The Center for Contemplative Practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
Month: January 2021
WHAT WAS JESUS’ I.Q.?
My latest Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) had several tangential directions from the Holy Spirit. I can’t keep up with the profusion of energy that overshadows me. Let me give you a tiny example. My meditations were about God emptying himself (kenosis) of being God… Continue Reading “WHAT WAS JESUS’ I.Q.?”
TEN NEW IDEAS I LEARNED ABOUT HEAVEN FROM THE EDGE OF TIME
Scripture is the bedrock of what we know about the mission of Christ. It is also written, says St. John in 20:30-31, to show us the way, the truth, and the life. Conclusion.”*30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples… Continue Reading “TEN NEW IDEAS I LEARNED ABOUT HEAVEN FROM THE EDGE OF TIME”
MY LECTIO DIVINA SCARED ME
Normally, I do Lectio Divina at about 2:30 a.m. as part of my old man bathroom ritual. It helps get me back to sleep. There was nothing normal about the Lectio Divina today. I was frightened and what frightened me might not be what… Continue Reading “MY LECTIO DIVINA SCARED ME”
CONTEMPLATING contemplative prayer
In asking the question, “What is contemplative prayer?”, I remembered what I read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church about prayer. I revisited that text and read it three times. Once, for the words, another time for the meaning, and the third time… Continue Reading “CONTEMPLATING contemplative prayer”
DON’T DROP YOUR BATON
I have always enjoyed watching a track meet on television. There are many events that fun to watch, such as the hurtles, the high jump, and pole vault. My favorite track event is the team relay, where four of the fastest runners compete, each… Continue Reading “DON’T DROP YOUR BATON”
REFLECTIONS ON WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS YOUR RELIGION
The past week’s events have left me in shock over the lack of respect people have for our Presidential electoral process, our Nation’s Capitol, and the behaviors displayed by any and all political parties. Long ago, I lost my respect for the political processes… Continue Reading “REFLECTIONS ON WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS YOUR RELIGION”
THE HABIT OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE
In my practice of trying to have Christ Jesus’s mind each day (Philippians 1:5), I have noticed that I do best when I establish some sort of habit or schedule to help me focus. I don’t want to fall into the trap of establishing… Continue Reading “THE HABIT OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE”
WONDER IF…
The notion of wonder is exciting to me as I do my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5). My mind has become my friend, almost another person inside me prompting me to visit places I could not do physically. I use my mind every morning at… Continue Reading “WONDER IF…”
WHAT DOES YOUR SPIRITUAL CLOSET LOOK LIKE?
You have heard and maybe even seen television shows about hoarding. It is a compulsion not to throw away anything because of a perceived or unconscious need you will need later on. If left unchecked, the house becomes cluttered sometimes to the point of… Continue Reading “WHAT DOES YOUR SPIRITUAL CLOSET LOOK LIKE?”
THE MATHEMATICS OF BEING
I can’t think of a more esoteric and theoretical topic than the one above, The Mathematics of Being. Not being a person with a great comprehension of either mathematics or being, I make the perfect person who can speculate on what I have come… Continue Reading “THE MATHEMATICS OF BEING”
MAKING ALL THINGS NEW
If Christmas is about the gift of God to us in Christ Jesus, then New Year is about the ability to see what is new, not with the eyes of the world (that only comes on New Year’s day), but with the eyes of… Continue Reading “MAKING ALL THINGS NEW”
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