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.
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
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
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
This is the final meditation, but hopefully, not the last of the meditations on various aspects of my Lectio Divina with Christ through the Holy Spirit. I don’t offer anything other than sharing what I myself received. What
This is the fourth in the series about the Anawim of God, all of us. Relax and listen to ideas about what is authentic about being human and where we get the energy to combat the demonic forces
When thinking about God, the big mistake humans make is to think of him as being made in their image and likeness. To see Jesus, or to refer nothing to the love of Christ, is only possible because
In this second meditation for your listening with the “ear of your heart,” take some time and rest your spiritual self, that place of refuge where each of us goes to recharge our batteries. This is a collaboration
My dear friends, we have come to the quiet threshold. Listen to these words, “With the ear of your heart.” The rain has done its gentle work. The air is fresh with ozone. These meditations reflect not
Jesus beckons me to sit next to Him and just enjoy being in one another’s company, as happens when love moves beyond doing and becomes content with just being. Contemplative Cistercian practices, as I know them, teach me
I decided to write out this Rosary, even though it might be tedious to read, to provide you with the traditional Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary (in bold), along with my commentary on how I use this unique
As I grow older, the more I think about my next level of evolution for humanity, one that involves a life after death, not an end, but a transformation. My Catholic spirituality has me focusing not on who
Each moment, I must consciously place myself in the presence of Jesus through Cistercian practices and charism. Most often, I fail, but I rise up only to try again and again. That process is mine. The energy I
Each moment, I must consciously place myself in the presence of Jesus through Cistercian practices and charism. Most often, I fail, but I rise up only to try again and again. That process is mine. The energy I
Sometimes, I confess, I hate this about other humans. Notice, I did not say that I hate people. The behavior of each one of us comes from the assumptions and priorities we assume as meaningful. I doubt that
Sometimes, I confess, I hate this about other humans. Notice, I did not say that I hate people. The behavior of each one of us comes from the assumptions and priorities we assume as meaningful. I doubt that
Brother Michael Lauteri, O.C.S.O., our Junior Lay Cistercian Moderator at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery (Trappist), taught us many valuable lessons about the contemplative way of life. In particular, I recall him saying, ‘Pray as you
Brother Michael Lauteri, O.C.S.O., our Junior Lay Cistercian Moderator at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery (Trappist), taught us many valuable lessons about the contemplative way of life. In particular, I recall him saying, ‘Pray as you
Some time ago (I used to remember when), I struck up a conversation with a young lady while getting a Starbucks Grande. I asked her what her religion was, because she had on a Notre Dame jacket. She
Some time ago (I used to remember when), I struck up a conversation with a young lady while getting a Starbucks Grande. I asked her what her religion was, because she had on a Notre Dame jacket. She
The Catholic Church is not for everyone. Here are some reasons you don’t want to become a Catholic. Find another system of belief. The Catholic Church asks you to abandon all for Christ. uiodg Share this article X
The Catholic Church is not for everyone. Here are some reasons you don’t want to become a Catholic. Find another system of belief. The Catholic Church asks you to abandon all for Christ. uiodg Share this article X
The language of God is silence; the language of contemplative practice (Trappist) is silence, solitude, work, prayer, and community. My energy for the silence I need to wait for God to respond comes from God. I must learn
The language of God is silence; the language of contemplative practice (Trappist) is silence, solitude, work, prayer, and community. My energy for the silence I need to wait for God to respond comes from God. I must learn
My Catholic Faith is a way of life that stresses my constant need to be vigilant in the face of the false promises of fulfillment. From the time of my Baptism (September 29, 1940) at the Old Cathedral
A “Catholic” way to look at reality is the template Jesus left those of us between the Ascension (Pentecost) up to, and including me and you as individuals. I am flabbergasted to think that all of this creation,
The map above is the unattributed view of the makeup of all reality by Teilhard de Chardin. His overview is paramount in any discussion of contemplative practices. By beginning with his meta overview of reality and how contemlative
I admit it. I am a reformed Catholic of the Roman Rite who, over ten years ago, wanted to grow deeper in my spirituality, inherited and, I might add, taken for granted for most of my lifetime. It’s
Everything is in motion. Look around you. Use your Catholic Common Sense to see what it is and realize that humanity grows each moment towards something. I don’t mean in a straight line, but more as the fulfillment
I have morphed my approach to Lectio Divina over the years, growing deeper without noticing it. For example, the typical states of Lection I learned as a novice Lay Cistercian (and believe me I am still a Novice
I have often read the phrase, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” In my twenties, full of vim, vigor, and myself, I read and promptly sloughed off this passage from John 14 as “read and
If Lectio Divina is the Lay Cistercian practice I use to place myself in the presence of Christ, then invoke the Holy Spirit to flood me with God’s energy, as I can assimilate it (capacitas dei), then the
Sometimes, I forget what my Lectio Divina thoughts presented to me, only to be dumbfounded that they seem to “pop up” later in the most unauspicious times and places. I might be in the bathroom and I get
I remember watching the movie, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and listening to Tim Curry sing the song “Anticipation.” God gives me crazy thoughts from the most unlikely places. In this case, I was mesmerized by how Tim Curry
I asked the question from the Holy Spirit, “What type of Catholic am I, now that I have a template against which I measure myself?” This is the answer I received. I share it with you with the
Contemplation, or what I know of it so far, is going to that one place inside you where no one wants to go, a place where you are vulnerable and frightened of what you might find, but one
Growing old has its own set of peculiarities that seem to infiltrate my Lay Cistercian Way. Here are some observations from an old, temple of the Holy Spirit. Share this article X Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Mastodon
If you have Faith, do you need proof? There are two different kinds of proofs: one to measure the visible universe primarily and emotions and the human condition, as a backup; then there is a proof that is
Here are some ideas from a broken-down, old Lay Cistercian. uiodg The following is found in what I wrote on Quora.com. Be careful, it is the Mirror of Arisad of the Internet. What is meant by the eternal
Here are some fragmented thoughts about Mary that I would like to share. 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
On my way to achieving Lectio Divina, I begin with Philippians 2:5 (Have in you the mind of Christ Jesus.) Then, I go to meditation. I have to have templates to help me focus on The Christ Principle
Today’s Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) was about the Devil (it seems the Holy Spirit is on a series of ideas about the Devil). Here are some fragments left over in baskets from my Lectio Divina on Satan. Anarchy,
These ideas are unrelated thoughts I find interesting. Share this article X Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Mastodon Like 0
When I apply my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5), then sit back and wait, here is what I received. You judge its value for you. That was a big basket. Share this article X Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email
Being nearly 82 years of age, the one thought that keeps popping up in my Lectio Divina meditations is unlikely. If I die, where will I go? What will it be like? If my focus is to be
If you have been following my meanderings, I write around a core of The Divine Equation in my Lectio Divina meditations on The Christ Principle. Mainly, I just listen to what is said and try to keep my
The Feeding of the Four Thousand.* 1In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat,a he summoned the disciples and said, 2“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been
Use these visuals to focus on Christ. With all the blather around issues in the Church, one good way to lose your Faith is to lose your focus on Christ. St. Benedict says, “…prefer nothing to the love
I share with you some of the photos I use in my Lectio Divina and other PowerPoint learning events. They make good screensavers. WHAT DO YOU SEE? WHAT DO YOU SEE? Above are the new skins for the
In my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) today, I thought about how powerful energy must be to create what we know as the known universe (multiple universes is another discussion). These are just the thoughts of a broken-down, old
Humans interact with our outside environment by using our five senses and reason to form thought processes that mean something. Language is such a set of signals that we identify to form ways to communicate with each other.
I must make a disclaimer for this blog. Usually, my interactions with the Holy Spirit have some connection with a life experience or something I read somewhere and maybe forgot. These ideas are entirely outside what I can
This title does not refer to how many words you can read in sixty seconds, but how many ideas I can put together, linking one to another in rapid branching. No commentary. No opinions on my part. I
What follows is a cryptic outline of the blogs I will narrate for YouTube. Contemplate practice is just that, the repetition of going into your inner room, locking the door, and waiting. OUTLINE OF THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE
One of the first things monks and nuns, particularly those cloistered, do is to learn custody of the eyes. Here are some readings for you that I, myself, did, and which I share with you. During this time
After trying to live a habit of Lectio Divina for many years, the steps of Guibo II (oratio, meditatio, oratio, and comtemplatio) become like blinking (an autonomic response we do but don’t think about doing it). So does
If would be nice, if you want to talk to the Holy Spirit all that you need to do is make a phone call or Email. For humans, that would be nice, but the Holy Spirit is not
These days, it is successful in waking up and say Praise 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
When it comes to living out what it means to be human, each of us must face the consequences of being bored with life, with spouse and family, with the job, with the church, with trying to find
I can explain to you what I know about contemplative practice that comes from the Cistercian spirituality of the monks and nuns from the year c.1090 AD in ninety seconds. However, it takes more than a lifetime to
One of those lessons I have had to learn over and over is struggling against my human nature (the world) when I attempt to attain mastery over my struggles to be an adopted son of the Father. I
Maybe you do not, but I keep wondering why I have to continue my practice and practice of trying to love God each day with all my heart, with all my strength, and with all my mind, plus
One of the concepts that help me to grow in the capacity of Christ in my heart is that of the Church. I use to think of the Church as being a body of rules and prescriptions that
Everyone has a center of their life. It is that one principle, that one value upon which all others find their support. Granted that your center as a twenty-year-old may not be the one you have when you
Normally, I do Lectio Divina at about 2:30 a.m. as part of my old man bathroom ritual. It helps get me back to sleep. There was nothing normal about the Lectio Divina today. I was frightened and what
In my practice of trying to have Christ Jesus’s mind each day (Philippians 1:5), I have noticed that I do best when I establish some sort of habit or schedule to help me focus. I don’t want to
I can’t believe what Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) has done for me over the past ten years. I have not had a miraculous revelation during anything, nor a flash of lightning (like St. Paul), but, reflecting back on
During my Lectio Divina, I sometimes use enhancements to my lectio, meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio. I don’t know what else to call them. Some people use a mood to create an ambiance that will provide them with the
As you know, if you have tried to focus on the Lectio part of Lectio Divina, thoughts can sometimes come out of left field for a second and then disappear into the blackness. Here are some of my
HOW I DESIGNED A SYSTEM OF SPIRITUALITY TO SUSTAIN MY CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE The following pages are samples of the horarium (hourly agenda) I use to organize my day as a Lay Cistercian. I must tell you that I
One of the greatest lessons I have learned from being a Lay Cistercian is the value of consistency. Doing something over and over might seem boring to some, but to those seeking transformation, it is the practice of
During the Middle Ages, a Carthusian Prior, Guibo II, (died in 1188) and is credited with writing down the four steps of Lectio Divina, It stressed four steps of a ladder to ascend to the ultimate goals of
One of the unique behaviors that come from my practice of Lay Cistercian spirituality is quite unexpected and almost hidden from my consciousness, almost. I am more and more aware of the importance of habii in my prayer
One of the most practical, yet profound, statements about how to practice contemplative spirituality comes from Brother Michael, OCSO, monk of Holy Spirit Monastery, Conyers, Ga., and one of our Junior Lay Cistercian instructors. He made a presentation
The following spiritual practices are those I use in my daily attempt to love God with all my heart. I like them because they allow me to focus on my purpose in life, to have in me the
As an aspiring Lay Cistercian, I would like to share with you some of the practical and real ways in which I pray, using silence, solitude, work, prayer, in the context of community. These reflection are my own
Receive new reflections gently, in your own time.