Poems and readings by a master of prayer can lead you to the place within..

‘Thus Wojtyła’s literary writings can be regarded as poetic phenomenology which gives an account of the process and essence of religious experience.” Krzysztof Dybciak’ quotes Sarah Fordham on her blog http://karolwojtylapoetry.blogspot.com/

Yes, Karol Wojtyla (later John Paul II) was a phenomenon in many ways, and looked particularly good in sunglasses.

Just looking at the photos and videos on this blog is a joy, but if you also want to be instantly drawn into prayer, I don’t think you can do better than listen to John Paul II reading so tenderly one of the psalms, in Italian, as you watch a slideshow of photographs from his life. Then encounter his meditative and soulful spirit in his poetry, which is there collected under the themes of art, time, work, and prayer:

‘Hope rises in time
from all places subject to death –
hope is its counterweight …
I wander on the narrow pavement of this earth,
not turning aside from Your countenance
unrevealed to me by the world …
I wrestle with myself,
with so many others I wrestle
for my hope …
And so I am inscribed in You
by hope.’

Taken from Hope reaching beyond the limit

Sarah’s workshop on his poetry, which is being used pastorally in Ireland this Easter, will be aired again tomorrow at 2 to 4pm on February 5th, as part of a creative and meditative day, which begins with Karolina’s workshop on the Sacred Romance at 11am.

Call Karolina on 07508020822 tomorrow morning and someone will pick you up at the station. It’s only 5 mins walk away from the row of cottages.

We hope that the experience of the creative day and of exploring the blog will help to bring you to the Place Within; where the fire of God longs to dwell more powerfully.

‘Forgive my thought, Lord, for not loving enough.
My love is so mind-manacled, forgive that, Lord;
it subtracts you from thought, leaving it as cool as a stream, where you want an embrace of fire’

From Song of the Inexhaustible Sun