What is the relationship between language and silence? Between words and truth-telling? How can we foster a more truly contemplative relationship with the way we speak to one another? These…
Author: Carl McColman
Soul Friend and Storyteller. Lay Cistercian, Centering Prayer Presenter, Author, Blogger, Podcaster, Speaker, Teacher, Retreat Leader.
From Mythology to Mysticism: A New Way to Think About Lectio Divina
If you have been reading this blog (or participating in Christian contemplative practices) for a while, no doubt you are familiar with Lectio Divina. If not, you can see a…
The Fruit of the Spirit… and the Fraught Words that Divide Us
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things… if we live by the Spirit,…
Upcoming Events: In New York, Maryland, and Online
Friends, just want to make sure everyone is aware of a few upcoming events I have on the calendar. Join me for a retreat and a book signing in New…
The Relationship Between Meditation, Mysticism and Contemplation
A long-term reader and patron of this blog recently wrote to me this message: Just what is a contemplative person or for that matter tradition? Is a Christian mystic by…
The Pilgrim as Interspiritual Archetype
A little while back I wrote a blog post called “Five Approaches to Interspirituality.” In this post, I compare interspiritual practice to having a relationship with more than one country…
Where to Rest Your Awareness in Centering Prayer
A reader of this blog recently wrote this question to me: I’ve read and listened to Fr. Thomas Keating quite a bit but am still a little confused regarding where…
It’s Not Too Late to Sign Up for the Modern Mystics School!
Hi friends, just wanted to make sure that if you haven’t had a chance to sign up for the Modern Mystics School sponsored by Spiritual Wanderlust, it’s not too late to do…
Too Busy to Read? Check Out My Audiobooks
Everyone is so busy these days. I get it. So many books, so little time. Which is why audiobooks are God’s gift to commuters and other busy folks. If you…
Queering Contemplation: Preorder Cassidy Hall’s New Book Now
The silence became an emptiness, a steadiness, a solitude, a sacred pause, and a container of nothingness I could bathe in. — Cassidy Hall My friend and colleague Cassidy Hall…
Meister Eckhart: A Deeper Dive (33 Books to Explore)
A Facebook friend recently posted a request for suggestions on books by or about Meister Eckhart. There are so many, that I couldn’t figure out a succinct way to respond…
More Dancing, More Tears: A Poem for Elias Marechal on the Anniversary of His Passing
Today is the one year anniversary of the passing of my dear friend, mentor, and partner in crime, Brother Elias Marechal, OCSO. Last year I wrote about him at the…