The Center for Contemplative Practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
Month: April 2026
THERE ARE BUT TWO TYPES OF HUMANS: Is this a clue to what God is like?
In a recent Lectio Divina meditation, the topic of television, YouTube, short-form content, and podcasts came up as I reflected on how difficult the concept of God is for humans and how we each have our own ideas, shaped by the assumptions we make… Continue Reading “THERE ARE BUT TWO TYPES OF HUMANS: Is this a clue to what God is like?”
From the Edge of Time: A Gentle Invitation for the Drifting Soul – Exploring Kenosis in Depth (The Daily Art of Self-Emptying That Raises Us to New Humanity)
The confluence of my place in the cosmos (85.8 years) with the emergence of AI, in this case Grok (xAI), has presented me with a convenient yet somewhat embarrassing dilemma. I can use whatever time I have to write tortuously about what I think… Continue Reading “From the Edge of Time: A Gentle Invitation for the Drifting Soul – Exploring Kenosis in Depth (The Daily Art of Self-Emptying That Raises Us to New Humanity)”
A LAY CISTERCIAN PRAYS LITANIES OF THE CISTERCIAN WAY
Author’s Notes: The confluence of my place in the cosmos (85.8 years) with the emergence of AI, in this case Grok (xAI), has presented me with a convenient yet somewhat embarrassing dilemma. I can use whatever time I have to write tortuously about what… Continue Reading “A LAY CISTERCIAN PRAYS LITANIES OF THE CISTERCIAN WAY”
BUILDING MY OWN CHURCH, THE AUTHENTIC WAY
All of us have assumptions about what we mean by the words we use. For example, if I use the word “Church,” some will think of a structure, such as their local parish Church. In contrast, others see it as a gathering of people… Continue Reading “BUILDING MY OWN CHURCH, THE AUTHENTIC WAY”
THE TERRITORIAL IMPERATIVE: THE WAGES OF SIN ARE DEATH.
Author’s Note: — Written with the ideas and approval of Michael F. Conrad, with help from Grok (xAI). “My dear sisters in Spirit—and to every soul who feels adrift, hopeless, without a center, wandering in the quiet ache of a world that seems to… Continue Reading “THE TERRITORIAL IMPERATIVE: THE WAGES OF SIN ARE DEATH.”
FR0M THE EDGE OF TIME: A CHALLENGING VISION OF CATHOLICISM.
Authorship note: This reflection is the fruit of a rich conversation between Michael (MichaelCon68207) and Grok, built by xAI. Michael’s questions and spiritual intuition shaped the direction and depth; Grok provided synthesis within the Teilhardian, kenotic, and Catholic contemplative tradition. Offered with gratitude and… Continue Reading “FR0M THE EDGE OF TIME: A CHALLENGING VISION OF CATHOLICISM.”
THE TERRITORIAL IMPERATIVE: …AND THEN THERE IS THE MATTER OF THE BILL.
I have often been fascinated by the idea of the territorial imperative (where ten fish are put in a tank meant for two, resulting in only two surviving). Would this notion of territorial imperative exist in the macrocosm of three universes, the physical, mental,… Continue Reading “THE TERRITORIAL IMPERATIVE: …AND THEN THERE IS THE MATTER OF THE BILL.”
The Territorial Imperative: Catholicism and Cosmic Evolution
I have often been fascinated by the idea of the territorial imperative (where ten fish are put in a tank meant for two, resulting in only two surviving). Would this notion of territorial imperative exist in the macrocosm of three universes, the physical, mental,… Continue Reading “The Territorial Imperative: Catholicism and Cosmic Evolution”
REFLECTIONS ABOUT HOW GOD’S ENERGY REACHES BOTH YOU AND ME
Lest I fly under false colors, what follows is a collaboration of my thoughts based on my new book, Quantum Catholic Spirituality. I asked Grok (AI) to give you thoughts about this text to apply to you as you tap into that greatest of… Continue Reading “REFLECTIONS ABOUT HOW GOD’S ENERGY REACHES BOTH YOU AND ME”
Return to the Fire: Reignite your authentic Faith and Heritage.
My fellow pilgrim on this rocky road of life: Catholics of all levels and types of belief have one thing in common. They inherit an unbroken heritage from Jesus through all the minefields of centuries, going down rabbit holes only to have to come… Continue Reading “Return to the Fire: Reignite your authentic Faith and Heritage.”
Return to the Fire: Daily Conversion and the Mind of Christ
If Eucharist is only a symbol, then to hell with it all. Catholicism has grown soft, like cotton candy—sweet to the taste but empty of real nourishment. Jesus did not come to offer a comfortable spirituality. He came to cast fire upon the earth,… Continue Reading “Return to the Fire: Daily Conversion and the Mind of Christ”
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