The Center for Contemplative Practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
Category: contemplative prayer
THE MARTYRDOM OF THE ORDINARY: Paco’s Prayer
Francisco Paco Ambrosetti, God rest his soul, is a Lay Cistercian now standing before the Throne of the Lamb and proclaiming the glory of the Father. Here is his prayer. May his soul, and the soul of all Lay Cistercians rest in the peace… Continue Reading “THE MARTYRDOM OF THE ORDINARY: Paco’s Prayer”
THE PHENOMENON OF MAN: Background for The Christ Principle as Intelligent Progression.
If you have not done so, I recommend reading (and reflecting) on the late Teilhard de Chardin’s book, The Phenomenon of Man. I do so because it is at the heart of my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) meditations about The Christ Principle. My thoughts… Continue Reading “THE PHENOMENON OF MAN: Background for The Christ Principle as Intelligent Progression.”
FIVE LIFE-CRITICAL SKILLS MOMS AND DADS MUST SHOW THEIR CHILDREN
There is one shortcoming, I stop short of calling it a failure, of the Church Universal in teaching the Faith to those who are growing in their faith (youngsters or the newly professed Catholics): sustainability. RCIA is an excellent greenhouse in which those who… Continue Reading “FIVE LIFE-CRITICAL SKILLS MOMS AND DADS MUST SHOW THEIR CHILDREN”
SWITCHING POLES I: Using The Christ Principle to row upstream in life
My Catholic Faith is not a philosophy where I have a set of goals I meet or not. It is not a way of life that is easy. Taking up the cross daily means being more human than I ever thought possible. I keep… Continue Reading “SWITCHING POLES I: Using The Christ Principle to row upstream in life”
INTELLIGENT DESIGN IV: Words that contain the power of transformation
Contemplation is a process of what happened before. In the case of just one word, if that word is the Word that is made flesh and dwells among us in the Eucharist, these words are not just human in origin but contain the energy… Continue Reading “INTELLIGENT DESIGN IV: Words that contain the power of transformation”
INTELLIGENT PROGRESSION V: Choices of God that have conquences
We are made in the image and likeness of God. For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with what that phrase could mean. Somehow, I think it is at the very core of what it means for me to be human,… Continue Reading “INTELLIGENT PROGRESSION V: Choices of God that have conquences”
INTELLIGENT PROGRESSION III: Peering deeper into the mist of the human condition
My mind is a computer of unimaginable complexity and wonder. With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), my capabilities and capacities have increased, but only because I create my World from those assumptions and trials and errors that my reason tells me are good… Continue Reading “INTELLIGENT PROGRESSION III: Peering deeper into the mist of the human condition”
ARE YOU WASTING YOUR GOOD TIME BY BELIEVING IN GOD?
It might seem strange for me to ask a question about wasting my time on putting together a view of reality where God might not exist. Actually, if I don’t ask the opposite of what I hold so tenaciously, then my belief is blind… Continue Reading “ARE YOU WASTING YOUR GOOD TIME BY BELIEVING IN GOD?”
ANOTHER VIEW OF REALITY
I have found a speaker that is compelling, not because of their rhetoric but because of how they view reality with statistics and trends in demography and geography. The speaker is Peter Zeihan and I recommend you consider watching his YouTube. I watch everything… Continue Reading “ANOTHER VIEW OF REALITY”
LECTIO DIVINA: Approaching an awareness of God using a new technique
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 remember from how long I have… Continue Reading “LECTIO DIVINA: Approaching an awareness of God using a new technique”
Trappist Movie
This is the trailer for the movie and not the movie itself. It is for your information.
INTELLIGENT PROGRESSION: The Stages of Human Fulfillment II
Humans, progressing from animality, contain all those traits, but something more is at work here. Animals don’t have a choice to progress or regress. Nature dictates the laws by which they must abide. We can go against nature and do what we want but… Continue Reading “INTELLIGENT PROGRESSION: The Stages of Human Fulfillment II”
PROPHESIES THAT ARE TRUE, SADLY.
In this blog, just watch theseYoutube videos with no comment from me. It doesn’t need commenting, sadly.
PROBING THE DEPTHS OF “NOW”
All of this started with my asking, “What is time?” I am having difficulty with this idea because, just when I think I have the answer, a new door opens with more challenging questions. I have been in the business of opening doors for… Continue Reading “PROBING THE DEPTHS OF “NOW””
IT IS A WASTE OF GOOD TIME TO PROVE THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
I never know what will present for my examination and reflection during my Lectio Divina. (Philippians 2:5). Today, I am sitting in the bathtub (that is how people who are 81.7 can take a bath), and the thought of how ridiculous it is to… Continue Reading “IT IS A WASTE OF GOOD TIME TO PROVE THE EXISTENCE OF GOD”
DOCTOR MELLIFLUUS
Two resources for you that I find helpful. First, here is the site where all the Vatican written materials are stored. Doctor Mellifluuus is one such document about Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. Also, check out each of the Ecumenical Councils at the top of… Continue Reading “DOCTOR MELLIFLUUS”
SLOW DOWN II
One lesson that I have begun to be aware of as a direct result of Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) is my prayers, even my routine life chores have been noticeably slowing down. Awareness of these little hints at growth is all that I have… Continue Reading “SLOW DOWN II”
USING THE HEGELIAN DIALECTIC TO UNSCRAMBLE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE
Two years ago, this coming month, I made the mistake of sitting down on a park bench in the dead of winter, seeking to be near the heart of Christ and receive energy from the Holy Spirit. All I did was say to the… Continue Reading “USING THE HEGELIAN DIALECTIC TO UNSCRAMBLE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE”
FALSE QUESTIONS: Beware of these five bear traps in seeking God each day as a Lay Cistercian.
I. BEWARE OF THINKING YOU ARE SOMEHOW BETTER AS A LAY CISTERCIAN THAN OTHER LAY OBLATES OF OTHER TYPES OF APPROACHES TO CONTEMPLATION (Dominican, Franciscan, Benedictine, Basilian, or Jesuit approaches to spirituality for the Laity). This trap is one that the Devil can use… Continue Reading “FALSE QUESTIONS: Beware of these five bear traps in seeking God each day as a Lay Cistercian.”
GREGORIAN CHANT: The language of God
Listening is praying. May the music speak to your heart as you sit in silence and solitude contemplating how grateful you are that the Father calls you son or daughter. uiodg
THE SIXTY-SECOND CATHOLIC: Lectio Divina lite
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 seem to remember that I used… Continue Reading “THE SIXTY-SECOND CATHOLIC: Lectio Divina lite”
PRIMARY RESOURCES
If you want to explore being a Lay Cistercian, I recommend you read the commentaries of those who existed after Christ and before there was an officially sanctioned list (canon) of books. I use the following resources. https://web.archive.org/web/20180716100726/http://www.churchfathers.org/ https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/ If you try reading these… Continue Reading “PRIMARY RESOURCES”
TEN EXCUSES HUMANS USE WHEN STANDING BEFORE THE THRONE OF THE LAMB
Here are some excuses that people might use when they stand face to face before Jesus in their particular judgment when they die. How do I know what people might say? I don’t. What I do know is what excuses I might make when… Continue Reading “TEN EXCUSES HUMANS USE WHEN STANDING BEFORE THE THRONE OF THE LAMB”
INTELLIGENT PROGRESSION: Is The Christ Principle the Fulfillment of the Gamaliel Prediction?
As much as I am shocked by what comes out of my Lectio Divina sessions with the Holy Spirit, these seemingly unrelated ideas are beginning to make sense, which is scary since I don’t control any of them. I looked back at my life… Continue Reading “INTELLIGENT PROGRESSION: Is The Christ Principle the Fulfillment of the Gamaliel Prediction?”
ABANDONMENT: A Lay Cistercian’s quest to love God with his whole mind, his whole heart, his whole strength, and his neighbor as himself.
This rather long and windy title is quite sophisticated as I begin to unwind the various depths contained within the words. First, behind the quote sits the center of the Old Testament, the Shema Yisrael (Deuteronomy 6:5). Not only that, it is the center… Continue Reading “ABANDONMENT: A Lay Cistercian’s quest to love God with his whole mind, his whole heart, his whole strength, and his neighbor as himself.”
CHAPTER 4: DISTRACTIONS AND BAD THOUGHTS DURING CONTEMPLATION
Posted on May 20, 2019, by https://thecenterforcontemplativepractice.org This might seem like an odd topic for Lectio Divina, but I assure you, it is authentic, embarrassingly honest. It is natural because none of us practice prayer and hopefully contemplation without distractions and trying to avoid evil thoughts.… Continue Reading “CHAPTER 4: DISTRACTIONS AND BAD THOUGHTS DURING CONTEMPLATION”
REVERSIO MORAE: Ten habits of highly successful people who regress deeper into their false selves.
There is no free will or the ability to choose anything if there is only one choice. Animal Nature has only one choice, that of being what Nature intended as a part of their natural progression. With the transition from animality to rationality, there… Continue Reading “REVERSIO MORAE: Ten habits of highly successful people who regress deeper into their false selves.”
LEARNING HOW TO LOVE
I just dusted off an excerpt from some of the writings I made about my last retreat at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery (Trappist) sometime last February. I added some fresh ideas, much like putting new wine in old skins, so I… Continue Reading “LEARNING HOW TO LOVE”
MY TOP TEN FAVORITE: Daily Sins and Failings
Now you have done it, you must be thinking. Here is a topic no one wants to talk about but actually dictates how we behave within ourselves and outside with others. In one of my Lectio Divina sessions (Phil 2:5), while reflecting on Christ… Continue Reading “MY TOP TEN FAVORITE: Daily Sins and Failings”
JUST BECAUSE YOUR ROAD IS ROCKY, DOESN’T MEAN YOU ARE ON THE WRONG ROAD
Homily by Fr. Tom Dillon on the scandals in the Church and our challenge to deal with imperfection and sin. President-Rector addresses Church crisis in the opening talk Friday, August 31, 2018 Note: Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology began the fall semester… Continue Reading “JUST BECAUSE YOUR ROAD IS ROCKY, DOESN’T MEAN YOU ARE ON THE WRONG ROAD”
SPIRITUAL READING RECOMMENDATIONS
I was fumbling around trying to wrap my mind around the “Nature of God” concept when I decided to look it up. Where would a broken-down, old Lay Cistercian temple of the Holy Spirit look to find out about what our heritage is? The… Continue Reading “SPIRITUAL READING RECOMMENDATIONS”
WHAT DO YOU SEE?
A GATHERING DAY Yesterday (Sunday), the Lay Cistercians of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery (Trappist) gathered together to meet with the Holy Spirit and share some ideas about our journey in life and how we each have realized that Christ is walking… Continue Reading “WHAT DO YOU SEE?”
Leonardo DaVinci Drawing of Life
To be fully human ourselves, we must make sure everyone has a chance to be Pro-Choice. We are the sum of our choices.
SIMILI EST REGNUM COELORUM
I apologize for brushing off the dust of my old Latin texts of the Scriptures. This means “the kingdom of heaven is like…” Matthew 13. The Old Testament was all about the forecast of the one to come, the Messiah. The New Testament is… Continue Reading “SIMILI EST REGNUM COELORUM”
SAINT CHARLES DE FOUCAULD
Without comment, here is the prayer of abandonment recited by Saint Charles de Foucauld. He and ten others were raised to Sainthood to be venerated by the Church Universal as worthy of our imitation.
CONVERSIO MORAE: Ten habits of highly successful people who move deeper into Christ Jesus.
One of the great lessons I have taken away from being exposed to Cistercian spirituality is the sheer simplicity of allowing God to shine on your behavior. This life-giving energy replenishes Faith with grace and conversio morae, growing more like Christ and less like… Continue Reading “CONVERSIO MORAE: Ten habits of highly successful people who move deeper into Christ Jesus.”
THE HUMAN RAMIFICATIONS OF VISIBILITY AND INVISIBILITY
“Why does human life find itself on a planet just far away from the Sun not to burn up, with just the correct mixtures of gases to exist, with just the correct protection from radiation not to be torched?” Added to that seeming statistical… Continue Reading “THE HUMAN RAMIFICATIONS OF VISIBILITY AND INVISIBILITY”
EVIL THOUGHTS
My latest Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) is a continuation of one that I wrote down nearly six months ago. The general theme of my thinking is The Christ Principle, and stains emanating from that one idea included Genesis 2-3 and its treatment of “What… Continue Reading “EVIL THOUGHTS”
FIRST STEPS AS A LAY CISTERCIAN
There is no doubt about it. When I first began my training as a novice Lay Cistercian, I took baby steps to implement a Lay Cistercian Way that would fit my particular situation in life (a retired, broken-down, old temple of the Holy Spirit).… Continue Reading “FIRST STEPS AS A LAY CISTERCIAN”
MAGISTER NOSTER: God as Magister Noster
In the most recent wandering in my upper room (with doors locked), I wondered about how Jesus was a carpenter with his dad up until his public ministry. In my later years (and at 82 years old, I am about as late as you… Continue Reading “MAGISTER NOSTER: God as Magister Noster”
THREE BATTLES YOU MUST FIGHT TO WIN
In my latest Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5), I was struck by the notion of how difficult it is to live in the world and yet also be a citizen and adopted son in the Kingdom of Heaven. This dual citizenship causes anxiety sometimes and… Continue Reading “THREE BATTLES YOU MUST FIGHT TO WIN”
THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: WHAT IS YOUR MEASURING STICK?
This title seems like it is innocuous, don’t you think? A couple of days ago, in my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5), I thought of Christ as my yardstick to measure my behavior, approach to the Sacred, and obligations as a Lay Cistercian (www.trappist.net). I… Continue Reading “THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: WHAT IS YOUR MEASURING STICK?”
WONDER IF… there is no god, no Jesus Christ, no holy spirit, no resurrection, no afterlife…
Human reasoning is a beautiful attribute that animals don’t share and, as far as we can tell, no one has but our species. I find t interesting that, using what I know of what the purpose of life is, the same reasoning that compels… Continue Reading “WONDER IF… there is no god, no Jesus Christ, no holy spirit, no resurrection, no afterlife…”
BALANCE IN CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER: SLEEPING ON THE EDGE
This morning at 2:30 a.m., I make my pilgrimage to the bathroom. Usually, when I come back to bed, I do a mini-Lectio Divina with my patron Saint, Michael, and ask him to join me as we approach Jesus to give glory and honor… Continue Reading “BALANCE IN CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER: SLEEPING ON THE EDGE”
FIVE contemplative THOUGHTS IN SEARCH OF CLOSURE
You might have some different ideas about this. Five of my thoughts that I still romance after all these years follow. I guess I never will ultimately reach the depth of their significance in my seeking God in my daily living. “That in all… Continue Reading “FIVE contemplative THOUGHTS IN SEARCH OF CLOSURE”
FERTILIZER FOR FAITH: The God of Second Chances
You know the parable of the good seed falling on good ground. There are three fertilizers that Christ told us to use to keep the soil of our Faith from drying up and becoming sterile. It is no accident that God is depicted as… Continue Reading “FERTILIZER FOR FAITH: The God of Second Chances”
ARE YOUR MOM AND DAD OR FAMILY MEMBERS IN HEAVEN?
Those still making our trek to the heavens are fond of saying that those around us who have died are in a better place or are reaping the rewards of a life well-lived. Is this a pious saying, or do we actually believe it?… Continue Reading “ARE YOUR MOM AND DAD OR FAMILY MEMBERS IN HEAVEN?”
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU READ: Does the Church teach that we should not seek to convert the Jews?
I was involved this last week in a bit of controversy over a statement in the press about how the Church does not have to convert Jews. As with all the reports that try to cast doubt on Christ and the Church, this one… Continue Reading “BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU READ: Does the Church teach that we should not seek to convert the Jews?”
SIX QUESTIONS YOU MUST ANSWER BEFORE YOU DIE, GRASSHOPPER.
Wait! Can you answer these six questions before you die? How do you know these are THE six questions you must answer before you die? How do you know they are not? This is my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) for today. In any event,… Continue Reading “SIX QUESTIONS YOU MUST ANSWER BEFORE YOU DIE, GRASSHOPPER.”
MAKE A PRIVATE RETREAT WITH THE SOUL OF THE APOSTOLATE: Ten Aides to Mental Prayer
I can remember reading The Soul of the Apostolate in College. This is the spiritual classic by DOM JEAN-BAPTIST CHAUTARD, O.C.S.O. (Abbot of Notre Dame de Sept Fons). This morning, the Holy Spirit tickled my neurons to bring up my previous encounters with this… Continue Reading “MAKE A PRIVATE RETREAT WITH THE SOUL OF THE APOSTOLATE: Ten Aides to Mental Prayer”
MAKE A CONTEMPLATIVE RETREAT IN THE SILENCE OF YOUR HEART
I made this contemplative retreat recently and found it to be life-changing and the most inspiring thoughts that I am still processing to assimilate into my personal spiritual worldview. I offer to share this with you, but be forewarned, it is not for the… Continue Reading “MAKE A CONTEMPLATIVE RETREAT IN THE SILENCE OF YOUR HEART”
TRAPPIST BLOGS
If you choose to access this blog from various Trappist websites, hopefully, you will be as inspired as I was.
MARY STUART INSPIRED ME TO FIND A QUIET TRUTH
I had gall bladder removal surgery yesterday and am slowly getting back to normal (which is no small feat for me because I haven’t been normal for over twenty years). As I grow in awareness that I don’t know the full implications of the… Continue Reading “MARY STUART INSPIRED ME TO FIND A QUIET TRUTH”
THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT
Remember the actor Flip Wilson and his characters.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kaiLcwHXB4 This is one of my favorite comedic routines, “The Devil Made Me Do It.” Geraldine blams the Devil on her buying a new dress. Sounds a lot like Genesis 1-2, where Eve blamed the Serpent for… Continue Reading “THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT”
SEDUCED BY OUR WOUNDED NATURE
Humans have human nature. That sounds like a Yogi Berra truism, but there is a wisdom that belies this simple turn of phrase. The Book of Genesis, the archetypal story of our nature, points out that we humans are not God. Yet, as a… Continue Reading “SEDUCED BY OUR WOUNDED NATURE”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSUMPTIONS
ASSUMPTIONS UNDERPINNING THE DIVINE EQUATION For some reason, always unknown to me, the notion of The Divine Equation popped up in my Lectio Divina this morning. I have been writing down what I have received from the Holy Spirit without totally knowing what I… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSUMPTIONS”
THE LAST BLOG I EVER WRITE
The title suggests that the blog you now read is the last one I will ever write. I don’t mean that. My Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) meditation is “If you could write one short paragraph, summing up everything you have learned about the purpose… Continue Reading “THE LAST BLOG I EVER WRITE”
DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO
The “Don’t tell me” generation goes back a long way. In fact, it is recorded in the Book of Genesis, Chapters 2-3. The classic archetype of humans is one with fundamental flaws yet whose nature is good. Individually, not so much so. We have… Continue Reading “DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO”
LOVE: OUR MOST ILLUSIVE REALITY
LOVE IS LIKE A VALENTINE CARD Love has two dimensions: the mind (knowledge and logic) and the heart (emotion and feeling). Remember when you were in Third Grade, and everyone exchanged Valentine’s Day cards? What did you do when you went home that day?… Continue Reading “LOVE: OUR MOST ILLUSIVE REALITY”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: Assumptions make us who we are as humans
To wander through the high grass of the English language is to walk through paths that are sometimes strewn with weeds among the wildflowers. The communication problem becomes one of learning to delve into the assumptions underlying the words we use. For example, to… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: Assumptions make us who we are as humans”
HOW BIG IS YOUR WORLD?
There is nothing more challenging in life than moving or growing in awareness of your environment. The most basic and fundamental unit is the human person, who comes into being with two other persons’ consent and lives for seventy or eighty years, if lucky.… Continue Reading “HOW BIG IS YOUR WORLD?”
LITURGY OF THE HOURS: Office of the Dead
Would you join me in praying the Office of the Dead for my friend, Father Carl Roos, who died on April 3rd in Indianapolis, Indiana? We can also include any other souls of the Faithful Departed. May they rest in the peace of Christ.… Continue Reading “LITURGY OF THE HOURS: Office of the Dead”
WISDOM FROM THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US IN THE SIGN OF FAITH
Here are some sayings I discovered on one of my favorite websites.
WHERE DOES GOOD OR EVIL ORIGINATE?
This topic would not be the conversation starter around any dinner in my experience of eating, but it is critical to what it means to be a human. REFLECTIONS ON WHY WE HAVE THE CHOICE OF GOOD OR EVIL Does good or evil originate… Continue Reading “WHERE DOES GOOD OR EVIL ORIGINATE?”
FOR BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW
What follows is a blog from last year on the liturgical celebration of what Christ did for us in the passion, death and resurrection.
IS AN ACTOR OR A SAINT A ROLE MODEL FOR WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN?
The recent fiasco over two actors, one of whom struck the other because of an insult, indicates just how much we revere actors in general as the paragons of what it means to be human. This fixation on a celebrity or who’s who in… Continue Reading “IS AN ACTOR OR A SAINT A ROLE MODEL FOR WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN?”
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME TO BE A LAY CISTERCIAN?
This topic is near and dear to me because it is me and my attempts to die to self to move from false self to God. This is the Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) I had this morning at 7:15 EDT at Cardiology Associates on… Continue Reading “WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME TO BE A LAY CISTERCIAN?”
FIRECRACKER THOUGHTS
In one of my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) meditations, I experienced a rapid succession of ideas all unrelated. I call them firecracker thoughts because they are explosive bursts of energy from the Holy Spirit. “Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and… Continue Reading “FIRECRACKER THOUGHTS”
THE HUMAN RAMIFICATIONS OF COSMIC YES AND NO STRINGS
The fourth type of cross-cutting strings or patterns that span all reality is that of a YES or a NO. This is how I dissect all reality into its manageable components, the physical universe of matter and energy. This mental universe is aware that… Continue Reading “THE HUMAN RAMIFICATIONS OF COSMIC YES AND NO STRINGS”
THE QUALITY OF FORGIVENESS
Mr. Putin: Listen to this YouTube. You would have been a truly generational leader, had you chosen what this Youtube embodies.
WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU NEED TO ASK?
In keeping with my slightly off-center personality, I pose to you some photos/YouTubes/articles and ask you to think about what questions these images raise in your mind. Remember, I am not you; you are not me; God is not you; and you, most certainly,… Continue Reading “WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU NEED TO ASK?”
CHAPTER 4: I USED TO LOOK DOWN ON THE BAPTIST CHURCH
I USED TO LOOK DOWN AT THE BAPTISTS We all are guilty. When we hear something, we process it according to our first impressions. As the saying goes, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Perhaps this is because the… Continue Reading “CHAPTER 4: I USED TO LOOK DOWN ON THE BAPTIST CHURCH”
RESOURCES FOR THE CONTEMPLATIVE THINKER
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/ https://siena.org/ http://www.carlmccolman.net 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… Continue Reading “RESOURCES FOR THE CONTEMPLATIVE THINKER”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: The language of God
In my minuscule accumulation of knowledge throughout my life experience, many languages are out there. Almost all of them I have a novice’s mastery, and a few of them enough to know that I know how much I don’t know. St. Thomas Aquinas, O.P.,… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: The language of God”
WHAT IS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE?
The title, I must apologize, is somewhat misleading. In my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) this morning, while I was sitting in the bathtub taking a shower (at 81+ I have to sit in a chair), these thoughts came to me. I was struck by… Continue Reading “WHAT IS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE?”
THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE
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 PRACTICE I. FUNDAMENTAL CORE OF CONTEMPLATIVE… Continue Reading “THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE”
WISDOM: The quest to find god
During one of my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) meditations, I thought about the wisdom that Christ came to give us through revelation. I also thought of how great thinkers have taught us what the appropriate behavior for humans is. In his simple message of… Continue Reading “WISDOM: The quest to find god”
CONVERSIO MORAE: Reaching maturity as a human
At the heart of Lay Cistercian spirituality, or the way each person, each day seeks God by having in them the mind of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5), is conversion. I share with you some of the readings that have made me ponder my morality… Continue Reading “CONVERSIO MORAE: Reaching maturity as a human”
THE CHIRST PRINCIPLE: LINKING THE VINE TO THE BRANCHES
Here are some thoughts about how the Christ Principle links all peoples to himself. The Coming of Jesus’ Hour.*20Now there were some Greeks* among those who had come up to worship at the feast.n21* They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked… Continue Reading “THE CHIRST PRINCIPLE: LINKING THE VINE TO THE BRANCHES”
ARE YOU FULL OF HATRED?
I know that I am. Being full of hatred, depending on your assumptions, means different things to different readers (or writers). Here are some reflections on hatred and some contexts in which they might be good or evil. Once, when I was thinking about… Continue Reading “ARE YOU FULL OF HATRED?”
AND I WILL DRAW ALL PEOPLE TO MYSELF
Here is a reading that has helped me to experience the lessons of Christ, our Rabbi, our High Priest, our Advocate, and the Christ Principle. The Anointing at Bethany.a1* Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from… Continue Reading “AND I WILL DRAW ALL PEOPLE TO MYSELF”
ARE YOU ROMAN CATHOLIC OR JUST A ROAMING CATHOLIC?
One of those recurring questions I must keep asking myself from now until I die is, “Am I a Roman Catholic, or am I just passing through?” It is like the examination of conscience that St. Benedict writes about in Chapter 4 of his… Continue Reading “ARE YOU ROMAN CATHOLIC OR JUST A ROAMING CATHOLIC?”
SEVEN CONTEMPLATIVE HABITS OF A BROKEN-DOWN, OLD, LAY CISTERCIAN TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The practice of contemplative thinking is being able to move ideas from the head into the heart. One way to do this is Cistercian (Trappist) spirituality which stresses: silence, solitude, work, prayer, and community. I have used seven habits that allow me to focus… Continue Reading “SEVEN CONTEMPLATIVE HABITS OF A BROKEN-DOWN, OLD, LAY CISTERCIAN TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT”
CONVERSIO MORAE: The habit of moving from my false self to my true self. With God’s energy, there is always deeper.
During the Lenten season, particular emphasis is on how to move from my false self to my true self. The book, The Cistercian Way, written by the late Dom Andre Louf, O.S.C.O., is one that I continue to read, again and again, to recreate… Continue Reading “CONVERSIO MORAE: The habit of moving from my false self to my true self. With God’s energy, there is always deeper.”
THE SUBTLE SEDUCTION OF SACRED SCRIPTURES
My Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) presented me with a bit of a puzzle that I am still trying to decipher. As God’s word, bring the words, the prayer, the sharing, the becoming what you read into your inner room (Matthew 6:6) is like having… Continue Reading “THE SUBTLE SEDUCTION OF SACRED SCRIPTURES”
NON NOBIS, DOMINE, NON NOBIS
Read Psalm 115 and reflect on it in the silence of your inner room. Not to us, Lord, not to us. I 1Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name give glory because of your mercy and faithfulness.a 2Why should the… Continue Reading “NON NOBIS, DOMINE, NON NOBIS”
THE INCORUPTIBILITY OF GOD:Like Father, Like Son.
This Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) came about when I ask the Holy Spirit the question: How is it that Jesus (human and divine natures) knew about his mission and purpose on earth? Remember, I only write what I think the Holy Spirit said. I… Continue Reading “THE INCORUPTIBILITY OF GOD:Like Father, Like Son.”
ARE YOU HALF A CATHOLIC?
My Lectio Divina meditation (Philippians 2:5) took me to ask about my being faithful to what Christ taught about loving others as Christ loved us. Read the whole text about love with its fantastic approach to Christ being real inside you. I offer it… Continue Reading “ARE YOU HALF A CATHOLIC?”
SATAN AND THE DEBAUCHERIES: The greatest sirens of all time.
It is Lent, the liturgical season once again, and I am drawn to think about my mortality, my corruption of life and its companion, conversio morae. Other than realizing that my life is more like a yo-yo in my struggle to have in me… Continue Reading “SATAN AND THE DEBAUCHERIES: The greatest sirens of all time.”
HUMILITY: The key to knowing, loving, and serving God in this life, and being happy with God forever in the next. (Baltimore Catechism, Question 6)
During Lent, I want to focus on moving away from my false self (pride) and replacing it with humility and the energy of the Holy Spirit (as much as I can take). This is capacitas dei, making room for Jesus in that upper room… Continue Reading “HUMILITY: The key to knowing, loving, and serving God in this life, and being happy with God forever in the next. (Baltimore Catechism, Question 6)”
THE TRUE COST OF BULLYING
Play now, pay later. I would not want to be in your shoes when you meet God.
THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: A penance of conversion.
For the many times I have gone to confession and received a penance from the priest, it was to recite Three Hail Marys and make a true promise not to sin again. No amount of penance by me can make up for my sins.… Continue Reading “THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: A penance of conversion.”
SHAME ON YOU
Russian people. Don’t you remember how it feels to invade another country? It was evil of Germany, and now you are repeating it. Wake up.
St. Charles de Foucauld: God’s bloodhound
During this Lenten season, a time to die to self to rise with Christ, there is no better example of abandonment than that of Viscount Charles de Foucauld, soon to be canonized as a Saint of the Church Universal. When Jesus tells us to… Continue Reading “St. Charles de Foucauld: God’s bloodhound”
KITTY GENOVESE AND THE UKRAINE
Remember the murder of Kitty Genovese and how neighbors would not help her after she was wounded and dying? What is happening now resembles that situation, where all of us, beginning with myself, wring our hands and shout out, “I stand behind you,” as… Continue Reading “KITTY GENOVESE AND THE UKRAINE”
A PUZZLE MORE COMPLEX THAN SUDOKU: CAN YOU SOLVE THE DIVINE EQUATION?
Actually, there is no solution to the Divine Equation as much as it is a key to living your humanity in such a way that you can see reality and thus fulfill the next step in the evolution of the species. In seeing reality… Continue Reading “A PUZZLE MORE COMPLEX THAN SUDOKU: CAN YOU SOLVE THE DIVINE EQUATION?”
LENT: A time to die
Taking up your cross each day to follow Christ is a preposterous idea to those who only live in two universes, the physical one which is our base, and the mental one which gives us the tools of reason and free choice to discover… Continue Reading “LENT: A time to die”
WHAT IS THE MOST POWERFUL ENERGY IN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE?
This might seem like an innocuous topic for contemplative practice but stick with me. The world is obsessed with power, be it physical power, personal power, military prowess, such as we witness in the takeover of Ukraine, or political power (the one I detest… Continue Reading “WHAT IS THE MOST POWERFUL ENERGY IN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE?”
IT’S ALL A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE: What is hidden is most real.
When entering the realm of the heart from the realm of the mind, Phil 2:5 taught me to have perspective. I thought of humility and how much Christ had to become one of us, how strange it must have been to be God one… Continue Reading “IT’S ALL A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE: What is hidden is most real.”
THE WAITING ROOM
These days when I am at the mercy of my body, I found myself in the waiting room of my Internal Medicine physician, awaiting an appointment to examine pain in my upper right quadrant. As I always do, my thoughts go to my Lectio… Continue Reading “THE WAITING ROOM”
THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: We are what we choose.
Once, a young man wanted to know the one question, that, if you asked it, all others depended upon it. He set out to find that one question, one that kept him up at night, not with worry but with curiosity. He went to… Continue Reading “THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: We are what we choose.”
SIC TRANSEAT GLORIA MUNDI
Thus passes the glory of the world. What a profound saying as the whole world seems destined for hatred and power-grabbing. My thoughts in a Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) had to do with what doesn’t pass away, what is secure, what lasts forever, plus… Continue Reading “SIC TRANSEAT GLORIA MUNDI”
THE RAPE OF REASON AND FREE CHOICE
Recent events in our time have one country with considerable power and military take over another country, one who is sovereign and not provoking anyone in the name of nationalism. It is not just nor is it acceptable, yet many nation-states stand on the… Continue Reading “THE RAPE OF REASON AND FREE CHOICE”
THE CORRUPTION OF THE SPIRIT–Part II
In my last few years of being a Lay Cistercian, I have completely changed my viewpoint about being the center of my world, but not in the way you might expect. I have been tutored to avoid being self-centered and selfish all of my… Continue Reading “THE CORRUPTION OF THE SPIRIT–Part II”
OF GODS AND MEN: A Celebration of Love
One of the most impactful movies of my life is that of the martyrdom of the seven monks of Tibhirine (Algeria) in 1996. Here are some of the movies I watch during Lent as a way to lift my consciousness to how others live… Continue Reading “OF GODS AND MEN: A Celebration of Love”
LENTEN RESOURCES THAT WILL ASTOUND YOU
Look up the website called The Prodigal Catholic under resources. Astounding. This is in my top five all-time websites. https://prodigalcatholic.com/free-books-resources/
FLANNERY O’CONNOR: GOD’S PIT BULL
Very rarely does the Holy Spirit throw something at me out of the blue, so to speak. This is a topic I share with you without comment, which would only dilute this concentrated orange juice of Flannery O’Conner’s thoughts. Each of us can mix… Continue Reading “FLANNERY O’CONNOR: GOD’S PIT BULL”
A HOLY SPIRIT DUMP OF ENERGY
I offer to you what I myself received. I don’t know what to do with it, and you might or might not either. I warn you, linking up with the Holy Spirit and asking that the Spirit enlighten you with divine energy is risky.… Continue Reading “A HOLY SPIRIT DUMP OF ENERGY”
LAY CISTERCIAN LENTEN PRACTICES
I share with you the Lenten Practices I do as part of my habit of penance that comes with being a Lay Cistercian. I do not wish you to do as I do. I recommend that you do as Christ does as we prepare… Continue Reading “LAY CISTERCIAN LENTEN PRACTICES”
THE ABBOT’S TABLE
The Rule of St. Benedict has a Chapter that I just read for my spiritual reading last week. It is called The Abbot’s Table. Obviously, we don’t live in the time of St. Benedict in the 6th Century. However, the notion of hospitality is… Continue Reading “THE ABBOT’S TABLE”
LAY CISTERCIAN CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES: Custos Oculi
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 of Lent, when we recognize that… Continue Reading “LAY CISTERCIAN CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES: Custos Oculi”
PATIENTIA ATTINGIT OMNIA
With patience, you can achieve all things. (My loose translation). Patience is a virtue, so that saying goes. With patience, you can achieve all that you seek. I find it very important to achieve silence and solitude within myself. Every time I try to… Continue Reading “PATIENTIA ATTINGIT OMNIA”
THOMISTIC INSTITUTE
Here is a primary source for those wishing to delve deeper into the silence of their hearts. Be careful what you let into your mind, it may transform you or corrupt you. https://aquinas101.thomisticinstitute.org/st-ia#TOC17 Here are a few quotes from St. Thomas Aquinas, O.P. “We… Continue Reading “THOMISTIC INSTITUTE”
THE CORRUPTIBILITY OF THE SPIRIT: The effects on me as I live in a universe that is incorruptible, but I am corruptible.
How is it possible for the Spirit to be corruptible if God is incorruptible? It isn’t. What is possible is, once I am baptized, I am corruptible in my resolve to keep myself centered on The Christ Principle. I am continuing my reflections on… Continue Reading “THE CORRUPTIBILITY OF THE SPIRIT: The effects on me as I live in a universe that is incorruptible, but I am corruptible.”
GOD’S VALENTINE’S DAY CARDS
Did you get your Valentine Day’s card from God yet? You should have. God sent it to every human who ever lived. Reflect on them. What follows is the Valentine’s God sent us. John 3:16 gives us a glimpse of how much God loves… Continue Reading “GOD’S VALENTINE’S DAY CARDS”
APPROACHING PROFOUND STILLNESS
Each human being has a beginning and an ending. We experience the physical universe of matter, energy, time, space, all that lives on the earth within our lifespan. It is our base of existence, the physical foundation of our humanity. This humanity has characteristics… Continue Reading “APPROACHING PROFOUND STILLNESS”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE CORRUPTION OF EVERYDAY LIVING
The focus of my thinking these days has been on Original Sin and how humans must live within its parameters, such as death, pain, emotions, and the ambiguity of choosing either good or bad behaviors that we think will make us satisfied. Saint Augustine… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE CORRUPTION OF EVERYDAY LIVING”
VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL CONTEMPLATION
My own experience with Lectio Divina has a twofold dimension. First, a horizontal one is a time I take before, during, and after my Lectio process. This is horizontal Lectio because it has a beginning and an ending, however long that may last. What… Continue Reading “VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL CONTEMPLATION”
ACT YOUR NATURE
My Lectio Divina yesterday provided me with some intriguing thoughts about human nature, admittedly, not your usual morning reading choice. I use the word “nature” as meaning the independent and self-contain category of being. Independent because one is not the other, distinct but joined… Continue Reading “ACT YOUR NATURE”
TOP RESOURCE WEBSITES FOR THE DIVINE EQUATION
There are so many wonderful resources for contemplative practice out there. Here are some of my favorite. https://www.catholicbiblical.org/links http://www.prodigalcatholic.com/freebooks-resources http://www.usccb.org usccb catholic catechism http://www.newadvent.org http://www.divineoffice.org I have a blog on this website. uiodg
THE RULE OF THREES: THE POWER TO CHANGE UNIVERSES
You are capable of living in three realities or universes simultaneously. Think about that statement. If you are human, you automatically live in two universes. Some of us never progress to the third universe, the spiritual plane of existence. The physical universe — all… Continue Reading “THE RULE OF THREES: THE POWER TO CHANGE UNIVERSES”
The Rule of Opposites
This morning, I thought about The Rule of Opposites in my Lectio Divina meditation (Philippians 2:5). You probably have never heard of it. That is because I wrote a book about it called The Three Rules of the Spiritual Universe, and The Rule of… Continue Reading “The Rule of Opposites”
THE PENITENTIAL LAY CISTERCIAN: Reparation for the cost of sin
When reflecting on my experiences with being a Lay Cistercian, I find it amazing that I am so much more aware of what it means to “have in me the mind of Christ Jesus.” This mind of Jesus has remained more of a novelty… Continue Reading “THE PENITENTIAL LAY CISTERCIAN: Reparation for the cost of sin”
THE FALSE PROPOSITION THAT JUST WON’T DIE
January 1, 2022, those who gather together to celebrate the death of the Lord until he comes again in glory (Eucharistic Prayer) do so by venerating The Blessed Mother, Mary, Mother of God. Just as the phrase “Mother of God” is misunderstood in its… Continue Reading “THE FALSE PROPOSITION THAT JUST WON’T DIE”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: Mapping the parameters of sacred space.
You will never guess where I received my last Lectio Divina inspiration. I was sitting in my bathtub with a towel over my head, just concentrating on The Christ Principle. (Philippians 2:5) The thought came to mind that when Christ emptied himself of divine… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: Mapping the parameters of sacred space.”
WHAT IS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE?
I purposefully stumbled on a YouTube about one of my five favorite subjects to watch (Korean Walking Tours in the Snow, Science Shows about the universe, Blue Bloods, Cowlin Cowherd on The Herd, FS1, and surgical procedures of total knee or brain tumor removal).… Continue Reading “WHAT IS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE?”
THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: How deep is your prayer life?
My life has been a curious combination of private and public prayer, sometimes created by me spontaneously (Lectio Divina), while other times praying rituals that seek routine consistency as a way to praise God. All prayer, no matter the kind or type, is simply… Continue Reading “THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: How deep is your prayer life?”
PENANCE AND THE PENITENTIAL PSALMS
In this season of reflection and penance, the Church calls Advent, where we prepare for the coming of Christ in our hearts rather than just have the same old, meaningless merchant’s Santa Claus, I try to remind myself that my adoption as a son… Continue Reading “PENANCE AND THE PENITENTIAL PSALMS”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: How deep is your love?
Remember the tune, “How deep is your love?” It is one of my favorite tunes from the Bee Gees. I can’t say I remember all of the words, except the refrain and the melody. This song resurrects some old thoughts from a Lectio Divina… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: How deep is your love?”
TEN MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS WITH MICHAEL LAST YEAR
Like any good examination of conscience (Chapter 4 of St. Benedict’s Rule, https://christdesert.org/rule-of-st-benedict/chapter-4-the-tools-for-good-works/), it is my custom to review my life achievements and frequent faults and failings at the end of each year with the resolve to “prefer nothing to the love of Christ,” with… Continue Reading “TEN MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS WITH MICHAEL LAST YEAR”
CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES: LINKING LECTIOS
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 the idea of conversatio morae, conversion… Continue Reading “CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES: LINKING LECTIOS”
GOD’S DNA
One of those traits humans have is to judge the many by the one. There is a pedophile priest, so therefore all priests must be bad. There is a corrupt cop, so we should defund the police. We humans are creatures of the moment.… Continue Reading “GOD’S DNA”
IS MARTIN LUTHER IN HEAVEN?
Usually, I don’t play God games (My God can beat your God), and I still don’t intend to do so. Still, this week’s incident of an Orthodox Priest calling the Pope a heretic raised an interesting issue for me, one that is not on… Continue Reading “IS MARTIN LUTHER IN HEAVEN?”
GOD’S DNA: Six times God gave birth
Woah! As they say in Indiana, “Thems might big words for a pipsqueak.” About two years ago, at a Gathering Day presentation by one of the monks to Lay Cistercians at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery (Trappist), he told us God was… Continue Reading “GOD’S DNA: Six times God gave birth”
A WORLD WITHOUT GOD
One of the most interesting YouTube programs I have watched is one with the hypothesis, What would it be like if, all of a sudden, all humans would disappear? The video is worth watching for its profound implications for Original Sin and the natural… Continue Reading “A WORLD WITHOUT GOD”
THE TABLE OF THE LORD: Being a penitent Lay Cistercian
If you wish to love Christ as He loved us, you must be a penitential person. How you that depends on your capacitas dei (capacity for God) and listening with the ear of your heart (St. Benedict in the Prologue to the Rule). This… Continue Reading “THE TABLE OF THE LORD: Being a penitent Lay Cistercian”
THE MARTYRDOM OF THE ORDINARY
Nota Bene: This blog is lengthy. As the Feast of the Nativity fast approaches, the thought comes to mind in Advent about how each one of us should be grateful for the fact that God became one of us because of love and to… Continue Reading “THE MARTYRDOM OF THE ORDINARY”
THE TABLE OF THE LORD
Being a Lay Cistercian is one of not only discovering what it means to be Cistercian and a Layperson, but also how that openness to the heart of Christ transforms me into something I was not before. If I am a Table of the… Continue Reading “THE TABLE OF THE LORD”
THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: Rowing against the current of life
The following excerpt is from a book entitled Profound Listening: A Lay Cistercian reflects on habits that help “listen with the ear of the heart:” Due out in December 2021. ROWING AGAINST THE FLOW OF LIFE The struggle to be spiritual may be compared… Continue Reading “THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: Rowing against the current of life”
THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: The enjoyment of the cross in the martyrdom of the ordinary.
This title seems confusing, if not outright contradicting itself. The cross is associated with pain, suffocating rules that take away freedom, and sometimes even acute depression. While it can be that, there is an almost paradoxical twist to taking up our cross daily to… Continue Reading “THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: The enjoyment of the cross in the martyrdom of the ordinary.”
UP, READY TO FIRE!
Yesterday was Veterans’ Day. I attended the Eucharist to pray for all those I know and don’t know and their families. That brought back some memories. In 1979, I was awarded The Chaplain of the Year by the Reserve Officers’ Association. I had to… Continue Reading “UP, READY TO FIRE!”
THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: The Center
In its purest form, Lectio is a movement from just repeating one phrase in Holy Scriptures repeatedly before moving to the next sentence. Lectio has never been an end in itself, although beginners will try to move through each of the four steps of… Continue Reading “THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: The Center”
G.K. CHESTERTON: Orthodoxy
I came across the following excerpt while reading some Chesteron as part of my spiritual reading. No comments from me. I enjoyed it and hoped that you might, too. What follows is my homage to one who challenges us to reflect on who we… Continue Reading “G.K. CHESTERTON: Orthodoxy”
THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: I am the sum of my life choices and how I learned from them.
The Christ Principle is the center of all reality, the purpose for why all of us are. I am not you, you are not me; God is not you, and you, most certainly, are not God. –Michael F. Conrad There is one Christ Principle… Continue Reading “THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: I am the sum of my life choices and how I learned from them.”
SIRACH: A Perfect Prayer As You Stand Vigil Before The Blessed Sacrament
As I learned about Lectio Divina from Brother Michael, O.C.S.O., our Junior Instructor for Lay Cistercians at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit (Trappist), Conyers, Georgia, this way of praying is at the center of Cistercian spirituality, and so is what we Lay Cistercians… Continue Reading “SIRACH: A Perfect Prayer As You Stand Vigil Before The Blessed Sacrament”
PROFOUND LISTENING: Conditions for listening to the Holy Spirit.
Several years ago, I tried to bake one batch of biscuits to fix biscuits and gravy for my anniversary. “Tried” is the operable word here because I found out baking is not a skill that I have yet acquired, much less mastered. If I… Continue Reading “PROFOUND LISTENING: Conditions for listening to the Holy Spirit.”
PROFOUND LISTENING: How to listen with the “ear of the heart”.
When St. Benedict wrote his Rule at the very beginning of the Prologue, his warning to brothers and sisters was to “listen with the ear of your heart.” Cistercian contemplative practices allow me to have Christ Jesus’s mind each day and be aware that… Continue Reading “PROFOUND LISTENING: How to listen with the “ear of the heart”.”
TEN SURE WAYS TO LOSE YOUR FAITH
“Faith,” as a topic has always been a terrible teaser to me. Faith is the substance of what I believe, and yet, it is a Mystery of Faith; one has eluded me at the same time I find myself moving towards some semblance of… Continue Reading “TEN SURE WAYS TO LOSE YOUR FAITH”
THOUGHTS WHILE FREEZING ON AN ICEBERG
Lectio Divina has taken me to many alarming places, not the least of which has just been an iceberg. It happened this morning at 2:01 a.m. In this mini-Lectio adventure, the Holy Spirit invited me to sit on an iceberg and then just left… Continue Reading “THOUGHTS WHILE FREEZING ON AN ICEBERG”
FIFTEEN WAYS THE DEVIL CAN SEDUCE YOU AND YOU WON’T EVEN SEE IT COMING
If you hold that we are in a spiritual battle with the forces of Evil played out on the playground of the seventy or eighty years we each live, then it is good to know your enemy. With Baptism, we have the energy (from… Continue Reading “FIFTEEN WAYS THE DEVIL CAN SEDUCE YOU AND YOU WON’T EVEN SEE IT COMING”
LIVE LIFE ONE DROP AT A TIME
In my most recent Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5), the image of a drop of water kept reoccurring. I stopped worrying about it and asked the question, “What does this mean?” My answer was “You only live life one drop of time at a time.”… Continue Reading “LIVE LIFE ONE DROP AT A TIME”
SYNCHRONICITY WITH GOD
As the accumulated experiences bombard my heart with knowledge, love, and service (energy), more and more, I find topics pop out from my Lectio Divina encounter with the Holy Spirit, ones that were latent and dormant in the synaptic recesses of my brain. Synchronicity… Continue Reading “SYNCHRONICITY WITH GOD”
A LAY CISTERCIAN REFLECTS ON LEVELS OF SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
It is true that, once you begin to abandon your will to allow the Holy Spirit to move at will, you are never the same. You may be older or wiser, but encountering the Sacred is an awareness that you can’t describe with mere… Continue Reading “A LAY CISTERCIAN REFLECTS ON LEVELS OF SPIRITUAL AWARENESS”
THE FEAST OF ST. MICHAEL
This coming September 29, 2021, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Michael. In my case, it is the day on which I was accepted by God as an adopted son of the Father and dedicated at Baptism under the protection of St. Michael.… Continue Reading “THE FEAST OF ST. MICHAEL”
WHAT I SEE THAT I DON’T SEE
In the previous blog, entitled “What is missing?” I provided a YouTube of what 10,000 days on Mars would be like. At first, I was struck with the sheer brilliance of the future vision and some of the milestones we humans would have to… Continue Reading “WHAT I SEE THAT I DON’T SEE”
WHAT DON’T YOU SEE?
I enjoy watching the progress of Elon Musk in his drive to colonize Mars. Watching all the promotional videos on colonization, I find something alarming is missing from the whole concept of life on another planet. Look at this YouTube of a possible Mars… Continue Reading “WHAT DON’T YOU SEE?”
LITURGY OF THE HOURS: Levels of Spiritual Awareness
When I recite the Liturgy of the Hours, the prayer of the Church Universal, I have noticed that there is a growth from just “saying the Divine Office” to that of “having the Liturgy of the Hours be the occasion where I stand before… Continue Reading “LITURGY OF THE HOURS: Levels of Spiritual Awareness”
THOUGHTS TO PONDER
Here are some thoughts which I find compelling and merit deeper reflection. A religion that is not made up of sinful people (all of them) is not worth the cost of Christ’s death and resurrection. I find it difficult to explain how a Church… Continue Reading “THOUGHTS TO PONDER”
SPIRITUAL TRAINING AT THE PARACLETE GYM
In one of my Lectio Divina sessions, the Holy Spirit presented me with an image of contemplative practice and my Lay Cistercian daily practices in the form of weight and strength training, much like what professional athletes do. Here are some of the random… Continue Reading “SPIRITUAL TRAINING AT THE PARACLETE GYM”
AUTHORS OF GREAT WISDOM
One of the great delights of my later years has to do with writing down what the Holy Spirit tells me. Again, I don’t speak for the Holy Spirit, but hopefully, the Holy Spirit speaks to me if I am humble enough. So far,… Continue Reading “AUTHORS OF GREAT WISDOM”
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
I am redoing my Lectio Divina on St. Thomas Aquinas based on the input generated during one of my naps (I take two naps a day, one in the morning and one in the middle afternoon). I read Mortimer Adler’s book, How to Read… Continue Reading “ST. THOMAS AQUINAS”
DON’T GET CAUGHT PLAYING THE THREE GOD GAMES
Humans are good at playing games, be it Monopoly, Chess, Basketball pickup, or mind games. There are three mind games that I have identified that are as potentially dangerous to your spiritual well-being as is COVID. It is best not to go there if… Continue Reading “DON’T GET CAUGHT PLAYING THE THREE GOD GAMES”
mis oraciones son tus oraciones
I think I have heard this request a thousand times: “Pray for me.” I ask people to pray for me frequently. What is the meaning behind these words? What are the assumptions that are hidden from others yet are the so-called elephant in the… Continue Reading “mis oraciones son tus oraciones”
SITES TO CHECK OUT
Here are some URLs to check out. I went through the listing of those sites I have saved, ones I want to read again. I share them with you. https://www.virginiatrappists.org/category/abbots-lectio-post/ https://www.giamusic.com/sacred_music/RGP/psalmDisplay.cfm https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12789a.htm https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/ https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/ https://usccb.org https://www.newadvent.org/library/ https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html
DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT
I find that my Lectio Divina meditations tend to group themselves in clusters of topics. My center is always the same: “have in you the mind of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5) This current cluster is about what is important in my spiritual travels each… Continue Reading “DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT”
IT DOESN’T MATTER!
In my search for God each day, I do a lot of “What Iffing.” I should refine that statement to say, “In my search for God each day, when I use only the world as my center (money, fame, fortune, adulation, pleasure, being god,… Continue Reading “IT DOESN’T MATTER!”
ASKING THE WRONG QUESTION
Here are some fractured thoughts that I had while trying to reposition my thoughts to that of having in me the mind of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). Too many times, I find I ask questions that are either the opposite of what exists or… Continue Reading “ASKING THE WRONG QUESTION”
PILGRIMAGE TO THE HEART OF CHRIST
We all have taken a trip somewhere, even if it is just to go to Trader Joe’s and buy some delicious root beer drink. Not all trips or vacations are pilgrimages. Muslims celebrate their faith in pilgrimage by visiting Mecca. Catholics pilgrimage to the… Continue Reading “PILGRIMAGE TO THE HEART OF CHRIST”
the best contemplative streaming and youtube sites for 2021
I recently read a list of “Best Of” restaurants. That list prompted me to think back to the URLs that are sites I can’t live without (actually, the only thing I can’t live without is Jesus). I offer them with comments and in no… Continue Reading “the best contemplative streaming and youtube sites for 2021”
WHAT IS HELL LIKE, RIGHT NOW?
Hell is not the opposite of Heaven, but rather the absence of it. If that is so, and the kingdom of heaven is right now for us to absorb into our human nature, then would it not be true that hell is also right… Continue Reading “WHAT IS HELL LIKE, RIGHT NOW?”
the assumption of mary
Normally, I would give you some thoughts about a subject from my Lectio Divina. No one has ever accused me of being normal, so I will just share with you the magnificent homily from Bishop Barron on Mary. How biblical. These insights have caused… Continue Reading “the assumption of mary”
WHEN LOVE HURTS
As I wabble down the ever shorter path to my next portal in life, passing from life to death, I become more aware of how the Scriptures are pertinent to who I am now and how the words of Scripture feel as well say… Continue Reading “WHEN LOVE HURTS”
DO YOU STAND BEFORE THE MIRROR OF ERISED?
When beginning to practice meditation before moving to the deeper reality of contemplation, there are some dangers along the way. My latest Lectio Divina Meditation (Philippians 2:5) led me to an unlikely YouTube scene of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The scene has… Continue Reading “DO YOU STAND BEFORE THE MIRROR OF ERISED?”
SEEKING GOD EACH DAY: HOW FAITH IS RIPENED ON THE VINE
All living things need food and water to survive, in addition to the right environment. I have learned much from following the Rule of St. Benedict as interpreted by the councils and constitutions of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (OCSO) and further… Continue Reading “SEEKING GOD EACH DAY: HOW FAITH IS RIPENED ON THE VINE”
TEN NEW IDEAS ABOUT THE MESSIAH FROM THE EDGE OF TIME
I admit to not taking the notion of Messiah more seriously than it deserves. Not brought up in the Jewish tradition, I just accept that Jesus is Lord and go on about my business. But, as of late, my Lectio Divina meditations (Philippians 2:5)… Continue Reading “TEN NEW IDEAS ABOUT THE MESSIAH FROM THE EDGE OF TIME”
DEEP DIVES INTO DIVINITY
I agree with St. Thomas Aquinas that God is “essentially unknowable.” Beneath that statement lies several assumptions: Human intelligence can never capture the essence of who God is. We are incapable of doing so. It makes sense that God loved us so much that… Continue Reading “DEEP DIVES INTO DIVINITY”
EVERYTHING IS LINKED TO EVERYTHING ELSE
I thought about the notion of a Divine Equation during one of my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) while asking myself the series of questions around “If God did use science and mathematics to formulate all reality, then why did he not communicate the reality… Continue Reading “EVERYTHING IS LINKED TO EVERYTHING ELSE”
PAINTING WITH THE BRUSH OF CHRIST
St. Benedict teaches his monks that the monastery is a School of Charity or Love where we can learn how to love others as Christ loved us. It takes a lifetime to master the Art of Contemplative Practice. In one of my Lectio Divina… Continue Reading “PAINTING WITH THE BRUSH OF CHRIST”
HOW TO BAKE A LAY CISTERCIAN?
If you think the Holy Spirit doesn’t have a sense of humor, then you will not appreciate this blog that I wrote down for my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5). I like to focus these end days (of my life) on how all things move… Continue Reading “HOW TO BAKE A LAY CISTERCIAN?”
WHO MADE YOU POPE?
There is a controversy in the Church over the use of the Latin language in the Mass. As usual, almost everyone misses the point. This points out a phenomenon that has plagued the Church all the way back to Moses and the Ten Commandments.… Continue Reading “WHO MADE YOU POPE?”
traveling with the holy Spirit
Isn’t the Holy Spirit everywhere? Next time you travel with anyone in the car or truck, try this contemplative practice. Ask those in the car to think of one idea only as you read this passage. Read Scriptures from Philippians 3:5-12 outloud (not the… Continue Reading “traveling with the holy Spirit”
watching lucifer just for the hell of it
Usually, my tastes in television movies and sitcoms goes from following Jason Statham movies to that of Father Brown Mysteries. I came across a television series entitled Lucifer. I thought it would be about the usual fodder fed by sensationalists to sell movies.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK5lZTPHozs I… Continue Reading “watching lucifer just for the hell of it”
LIFTING THE HEART AND MIND TO GOD USING ARCHITECTURE AND GREGORIAN CHANT
One characteristic of love is to want to share what is critical with those whom you value most. I wanted to share an aspect of prayer that is part of our Benedictine/Cistercian/Carthusian heritage. I came across this YouTube of a Cistercian monastery, one which… Continue Reading “LIFTING THE HEART AND MIND TO GOD USING ARCHITECTURE AND GREGORIAN CHANT”
READINGS FROM ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX,Parable One: The Story of the King’s Son1.Once upon a time, there was a rich and powerful king, God the almighty. And he caused Man,whom he had created, to become his son. And because he was a delicate boy, he delegated Lawand… Continue Reading “READINGS FROM ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX”
the three principles of existence
I was never very good at academics in school, having the curse to have a slow mind that seems to dwell on how things fit together rather than their composition. I seem to gravitate toward the bigger picture. The problem is that the bigger… Continue Reading “the three principles of existence”
the christ imperatives
THE CHRIST IMPERATIVES Here are some of the commands that Jesus gave to us to help us to convert our lives from the World to the Spirit. • Seeking perfection? Listen to me for I am meek and humble of heart. Matthew 11:28-30 •… Continue Reading “the christ imperatives”
WHERE IS EVERYBODY?
Somehow, this made its way into my Lectio Divina meditations (not contemplation) for this morning. I have so many wonderful and inspiring thoughts from the Holy Spirit about linking all reality with the Christ Principle. Even thoughts about where my classmates are somehow part… Continue Reading “WHERE IS EVERYBODY?”
HOW DO YOU ANSWER THIS?
What would be your answer to the following four questions that I received from the Holy Spirit during my last two Lectio Divina meditations? I don’t have answers as much as further questions about these ideas. I want you to think about them in… Continue Reading “HOW DO YOU ANSWER THIS?”
OBEDIENCE BY RELINQUISHING MY WILL TO A POWER OUTSIDE MYSELF: THE GREATEST OBSTACLE TO SPIRITUAL RESONANCE
My last couple of Lectio Divina’s has centered on how my Lectio (Philippians 2:5) influences resonance. I don’t take credit for this way out of thoughts as they apply to Holy Scripture. They just come, and I take them down for you to decipher.… Continue Reading “OBEDIENCE BY RELINQUISHING MY WILL TO A POWER OUTSIDE MYSELF: THE GREATEST OBSTACLE TO SPIRITUAL RESONANCE”
LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS TO THE LORD
In the following YouTube musical meditations, listen “with the ear of your heart.” Block out words and just sit on a park bench in the dead of winter and wait for your heart to prepare the way for the Lord. Just listen. Praise be… Continue Reading “LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS TO THE LORD”
CHAPTER 4: CONVERSION FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
55 Listen readily to holy reading,56 and devote yourself often to prayer.57 Every day with tears and sighs, confess your past sins to God in prayer58 and change from these evil ways in the future. https://christdesert.org/prayer/rule-of-st-benedict/chapter-4-the-tools-for-good-works/ This passage is from the Rule of St.… Continue Reading “CHAPTER 4: CONVERSION FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE”
IT IS MERCY I SEEK, NOT SACRIFICE.
Mystical Death and Resurrection.*1If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.a2Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ… Continue Reading “IT IS MERCY I SEEK, NOT SACRIFICE.”
ACCESSING THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH LECTIO DIVINA
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 limited to human convention. Instead, there… Continue Reading “ACCESSING THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH LECTIO DIVINA”
MY GOALS FROM NOW UNTIL FOREVER
GOALS FROM NOW UNTIL THEN I have compiled a list of several things I want to accomplish before I move realities. Here they are in no order of importance. I have a bucket list (hopefully one without holes.) Do you remember the song about… Continue Reading “MY GOALS FROM NOW UNTIL FOREVER”
LECTIO DIVINA FOR AN EIGHT + YEAR OLD LAY CISTERCIAN
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 the end of the ages. –Cistercian… Continue Reading “LECTIO DIVINA FOR AN EIGHT + YEAR OLD LAY CISTERCIAN”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: HOW AN END-USER USES THE FORMULA FOR FOREVER TO GROW FROM SELF TO GOD
I must take this opportunity to remind you once again that these ideas are just the reflections of a broken-down, old temple of the Holy Spirit trying to make sense out of the physical universe, the mental universe, and also the spiritual universe. The… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: HOW AN END-USER USES THE FORMULA FOR FOREVER TO GROW FROM SELF TO GOD”
THE LITTLE THINGS ARE SOMETIMES HUGE
I did something this morning at 3:30 a.m. after I went for my bathroom break. I sat down on my bed, getting ready to do one of my Lectio Divina’s for the day, when I thought about the monks at Our Lady of the… Continue Reading “THE LITTLE THINGS ARE SOMETIMES HUGE”
MOMENTS WITH MICHAEL iii: HOLY SPIRIT DUMP
At some obscure part of my brain, probably the frontal lobe, I had recalled the topic of “a data dump”, meaning that I just get a bunch of random thoughts. It is something like taking a drink of water from an open fire hydrant.… Continue Reading “MOMENTS WITH MICHAEL iii: HOLY SPIRIT DUMP”
MOMENTS WITH MICHAEL ii
During the day, I sometimes get flashes from the edge of time (my way of saying that the Holy Spirit drops an idea before me to see what I will do with it). Here are some unrelated thoughts I had recently. The spiritual way… Continue Reading “MOMENTS WITH MICHAEL ii”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE PARADIGM OF THE TRINITY
I am finally at peace over whether I will ever understand the Trinity. The answer is NO because the only way to even approach that problem is The Mystery of Faith. I just let it go and use the Trinity as Christ intended me… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE PARADIGM OF THE TRINITY”
THE SIGN OF TRANSFORMATION
When each of us is Baptized in water and the Holy Spirit, it is a ceremony to signify that entering into the spiritual universe is a free act of the will to accept Jesus as Lord. Accepting Jesus as Lord means that first, God… Continue Reading “THE SIGN OF TRANSFORMATION”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE FORMULA FOR FOREVER
When speaking of anything that has to do with God, humans are at a disadvantage. Our human nature (being), sentient though it is, is not even in the same ballpark as divine nature. The gulf is so great that human intelligence can only know… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE FORMULA FOR FOREVER”
CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE: Wresting with Boredom
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 out those activities in life that… Continue Reading “CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE: Wresting with Boredom”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: Quidquid recIpitur ad modum recipientis recipitur.
This last week, a friend of mine wrote me a Linkedin message commenting on my notion of Original Sin in my blog, “Whatever happened to Original Sin.” He said, ” The notion of Original is as much a fairy tale as the Tooth Fairy.”… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: Quidquid recIpitur ad modum recipientis recipitur.”
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO ORIGINAL SIN?
I have been captivated to the point of binging on some YouTube videos of science that probes into the future and what human might look like in 4000+ years. As hyped up as I am about the shows, it occurred to me to step… Continue Reading “WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO ORIGINAL SIN?”
THE BEST COMMENTARY ON OUR SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE U.S.
I have found that the commentary of the late Rev. Billy Graham and also deceased Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on the subject of why our society is so off center to be the most accurate. Here is what Archbishop Sheen has to say about… Continue Reading “THE BEST COMMENTARY ON OUR SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE U.S.”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: MEASURING REALITY IN THREE UNIVERSES
If you choose to recognize my idea about one reality having three separate universes (Physical, Mental, and Spiritual), then each one has its own characteristics and measurements to describe (not define) reality. The Rule of Threes, as I call this way for me to… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: MEASURING REALITY IN THREE UNIVERSES”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE MATHEMATICS OF BEING
In my quest to find out how all reality fits together, I have had some help to give me additional assumptions that get me closer to solving the Mystery of Faith. Some of these ideas I have written down for you to try to… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE MATHEMATICS OF BEING”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: CAN YOU SOLVE IT?
Here is an opportunity to solve the Divine Equation. All humans, from Adam and Eve onward must solve the Divine Equation correctly to be admitted into the next phase of their human evolution (from non-life to life; from life to animality; from animality to… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: CAN YOU SOLVE IT?”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: OUR NEED FOR INTIMACY
Intimacy is one of those topics we don’t like to talk about unless it is in the context of darkened room with the person you trust the most in life, and even then, just with hushed tones and deflections of what you really mean.… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: OUR NEED FOR INTIMACY”
THE DIVINE EQUATION
My Lectio Divina meditations usually group up into a unified theme, eventually. Right now, what comes to my mind is about cosmic influences of the Christ Principle, certainly a macro approach to reality. Let me share what I mean by that. I have been… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION”
THOUGHTS FROM THE EDGE OF TIME
Sometimes I get thoughts from so far out of the blue that they must be from the edge of time…or beyond. This is just another way of saying that the Holy Spirit is not limited to my personal agenda of what I would like… Continue Reading “THOUGHTS FROM THE EDGE OF TIME”
EIGHT THOUGHTS ABOUT GOD TAKING ON HUMAN NATURE
I admit that this Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) idea is as far out as the edge of time, but so is the Holy Spirit. Imagine how Jesus felt when, as the Son of God the Father, he knew all that is but could not… Continue Reading “EIGHT THOUGHTS ABOUT GOD TAKING ON HUMAN NATURE”
NOW, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?
My Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) took me to this place recently, asking a series of questions, which, of course, only the Holy Spirit had the answers. It is like playing Spirit Games with my second Advocate (Jesus is numero uno). I am going to… Continue Reading “NOW, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?”
JOUSTING WITH JEALOUSY: THE WALL THAT YOU WON’T SEE COMING
My Lectio Divina topics as applied to the “Lectio” phase have gone from me choosing the small phrases to ponder to letting go in favor of the Holy Spirit challenging me to make it fit with Philippians 2:5, my personal center. The results are… Continue Reading “JOUSTING WITH JEALOUSY: THE WALL THAT YOU WON’T SEE COMING”
STARTING OVER
When thinking about my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) subject, the concept of starting over came up. Usually, I just slough it off as if it were an unrelated piece of the puzzle and I didn’t know where it fit. This time, I thought of… Continue Reading “STARTING OVER”
THE JOSEPH FACTOR
In business, politics, and yes, even in religion, there are abrupt changes that occur, ones that alter the trajectory of history and completely overturn existing patterns of stability and routine. A new manager comes in and the organization stops to catch its breath as… Continue Reading “THE JOSEPH FACTOR”
CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE IN NINETY SECONDS
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 know, love, and serve God using… Continue Reading “CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE IN NINETY SECONDS”
THE EFFECTS OF ORIGINAL SIN ON MY CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE
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 wish is was not a struggle… Continue Reading “THE EFFECTS OF ORIGINAL SIN ON MY CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE”
HUMILITY: FEAR OF THE LORD
When I think of humility, I try to be humble about it. Realizing who I am in the sight of God reinforced my personal center, “Have in you the mind of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5). At the same time, I am so insignificant in… Continue Reading “HUMILITY: FEAR OF THE LORD”
PERUSING THE OBITUARIES
Old people do weird things. At least in my case, I like to look at the obituaries on my St. Meinrad Alumni website. http://www.saintmeinrad.edu It beats watching the plastic flowers grow in my office. This may be morbid, but I like to look up… Continue Reading “PERUSING THE OBITUARIES”
PERFECT UNION WITH GOD
During our Gathering Day for Lay Cistercians of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery (Trappist) last month, new Lay Cistercian novices were asked to profess their desire to enter the Novitiate while old novices were asked to make one year promises to be… Continue Reading “PERFECT UNION WITH GOD”
MOMENTS WITH ST. MICHAEL
THE BACKSTORY Although it has been over two years ago, I still remember it vividly as though it were yesterday. A group of us gathered together to say Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, Rosary, then then Eucharist at 9:00 a.m. We came together as… Continue Reading “MOMENTS WITH ST. MICHAEL”
THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE: Waiting
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 my neighbor as myself, and nothing… Continue Reading “THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE: Waiting”
TAKE TIME TO BE ONE SENTENCE
I may be making a grand assumption that you have read my blog on TAKE TIME TO READ TEN SENTENCES. I want to see if you can read ten sentences that may be life changing, then you might take time to read JUST ONE… Continue Reading “TAKE TIME TO BE ONE SENTENCE”
TAKE TIME TO READ TEN SENTENCES
One of my more reckless endeavors in Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) is to say to the Holy Spirit “I am here, what is on your mind?” This has a risk associated with it because my the capacity and the capability for me to assimilate… Continue Reading “TAKE TIME TO READ TEN SENTENCES”
THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: RESURRECTION MOMENT
May you experience the joy of Christ being raised from the dead as did the Apostles and followers on that moment in time that opened to our adoption as sons and daughters of the Father. Although this event happened or didn’t happen, if you… Continue Reading “THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: RESURRECTION MOMENT”
CREEPING TOWARDS THE PAROUSIA
Three things we humans are conditioned to do because of Original Sin are: expect immediate results; become restless and anancy when we are not doing something, anything to fill up dead time; become compulsive about filling in the hole in our lives. I have… Continue Reading “CREEPING TOWARDS THE PAROUSIA”
THE LITANY OF REDEMPTION
On this Good Friday, my reflections wander through the great love Christ had for us to lay down his life for us, we who can’t even keep watch with him in the Garden of Gethsemane. Humans, wounded by Original Sin, are redeemed by God… Continue Reading “THE LITANY OF REDEMPTION”
THE JOY IN THE RESURRECTION
May the Peace of Christ be with you. This is not the peace that the world gives but the presence of Christ’s love in us and through us to our unique world. Here are a few of my reflections as a result of my… Continue Reading “THE JOY IN THE RESURRECTION”
LENTEN CONVERSION: Scariest scripture passage
My picture of Scripture is one of a series of love letters to humans, telling how much God wants us to be with Him in Heaven as our terminal state of being. Sometimes, I think of Scriptures are presenting a frightening picture of the… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: Scariest scripture passage”
THE HERESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL
Heresies are not something I write about very often, in fact, I would not be writing about this topic at all except that it presented itself to be at 2:30 a.m. this morning as part of my Lectio Divina. My Lectio Divina has always… Continue Reading “THE HERESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL”
LENTEN CONVERSION: IS YOUR JESUS PARANOID?
During this intense time of introspection before the celebration of our delivery from death to life with Christ, it is important to ask the question, What does your Jesus look like? I have never seen the face of Jesus, nor have I seen the… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: IS YOUR JESUS PARANOID?”
LENTEN CONVERSION: Beware of the default of original sin
Original sin affects everything we do as a human. Baptism takes away Original Sin, the Sin of the World, but we still must live out the consequences of living in a condition where everything has a beginning and an end. I reflected on this… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: Beware of the default of original sin”
LENTEN CONVERSION: FROM FACTIONS TO ONE LORD
In this time of slowing down to catch up to the Christ within us, Lent provides each person with their own unique way of sorting out those false narratives that drag us down from seeking the true Christ to ones that fit our emotional… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: FROM FACTIONS TO ONE LORD”
HERE ARE TEN TEMPTATIONS FROM SATAN I BET YOU NEVER SAW COMING.
The Devil loves to seduce humans into going against God, then laughs heartily at the offender as being so gullible and weak that he missed out on the purpose of life. I thought about how the Devil might dissuade me from having in me… Continue Reading “HERE ARE TEN TEMPTATIONS FROM SATAN I BET YOU NEVER SAW COMING.”
A LAY CISTERCIAN REFLECTS ON: MAKING AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE BEFORE RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Jesus left us several stories and activities that we should do to make him present to us. Clearly, Eucharist, the Real Presence of Christ, the fulfilment of the Last Supper, is paramount among ways to seek forgiveness and ask for God’s mercy. Additional ways… Continue Reading “A LAY CISTERCIAN REFLECTS ON: MAKING AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE BEFORE RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION”
LENTEN CONVERSION: THE PLACE WE CALL HELL IS LIKE…
What is hell like? This is not a topic that raises to the level that I would think about but it did come up in this week’s Lectio Divina meditation (Philippians 2:5). I have not experienced Hell because I have never been there (nor… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: THE PLACE WE CALL HELL IS LIKE…”
LENTEN CONVERSION: FEAR OF THE LORD
I can still remember driving US 41 south of Vincennes, Indiana as I traveled to Evansville, Indiana. There was one spot in the road where I had seen an abandoned two-story house, one like I saw in horror films with large windows perched hill… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: FEAR OF THE LORD”
LENTEN CONVERSION: WHO IS YOUR JESUS? AN END USER PAUSES TO REVIEW THE CONSEQUENCES OF BELIEVING OR NOT BELIEVING IN JESUS THE CHRIST.
In my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) today, I wondered about who Jesus is. I think this is part of the mystery of Faith, that probing of the human heart to try to love God with all of our heart, all of our mind, and… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: WHO IS YOUR JESUS? AN END USER PAUSES TO REVIEW THE CONSEQUENCES OF BELIEVING OR NOT BELIEVING IN JESUS THE CHRIST.”
LENTEN CONVERSION: HOW LOVELY IS YOUR DWELLING PLACE, O LORD OF HOSTS
Today in a few hours, the Lay Cistercian community of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit (Trappist) http://www.trappist.net, will meet for their monthly Zoom Gathering Day meeting. I would like to share with you some of my preparations for that meeting. In Lectio Divina… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: HOW LOVELY IS YOUR DWELLING PLACE, O LORD OF HOSTS”
WHISPERS FROM A CAVE
One of my favorite Scripture passages is the one where God tells a frightened Elijah the Prophet to go to a cave and He will pass by. This passage has great importance for contemplative practice. We listen to God with the ear of our… Continue Reading “WHISPERS FROM A CAVE”
LENTEN CONVERSION: iF TODAY YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, HARDEN NOT YOUR HEART
Lent is a time for profound reflection. Lent is a time for profound listening. St. Benedict tells us to “listen with the ear of the heart.” Here is a not-so-simple idea on which you should ponder. Go to http://www.divineoffice.org. Read the Invitatory prayer. Reflect… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: iF TODAY YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, HARDEN NOT YOUR HEART”
LENTEN CONVERSION: IF YOU ARE NOT DILIGENT, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR FAITH
Faith is like a blanket that overshadows us to allow us to call God “Abba”. This gift from God provides us with the indelible sign on our souls that we are marked as adopted sons and daughters of the Father. We are saved from… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: IF YOU ARE NOT DILIGENT, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR FAITH”
LENTEN CONVERSION: the most difficult choice you will ever make
The title of this blog is not my own, but the topic of Bishop Robert Barron’s YouTube Sunday sermon this week. I recommend that you subscribe to his YouTube channel. I find that my Lectio Divina meditations are informed by my latest experiences, grounded,… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: the most difficult choice you will ever make”
LENTEN CONVERSION: FOR BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW
Lent is a profound time of introspection and conversion. Introspection, in that we must re-measure ourselves against the one command Christ left us: to love one another as he has loved us. Christ alone can make all things new in the heavens and on… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: FOR BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW”
LENTEN CONVERSION: jUST oNE CHANGE
Lent is a time of reassessment and change. We move from our false self, imprinted with the effects of Original Sin to being free from the hostage to death. During your time of profound reflection in Lent, here are some thoughts I had from… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: jUST oNE CHANGE”
LENTEN CONVERSION: conversio morae
Lent is a period of reflection, a purification of all those false attitudes and ways of thinking that will keep me from realizing the importance of the Resurrection of Christ and its implications for me as I search for God each day. Lent is… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: conversio morae”
LENTEN CONVERSION: don’t squabble over who should give
During Lent, I try to use Lectio Divina as a way to become a more penitential person, being more humble and obedient to the will of God each day. One of my Lectio meditations (not at the level of contemplation) is on the subject… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: don’t squabble over who should give”
THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE
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 I had to believe in order… Continue Reading “THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE”
the genesis effect
The first chapters of the Book of Genesis provide the opening written statement of what it means to be human. The oral traditions handed down through centuries surely took on characteristics of their own as different cultures and diverse authors reflected on their human… Continue Reading “the genesis effect”
LAY CISTERCIAN CONTINUITY
During one of our Gathering Days of Lay Cistercians at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery (www.trappist.net), one of our members asked the question about the difficulty of keeping to a schedule to do Cistercian practices. The question also plagues me and how… Continue Reading “LAY CISTERCIAN CONTINUITY”
WHY YOUR CENTER IS CENTRAL TO CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE
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 are sixty, but you will have… Continue Reading “WHY YOUR CENTER IS CENTRAL TO CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE”
FACING FIVE EITHER/OR DILEMMAS
Yogi Berra’s supposed saying, “If you come to a fork in the road, take it,” is witty but perhaps a wise description of choices we all must make if we try to be contemplative in our practice. We live in the temporal time of… Continue Reading “FACING FIVE EITHER/OR DILEMMAS”
IF I WERE THE DEVIL
What would you do to the current political debacle if you were the Devil? I would convince the United States that political parties are a new religion, that hatred of personality replaces public policy, that revenge and calumny substitutes for civility and cooperation, that… Continue Reading “IF I WERE THE DEVIL”
A LAY CISTERCIAN SEEKS GOD ONE DAY AT A TIME
Hello once more. As I seek God every day as I am and where I am, I came across these resources that you might find of interest. I keep asking myself the increasingly complex question of “How does all of this fit together?” My… Continue Reading “A LAY CISTERCIAN SEEKS GOD ONE DAY AT A TIME”
Four BRICK WALLS THAT CHALLENGE MY SEEKING GOD
In my most recent Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5), I thought about the barriers that keep me from having in me the mind of Christ Jesus. As I begin to be more self-aware of the spiritual universe around me, new revelations seem to pop up… Continue Reading “Four BRICK WALLS THAT CHALLENGE MY SEEKING GOD”
THE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY OF LENT
Lent is a season of preparation and reflection. We are asked, as Church Universal, to prepare our minds and hearts for the Christ Principle. Before each momentous event in the life of Christ, we must prepare and reflect on how we have become what… Continue Reading “THE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY OF LENT”
LENTEN PENANCE: A LAY CISTERCIAN REFLECTS ON CAPACITAS DEI, DENYING ONESELF TO MAKE ROOM FOR CHRIST EACH DAY
If you hear his voice, says the Psalms, harden not your hearts. Lent is upon us once again. It pops up yearly as we trudge down that path of choices we call life. As described in this clip of Harry Potter and the… Continue Reading “LENTEN PENANCE: A LAY CISTERCIAN REFLECTS ON CAPACITAS DEI, DENYING ONESELF TO MAKE ROOM FOR CHRIST EACH DAY”
WHAT WAS JESUS’ I.Q.?
My latest Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) had several tangential directions from the Holy Spirit. I can’t keep up with the profusion of energy that overshadows me. Let me give you a tiny example. My meditations were about God emptying himself (kenosis) of being God… Continue Reading “WHAT WAS JESUS’ I.Q.?”
TEN NEW IDEAS I LEARNED ABOUT HEAVEN FROM THE EDGE OF TIME
Scripture is the bedrock of what we know about the mission of Christ. It is also written, says St. John in 20:30-31, to show us the way, the truth, and the life. Conclusion.”*30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples… Continue Reading “TEN NEW IDEAS I LEARNED ABOUT HEAVEN FROM THE EDGE OF TIME”
MY LECTIO DIVINA SCARED ME
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 frightened me might not be what… Continue Reading “MY LECTIO DIVINA SCARED ME”
CONTEMPLATING contemplative prayer
In asking the question, “What is contemplative prayer?”, I remembered what I read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church about prayer. I revisited that text and read it three times. Once, for the words, another time for the meaning, and the third time… Continue Reading “CONTEMPLATING contemplative prayer”
DON’T DROP YOUR BATON
I have always enjoyed watching a track meet on television. There are many events that fun to watch, such as the hurtles, the high jump, and pole vault. My favorite track event is the team relay, where four of the fastest runners compete, each… Continue Reading “DON’T DROP YOUR BATON”
REFLECTIONS ON WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS YOUR RELIGION
The past week’s events have left me in shock over the lack of respect people have for our Presidential electoral process, our Nation’s Capitol, and the behaviors displayed by any and all political parties. Long ago, I lost my respect for the political processes… Continue Reading “REFLECTIONS ON WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS YOUR RELIGION”
THE HABIT OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE
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 fall into the trap of establishing… Continue Reading “THE HABIT OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE”
WONDER IF…
The notion of wonder is exciting to me as I do my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5). My mind has become my friend, almost another person inside me prompting me to visit places I could not do physically. I use my mind every morning at… Continue Reading “WONDER IF…”
WHAT DOES YOUR SPIRITUAL CLOSET LOOK LIKE?
You have heard and maybe even seen television shows about hoarding. It is a compulsion not to throw away anything because of a perceived or unconscious need you will need later on. If left unchecked, the house becomes cluttered sometimes to the point of… Continue Reading “WHAT DOES YOUR SPIRITUAL CLOSET LOOK LIKE?”
THE MATHEMATICS OF BEING
I can’t think of a more esoteric and theoretical topic than the one above, The Mathematics of Being. Not being a person with a great comprehension of either mathematics or being, I make the perfect person who can speculate on what I have come… Continue Reading “THE MATHEMATICS OF BEING”
MAKING ALL THINGS NEW
If Christmas is about the gift of God to us in Christ Jesus, then New Year is about the ability to see what is new, not with the eyes of the world (that only comes on New Year’s day), but with the eyes of… Continue Reading “MAKING ALL THINGS NEW”
THE FIVE GIFTS CHRIST GAVE ME ON MY BIRTHDAY.
This morning, about 2:46 a.m., I began my meditation on my one and only Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5). I thought about what might be awaiting me as an adopted son or daughter of the Father. Lest I become too seduced with pride (like Adam… Continue Reading “THE FIVE GIFTS CHRIST GAVE ME ON MY BIRTHDAY.”
I DIDN’T SEE THAT ONE COMING
Some situations in my life blindside me and lead me to ask “I didn’t see that one coming.” This Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) was like that. There are just lots of images bombarding my conscious mind, all different, some quite bizarre. It is like… Continue Reading “I DIDN’T SEE THAT ONE COMING”
THE POETRY OF BEING SILENT
I like to think of poetry as describing reality rather than attempting to define it. Defining it somehow limits how it looks, takes up space, or suggests a finality that fits it neatly into the rest of what is around it as if part… Continue Reading “THE POETRY OF BEING SILENT”
LITURGY OF THE HOURS FOR BEGINNERS (like myself)
Liturgy of the Hours is a cornerstone Cistercian practice that I perform each day to place me in the presence of Christ. I don’t say prayers to become holy, rather I am holy because these prayers allow me to open my heart to Christ.… Continue Reading “LITURGY OF THE HOURS FOR BEGINNERS (like myself)”
GOD IS PURE ENERGY
My friends: Well, here we are at the end of the calendar year, which has always been the beginning when we seek God as we move through our lives each day. Each day is a lifetime of discovery and wonder. Tomorrow is the day we… Continue Reading “GOD IS PURE ENERGY”
THE ADVENT OF GOD
My family, friends, colleagues, and fellow pilgrims on the road to Forever. As my Advent penance, I am giving up giving gifts at Christmas. Our house is doing without any gifts except each other. (I say that because we spread our gifting out throughout the… Continue Reading “THE ADVENT OF GOD”
FEELING JESUS IN SCRIPTURE
As I begin to peel off the layers of my own sloth, greed, gluttony, lust, jealousy, vengeance, and hatred, to name a few vices, only to have them return at the beginning of the next day, I am reminded that everything in the world… Continue Reading “FEELING JESUS IN SCRIPTURE”
MORE IS BETTER, OR IS IT?
I met a man, quite similar in appearance and temperament to me, who keeps trying to pray as much as possible in the hopes of becoming more like Christ and less like himself. The more he prays, he thought, the holier he would become… Continue Reading “MORE IS BETTER, OR IS IT?”
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY TO THE HOLY SPIRIT WHEN YOU ARE SITTING ON THE EDGE OF YOUR BED AT 6:14 A.M. FOLLOWING YOUR MORNING OFFERING PRAYER.
This is a long title, don’t you agree? This morning at 6:14 a.m. (I got to sleep in late.), I found myself, as I always do in the a.m., sitting on the edge of my bed, reciting my daily morning offering, and thinking about… Continue Reading “BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY TO THE HOLY SPIRIT WHEN YOU ARE SITTING ON THE EDGE OF YOUR BED AT 6:14 A.M. FOLLOWING YOUR MORNING OFFERING PRAYER.”
HOW GOOD ARE YOU AT FILLING UP HOLES?
FILLING IN THE HOLES In contemplative prayer, one characteristic is that you must deliberately slow down. Another reaction that I have found is in thinking that I have to do something with the time I meditate or it is not productive, I must fill… Continue Reading “HOW GOOD ARE YOU AT FILLING UP HOLES?”
THE ART OF CONTEMLATIVE PRACTICE
For some time now, I have noticed myself under the influence of the Holy Spirit. I know that because I have begun to recognize the Holy Spirit speaking to me through others. I have given up about approaching the Spirit with my requests. Now,… Continue Reading “THE ART OF CONTEMLATIVE PRACTICE”
QUESTIONS IN SEARCH OF AN ANSWER
MESSAGES FROM THE EDGE OF TIME 1. If Heaven is the reason why we are here on earth, why is it we don’t do more to prepare ourselves to live there? 2. It is better for you to have the perspective that all humans… Continue Reading “QUESTIONS IN SEARCH OF AN ANSWER”
WHOSE CHURCH IS IT?
WHOSE CHURCH IS IT? The Church is the visible manifestation of God whom we cannot see. The Church, or gathering of believers, is the living Body of Christ on earth, but also those living in heaven, and also those awaiting purification. Many humans only… Continue Reading “WHOSE CHURCH IS IT?”
SEEKING GOD EVERY DAY
YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO MEET THE HOLY SPIRIT Recently, I went to Starbucks, B.C. (before COVID-19), to get a cup of my favorite brew. By chance, I found myself standing in line with a friend of mine from Good Shepherd.… Continue Reading “SEEKING GOD EVERY DAY”
ARE YOU GUILTY BECAUSE YOU CAN’T GO TO CHURCH?
THE CHURCH IS A GRAND GATHERING OF ALL THOSE GATHERED THROUGHOUT TIME WITH ONE CHRIST AS THE HEAD The Church Triumphant is a gathering of all those whom God has accepted as sons and daughters of the Father. The Church Militant are those of… Continue Reading “ARE YOU GUILTY BECAUSE YOU CAN’T GO TO CHURCH?”
WAKING THE SPIRIT
As the saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for, you may get it.” Contemplation is all about the resignation of self to let the Holy Spirit overshadow you. In reality, the term, “waking the Spirit” is a misnomer, an attempt by human words… Continue Reading “WAKING THE SPIRIT”
have you ever thought of…
I get random thoughts throughout the day. Some of them are just “out there” and have no connection to what I am thinking about at the time. Here are some of these thoughts. Have you ever thought of Purgatory as something where humans are… Continue Reading “have you ever thought of…”
poetry in the silence and stillness of winter
As I usually do each morning, and today is no exception, I sit down to my computer, recite my Lectio phrase to begin my practice of contemplation, “have in you the mind of Christ Jesus,” then wait. Whatever comes my way, I try to… Continue Reading “poetry in the silence and stillness of winter”
VOICES
One of the challenging topics that Lay Cistercians discussed at the Gathering, on October 11, 2020 was that of voices in our minds that say things. Once a month Lay Cistercian novices, juniors, and professed members, meet to pray together, share the Holy Spirit… Continue Reading “VOICES”
HOW TO PLAY IN GOD’S PLAYGROUND
HOW TO ORGANIZE AND FOCUS ON THE LIFE OF CHRIST SEEKING GOD EACH DAY IN ALL THAT COMES MY WAY The following pages are samples of the horarium (hourly agenda) and Internet sites that I use to organize my day as a Lay Cistercian.… Continue Reading “HOW TO PLAY IN GOD’S PLAYGROUND”
MONASTERY AND LAY CISTERCIAN PONDERINGS
I share with you what I have received via the Monastery of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit, Conyers, Georgia, and also from the Lay Cistercians (with permission). Blessings on you this day. Remember, peace is not the absence of conflict but rather the… Continue Reading “MONASTERY AND LAY CISTERCIAN PONDERINGS”
WHICH POLITICAL PARTY DO YOU TRUST THE MOST?
Granted that both political parties are not beacons of truth and both tell their share of obfuscations, in this last week before elections, I am asking these pointed questions to find out where my mind and heart are. I do not presume to tell… Continue Reading “WHICH POLITICAL PARTY DO YOU TRUST THE MOST?”
LECTIO DIVINA: inching to forever
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 where I was, in terms of… Continue Reading “LECTIO DIVINA: inching to forever”
conduct your own contemplative ten minute retreat
SEEKING GOD AT FIVE GUYS BURGERS AND FRIES I love Five Guys Burgers and Fries (don’t tell my wife). They specialize in not only the best burgers I have tasted this side of my own grille but also scrummy delicious french fries and plenty… Continue Reading “conduct your own contemplative ten minute retreat”
YOU MUST SEE THIS WEBSITE
I share my joy with you about a website that I discovered by Father Luke Dysinger, O.S.B. with very rich contemporary subjects and also patristic and other primary sources. You can read the actual texts of the ecumenical councils, plus other great writers. Father… Continue Reading “YOU MUST SEE THIS WEBSITE”
TEN QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU VOTE
This is not a diatribe against this or that political party. Your right to vote is one of the most cherished of our constitutional requirements as a citizen. My only urging is to vote your conscience. Here are ten questions I have asked myself… Continue Reading “TEN QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU VOTE”
SITES THAT HAVE HELPED ME THE MOST IN SEEKING GOD EVERY DAY
I use the Internet a lot these days. Granted, there is a lot of blather contained in it, but there are some gems that I use almost every week as I seek God daily through silence and solitude. In no order of importance, here… Continue Reading “SITES THAT HAVE HELPED ME THE MOST IN SEEKING GOD EVERY DAY”
make a virtual retreat at Our lady of the Holy spirit monastery
Think you are all alone and cut off from your Church as you ponder the inscrutable happenings of the COVID 19 virus? There are two ways to look at Church: one is a place where you go to pray, and the second one is… Continue Reading “make a virtual retreat at Our lady of the Holy spirit monastery”
THREE SOURCES OF INSPIRATION
In my quest to seek God daily wherever I am and however I am, my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) jangled my roots with the thought that I m sometimes caught up with the externals of Cistercian practices and charisms (making sure that I pray… Continue Reading “THREE SOURCES OF INSPIRATION”
ON THE ENDURING INFLUENCE OF AIDAN KAVANAUGH, O.S.B.
To a great extent, all of us are, in large part, the result of people we have bumped into during our solitary sojourn down whatever paths life has taken us. People and sometimes events have shaped who we have become and that process continues… Continue Reading “ON THE ENDURING INFLUENCE OF AIDAN KAVANAUGH, O.S.B.”
WHY IS THAT?
I have used the question WHY more in these last five years than in all of my previous time on earth. Why is that? Here are some of my reflections from my Lectio Divina meditations on the Mystery of Faith. Perhaps the WHY question… Continue Reading “WHY IS THAT?”
god’s hall of fame
Now that football has returned to the television, many commentators give very interesting breakdowns of the game so that neophytes like me can understand the intricacies of the strategy. Just playing the professional game is an accomplishment, but a few rise above this to… Continue Reading “god’s hall of fame”
TENACITY AND SINGLEMINDEDNESS
These two words are ones which I have never used together, but yet are quite logical when describing the events in the life of Father Vincent de Paul Merle, O.S.C.O., Trappist missionary to Nova Scotia in the early 1800s. You can read all about… Continue Reading “TENACITY AND SINGLEMINDEDNESS”
SILENCE AND SOLITUDE: iT MAY NOT BE WHAT YOU THINK
In one of my Lectio Divina meditations (Philippians 2:5), the thought presented itself to me that there was a certain depth of meaning which I heretofor had not noticed about silence and solitude. SILENCE – If I use my three universe template to look… Continue Reading “SILENCE AND SOLITUDE: iT MAY NOT BE WHAT YOU THINK”
MUSIC TO LISTEN TO WHEN SITTING ON A PARK BENCH IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER LONGING FOR CHRIST
I love music that elevates and transforms me from self to God. All music does not do that for me. I share what I have found that inspires my contemplative soul. Agnus Dei by Samuel Barber. One such piece is Samuel Barber’s Adagio for… Continue Reading “MUSIC TO LISTEN TO WHEN SITTING ON A PARK BENCH IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER LONGING FOR CHRIST”
What have you learned?
I am counting on God asking me two questions when I approach the Throne of the Lamb for my particular judgement. Matthew 25 gives all of us pause to stop and reflect on these questions. Here are my two: What did you learn? Notice… Continue Reading “What have you learned?”
vatican observatory
I read this article from the Vatican Observatory on all creation praising the Lord. I thought you might like it. https://www.vofoundation.org/blog/sun-moon-bless-lord-understanding-part-hymn-creation/
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
There is nothing wrong with thinking about what is in it for me, when I do Cistercian practices and charisms. We humans have two characteristics that other animals don’t: we have the ability to reason and to act on that reasoning by choosing what… Continue Reading “WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?”
waiting for the master
This is a story I wrote many, many blogs ago but I think it needs repeating. WAITING FOR THE MASTERImagine yourself seated on a park bench in the dead ofwinter. Jesus has told you that He will be passing by thebench sometime soon. You… Continue Reading “waiting for the master”
THE SEDUCTION OF FALSE SILENCE AND SOLITUDE
One day, last week, wearing my mask, I went to Costco to buy some Kona Coffee (my favorite). In their famous food court, I watched a table of six teenagers sitting, eating either pizza or Costco’s famous hot dog and drink combo, or in… Continue Reading “THE SEDUCTION OF FALSE SILENCE AND SOLITUDE”
GOD IS NOT FAIR BUT HE IS JUST
My latest Lectio Divina(Philippians 2:5) took me to a place I had not visited before. Have you ever had a particularly complex dream in your sleep, then awoke with the strange feeling that everything you thought tooks hours, lasted only a few seconds? It… Continue Reading “GOD IS NOT FAIR BUT HE IS JUST”
YOU CAN’t BE CONTEMPLATIVE IN YOUR SPIRITUALITY BY YOURSELF
The Gathering of Lay Cistercians of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery.
HATERS ANONYMOUS
Almost everyone has heard of Alcoholics Anonymous and the 12 Step Plan. I thought about what is going on in our country now and how all of us could use the 12 Step Plan that Christ gave us to quell the hatred of others… Continue Reading “HATERS ANONYMOUS”
POWER AND GLORY
Who is the most powerful person you know? My answer is, my wife! To make it more specific, “What is the most powerful object in the universe?” I had to look it up on Google Search. Turns out that there is a Youtube video… Continue Reading “POWER AND GLORY”
moving from self to god…slowly but surely
Here is a blog post I made over a year ago. I had been thinking about using and applying Cistercian practices and seeking charisms. I had the thought that my monastery is not just the world, but confined to the limits I discover each… Continue Reading “moving from self to god…slowly but surely”
CHAPTER 4: rENOUNCE YOURSELF IN ORDER TO FOLLOW CHRIST
You would think that a person who has tried to follow the teachings of The Master for all these years (80, to be exact), would have mastery over his mind and body to be able to reach a state where he did not struggle… Continue Reading “CHAPTER 4: rENOUNCE YOURSELF IN ORDER TO FOLLOW CHRIST”
I HAVE HEART PROBLEMS
In keeping with seeking God daily in everything in every way, I have an appointment today at 2:20 p.m. with my Cardiologist to check my recently installed pacemaker. This discipline is now called electrophysiology and it looks at the heart from the viewpoint of… Continue Reading “I HAVE HEART PROBLEMS”
IF YOU ARE A ROOM…
One of my Lectio Divina meditations (Philippians 2:5) centered around an idea I have been romancing for some time– spiritual hoarding. Most of the people to whom I tell this idea discount it as being foolish. How can hoarding spirituality be bad? The way… Continue Reading “IF YOU ARE A ROOM…”
WHAT HELPS ME RECITE THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS?
FIVE PRACTICES THAT HAVE HELPED ME COMMIT TO PRAYING THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS When I think of prayer as part of my Lay Cistercian principles (silence, solitude, work, prayer, and community), I don’t see it apart from other prayers I do (e.g. Eucharist,… Continue Reading “WHAT HELPS ME RECITE THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS?”
THE GATHERING
My Lectio Divina today (Philippians 2:5) took me to a place I had not visited before. I thought about the very early Church and how they must have had a struggle to “have in them the mind of Christ Jesus.” I thought about my… Continue Reading “THE GATHERING”
how long can you hold your spiritual breath?
HOW LONG CAN YOU HOLD YOUR SPIRITUAL BREATH? When I was young and adventuresome, I tried holding my breath for as long as possible. It was all part of my preparation to be able to swim in the deep section of Rainbow Beach in… Continue Reading “how long can you hold your spiritual breath?”
SILENCE: THE ENTRANCE TO FOREVER
Whenever I think of silence, I mean real silence, I think about going into a cave in Northern Florida. The absence of any noise is deafening. All humans relate to the reality before them through the five senses which feed the brain and direct… Continue Reading “SILENCE: THE ENTRANCE TO FOREVER”
wonder-filled resources that fill up the emptiness of my heart while i age in place.
I use these resources nearly every week to help me fill in the big holes in my life due to COVID-19 and the hatred our culture seems to have for one another. Using the analogy of a room, each of us has a room… Continue Reading “wonder-filled resources that fill up the emptiness of my heart while i age in place.”
seeking god during covid-19
The interesting thing about viewing our COVID-19 situations are the many lessons we can gain from this experience. Not all of these lessons are without some form of inconvenience or even outright suffering, but they are what is happening. I look at what is… Continue Reading “seeking god during covid-19”
HOW TO SEEK GOD IN THREE UNIVERSES
I woke up this morning at 2:16 a.m. for my usual bathroom break. Going back to bed, I usually do a mini-Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5). This time my focus was on how God puts all these signs and wonders in front of us and… Continue Reading “HOW TO SEEK GOD IN THREE UNIVERSES”
seeking god at the va clinic
I had an appointment at the VA Clinic in Tallahassee, Florida today. I never know what the day will bring but that doesn’t matter. I try to seek God wherever I am. I finished my business then got on the elevator to go from… Continue Reading “seeking god at the va clinic”
HOW GOD SPEAKS TO ALL OF US.
How does God speak with us? In the Old Testament, the Prophets gave us insights into what God wants of us. In the New Testament, Jesus gives us how to love others by doing what he does for us. The Holy Spirit speaks directly… Continue Reading “HOW GOD SPEAKS TO ALL OF US.”
SLOW DOWN! lISTEN TO YOUR HEART
I use photos to help in my focus and concentration as I do Lectio (Philippians 2:5.) meditation, prayer and, hopefully, contemplation. This photo has significance for me because it comes close to describing what I think contemplation might be. Contemplation is sitting on a… Continue Reading “SLOW DOWN! lISTEN TO YOUR HEART”
SHARING INTERNET SITES I USE
Every so often, I look around my house and think about all the nice but not necessary THINGS I have accumulated over the years. It seems I am a functional hoarder and not a dysfunctional one. Every so often, my wife says we should… Continue Reading “SHARING INTERNET SITES I USE”
Youtube clips that have helped me in contemplation
In my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5), I have found that, when trying to seek God each day wherever I am and as I am, I try to look at the reality in front of me with the love of Christ in my heart and… Continue Reading “Youtube clips that have helped me in contemplation”
TEARING DOWN RATHER THAN MAKING ALL THINGS NEW
Here are some thoughts to ponder. When we tear down something rather than reform it, we have nothing to replace it with except our self. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2a2fAEQaGo Any reform based on justice without mercy is not only doomed to fail but will fail its supporters.… Continue Reading “TEARING DOWN RATHER THAN MAKING ALL THINGS NEW”
STRENGTH TRAINING FOR BECOMING MORE LIKE CHRIST
One of the ways to approach the Sacred is to follow a daily routine. Some people call it a habit. Here is a challenge. Try to do these practices for 30 days, then sit down and think about it. If you are unable to… Continue Reading “STRENGTH TRAINING FOR BECOMING MORE LIKE CHRIST”
THE MYSTERIOUS WHY QUESTION
Humans differ from other species because we have reason (some more than others) and the ability to choose good or evil (no one chooses what they think is bad for them). The problem comes when humans think something is good for them but don’t… Continue Reading “THE MYSTERIOUS WHY QUESTION”
THE SIXTY-SECOND CATHOLIC
Here are some thoughts for Dads on their secular holiday. FIVE YES’S AND ONE NO THE BEGINNING Creation began as a YES (Let it be) from God. That which is created takes on the characteristics of the person creating it. THE BEGINNING OF HUMAN… Continue Reading “THE SIXTY-SECOND CATHOLIC”
LECTIO DIVINA: ENHANCEMENTS
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 best way to use their silence… Continue Reading “LECTIO DIVINA: ENHANCEMENTS”
THE TRINITY: ARCHETYPE FOR FOREVER
When was the last time you consciously thought about the Trinity? For me, it was at 2:40 AM this morning, when I got up to use the bathroom. Usually, when I try to go back to sleep, I do a mini-Lectio Divina in order… Continue Reading “THE TRINITY: ARCHETYPE FOR FOREVER”
YOU may be ASKING THE WRONG QUESTION?
Wrong questions always lead to wrong answers. Humans differ from other species of animals because we have the ability to reason and also to choose between options of what seems reasonable to us. I have given up watching television news of any kind because… Continue Reading “YOU may be ASKING THE WRONG QUESTION?”
LESSONS AVOIDED
Everyone is upset about what is going on in society. Protestors want meaningful change. Law and Order folks want the Rule of Law and not lawlessness. Let’s not forget that there are consequences, some of which are unintended, with each choice. Here are some… Continue Reading “LESSONS AVOIDED”
EMAIL FROM JESUS
Michael: Sorry for waking you up at 9:56 pm but you did ask me to help clarify all the confusion and turmoil around you. Before I begin, St. Michael wants me to tell you that he appreciates your thinking of him in your… Continue Reading “EMAIL FROM JESUS”
10 questions about WHAT HEAVEN will BE LIKE?
This morning, more precisely at 2:34 A.M., I did one of my three or four Lectio Divina meditations, using lasting twenty minutes or more. My Lectio is always Philippians 2:5 and this morning was not an exception. At nearly 80 years of age, my… Continue Reading “10 questions about WHAT HEAVEN will BE LIKE?”
HERE IS A TEMPTATION FROM SATAN YOU MAY NOT SEE COMING
My Lectio Divina never happens in a vacuum. In the process of seeking God in my daily life, where I am and as I am, certain events impact my consciousness and I takes those experiences with me as I try to focus on my… Continue Reading “HERE IS A TEMPTATION FROM SATAN YOU MAY NOT SEE COMING”
THE HAPPINESS OF DOING NOTHING
What follows is a series of thoughts that are the result of one of my recent Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) meditations.I experienced these thoughts while sitting on a park bench in the density of winter, waiting for Christ to come and share His Real… Continue Reading “THE HAPPINESS OF DOING NOTHING”
TEN MISCONCEPTIONS PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT BEING A CATHOLIC
Recently, a rash of people have commented on some of my writing by saying “That is just your opinion.” Of course, it is who else’s opinion would it be? One of my assumptions in writing these types of reflections is that they do not… Continue Reading “TEN MISCONCEPTIONS PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT BEING A CATHOLIC”
MY new END TIME
Everything has a beginning and an end in the physical and mental universes. We don’t think about that idea much in the midst of a Covid 19 Pandemic. I only bring this up because that was the main thought of my Lectio Divina meditation… Continue Reading “MY new END TIME”
COSMIC RESONANCE: WHY JESUS IS THE MESSIAH?
My latest Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) has taken me to a place that I would never have thought possible, linking Christ as the Messiah and the fulfillment of the Old and New Testaments. The way my thinking progressed, as I sat in silence and… Continue Reading “COSMIC RESONANCE: WHY JESUS IS THE MESSIAH?”
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