There are seasons in every human life.

To live is to encounter pain, suffering, heartache and loss. The agony of these moments can bring us to our knees. Burdened by their weight, we can feel lost, abandoned and afraid.

This Season of the Heart can be blinding — what we have known can become obscure. We can even begin to question the reality of God’s presence.

Into the Cave and Beyond: An Encounter with the Presence of God

A reflection on the most recent Carmelite Conversations – A Troubled Heart: The Tragic in Life

I had ‘heard’ the stories of Elijah’s encounter with the Divine before, but not like this. Maybe it was the light, the spirit of those gathered, the gentle wisdom of the presenter, Fr Matthew Tonini O.Carm. Maybe all of this, along with the space in me? Somewhere, somehow, I was struck by the practicality of encounter, the burning direct question and the ever-present mystery of it all. Here, Elijah, have something to eat; you need to eat for what lies ahead. Elijah, “What are you doing here?” Not once, but twice.

How do we continue in faith when life takes us along a path we did not choose?

This question was at the heart of the Carmelite Conversations gathering held at the Carmelite Centre in Middle Park, Melbourne, on Saturday 17 October. Facilitated by Fr Matthew Tonini O.Carm., A Troubled Heart: The Tragic in Life explored how the Carmelite tradition can accompany us through suffering, loss and uncertainty.

In the midst of pain, loss, grief and joy, music can give expression to what we can’t find words for.

Few artists have shown this as openly as Nick Cave. Following the deaths of two of his sons, Cave has written and sung about grief with rare honesty, naming the unsayable and making room for great suffering and great love to be held side by side.

Centering Prayer is a receptive method of Christian silent prayer. It offers a way of becoming still, opening the heart and resting in God’s presence.

Drawing on the Christian contemplative tradition and the teaching of Thomas Keating, the practice helps us move beyond words and reflection into a more receptive form of prayer. It is both a relationship with God and a discipline that helps us become more available to that relationship.

There are seasons in every human life.

To live is to encounter pain, suffering, heartache and loss. The agony of these moments can bring us to our knees. Burdened by their weight, we can feel lost, abandoned and afraid.

This Season of the Heart can be blinding — what we have known can become obscure. We can even begin to question the reality of God’s presence.

There are seasons in every human life.

To live is to encounter pain, suffering, heartache and loss. The agony of these moments can bring us to our knees. Burdened by their weight, we can feel lost, abandoned and afraid.

This Season of the Heart can be blinding — what we have known can become obscure. We can even begin to question the reality of God’s presence.

Listen to the Word. Open the heart. Be transformed.

Each Friday morning, a virtual community gathers to prayerfully reflect on the Gospel of the coming Sunday.