The Center for contemplative practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
Month: August 2018
WHAT DO YOU SEE?
CONTMEPLATION: THE DOOR TO ACCESS YOUR INNER SELF: To probe deeper into reality, I am going to ask you to answer three seemingly innocuous questions, all of which are the same but all may be monumentally different, depending on your response. QUESTION ONE: This… Continue Reading “WHAT DO YOU SEE?”
THE TOWER OF BABEL
One of my favorite stories of the Scriptures in the Old Testament is the one about the confusion of tongues and dispersion of one people into many. I thought of this story during one of my Lectio Divina meditations about my one, eight word… Continue Reading “THE TOWER OF BABEL”
CINO
You no doubt have heard of the words RINO, not so? It means Republican in Name Only, a somewhat derogatory terms for someone who votes Republican but doesn’t really believe the conservative principles of the Republican Part (whatever they are, depending on your political… Continue Reading “CINO”
MERCY AND JUSTICE: The perils of judging others.
The news about the new nominee for Supreme Court Justice is percolating just beneath the surface of nightly news. You know it is there. You know that Democrats will be against Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination on principle. Likewise, Republicans will be for it. Never… Continue Reading “MERCY AND JUSTICE: The perils of judging others.”
PROCLAIM THE DEATH OF THE LORD UNTIL HE COMES
In my Lectio Divina (Phil2:5) before Eucharist on Sunday, I thought about how Jesus made Himself present to us becoming human. I thought of how I might make Jesus present today, or in each age until he comes again. Then it hit me. We… Continue Reading “PROCLAIM THE DEATH OF THE LORD UNTIL HE COMES”
BUILDING LAY CISTERCIAN CHARACTER: To hold one’s self aloof from worldly ways.
How do you build character in someone, preferably beginning with me? In one of my Lectio Divina (Phil 2:5) meditations, I thought of the human character of Christ and how he built it. He had to learn it in the same way we do,… Continue Reading “BUILDING LAY CISTERCIAN CHARACTER: To hold one’s self aloof from worldly ways.”
CHAPTER 4: To dash at once against Christ the evil thoughts which arise in one’s heart.
A spiritual colleague of mine told me that he can’t get through saying the Rosary without some kind of distraction. I confessed that this happens to me very often at Eucharist or Liturgy of the Hours. Sometimes I have terrible distractions of a sexual… Continue Reading “CHAPTER 4: To dash at once against Christ the evil thoughts which arise in one’s heart.”
INSTAGRAM FROM THE EDGE OF TIME
THOUGHTS FROM THE EDGE OF TIME: I just viewed a science program that said that the earth will no longer be here in 3 billion of so years. The program said the challenge foo humans is to find a way to go to other… Continue Reading “INSTAGRAM FROM THE EDGE OF TIME”
ANTICIPATING LOVE
CHAPTER 72 Of the good zeal which monks ought to have As there is an evil zeal of bitterness which separates from God and leads to hell, so there is a good zeal which separates from vices and leads to God and life everlasting. … Continue Reading “ANTICIPATING LOVE”
RULE OF ST. BENEDICT: Reflections on Zeal
CHAPTER 72 Of the good zeal which monks ought to have As there is an evil zeal of bitterness which separates from God and leads to hell, so there is a good zeal which separates from vices and leads to God and life everlasting. … Continue Reading “RULE OF ST. BENEDICT: Reflections on Zeal”
RETIREMENT: Preparing to die. Now what?
It may not be the case that, if you retire, you are just waiting to die. My guess is that it is the default position of most people, unless you put something in the void to fill it. The question becomes, with what do… Continue Reading “RETIREMENT: Preparing to die. Now what?”
A GOOD WAY TO START EACH DAY
Christ bid us deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. I have found a good way to have in me the mind of Christ Jesus (Phil 2:5) is to say a morning offering when I first get up and then offer an… Continue Reading “A GOOD WAY TO START EACH DAY”
CHAPTER FOUR:To deny one’s self in order to follow Christ.
CHAPTER IV The Instruments of Good Works (1) In the first place to love the Lord God with the whole heart, the whole soul, the whole strength… (2) Then, one’s neighbor as one’s self (cf Mt 22:37-39; Mk 12:30-31; Lk 10:27). (3) Then, not… Continue Reading “CHAPTER FOUR:To deny one’s self in order to follow Christ.”
FOUR WORDS THAT DESCRIBE THE DEPTH OF YOUR FAITH
I have always been puzzled with the fact that some people cannot “see” when I look at the Blessed Sacrament. I think this is so important because there are levels of faith (God’s gift of His life to us in the spirit of adoption)… Continue Reading “FOUR WORDS THAT DESCRIBE THE DEPTH OF YOUR FAITH”
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