The Center for contemplative practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
Month: September 2021
LITURGY OF THE HOURS: Levels of Spiritual Awareness
When I recite the Liturgy of the Hours, the prayer of the Church Universal, I have noticed that there is a growth from just “saying the Divine Office” to that of “having the Liturgy of the Hours be the occasion where I stand before… Continue Reading “LITURGY OF THE HOURS: Levels of Spiritual Awareness”
THOUGHTS TO PONDER
Here are some thoughts which I find compelling and merit deeper reflection. A religion that is not made up of sinful people (all of them) is not worth the cost of Christ’s death and resurrection. I find it difficult to explain how a Church… Continue Reading “THOUGHTS TO PONDER”
SPIRITUAL TRAINING AT THE PARACLETE GYM
In one of my Lectio Divina sessions, the Holy Spirit presented me with an image of contemplative practice and my Lay Cistercian daily practices in the form of weight and strength training, much like what professional athletes do. Here are some of the random… Continue Reading “SPIRITUAL TRAINING AT THE PARACLETE GYM”
AUTHORS OF GREAT WISDOM
One of the great delights of my later years has to do with writing down what the Holy Spirit tells me. Again, I don’t speak for the Holy Spirit, but hopefully, the Holy Spirit speaks to me if I am humble enough. So far,… Continue Reading “AUTHORS OF GREAT WISDOM”
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
I am redoing my Lectio Divina on St. Thomas Aquinas based on the input generated during one of my naps (I take two naps a day, one in the morning and one in the middle afternoon). I read Mortimer Adler’s book, How to Read… Continue Reading “ST. THOMAS AQUINAS”
DON’T GET CAUGHT PLAYING THE THREE GOD GAMES
Humans are good at playing games, be it Monopoly, Chess, Basketball pickup, or mind games. There are three mind games that I have identified that are as potentially dangerous to your spiritual well-being as is COVID. It is best not to go there if… Continue Reading “DON’T GET CAUGHT PLAYING THE THREE GOD GAMES”
mis oraciones son tus oraciones
I think I have heard this request a thousand times: “Pray for me.” I ask people to pray for me frequently. What is the meaning behind these words? What are the assumptions that are hidden from others yet are the so-called elephant in the… Continue Reading “mis oraciones son tus oraciones”
SITES TO CHECK OUT
Here are some URLs to check out. I went through the listing of those sites I have saved, ones I want to read again. I share them with you. https://www.virginiatrappists.org/category/abbots-lectio-post/ https://www.giamusic.com/sacred_music/RGP/psalmDisplay.cfm https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12789a.htm https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/ https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/ https://usccb.org https://www.newadvent.org/library/ https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html
DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT
I find that my Lectio Divina meditations tend to group themselves in clusters of topics. My center is always the same: “have in you the mind of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5) This current cluster is about what is important in my spiritual travels each… Continue Reading “DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT”
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