Come now, fly for a moment from your affairs, escape for a little while from the tumult of your thoughts. Put aside now your weighty cares and leave your wearisome toils. Abandon yourself for a little to God and rest for a little in God. Enter into the inner chamber of your soul, shut out everything save God and what can be of help in your quest for God and, having locked the door, seek God out.
(A conversation with God, Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, Proslogion: Ch 1).
The parishioners of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart parish are invited to spend time this Lent in deepening their understanding of prayer and strengthening their prayer life.
Many parishioners will remember Fr Michael Fallon msc who spent some years at Kippax sharing his great spirituality and wisdom. He has left some wonderful resources on prayer including his recordings and supporting written materials – see https://mbfallon.com/prayer.html
Fr Michael's books are available for purchase at the SJA Bookshop.
The Lenten retreat online offers six prayer themes for the weeks of Lent 2026. The audio and written files are taken from two different retreats that Fr Michael recorded over the years. Listen, reflect and pray about the particular topic for that week.
The audio can be streamed while checking out the accompanying notes. The audio files are about 30 minutes in length.
The first three themes are based on the writings of St. Teresa of Jesus i.e. St. Teresa of Avila. The last three weeks use the writings of St John of the Cross, explored by Iain Matthew in his book 'The Impact of God: soundings from Saint John of the Cross' (2019). References from Iain Matthew’s book are in red in the notes, quotes from St John of the Cross are in blue.
Wednesday 18 – 24 February: Experiencing love: a sacred encounter
“The contemplation of God’s face is an endless walking towards God … There is only one way to grasp the power that transcends all intelligence: not to stop, but to keep always searching beyond what has already been grasped”. (Gregory of Nyssa in Homily 2 on the Canticle of Canticles, 801).
Notes to accompany audio link:
Perhaps in this first week of Lent, you might like to:
a. meditate and pray on the story of Mary Magadelene (John: 20: 1-18), and/or
b. Psalm 42: 1-8 – “As a doe longs for running streams …”
“When we enter into prayer … we are responding to God’s Word of love and we are not alone. Jesus is with us. He draws us to himself and takes us to the Father: ‘When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself’ (John 12:32).” (Michael Fallon)
Notes to accompany audio link:
During the second week of Lent, you might like to undertake the guided meditation presented in the written and audio materials with some of your favourite gospel stories.
“To turn towards God is already to pray, since prayer – a friendly conversation with God - is nothing else than the movement of grace which we experience as children of God who is our Father” (I want to see God, page 182).
Notes to accompany audio link:
During the third week of Lent, you might like to:
“‘It is good to reflect for a time … but we must sometimes remain by his side with our minds hushed in silence.” (St Teresa of Jesus).
Notes to accompany audio link:
During the third week of Lent, you might like to:
“Faith gives knowledge – the knowledge that can come only through love. Recalling Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman (‘The water that I give you will become for you a spring of
water, welling up to eternal life’, John 4:14).” (Michael Fallon)
Notes to accompany audio link:
During the fifth week of Lent, you might like to spend time meditating on and praying with the gospel stories where Jesus interacts with Peter – see notes that accompany the audio file or alternative reading. Do any of these stories have a particular meaning for your life at this time?
“Any prayer is good so long as it engages with Christ.” Iain Matthew page 145.
Notes to accompany audio link:
During the sixth week of Lent, you might like to take some time to reflect and pray on any point from this reflection that speaks to you where you are at this time in your life. You might also want to go back and review any of the material from previous weeks that challenged you.