The Center for Contemplative Practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
Month: February 2020
MOVING FROM SELF TO GOD
REFLECTIONS OF A SEEKER When reading the book The Cistercian Way, by the late, great Cistercian Abbot, Dom Andre Louf, O.C.S.O., he impressed upon me the need to continuously move from self to God. It is not so much as one action, one time,… Continue Reading “MOVING FROM SELF TO GOD”
CONTEMPLATION: Sharing
THE SIXTY SECOND CATHOLIC: Here are some of my thoughts from a Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) on sharing. I was thinking, as I always do, about “have in you the mind of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5) and h THE SIXTY SECOND CATHOLIC: Here are… Continue Reading “CONTEMPLATION: Sharing”
A SPIRITUAL AUDIT
Everyone during tax season seems to be doing an audit (filing taxes), our parish just concluded an audit of their books and procedures. I wondered what it would look like if I conducted an audit on my spiritual experiences today. It would be a… Continue Reading “A SPIRITUAL AUDIT”
CANTICLE OF PURE ENERGY
What follows is the Canticle of Daniel’s prayer as the three where praising God in the fiery furnace. At 3:50 A.M., this Saturday morning, I awoke suddenly and started my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5). What came out was Daniel’s Canticle, but with a twist.… Continue Reading “CANTICLE OF PURE ENERGY”
CONTEMPLATION: Focus on Christ alone
I must admit to having trouble focusing on Christ, an acquired skill. I can think of Christ for a while, but my spiritual attention span is minutes, if not seconds. What has helped me is my introduction to Cistercian Spirituality, in terms of contemplative… Continue Reading “CONTEMPLATION: Focus on Christ alone”
SLOW DOWN YOUR PRAYER
This past weekend, I attended the annual retreat for Lay Cistercians of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery (Trappist), Conyers, Georgia. It was a three day retreat (from Friday evening through Noon on Sunday). The theme was Praying with Mary, a topic of… Continue Reading “SLOW DOWN YOUR PRAYER”
CRAZY THOUGHTS IN MY LECTIO DIVINA
As you know, if you have tried to focus on the Lectio part of Lectio Divina, thoughts can sometimes come out of left field for a second and then disappear into the blackness. Here are some of my thoughts that I had and cast… Continue Reading “CRAZY THOUGHTS IN MY LECTIO DIVINA”
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