Episodes
"Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul... It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart."
— Mahatma Gandhi
Where do you find rest when the journey is not yet over? In this contemplative episode, we pray with Luc-Olivier Merson’s Rest on the Flight into Egypt, a powerful image of exhaustion, refuge, and compassion. Through scripture, silence, and guided reflection, we encounter a Christ who knows the road of suffering and meets us there.
Matthew 2:13-15
What gift would you bring if you knelt before Christ?
In this contemplative episode, we pray with Hossein Behzad’s The Birth of Jesus (also known as The Adoration of the Wise Men). This Persian miniature invites an intimate encounter with the Magi and their offerings. Through guided reflection, scripture, and prayer, we consider how our own hearts become the gifts we bring in adoration.
In the Bleak Midwinter -- Carol
Gerard van Honthorst’s Adoration of the Shepherds invites us to see Christ as illumination and guide.
Where in your life do you need light—not to erase the darkness, but to reveal what has been hidden? Gerard van Honthorst’s Adoration of the Shepherds invites us to see Christ as illumination and guide. Through scripture and prayer, we learn to trust the light that gently shows us the way forward.
Luke 2:15-18
The Adoration of the Magi by Artimesia Gentileschi What gift do you bring to Christ today?
Madonna and Child. Reading from Hymn XV by Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh. Image Marianne Stokes (1908).
60 Seconds with the Nativity by Joseph Mulamba-Mandangi Come and adore.
Madonna and Child. Reading from Hymn X1 by Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh.
What if an image could draw you into God’s tenderness? Explore Marianne Stokes’ Madonna and Child with guided contemplative prayer. Includes a rich conversation with art historian Dr. Courtney Tomaselli on the history, symbolism, and devotional power of Mary and Jesus.
Readings from: Hymns X1 and XV of Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh
Spend time in adoration of the Christ-child.
What do you miss when life is busy? Where is God at work that you may not see?
60 Seconds of Prayer with the Visitation when the pregnant Mary visited Elizabeth.
Image: © He Qi All rights Reserved, heqiart.com, Used by permission.
A short reflection on shelter. Are you seeking shelter, or being asked to offer it?
A prayerful meditation on Seeking Shelter invites us into the Holy Family’s struggle for safety and the God who meets us in every moment of need. Through contemplation, we discover how Christ enters our own places of hardship, offering peace and calling us to hospitality.
Luke 2:4-7
A meditative moment where we consider God’s call upon our lives.
What would you say if God invited you to bring Christ into the world? Da Vinci’s Annunciation holds a quiet, deliberative moment—Mary listening, Gabriel waiting—inviting us into the same attention. A brief guided pause for Advent: breathe, listen, and consider how you are being asked to bear Christ into the world.
Luke 1:26-33
What gifts do you bring to God’s call, and how might you respond to God’s leading in your life today? Gentileschi’s Adoration of the Magi invites viewers to enter the biblical story of seeking and honoring Christ with gifts of reverence and love. The painting calls attention to God’s guidance and the unique gifts each person brings in response.
Matthew 2:1, 10-12
What is God inviting you to see or hear in this moment of sacred stillness? This intimate Nativity by Joseph Mulamba-Mandangi invites viewers to kneel in worship alongside Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, entering the quiet holiness of Christ’s birth. The painting and scripture together call us to see, know, and hear God’s presence in our lives.
Luke 2:6-7
The shepherds’ journey to witness Christ’s birth invites us to come and see God’s presence in our lives today. Through scripture and art, we explore what it means to adore and be with the vulnerable Christ. How might you recognize and respond to God’s invitation to “come and see” in your own spiritual journey?
Luke 2:8-20
Contemplative prayer calls for stillness amid life’s busyness, inviting a deeper awareness of God’s presence. Through scripture and a village scene painting, participants reflect on recognizing Christ in ordinary moments. How might you find space for quiet attentiveness to God amid your daily distractions?
Luke 2:1-5
Hospitality opens the heart to God and neighbor, transforming relationships through attentiveness and love. Mary and Elizabeth’s visitation models a sacred exchange of support and grace. How can you embody true hospitality by listening deeply and welcoming others with an open heart?
Luke 1:39-56
— Mahatma Gandhi