The Center for Contemplative Practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
Category: contemplative prayer
TOP FIVE CISTERCIAN INTERNET SITES
When I look up something that puzzles me or confuses me, which is almost 100% of the time, I use these five sites when I think of contemplative spirituality. I thought you might like to see what they are and bookmark them. I offer… Continue Reading “TOP FIVE CISTERCIAN INTERNET SITES”
MOVING DEEPER FROM SELF TO GOD
If you are the same person at fifty-five, spiritually, that you were when you were twenty-five, something is wrong. Life is too short. You don’t want to waste time on just treading water your whole life. If you are not growing deeper, you probably… Continue Reading “MOVING DEEPER FROM SELF TO GOD”
WHAT IS THE CORE OF YOUR BEING, THE ONE CORNERSTONE OF SACRED SCRIPTURES?
Can you think of just one concept or quote from Sacred Scriptures upon which all the others rest? Put another way, what is the bulls-eye of the bull’s eye of a target, the exact center? Again, if you had to write down just one… Continue Reading “WHAT IS THE CORE OF YOUR BEING, THE ONE CORNERSTONE OF SACRED SCRIPTURES?”
REFLECTIONS ON WHAT MY ORANGE TREE TAUGHT ME ABOUT GOD
I share with you some of my ideas from Lectio Divina Meditation and Contemplation based on Philippians 2:5. This morning, I was looking at my orange tree in the front yard. I had previously had many orange blossoms but now just ten teeny, tiny… Continue Reading “REFLECTIONS ON WHAT MY ORANGE TREE TAUGHT ME ABOUT GOD”
PRAY FOR ME?
When Hurricane Irma was on track to come directly over Tallahassee, many of my friends and church members told me that they would pray for me. What does that mean? When we pray in times of dysfunction or stress, do we seek God to… Continue Reading “PRAY FOR ME?”
CREATING A SPIRITUAL PATH FROM SELF TO GOD
One thing I lacked about seven years ago before I became an aspiring Lay Cistercian, was order in my life. I have since devised a way for me to seek God as a Lay Cistercian member of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery,… Continue Reading “CREATING A SPIRITUAL PATH FROM SELF TO GOD”
WHAT MAKES JESUS ANGRY?
You don’t want to make God angry. There was one thing that did provoke anger on more than one occasion. It was saying one thing in public but holding a different position in your heart. It was duplicity. It was hypocrisy. 27 “Woe to you,… Continue Reading “WHAT MAKES JESUS ANGRY?”
DO YOU PLAY GOD GAMES?
During one of my Lectio/Meditations on Phil 2:5, I had the following thoughts which I share with you now. All Christians have the temptation to play God games. The games are human responses to what we think God is or what we think God… Continue Reading “DO YOU PLAY GOD GAMES?”
THE THREE RULES OF THE SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE
The following ideas are excerpted from my book, The Three Rules of the Spiritual Universe. You can access this book in the Store part of this blog. In my Lectio Divina/Meditations/Contemplations, I was presented with these three ideas about the spiritual universe. They are big… Continue Reading “THE THREE RULES OF THE SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE”
I ALWAYS SIT IN THE TAX COLLECTOR’S SEAT
Well, there I sat, as I always do, in the Tax Collector’s seat at Good Shepherd Church, Tallahassee, Florida. The last bench is marked with a handicapped sign, but that is not why I sit there. You are no doubt familiar with the parable… Continue Reading “I ALWAYS SIT IN THE TAX COLLECTOR’S SEAT”
DO YOU HAVE FIERCE LOVE?
In my Lectio Divina meditation on Phil 2:5, I had some thoughts which I would like to share. What kind of love is there that compels someone to do something they know will eventually result in great pain and even death? And not just… Continue Reading “DO YOU HAVE FIERCE LOVE?”
For Behold, I Make All Things New
Here are some of my Lectio Meditation thoughts on forgiveness. What is the distance between your birth and death? What is the distance between when a flower germinates and when it drys up? Everything has a beginning and an end in the physical and… Continue Reading “For Behold, I Make All Things New”
RETIREES, SENIORS AND SEEKING GOD
Most of the retired people I know say that they are busier now than when they were working full time in their job. The big fear people have, when they first retire, is am I going to have enough to do to keep busy?… Continue Reading “RETIREES, SENIORS AND SEEKING GOD”
Contemplative Practices I practice
The following spiritual practices are those I use in my daily attempt to love God with all my heart. I like them because they allow me to focus on my purpose in life, to have in me the mind of Christ Jesus. (Phil 2:5-12)… Continue Reading “Contemplative Practices I practice”
Guido’s Ladder to Heaven
Here are some thoughts about my struggle with contemplation and what I have learned about Lection Divina as one who aspires to be a Lay Cistercian. I try to follow Guido II’s four steps of seeking God. The following is text from Guido II… Continue Reading “Guido’s Ladder to Heaven”
THE WOMAN WHO CHANGED TIME: SPIRITUALITY AND TIME
SPIRITUALITY AND TIME Some thoughts on how spirituality and time interact. Seven lessons humans need to learn, in order to live in three universes. LESSON ONE: The more complex the reality, the simpler it Truth is. The purpose of your life is to discover… Continue Reading “THE WOMAN WHO CHANGED TIME: SPIRITUALITY AND TIME”
THE TIME TRAVELER: A TRIP TO FOREVER
Here some crazy ideas about time travel and immortality. I recently wrote a blog about taking a trip to California. I left for Los Angeles on a Friday and returned on a Monday. No problems. Nice flight, but somewhat tiring for an old geezer.… Continue Reading “THE TIME TRAVELER: A TRIP TO FOREVER”
A TRIP TO CALIFORNIA
Last month, I took a trip to California to visit my favorite Aunt, Sister Adrian Marie Conrad, S.P. She is a Sister of Providence from Terre Haute, Indiana. Although it only lasted four days (two of which were for travel), it was very memorable.… Continue Reading “A TRIP TO CALIFORNIA”
FORGIVENESS: The Gift only a God could give us.
When someone gives you a gift, such as Christmas time or your birthday, you naturally think of money, expensive articles of clothing or fancy kitchen appliances. Most of these gifts are what we want, not what we need. What gifts would God give us to… Continue Reading “FORGIVENESS: The Gift only a God could give us.”
WONDER IF…
One of the things I like about science and the discovery of wonderful, new ideas is the ability to wonder about things and make hypotheses about why they exist. The human mind is made to wonder about why something is and to try to… Continue Reading “WONDER IF…”
DO YOU HAVE SPIRITUAL DEPRESSION?
Whoa! Wait a minute! Are you saying there is such a thing as being spiritually depressed? Yes, I am! What follows are my reflections from Lectio Divina meditation and contemplation on Philippians 2:5. I asked the question, what are aberrations or dysfunctions of the… Continue Reading “DO YOU HAVE SPIRITUAL DEPRESSION?”
YOU HAVE REASON FOR A REASON
I recently wrote a blog about the Fermi Paradox. It may or may not be a paradox but it asks the question, where is everybody out there? We haven’t found so much as a hiccup from SETI, or an organic molecule of life, much… Continue Reading “YOU HAVE REASON FOR A REASON”
YOU DON’T WANT TO SLEEP IN THIS BED
As part of my Lectio Divina, I sometimes get bizarre thoughts and ideas. I was trying to meditate on my Lectio (reading or saying, which is always Phil 2:5) and the fact that humans have frequent temptations to stretch the truth to our own convenience… Continue Reading “YOU DON’T WANT TO SLEEP IN THIS BED”
YOUR TRIP TO OMEGA
Life may be like a set of train tracks, but with one difference. Did you know you are on an inexorable trip to Omega and might not even be aware of it? Here are some ideas I had while doing Lectio Divina contemplation before… Continue Reading “YOUR TRIP TO OMEGA”
THE MORE PROFOUND SPIRITUALITY IS, THE SIMPLER IT BECOMES
That title statement cannot be correct, can it? Think about it! If God is one, an assumption which I hold, then all that is real is contained in The One. There is no two. As part of my Lectio Divina contemplation, I reflected on… Continue Reading “THE MORE PROFOUND SPIRITUALITY IS, THE SIMPLER IT BECOMES”
SPIRITUALITY FOR PET OWNERS
The following blog is excerpted from my book, What Happens to You When Your Pet Dies: Spirituality for Pet Owners. See section in Books. You can lose a pet in an accident, or it can run away, or you may have to terminate its… Continue Reading “SPIRITUALITY FOR PET OWNERS”
WHAT IS YOUR CENTER?
The following excerpt is from my book entitled, For Behold, I Make All Things New: A Lay Cistercian reflects on mercy, forgiveness, confession and penance to grow in faith, love, and service. I can remember it very well. I stood as high as my… Continue Reading “WHAT IS YOUR CENTER?”
THRIVING IN THE PRESENCE OF PURE ENERGY
The following description is a synopsis of my forthcoming work, whatever you want to call it, entitled THRIVING IN THE PRESENCE OF PURE ENERGY: A Lay Cistercian reflects on invisible reality, The Mystery of Faith, and Eucharistic Adoration. It should be completed in September,… Continue Reading “THRIVING IN THE PRESENCE OF PURE ENERGY”
Wash Me and I Will Be Whiter Than Snow
Sometimes God wait for us on a bench in what may seem like impossible conditions. In contemplation, I realize that there are three levels of awareness I must master. Good — I wait for God to meet me because I made the appointment with… Continue Reading “Wash Me and I Will Be Whiter Than Snow”
REFLECTIONS ON THE SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE
The following reflections come from one of my Lectio Divina Contemplations. Have you ever heard of the phenomenon about pole reversal, which states that our North and South poles have sifted over the billions of years earth has been here? How this… Continue Reading “REFLECTIONS ON THE SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE”
10 FACTS ABOUT LAY CISTERCIANS YOU MAY NOT KNOW
While Cistercians have been around since the mid-10th century, and before them Benedictines from the time of St. Benedict (c. 540) and before them various monastic strains, Lay Cistercians are a very recent movement. There are two types of Cistercians that trace their foundations… Continue Reading “10 FACTS ABOUT LAY CISTERCIANS YOU MAY NOT KNOW”
HOW TO ENTER THE REALM OF THE SACRED
What might seem like an Indiana Jones fantasy adventure to enter the lost or forbidden realm of the Sacred is indeed the most simple, in keeping with everything about God. You simply go there. Contemplation is seeking God within you, among other places. Close… Continue Reading “HOW TO ENTER THE REALM OF THE SACRED”
LEARNING POINTS ABOUT MERCY, FORGIVENESS, CONFESSION AND PENANCE
The following list is from my book, For Behold, I Make All Things New. (see Books in this blog) 1. Whenever you use God’s energy, through contemplation or through penance, something wonderful happens inside you. 2. Penance re-aligns your spiritual purpose with God’s. 3.… Continue Reading “LEARNING POINTS ABOUT MERCY, FORGIVENESS, CONFESSION AND PENANCE”
My life as a poem.
What follows is a poem about my life. It is, as yet, unfinished, but the elements are all present. My Life As A Poem I sing the song of life and love… …sometimes flat and out of tune …sometimes eloquent and full of… Continue Reading “My life as a poem.”
Fermi’s Paradox
You have heard of Enrico Fermi, physicist, haven’t you? https://www.space.com/25325-fermi-paradox.html He was having lunch with his friends one day and the subject was life outside of earth. He simply asked, “Where is everybody?” What may or may not be a paradox, depending on who… Continue Reading “Fermi’s Paradox”
Reparation: Why waste your time praying?
Prayer is all about lifting your heart and mind to God. There are lots of reasons to pray. Here is one reason that probably goes unnoticed. Think about this! You are driving down the highway at 80 mph, clearly above the 70 mph limit,… Continue Reading “Reparation: Why waste your time praying?”
Carving out solitude for Contemplation
The big problem with contemplation for those living in the world is the static that comes from being bombarded with all kinds of interests and projects competing for our time. Face it. There will never be a good time for contemplation (unless you carve… Continue Reading “Carving out solitude for Contemplation”
A Lay Cistercian reflects on moving from self to God
There are many lessons I have learned about trying to be spiritual in my lifetime. Here are a few. Spirituality, i.e., moving from self to God, is a lifetime process. I marvel, when talking to people who have said they left the Catholic Church… Continue Reading “A Lay Cistercian reflects on moving from self to God”
HOW DIET REMINDS ME OF CONTEMPLATION
Although I try mightily, I am constantly tempted to stop any attempts at contemplation. This is like a runner who must find a mental challenge, as well as the physical one of running the distance. In one of my Lectio Divina meditations, I found… Continue Reading “HOW DIET REMINDS ME OF CONTEMPLATION”
A Lay Cistercian Reflects on the Practice of Contemplative Practice
As an aspiring Lay Cistercian, I would like to share with you some of the practical and real ways in which I pray, using silence, solitude, work, prayer, in the context of community. These reflection are my own and do not reflect any official… Continue Reading “A Lay Cistercian Reflects on the Practice of Contemplative Practice”
THREE THINGS GOD TOLD ME ABOUT CANCER , WHEN I SAT NEXT TO HIM IN CONTEMPLATION
If you think I am some kind of religious fanatic, let me assure you that I am not. What this blog topic is about is ten days of contemplation using the Lectio Divina method. I didn’t always have success at waiting for God, which… Continue Reading “THREE THINGS GOD TOLD ME ABOUT CANCER , WHEN I SAT NEXT TO HIM IN CONTEMPLATION”
THE JESUS CODE: ENTERING THE REALM OF ENLIGHTENMENT
The path to enlightenment has been trod many times by those seeking the way, what is true, and the fullness of life. Are you on it?
Seeking God in Daily Life
The morning is dark and lovely with the silence that comes with listening with the ear of the heart (St. Benedict’s Rule, Prologue) to the insights and love only God can share. The cool air of the third day of Spring smells fresh and with… Continue Reading “Seeking God in Daily Life”
How contemplative prayer helped me with cancer.
The following excerpt is from my still unpublished journal on You Know You Are Going to Die, New What? Three Questions You Must Face Head On Sometimes is it easier to write down your thoughts before you attempt to express them with others.… Continue Reading “How contemplative prayer helped me with cancer.”
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