The Center for contemplative practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
Month: April 2020
wHERE ARE THOSE OLD WEDDING PICTURES NOW
When is the last time you looked at your wedding pictures, assuming that you are married? This seemingly innocuous statement contains several layers of complexity that I recently explored as I thought about my Lectio Divina center (Philippians 2:5), “have in you the mind… Continue Reading “wHERE ARE THOSE OLD WEDDING PICTURES NOW”
TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE DEVIL
While taking a break from watching movies in my downtime, due to the pandemic, I found myself looking at the titles of movies. What is astonishing is the sheer number of movies out there about demons, the devil, possession, Dracula (although that is a… Continue Reading “TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE DEVIL”
WHY CHRIST DOESN’T MAKE SENSE
Don’t be fooled by the title. I actually want to talk about the sign of contradiction, God becoming human. When I think about it, one of the reasons God did become one of us, with all our frailties and sinfulness, was to tell and… Continue Reading “WHY CHRIST DOESN’T MAKE SENSE”
WE ARE DEFINED BY OUR CHOICES.
One of the characteristics of being human is the need to belong. Another one seems to be the need to be spiritual, and why we must struggle to be spiritual, and why we, of all living beings, have the ability to reason. From the… Continue Reading “WE ARE DEFINED BY OUR CHOICES.”
I SAW AND HEARD JESUS YESTERDAY
Yesterday, at 10:15, Easter Sunday, reliving the Resurrection of Christ, I actually saw Jesus. Calm down! I am not a spiritual zealot. You can see Jesus, too, if you go to this website and click on the live stream triangle for the 10:15 Mass… Continue Reading “I SAW AND HEARD JESUS YESTERDAY”
AT THE CORE CENTER OF MY LIFE IS NOT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Before you look for the matches to burn me at the stake, think about this. This was one of my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) during Holy Week. Consider that there are two characteristics that separate humans from all other living things; a)the ability to… Continue Reading “AT THE CORE CENTER OF MY LIFE IS NOT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH”
THE RESURRECTION ENIGMA
On a recent television show, I watched as two of the experts gave opinions about Jesus a) not existing at all or, b) being a deluded young man who fantasized about being the Messiah. In traditional arguments of the Historical Jesus group, they said… Continue Reading “THE RESURRECTION ENIGMA”
in THE STILLNESS OF TIME
Sitting before the Blessed Sacrament while thinking about my lectio divina phrase (Philippians 2:5), I realized how much I have changed since I first began this leg of my journey of life, that of a Lay Cistercian. http://www.trappist.net. This was not a mental construct… Continue Reading “in THE STILLNESS OF TIME”
FILLING HOLES, FILLING TIME, FILLING SPACE
As I usually do every morning, I turn on the computer and watch ESPN or one of the variations of Fox Sports. I stay away from major network news, Fox News, etc… because of the hatred, negativity, false or misleading information, and mainly I… Continue Reading “FILLING HOLES, FILLING TIME, FILLING SPACE”
contemplative prayer as you wait out the coronavirus19
Today, my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) was about how fortunate I am to have time to focus on Christ and taking time to meditate on various topics and look up things on the Internet to help me do that. Yes, the coronavirus is bad.… Continue Reading “contemplative prayer as you wait out the coronavirus19”
PROFOUND LISTENING
As I was trying vainly to describe contemplation to prisoners at the Wakulla Correctional Institution (Annex) near Tallahassee, Florida, I happened to use the words “profound listening.” I reflected on these words in light of the admonition of St. Benedict to his monks in… Continue Reading “PROFOUND LISTENING”
POPE FRANCIS ON PRAYER AND FASTING
Pope Francis on Fasting and Prayer Here are some penitential practices for all year long.Pope Francis proposes these 15 simple acts of charity as concrete manifestations of love: SMILE. A Christian is always cheerful Say THANK YOU for little things (even if you don’t… Continue Reading “POPE FRANCIS ON PRAYER AND FASTING”
WONDER IF….
As I sat musing the state of my world with the introduction of the Coronavirus, I kept wondering what would happen if certain scenarios played out. One such outcome is, this virus would mutate, become airborne, and kill millions of people, including myself. Such… Continue Reading “WONDER IF….”
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