The Center for Contemplative Practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
Month: September 2026
THE PROBLEM WITH INVISIBILITY IS…YOU CAN’T SEE IT.
Often in my Lectio Divina meditations, a quote or saying pops up, like the one in the title: “The problem with invisibility is you can’t see it.” What sounds like innocuous doublespeak was, in fact, a gateway to thinking about one of the core… Continue Reading “THE PROBLEM WITH INVISIBILITY IS…YOU CAN’T SEE IT.”
Pioneering the Catholic Faith: From Settler Comfort to Upper Room Adventure
Come and Rest • Gentle Readings • A Contemplative Retreat Preface and Session One Use this retreat session as your guide. One idea. Then silence. Preface: Two Kinds of Catholics My name is Michael. I am an old Lay Cistercian, housebound now, with more… Continue Reading “Pioneering the Catholic Faith: From Settler Comfort to Upper Room Adventure”
THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE: How to Listen to Christ “with the ear of the heart.”
One of the greatest blessings of being a Lay Cistercian is learning to use the techniques of the Benediction/Trappist/Cistercian traditions to place myself in the presence of Christ and know I am aware of Him by listening to what He tells me. It is… Continue Reading “THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE: How to Listen to Christ “with the ear of the heart.””
Nepsis – The Watchfulness of the Heart
Learning to notice so that Jesus may meet us The Reflection The second great practice the Desert Fathers offer is nepsis—a word that means watchfulness, sobriety of heart, a loving attention that notices what rises within without being swept away. Abba Moses once said,… Continue Reading “Nepsis – The Watchfulness of the Heart”