The Center for Contemplative Practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
Month: July 2026
THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE, LESSON ONE: Listening to Christ “with the ear of the heart.”
One of the greatest blessings of being a Lay Cistercian is learning how to use the techniques of the Benedictine/Trappist/Cistercian traditions to place myself in the presence of Christ and be aware that I am aware of Him by listening to what He tells… Continue Reading “THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE, LESSON ONE: Listening to Christ “with the ear of the heart.””
Unleashing the Holy Spirit – Renewing the Catholic Church in the Modern World Through Subsidiarity, Discernment, and Pioneer Discipleship.
White Paper: Unleashing the Holy Spirit – Renewing the Church for the Modern World Through Subsidiarity, Discernment, and Pioneer Discipleship Date: July 2026 Author: Collaborative Vision for a New Ecumenical Initiative by Michael F. Conrad, Ed.D., with organizational expertise from Grok. Inspired by: Gaudium… Continue Reading “Unleashing the Holy Spirit – Renewing the Catholic Church in the Modern World Through Subsidiarity, Discernment, and Pioneer Discipleship.”
THE CATHOLIC FARMER MOVEMENT.
Lest I be accused of flying under a false flag, I just made up that statement. I think the idea comes from my mental investigations into what I perceive is going on in the world of media and religious relevance around me. I am… Continue Reading “THE CATHOLIC FARMER MOVEMENT.”
FIVE QUALITIES OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE.
If you want to convert yourself daily to be more like Christ and less and less like your false self (The seven Deadly Sins), then you are committed to doing what may seem impossible: to pray without ceasing. Before you go any further, I… Continue Reading “FIVE QUALITIES OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE.”
THE ANAWIM: YOUR CATHOLIC HERITAGE AND MISSION.
The latest fixation of my blogs is to answer the question: “How does an old, housebound, cancer survivor, a 2-time cardiac arrest survivor, satisfy the longing in his heart to be an active Catholic and perform the Corporal Works of Mercy?” I kicked this… Continue Reading “THE ANAWIM: YOUR CATHOLIC HERITAGE AND MISSION.”
A Medal I wear as a Professed Lay Cistercian.
Rather than a superstitious piece of art, this medal is a powerful reminder of St. Benedict’s influence on my worldview and a protector of my Lay Cistercian life. I wear it daily (if I can remember to put it on). Strict Catholics should consider… Continue Reading “A Medal I wear as a Professed Lay Cistercian.”
RETREAT 5: New Wineskins for the Anawim – Carrying the Cross in Your Marriage Struggles.
(Come and Rest / Welcome Home / Self-Directed Retreats) This reflection is the fifth and final one, focusing on Catholics who find themselves outside the boundaries of the Catholic Church. I write this from the perspective of one who has been, until recently, excommunicated… Continue Reading “RETREAT 5: New Wineskins for the Anawim – Carrying the Cross in Your Marriage Struggles.”
RETREAT 3: Seven Habits of Highly Effective Anawim Catholics Who Feel at Odds with the Church.
In this third series, realize, as I had to, that all I needed to do to reach Christ was to go to that quiet place, the one no one wants to enter, the upper room of my inner self, and just sit and wait… Continue Reading “RETREAT 3: Seven Habits of Highly Effective Anawim Catholics Who Feel at Odds with the Church.”
RETREAT 4: You Are Not Separated from Me – Seek Mercy Always.
One of the lessons brought home forcefully to me while I wandered in the desert of my own misconceptions about the Catholic Church was that the Church was to blame for my alienation. After the initial ego wrangling between my false self and my… Continue Reading “RETREAT 4: You Are Not Separated from Me – Seek Mercy Always.”
Five Assumptions About God You Must Remember When You Feel Estranged From the Catholic Church.
I became so angry at the Catholic Church for what I perceived it had done to me by excommunicating me that my anger stewed for many years; then I decided to take instructions to be an Anglican. I completed the entire inquiry class without… Continue Reading “Five Assumptions About God You Must Remember When You Feel Estranged From the Catholic Church.”
Get Angry with God and the Church – But Don’t Leave the Table.
Get Angry with God and the Church – But Don’t Leave the Table This self-directed retreat is for you if you are frustrated with the Catholic Church, as I am, but convinced in the depths of my being that. “To whom else can we… Continue Reading “Get Angry with God and the Church – But Don’t Leave the Table.”
THE LATE AIDAN KAVANAUGH, O.S.B.: Liturgy as life.
I remember sitting in a cold classroom at St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Indiana, around 1964, listening to the late Father Aidan try to come down to our level to explain his magnificent worldview, which included liturgy as dynamic communication with… Continue Reading “THE LATE AIDAN KAVANAUGH, O.S.B.: Liturgy as life.”
The Six Skills Every Catholic Must Cultivate to Combat the Snares of the Devil For Prisoners and Those Bound by Bars (Physical and Spiritual).
In this second installment of the skills needed to combat the tactics of the enemy, and for each blog to follow, one part of the Anawim will be featured as a stand-alone. Grok and I collaborated on this segment of the series. I offer… Continue Reading “The Six Skills Every Catholic Must Cultivate to Combat the Snares of the Devil For Prisoners and Those Bound by Bars (Physical and Spiritual).”
JOIN THE ARAMATHEANS.
I know, it sounds like I just lost the last bit of reason I ever possessed (and you might be correct). This idea came to me at 2:55 a.m. while I was trying to focus on reciting my penitential rosary of Our Lady of… Continue Reading “JOIN THE ARAMATHEANS.”
The Six Skills Every Catholic Must Cultivate to Combat the Snares of the Devil For the Elderly and Housebound Anawim
The Six Skills Every Catholic Must Cultivate to Combat the Snares of the Devil For the Elderly and Housebound Anawim Welcome home. I want to sit with you and share some of my ideas that have helped me to be aware of the snares… Continue Reading “The Six Skills Every Catholic Must Cultivate to Combat the Snares of the Devil For the Elderly and Housebound Anawim”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE CORRUPTION OF EVERYDAY LIVING.
This blog started out as a short one but morphed into something I could not control in length. It is a long one. I recommend that you LISTEN to it in short segments and then meditation in silence and solitude on what is said.… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE CORRUPTION OF EVERYDAY LIVING.”
The Protestant Principle and the Living Christ in the Upper Room: A Reflection for God’s Anawim.
These are my thoughts on the SSPX’s recalcitrance and on using the Protestant Principle to join those who, although sincere, miss the point about the Holy Spirit’s approval of the Holy Father. You either believe it, or you don’t. I want to point out… Continue Reading “The Protestant Principle and the Living Christ in the Upper Room: A Reflection for God’s Anawim.”
Meditation 4: The Sign of Contradiction – Carrying the Cross with the Messiah
Sit back and listen “with the ear of the heart” These meditations provide you with a way to sit on your couch or chair and listen in silence and solitude. Grok and I collaborated on them for your silent reflection. “My dear friend in… Continue Reading “Meditation 4: The Sign of Contradiction – Carrying the Cross with the Messiah”
Meditation 2: The Three Universes and the Gift of Resonance
My dear sister or brother in the Lord, today let us linger longer with the mystery of the three universes the Lay Cistercian describes. This teaching is not abstract philosophy—it is a map for your heart, especially when life feels fragmented. The physical universe:… Continue Reading “Meditation 2: The Three Universes and the Gift of Resonance”
Gentle Daily Meditations: Jesus, Our Messiah – Resonance Incarnate.
These short meditations are written especially for you to listen with “the ear of your heart”, dear elderly friend or shut-in brother or sister in Christ. They draw from the beautiful teaching in the article “Resonance Incarnate: The Messiah” at The Center for Contemplative… Continue Reading “Gentle Daily Meditations: Jesus, Our Messiah – Resonance Incarnate.”
The Fragmenting of Human Speech: The Loss of Truth. (Part 1 of 2)
Freedom of speech is being insidiously diluted by the introduction of false blogs, fake news, and downright and outright lying under the seeming protection that no one has the right to challenge whether the creators are right or not. Gone is the measuring stick… Continue Reading “The Fragmenting of Human Speech: The Loss of Truth. (Part 1 of 2)”
FIVE DIABOLICAL SOCIAL MEDIA SCAMS YOU NEED TO DISCUSS WITH YOUR CHILDREN.
I am appalled by the blatant Lying (lucutio contra mentem) or by falsifying the Truth and telling others what is true when you know it isn’t. This insidious and frequently used method of AI users, who abuse the medium by falsifying, making up stories,… Continue Reading “FIVE DIABOLICAL SOCIAL MEDIA SCAMS YOU NEED TO DISCUSS WITH YOUR CHILDREN.”
Physically Married: Mentally and Spiritually Divorced.
A while back, we Hoosiers like to talk like that, I wrote a book entitled “Physically Married: Mentally and Spiritually Divorced.” I think it is on Amazon.com, but I don’t know if anyone has ever ordered it but me. In this book, I tried… Continue Reading “Physically Married: Mentally and Spiritually Divorced.”
STRICT OBSERVANCE CATHOLICS
Today, there is a thirst to grow more deeply by cultivating the “mind of Christ Jesus” to a level beyond what a traditional parish can offer. What I propose is not meant to replace parish involvement, but rather to foster a deeper observance of… Continue Reading “STRICT OBSERVANCE CATHOLICS”
All That Is Praises the Lord: A Prayer of Honor and Glory from the Anawim
In my view of reality, that of three distinct universes, yet one, everything moves, as Teilhard de Chardin points out, to Omega from Alpha. Being of human nature, I have neither the capability nor the capacity to begin to understand what that means at… Continue Reading “All That Is Praises the Lord: A Prayer of Honor and Glory from the Anawim”