Led by Kerryn Penson

“My Beloved is the mountains,
The solitary wooded valleys…
The tranquil night
At the approaches of the dawn,
The silent music,
The murmuring solitude…”
(John of the Cross, The Spiritual Canticle, XIV–XV)

In these stanzas from the Spiritual Canticle, John of the Cross pours out a litany of wonder. Having searched for the Beloved through the whole of creation, the soul discovers that God is not hidden from the world but present in all its beauty. Begun in a prison cell in Toledo, these lines speak of a love that glimmers in the darkness, and of our own journey of yearning and encounter with God. As John reminds us, “if anyone is seeking God, the Beloved is seeking that person much more” (The Living Flame of Love, 3:28).

This quiet morning offers a gentle space to pray with John’s poem and to notice the silent music of God’s presence in all things. There will be short led sessions and time for quiet reflection and prayer.

Starts at 10am and finishes at 1pm.

Cost: £20

Kerryn is Director of the House of Prayer, where she delights in offering space for people to encounter God in silence and stillness. A trained spiritual director and retreat guide, she holds an MA in Christian Spirituality from St Mary’s University, Twickenham. Her retreats draw on the riches of the contemplative tradition.