Prayer & Contemplative Practice

Welcome to Reflections on the Spiritual Life

Here you will find articles on spiritual direction, psychology and spirituality, contemplative practice, and the deeper movements of the spiritual life. Drawing on decades of experience in psychospiritual work and spiritual accompaniment, these reflections explore common themes such as shadow material, prayer struggles, images of God, dreamwork, and the emotional dynamics that shape our spiritual journey.

Whether you are seeking support in your own inner life or resources for spiritual direction practice,

I hope these writings offer clarity, depth, and encouragement.

A green leaf with a droplet falls into rippling water against a blurred blue-green background, creating a serene and refreshing mood suggesting how we fall like a drop into the ocean of the divine in meditation.

Christian Meditation: Consent to the Presence of God

Christian meditation invites us into a way of prayer that is less about effort and more about consent — consenting to the presence of God already at work within us. Rather than striving to reach God, meditation gently disposes us to awaken to the divine life that is our very ground and source. Meditation as Receptivity In its broadest terms, we can think of Christian meditation as a way of calming our minds and hearts to offer the least resistance to the graced event of reali

Stone labyrinth with flower design at center, surrounded by light brown textured tiles. The pattern gives a sense of calm and symmetry.

Praying with the Labyrinth: Journeying to the Centre and Back

The labyrinth has re-emerged in recent years as a quiet but powerful aid to prayer and reflection. Used across cultures and spiritual traditions, it offers a way of engaging the body, imagination, and inner life together. For many, it becomes not simply a practice, but a living symbol of the spiritual journey itself. The Labyrinth as Symbol A labyrinth is an ancient symbol of wholeness . It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful pa

Hands reaching towards the sun against a colorful sunset sky with clouds, creating a hopeful and serene mood with a sense of capturing the divine light in meditative prayer.

Cultivating Compassion Meditation: A Meditative Practice

Compassion is understood as a divine quality that draws us closer to our true self in God. Wisdom — learning to see ourselves, others, and all of life through God’s eyes — gently guides us into this way of being. As wisdom and compassion deepen, we become a conduit through which divine compassion flows into the world, embodying the mystical truth of the interconnectedness of all being. The meditation that follows arises from this wider understanding of compassion as rooted i

Intricate orange and yellow embroidered textile with geometric patterns and circular designs. Rich textures and vivid colors dominate suggesting the depth and richness of cultivating the quality of compassion.

Cultivating Compassion: From Ego to Christ-Centred Love

Compassion lies at the heart of every authentic spiritual path, not as a sentiment but as a way of seeing, being, and acting in the world. Compassion as Walking in God’s Ways Most spiritual paths teach that we come close to God when we 'walk in God's ways' - that is when we embody the divine quality of compassion. In the midrash below, from Jewish mysticism, the attributes of divine mercy revealed to Moses at Mount Sinai form the template for the practice of compassion: ''Wa

Hot air balloons in vibrant colors float over a rocky Cappadocia landscape at sunrise, creating a serene and picturesque scene conjuring the dreaminess of the imagination.

Praying with the Imagination: Entering the Sacred Story

Imaginative prayer offers a way of meeting God that engages the whole person — mind, body, senses, emotions, and memory. Rather than standing at a distance from scripture, it invites us to step inside the sacred story and discover how God may be present to us there. For many people, this form of prayer opens a deeper, more personal relationship with God, precisely because it welcomes the inner life rather than setting it aside. Imagination and the Christian Tradition Imagina

Colorful pencils in a white cup, fanned out against a light background. The vibrant colors create a lively and creative atmosphere as the tools for our praying with art.

Praying with Art: Image, Symbol, and the Inner Life

Many people discover that words alone are not always enough in prayer. There are seasons when images, colour, movement, and symbol speak more truthfully to what is stirring within us. Praying with art offers a way of listening and responding that engages the whole person — body, imagination, and soul — and can open us to God in unexpectedly gentle and revealing ways. Art as a Way of Prayer Art can be a wonderful way of communicating with God beyond words — both listening and

Text of a prayer overlaid on a blue sky with clouds and silhouetted trees, creating a serene and spiritual atmosphere reflecting the practice of Lectio Divina.

Lectio Divina: Listening With the Ear of the Heart

In a culture shaped by speed, information, and analysis, many people long for a way of encountering scripture that is slower, more intimate, and more prayerful. Lectio Divina offers such a way — inviting us not to master the text, but to listen for how God may be addressing us through it, here and now. What Is Lectio Divina? Lectio Divina is an ancient contemplative way to read short passages of sacred text and prayerfully let God speak through them into our lives. Its origin

Silhouette of a person praying with hands clasped, rosary visible. Numerous lit candles in the background create a peaceful ambiance.

Struggling with Prayer : A Psychological Perspective

Many people experience prayer as unexpectedly difficult — especially at moments when they most long for comfort, clarity, or closeness to God. Rather than assuming this difficulty is a failure of faith or discipline, it can be helpful to look more carefully at the inner dynamics that shape our prayer life. This reflection explores some of the psychological patterns that may quietly influence our openness to prayer, often without our awareness. When Prayer Feels Most Difficult