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A 26-minute audio guided meditation in Mark’s Gospel, in the contemplative Christian tradition.

Mark 1:16-22 (this is a mix of NRSV, TLB, the Message and one or two of my own phrases…which I believe are true to the text!)

“As Jesus was walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew fishing with nets. Fishing was what they did for work.

And Jesus called out to them “Come and follow after me! Come and walk in my way. I will make you into fishers of people.”

Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

A bit further up the beach, Jesus saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in their boat, mending nets.

He immediately called them and they, too, left their father with the hired hands and followed him.

Then they entered Capernaum. When the sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and taught. He didn’t teach like the scribes, quoting and quibbling, but he taught as one who had authority. And they were astounded at his teaching.”

I am often struck by the phrase Jesus saw. He often seems to see very deeply.

I wonder what Jesus perceived when he met Simon, Andrew, James and John at their work on this ordinary day? What did he see that made him call each of them, specifically? How much was he hoping that they would come and follow? Why did they all jump so quickly? Were they fed up with their work and restless for a way out? Were they honoured to have been asked?

There are lots of things we just can’t know. But we know ourselves. And we know how we respond when we encounter Jesus in the text.

I invite you to be very honest with yourself, and curious. Are you engaged by this text, or a bit bored? Does Jesus feel near or distant to you? Is there an invitation for you today? Or only silence? Regardless of your answers, I invite you to lean in, to be curious, to listen and wonder where this story might take you today.

Blessings as you pray 

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

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Meditation and shownotes written and spoken by Lissy Clarke, music by Pete Hatch, editing by Kristy B Lust. Photo by Sylvain Brison on Unsplash. We send our audio through Auphonic which uses AI software to mix the levels. We are otherwise AI-free.