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Living Prayer Lecture Series

Awakened by the Beloved – Fr Matt Blake, OCD

Saturday 6th November 2021 – 10am- 12 noon – in person lecture Boarshill

“ Truly God was in this place and I did not know it

Genesis 28;19

“If the soul is seeking God, so much more is God seeking the soul”.

St John of the Cross

This weekend’s theme is an introduction to contemplative spirituality in the Carmelite tradition. It acknowledges the profound yearning of the human heart for something more which is the theological basis of contemplative living. The theme will explore images of God’s transforming self-disclosure favoured in Carmelite thinking; ‘God’s Omnipresence’ which paradoxically can be experienced as ‘God’s absence’; the Carmelite attitude of attentive listening to the sound of the God who approaches us- in other people, in the events happening around us, in our ourselves and in what is happening within us. And, through all these means respectfully inviting us to deeper intimacy of friendship and belovedness. The wisdom of Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection will illuminate our exploration of this theme.

By the end of this weekend you will have an understanding of the Carmelite response to our inner restlessness and search for intimacy and how this is rooted in biblical spirituality (cf. Matthew 11:24; a greater awareness of our need for sacred times and spaces which facilitate an attentive seeing and listening to signs and sounds of God’s invitation to intimacy and love.

Registration includes:

• two hours of live presentation.
• a month’s access after the live-presentation of the recorded video.

Fr Matt Blake, OCD

A Carmelite priest, and a renowned speaker and authority on Carmelite spirituality. He will explore with us how we can apply Carmelite spirituality, a trusted path to get closer to God and deeper intimacy of friendship and belovedness .