Fr Philip Carter offers a ministry of spirituality, with a series of meditations on some questions that we may ponder as we consider our life in God.
You will find here his reflections and questions for meditation, images, music and poetry to enrich your life’s journey.
The heart is commonly reached, not through the reason, but through the imagination.
John Henry Newman
Am I allowing my imagination to stimulate or encourage me to be in touch with and live out of my deepest desires?
What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination will affect everything.
Pedro Arrupe
If God is not attractive to us, then we cannot desire him.
Gerard Hughes
Imagination is “the gift that envisions what cannot yet be seen”
William Lynch
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.
Matthew 13: 44-46
Where is my treasure? What is it?
Where am I investing my time, thoughts, resources?
What excites me, gives me energy for life?
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. (Luke 12:34)
Spend some time reflecting on the “kingdom as pearl”.
What’s it feel like to be “found”?
To be discovered and named as a “pearl”?
How hard has it been/is it for me to live out of this extraordinarily gifted place:
“We are the pearls, found by the kingdom of God”?
I try to enter into the vision of our triune God looking upon our world….
Ignatius of Loyola
Discernment is about noticing, and learning to make choices in freedom so that we are no longer hijacked by any disordered love or attachment, and begin to accept, welcome and desire whatever god wants.
This post contains images of land art by Andy Goldsworthy who has found so many ways to express the treasure at the heart of things.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in me, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me,
Christ with me.
Text from Saint Patrick’s Breastplate
For a printable PDF of the text of this meditation please click on the link below.
