When I was a sophomore in High School, my English teacher, Mrs. Romano, taught a section on William Blake. She gave us a handout with some information on the poet,…
Category: Contemplation
On Being a Lay Cistercian
“Are you a monk?” I get asked that question a lot, especially when I’m at the monastery where I work and pray and lead retreats. Perhaps it’s because of my…
Is Contemplation Boring?
“This article is boring.” I don’t know of any writer who wants to get this type of feedback from a reader. It certainly isn’t the kind of comment that makes…
The Nondual Writers of Footnote #45
A reader of this blog writes to me: Hi Carl. I was reading Richard Rohr’s The Naked Now and in one of the footnotes he lists a number of “non-dualistic” writers he…
Thoughts about Mysticism from 1953… and now
Here’s something interesting I stumbled across online the other day: an article from Time Magazine’s February 2, 1953 issue: Religion: Benedictine v. Trappist It’s basically an article about a Benedictine…
Lectio Divina
Some Christians will tell you that the heart of Christian spirituality is reading the Bible. Others will say that the key to mystical intimacy with God is not filling your…
Answers to Contemplation’s Objectors
I continue to be amazed at how some Christians reject, if not outright attack, contemplative and centering prayer. As best I can tell, the anti-contemplation arguments can be distilled down…