The Pocket Contemplative

The Pocket Contemplative is a little book designed to fit into the pocket or bag. It can be taken with us into our busy day, so that we don’t miss the many opportunities for prayer that come our way. It offers us inspiration from the writings of the great Christian mystics, past and present. There are thirty different themes, enhanced by photographs, to help the reader find a prayer focus. Each theme includes a thought from Pope Francis and St Mary MacKillop. This book sets out to help all of us nurture a contemplative approach to life, to take up the prayer of the heart. Pope Francis reminds us that ‘We think we have to pray and talk, talk, talk…we must learn to contemplate’.

A lifetime in Christian education and ministry has taught Sue and Leo that nothing is more important than contemplation – a way of being present to the experiences of our lives, and of being open to the mystery of God. To be contemplative is an essential part of our humanity. May this little book help us better understand contemplation as a way of knowing, and in doing so, enable us to befriend the deepest part of ourselves, whilst nourishing the Breath that sustains our spirits.

 No matter what our calling or area of ministry, this book has something for everyone who seeks a sense of the presence of God in life. Whether we work in education, in social justice, in saving the planet, or in domestic pursuits, it is our readiness to search, to cultivate interior space, that helps to keep us focused on our personal search for the divine. In our busy, hurried world, we discover in contemplation the truth of Mary MacKillop’s words, ‘There where you are, you will find God’.

  Jan Barnett rsj