The Center for contemplative practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
Month: June 2019
The Passive Man
There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile,He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile;He bought a crooked cat which caught a crooked mouse,And they all lived together in a little crooked house. –Mother Goose There was a passive man,… Continue Reading “The Passive Man”
PRAYING WITH PERSONALITIES
One of the ideas that rolled around in my head (there is lots of room to roll around) is the notion of personalities and prayer. I am part of several prayer groups, some of which pray the Liturgy of the Hours. Whenever there are… Continue Reading “PRAYING WITH PERSONALITIES”
TWEEKING MY LAY CISTERCIAN PRAYERS
Praying, for me, is not the same as when I began my Lay Cistercian odyssey seven years ago. I considered myself somewhat religious, but I could never have imagined I would be where I am today in my prayer life. Some of the prayer… Continue Reading “TWEEKING MY LAY CISTERCIAN PRAYERS”
GROWING DEEPER IN YOUR FAITH: Five Levels of Spiritual Awareness
I have uncovered five levels of spiritual awareness as I sat, one Sunday morning at Eucharist, thinking about how my attention span waxes and wanes as I listen to the Word. I usually must make an effort to keep my focus on the readings… Continue Reading “GROWING DEEPER IN YOUR FAITH: Five Levels of Spiritual Awareness”
TEN THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT THE POPE
Here are some of my thoughts about the Pope. They are not sensational or even revelational, but reflect my own appreciation for the person selected by the Holy Spirit to lead us in how to love with our whole hearts, our whole minds, and… Continue Reading “TEN THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT THE POPE”
10 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT TEMPTATIONS
Here are ten things I have learned about temptations that you may or may not have known before. Temptations are not sins. They are possible choices presented to you so that you can choose to move forward. Some choices are good for you, while… Continue Reading “10 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT TEMPTATIONS”
THE DEEPEST LEVEL OF BEING CATHOLIC UNIVERSAL
There are two levels of being Catholic Universal: Baptismal and Eucharistic. Baptismal is being accepted by God as an adopted son or daughter. It is the basics of our collective Faith, but it is only the minimum of commitment to Christ, the minimum of… Continue Reading “THE DEEPEST LEVEL OF BEING CATHOLIC UNIVERSAL”
GOD SPEAK
It makes me uncomfortable when I hear someone say that God told them to do say this or that or to do this or that. Because someone uses “God talk,” we quite naturally give them the benefit of the doubt and accept that God… Continue Reading “GOD SPEAK”
FIVE PRACTICES THAT MAKE A LAY CISTERCIAN: WHAT DOES YOUR CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE LOOK LIKE?
HOW I DESIGNED A SYSTEM OF SPIRITUALITY TO SUSTAIN MY CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE The following pages are samples of the horarium (hourly agenda) I use to organize my day as a Lay Cistercian. I must tell you that I am retired and have time to… Continue Reading “FIVE PRACTICES THAT MAKE A LAY CISTERCIAN: WHAT DOES YOUR CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE LOOK LIKE?”
10 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT GOD
What follows are 10 thoughts I have had about God, some controversial, some traditional, all a part of the Mystery of Faith. The difficult part of limiting 10 ideas about God is daunting because I keep wanting to add more. Actually, God is One.… Continue Reading “10 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT GOD”
THE SIGN OF CONTRADICTION
One of the strangest of all the seemingly contradictory phenomena about spirituality, and I use Cistercian Spirituality as I know it, as my frame of reference, is the sign of contradiction. My Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) meditations have been trending toward thinking about a… Continue Reading “THE SIGN OF CONTRADICTION”
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