silent and focused in meditation. We consider different types of distraction, from agitation and dullness, to spiritual inspiration and the desire to become a mystic! We discuss antidotes to distraction, as taught by the Desert Fathers, the Cloud of Unknowing, St. Teresa of Avila, and modern mystics. We examine the use of a mantra or sacred word to cut through distractions and refocus the mind on God. Yet we realize that if we’ve not yet had the direct experience of divine encounter (or even if we have and wish to return there), we don’t know what it means to "focus on God." On what do we focus? We discover that we need to become acutely aware of the movements of the mind and the heart in meditation, without grasping on to any of them, but letting them go, one by one. As we develop this technique, we may become aware of the very fact of being aware. And thus we may move closer and closer to an experience of Divine Awareness at the ground of our being.
The Guided Meditation leads the listener through just such a meditation practice, first watching the movement of the breath and sensations in the body, then becoming aware of the thoughts and images in the mind as well as the emotions attached to those thoughts and images, and finally resting in the stillness of awareness. This is a mystical path of meditation that can radically transform our daily lives.
Please SUBSCRIBE to these weekly Life, Love, & Light podcasts and SHARE them with family members and friends who wish to develop a meditation practice in their daily lives, especially during this Lenten time of silence, stillness, and surrender. Blessings to all!