Contemplative Presence

Set aside five to ten quiet minutes. You may sit, stand by a window, or walk slowly. The practice is not about creating a spiritual feeling. It is about becoming more present to the God who is already here.

1. Arrive

   Feel the support beneath you. Notice your breathing. Let your shoulders soften.

   Pray: “Here I am. You are here.”

2. Receive

   Let yourself be loved before you improve, understand, or accomplish anything.

   Breathe in: “Receive love.” Breathe out: “Rest in love.”

3. Notice

   Open your senses. What sounds, sensations, emotions, and needs are present? Notice without judging or fixing.

   Let reality be what it is in the presence of God.

4. Listen

   Bring to mind the person, place, or responsibility before you.

   Ask: “Jesus, what does love invite now?” Wait without forcing an answer.

5. Offer

   Name one small way you can become available: attention, courage, a boundary, repair, generosity, or care.

   Close: “Christ in me, be love through me.”