The Center for Contemplative Practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
CATHOLIC INTERNET SITES FOR MOMS AND DADS.
RESOURCES THAT HAVE HELPED ME ON MY LAY CISTERCIAN JOURNEY (SO FAR)
Here are some wonderful, contemplative websites that may help you find some rest for your soul. I admit my bias. http://www.trappist.net
http://www.newadvent.com https://thecenterforcontemplativepractice.org http://www.cistercianfamily.org/
http://scotthahn.com http://www.cistercianpublications.org http://dynamiccatholic.com http://www.centeringprayer.com/cntrgpryr.htm http://www.monk.org https://cistercianpublications.org/Category/CPCT/CistercianTradition
http://www.saintmeinrad.edu http://w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html http://ccc.usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism/files/assets/basichtml/page-I.html#
http://www.catholicapologetics.org/ https://stpaulcenter.com/support-the-center https://www.osv.com/Home.aspx
http://www.osb.org/cist/
http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-weteach/catechesis/catechetical-sunday/word-ofgod/upload/lectio-divina.pdf http://www.ewtn.com/library/mary/bernard2.htm https://www.ecatholic2000.com/index2.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_shhU_H5Z0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sfMYn3YcT8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYE7CC1m_II http://www.ncregister.com/ https://cistercianfamily.org/lay-groups/
https://cuf.org/support-our-work/cuf-chapters/ https://catholicexchange.com/seven-capital-sins http://www.catholicapologetics.org/aff/courses.html http://divineoffice.org
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/ http://www.integratedcatholiclife.org/
YOUTUBE
G.K. Chesterton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE0b4zteOoI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anBuPC6DpvE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE0b4zteOoI
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHaizmIj3ck https://youtube.com/watch?v=K8qqZup3Bg4www.youtube. com/watch?v=NnXlQWmubYw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGGSxxuBtMk
Scott Hahn and Catholic Apologetics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67WmIGLPvEM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67WmIGLPvEM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67WmIGLPvEM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uL_IAJWvX0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn1tWuIoZsg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faIB-sOBDKk
Bishop Robert Barron
https://www.youtube.com/user/wordonfirevideo/videos
How blessed I am to have been directed by the Holy Spirit to access Bishop Barron’s website. I stumbled across it while surfing the Internet, which shows how the Holy Spirit can lead a bumbling, old, broken-down Lay Cistercian to what he is incapable of finding on his own. Thanks, Holy Spirit. You have my back.
THE LAY CISTERCIAN LECTIO DIVINA SERIES
If you are interested in purchasing any of the 68 books in this contemplative practices series, they are available online at www.Amazon.com/books/Dr. Michael F. Conrad. (or, The Lay Cistercian Lectio Divina Series)
BLOG: https://thecenterforcontemplativepractice.org
Nota Bene
Several blog resources follow. You will notice some duplication. This discrepancy is not due to my forgetfulness at age 85+ but rather my intention to give you these resources in their entirety.
FIVE CONTEMPLATIVE WEBSITES
When I look up something that puzzles me—which is almost 100% of the time—I use these five sites to think about contemplative spirituality. I thought you might like to see what they are and bookmark them for later. I offer these sites to an aspiring Lay Cistercian seeking wisdom and humility. You may notice some duplication of resources due to the multiple blogs I have written.
NUMBER FIVE: CISTERCIAN WEBSITES OF NOTE http://www.osbthese/websitesou will find many hours of enjoyment clicking on and reading the various sites that pertain to Cistercians. There are two branches of the Cistercian observance, Regular Observance and the Strict Observance (Trappist) (O.C.S.O.). Of particular interest to me were the sites related to the Lay Cistercians and those highlighting the movement’s early history.
NUMBER FOUR: LAY CISTERCIAN WEBSITES OF NOTE TO MOVE FROM SELF TO GOD
http://www.citeaux.net/wri-av/laics_cisterciens-eng.htm http://www.trappist.net/about/lay-cistercians http://www.carlmccolman.net/category/laycistercians/ Read this website. Carl is a Lay Cistercian at Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers, Georgia, and I aspire to become one there as well. It is my favorite website of an individual practitioner of Cistercian piety.
NUMBER THREE: RESEARCH SITES TO GROW DEEPER INTO CHRIST JESUS http://newadvent.org If there is one source I use more than others, it is New Advent. It contains the Catholic Encyclopedia, Summa Theologica, the Bible, Early primary sources from the Fathers of the Church, and other excellent links. Don’t miss this one. I recommend signing up for their newsletters. You can sign up for their daily news posts and access www.ecatholic2000.com for an extensive library of topics on all things Catholic.
NUMBER TWO: TEACHINGS OF THE MAGISTERIUM (Vatican)
http://w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html This is a site on which I have spent many happy hours researching the actual teachings of the Church, rather than what people claim we teach but don’t. All of these encyclicals make for good spiritual reading at a level deeper than is possible by just hearing the Word (although hearing the Word is part of it).
NUMBER ONE: MY WEBSITE
https://thecenterforcontemplativepractice.org
This blog is my own website. I put it first because I use it the most, not because I think it is the best. It is the result of my daily Lectio Divina and an attempt to share some practical ways to practice contemplative spirituality, emphasizing the Cistercian heritage as I know it. I have tried to give you a variety of websites that I use to grow from self to God. They have all helped me see who I am in my relationship with Jesus (He must increase; I must decrease).
YOU MUST SEE THIS WEBSITE
Posted on October 24, 2020, by
thecenterforcontemplativepractice
I share my joy with you about a website that I discovered, created by Father Luke Dysinger, O.S.B., featuring rich contemporary subjects and primary sources from patristic and other sources. You can read the actual texts of the ecumenical councils, plus other great writers. Father Luke teaches an online bioethics course. Here is his shortened bio copied directly from his website.
FATHER LUKE’S BIO:
“Fr. Luke Dysinger has been a member of the Benedictine monastic community at Saint Andrew’s Abbey, Valyermo, California, since May 1980. He has served as novice master, junior master, and prior; he is presently librarian and second cantor. He teaches patristics, the history of Christian spirituality, bioethics, and human sexuality at Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California, where he is a full professor and chair of the Department of Moral Theology. He teaches monastic formation and monastic spirituality at the School of Theology of Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota.
Before joining the monastery, he trained as a physician, graduating from the University of Southern California School of Medicine in 1978 and completing his family practice residency in 1981. He serves as chair of the bioethics committee at the Antelope Valley Hospital Medical Center in Lancaster, California, where he is a member of the medical staff. He consults as a contract bioethicist at St. Francis Medical Center, Lynnwood. He studied theology at Oxford, completing his ordination studies in 1985 and his D.Phil. in patristics in 2000. He has published a translation of the Rule of Benedict and articles on Evagrius Ponticus, lectio divina, and other subjects in monastic spirituality and bioethics. His book, Prayer and Psalmody in the Writings of Evagrius Ponticus, is available from Oxford University Press.”
FATHER LUKE’S COURSE ON BIOETHICS
http://www.ldysinger.com/ThM_590_Intro-Bioeth/webcourse/00a_start.htm
READINGS AND AUDIO LECTURES FROM ST. JOHN’S SEMINARY
PRIMARY SOURCES
http://www.ldysinger.com/@texts/00a_start.htm
This site is the resource for which I have been anxiously awaiting. I discovered a treasure trove of courses and great primary texts from saints to heretics, from Christ to Mohammed, in the original texts (in English).
THE TOP WEBSITES I USE DAILY TO MOVE FROM SELF TO GOD. I use the Internet a lot these days. It beats sitting in my chair and watching the plastic flowers grow. Granted, there is a lot of blather in it, like sifting through the garbage, but there are some gems I use almost every week as I seek God daily through silence and solitude. In no particular order, here are the sites that have helped me move a tiny bit from self to God.
- WORD ON FIRE —www.wordonfire.org This is the site that features Bishop Robert Barron and his ministry. I love this site because you can sign up for his daily meditations on the Eucharist, plus a Sunday commentary. If you are so inclined, you can sign up for his Word on Fire Institute. I highly recommend this, and I use it nearly every day. You can for it to YouTube.com and type in Bishop Barron to see some of his videos. We are all blessed because of Bishop Barron and his team of evangelists.
- DR. SCOTT HAHN — http://www.scotthahn.com Here is another magnificent site that oozes with the Holy Spirit. When you access his website, check out some of his video sessions. Anything on YouTube that comes from the St. Paul Center is worth your time and spiritual energy. You can also access YouTube to find more of Dr. Scott Hahn’s videos.
- NEW ADVENT — https://www.newadvent.org/ I use this site to look up resources, such as The Catholic Encyclopedia, Fathers of the Church, the Bible, Summa Theologica, and my personal favorite. This up-to-date newsletter is loaded with commentary and links to other significant events of the day. It is yours for free. Take a moment to sign up.
- TRAPPIST BROTHERS AND SISTERS —https://www.trappists.org/history-of-the-trappists/notable-monks-nuns/ I use this site for all things Trappist, one of two branches of the Cistercian Order, the other being Regular Cistercians. It has my highest recommendation because I use it to stay up to date on the latest news and developments in the Trappists.
- A LAY CISTERCIAN LOOKS AT REALITY https://thecenterforcontemplativepractice.org This site is one I created to reflect on the reality of each day using Cistercian, specifically Trappist practices and charisms.
- OUR LADY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT MONASTERY (Trappist) — www.trappist.net is my spiritual Cistercian home, one that accepted me as a professed Lay Cistercian (lifetime promises of stability and conversion of life). THE DIVINE OFFICE
http://www.divineoffice.org If you wish to join others in reciting the Liturgy of the Hours daily, this is the online site I use. I use this site daily. It also has a link to my blog.
- USCCB- http://www.usccb.org is the website for the Bishops of the United States. I use this to look up scriptural quotes and the latest developments that affect our Faith in this country.
- www.iamacatholic.com
- AUGUSTINE INSTITUTE
https://www.augustineinstitute.org/ is a dedicated site for things about the Roman Catholic experience of Christ Jesus.
- THE VATICAN NEWS
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2020-05/church-recognizes-miracle-attributed-to-ven-michael-mcgivney.html This is a site to read about news from the Holy Father and the Vatican. Highly recommended.
- https://iamjesus.net/our-lady-of-akita-asks-u:s-to-pray-the-penitential-rosary/ This is the website, a new one that I find compelling, and my new core to be a penitential Lay Cisterian.
DISCLAIMER The ideas and meditations in any books or blogs shared by The Center for Contemplative Practice do not represent the official, authoritative teaching of the Roman Catholic Church or any Cistercian Monastery or Lay Cistercian group. I am probably guilty of the “heresy of the average Catholic.” These ideas are the result of the author’s Lectio Divina spiritual meditations and reflect only his interpretation of Catholic spiritual thoughts through contemplation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael F. Conrad, B.S., M.R.E., Ed.D., is retired from a life of trying to make money, seek fame and recognition by theWorldd, all without much success. By theWorld’ss standards, he has been a failure. Even at 85, coming to his senses, he now struggles to have the mind of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5) Still running the race and searching for the prize, he has had a lifetime of activities to help him in his quest: he is proud to have been a U.S. Army Chaplain, pastor of parish ministry, adjunct instructor of Adult Education at Indiana University (Bloomington) and University of South Florida (Tampa) and Barry University (Florida), high school instructor of religion, trainer of managers and supervisors, adjunct trainer for the Florida Certified Public Manager program, instructional designer for the State of Florida, former Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator, and currently a publisher, blogger, and author, He is a Professed Lay Cistercian member of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery, Conyers, Georgia, a proud father, and a humbled husband.
My ending is always the same as my beginning. Praise be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever. The God who is, who was, and who is to come at the end of the ages. Amen. –Cistercian doxology
What follows is a poem about my life. It is, as yet, unfinished, as is my life, but the elements are all present.
The Poem of My Life
I sing the song of life and Love…
…sometimes flat and out of tune
…sometimes eloquent and full of passion
…sometimes forgetting notes and melody
…sometimes quaint and intimate
…often forgetful and negligent
…often in tune with the very core of my being
…often with the breath of those who would pull me down, shouting right in my face
…often with the breath of life, uplifting me to heights never before dreamed of
… enormously grateful for the gift of humility and obedience to The One
… immensely thankful and humbled by the adoption as a son of the Father, the discovery of new life in pure energy
…greatly appreciative for sharing the meaning with others of The Master
…greatly sensitive to not judging the motives of anyone but me
…happy to be accepted as an aspiring Lay Cistercian, happy to spend time in Eucharistic Adoration
…happy and humbled to be an adopted son of the Father
…happy for communities of Faith and love with my wife,
daughter, friends
…mindful that the passage of time increases each year, mindful of the significant distractions of cancer and cardiac arrest
…mindful of my Center and the perspective that I am theed, moreover, whom must love whok with all the energy of my heart and strength, yet always falling a little short
…mindful of the energy I receive from The One in Whom I fforeverpose and meaning in the Mystery of Faith Forever.
To The One Who is, Who was, and Who is to come at the end of the ages, be Glory, honor, power, and blessings through The Redeemer Son, in Unity with the Advocate, the Spirit of Love.
From The One who is, Who was, and Who is to come at the end of the ages, I seek hope that His words about the purpose of life are valid, that He is the Way that leads to life forever.
With The One who is, Who was, and Who is to come at the end of the ages, I seek the fierce Lovthe e so I can havthe e in me the mind of Christ Jesus, my purpose in life, and my center Forever. “That in all things, may God be glorified.” –St. Benedict
The PRAYER OF SAINT CHARLES blends my dual citizenship of Earth (St. Paul terms it theWorldd) and the Spirit in a way that makes sense to me. Galatians 5. The move from the realm of humanity that is just physical and mental, to that of physical, mental, and spiritual, takes continuous abandonment of false self to true self, and a consistent conversion of life each day to have in me the mind of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5-12). I take comfort from the ideas and prayers of Saint Charles de Foucauld on the importance of abandonment in My Lay Cistercian Way.
“Father, I abandon myself into your hands;
do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me,
and in all your creatures –
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul:
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father.”
–St. Charles de Foucauld