The Center for contemplative practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
Month: July 2019
USING SCRIPTURE AS A TOOL FOR PRIDE
I keep bumping into them everywhere I go. You know the kind, the self-righteous, pompas, know-it-alls who have recently found Jesus in their hearts and want to spread their particular interpretation of who Jesus is to everyone who will listen. All religions have them.… Continue Reading “USING SCRIPTURE AS A TOOL FOR PRIDE”
HERITAGE LOST
There are not many topics that I try to avoid as much as the one of “Why Has My Family Abandoned their Catholic Heritage,” passed on from grandparents, parents and beyond that, all the way back to the time of the Apostles. What I… Continue Reading “HERITAGE LOST”
MERCY AND CONTEMPLATION
This seems to me to be an odd topic for my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5), but here it is. In thinking about having in me the mind of Christ Jesus, my mind wandered into the aspect of Mercy, so important to the mission of… Continue Reading “MERCY AND CONTEMPLATION”
10 THING YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT CHRIST
Christ was not assumed into Heaven like Mary, He ascended into Heaven by the power of God. When Christ was on Earth as a son of Man, simultaneously, He is God. Only Jesus Christ had two natures, divine and human. Mary, his mother, overshadowed… Continue Reading “10 THING YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT CHRIST”
LISTEN WITH THE EAR OF THE HEART
There is nothing more difficult for a human being than to listen to God with the ear of the heart. That God would even consider speaking to me in the silence of my heart is, in itself, astounding. What I try to do as… Continue Reading “LISTEN WITH THE EAR OF THE HEART”
7 Pillars of Cistercian Spirituality
I came across this article from New Clairvaux Monastery (Vino, California) and thought you would be interested. https://www.newclairvaux.org/7-pillars-trappist-cistercian-spirituality 7 PILLARS OF CISTERCIAN SPIRITUALITY 7 Pillars of Trappist-Cistercian Spirituality Clearly, all Christians are one in the Love of Jesus Christ and a full-on life… Continue Reading “7 Pillars of Cistercian Spirituality”
THE SIXTY SECOND CATHOLIC- Don’t forget!
I share with you one of my Lectio Divina meditations (Philippians 2:5). Praise be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and forever. The God who is, who was, and who is to come at the end… Continue Reading “THE SIXTY SECOND CATHOLIC- Don’t forget!”
WHAT IS GREATER THAN FAITH?
If you are a person who places their whole Faith in Faith, you will not want to read the rest of this. Like everything is the spiritual universe, nothing is what it seems. Not only is everything a sign of contradiction, but much of… Continue Reading “WHAT IS GREATER THAN FAITH?”
10 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
Despite the bad press about Mary and her being divine and the object of a cult, she is the mother of Jesus, the Son of the Living God. Of course, none of this makes any sense using the assumptions of the World. It is… Continue Reading “10 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT MARY, MOTHER OF GOD”
WHO DOES GOD THINK HE IS, ANYWAY? God?
Several months ago, a group of us in Tallahassee, Florida met to talk about forming a discernment group to see if anyone is interested in forming a Lay Cistercian prayer group. After our initial prayer to ask the Holy Spirit to be with us… Continue Reading “WHO DOES GOD THINK HE IS, ANYWAY? God?”
WHO ROWS YOUR BOAT?
What follows is an exerpt from my book, Who Rows Your Boat: How you can be happier than you can possibly imagine. Use these thoughts to expand your horizon. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=books+dr.+michael+f.+conrad Who Rows Your Boat? Who Rows Your Boat? If your life is a boat,… Continue Reading “WHO ROWS YOUR BOAT?”
The Center for contemplative practice 