The Center for Contemplative Practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
Month: December 2023
WHAT I DO WHEN WHAT I REACH FOR IS BEYOND MY GRASP…AND IT IS OKAY.
All words are symbols our brain translates into something meaningful if we know the language. The meaning of words, their assumptions, and nuances might differ slightly for each individual because of the accumulated experiences each of us brings to our purpose in life. I… Continue Reading “WHAT I DO WHEN WHAT I REACH FOR IS BEYOND MY GRASP…AND IT IS OKAY.”
THE ANNIVERSARY OF MY FINAL PROFESSION AS A LAY CISTERCIAN: FIVE LESSONS THAT SHAPE MY LIFE
As I look back on my life, which is a very long look, I usually reflect on what is good and try to forget all those times (the majority of my life) when I made a fool out of myself or was outright full… Continue Reading “THE ANNIVERSARY OF MY FINAL PROFESSION AS A LAY CISTERCIAN: FIVE LESSONS THAT SHAPE MY LIFE”
LOVE’S GREATEST GIFT
(Sent to Lay Cistercians of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery (Trappist). Conyers, Ga. http://www.trappist.net May the Grace and Peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Our meeting on Tuesday is about our Lay Cistercian theme: Gratitude, but with a… Continue Reading “LOVE’S GREATEST GIFT”
YOUR HERITAGE: CATENA AURIA BY ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
It is not often that I am completely dumbfounded by a discovery I make about the Catholic Church, one that uses Scripture as mentioned by those men and women of the early Church to “come to believe” that the words of Christ are alive… Continue Reading “YOUR HERITAGE: CATENA AURIA BY ST. THOMAS AQUINAS”
TEN THINGS I DON’T CONTROL, so… I DON’T WORRY ABOUT THEM.
Here is a blizzard of confused ideas about what, I have no idea, but they were part of my Lectio Divina. You tell me. When I look out over the YouTube universe, especially those wonderful Walking Korea tours, and see the tragic Philippines slums… Continue Reading “TEN THINGS I DON’T CONTROL, so… I DON’T WORRY ABOUT THEM.”
NEW SKINS FOR NEW WINE: A DEEPER DISCUSSION ABOUT OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE TRUTH–II
This installment is the second in a series about my thoughts on a)objective and subjective truth in the corruption of matter and mind and b)my observations and comments about what is real as it relates to original sin. Here are my thoughts about how… Continue Reading “NEW SKINS FOR NEW WINE: A DEEPER DISCUSSION ABOUT OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE TRUTH–II”
TEN QUESTIONS THAT I HAD TO ANSWER BEFORE I DIED.
Sometimes it is spooky what the Holy Spirit dangles in my consciousness for me to spar with as a cat does with a feather. This blog is about something that I thought of today. It comes about as I reflect on my life, almost… Continue Reading “TEN QUESTIONS THAT I HAD TO ANSWER BEFORE I DIED.”
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