Guigo II | Season 4 Wrap-Up of “Turning to the Mystics”
In Season 4 of Turning to the Mystics, James Finley and Kirsten Oates introduce listeners to Carthusian monk Guigo II, discovering the roots of contemplative practice with Guigo’s work on The Ladder of Monks.
Throughout this season, listeners will work with the text and explore the foundations of contemplation practice.
“That what is essential never imposes itself. And love is what is essential.”
—James Finley, Turning to the Mystics, Season 4
Highlights from “Turning to the Mystics” Season 4
This season, James Finely explores the building blocks of contemplative practice based on the medieval mystic Guigo II’s ladder to consciousness and bliss.
We invite to you listen to each episode in Season 4, discovering how to live fully into the divine gift of life:
- Turning to Guigo II — Unpack the roots of contemplative practice with Guigo’s work on The Ladder of Monks.
- Guigo II, Session 1: What is Lectio, Meditation, and Prayer? — This is the first session that focuses on the mystic, Guigo II.
- Guigo II: Dialogue 1 — James and Kirsten discuss Session 1, which covered The Ladder of Monks.
- Guigo II: Session 2 — Explore a passage from The Ladder of Monks and reflect on the qualitative essence of the text.
- Dialogue 2: What Is Mystical Contemplation? — This is the second dialogue that focuses on the mystic, Guigo II.
- Guigo II: Session 3 — Practice Lectio Divina and a meditative experience.
- Dialogue 3: Mystical Consciousness, The Path of Consistency — Our hosts go deeper into The Ladder of Monks.
- A Coaching Session on Lectio — On this special episode, James coaches Kirsten in implementing a Lectio Divina practice.
- Bonus: Childlike Acceptance (An Advent Reflection) — This bonus episode on Advent was recorded with a live virtual audience.
- Guigo II: Listener Questions — James answers questions on Guigo II, The Ladder of Monks, and how that informs spiritual practice.
Transcripts are available for each episode.
“Sometimes we fall off the ladder because we skip the first rung. We start to talk before we listen.”
—James Finley, Turning to the Mystics, Season 4
Discover Lectio Divina Anew
Lectio Divina is a contemplative way of reading and relating to Scripture and other sacred writings.
In The Ladder of Monks, Guigo II names the four steps of this foundational contemplative practice: “One day when I was busy working with my hands I began to think about our spiritual work, and all at once four stages in spiritual exercise came into my mind: reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation. These make a ladder for monks by which they are lifted up from earth to heaven. It has few rungs, yet its length is immense and wonderful, for its lower end rests upon the earth, but its top pierces the clouds and touches heavenly secrets.”
On this season of Turning to the Mystics,James Finley describes the intention to be present to God that underlies all Lectio Divina practice. “We sit in prayer, renewing our faith that we’re sitting there in God’s presence all about us and within us, closer to us than we are to ourselves. And we’ve come here with no other intention, but a kind rendezvous with God, as a way to turn to God to help us to deepen our experience of God’s presence in our life. That’s why we’re there. It’s a moment of intimacy, of devotional sincerity, of deepening this union with God in prayer.”
Each of our session episodes in Season 4 of Turning to the Mystics will provide you with an opportunity to practice Lectio Divina! We hope you’ll tune in.
On every season of Turning to the Mystics, we embark on in-depth explorations of the teachings of one unique mystic, and new episodes are coming soon!
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