A reader named Allen writes: With what is going on in the world, how do we as contemplatives take care of our spiritual health? I find it more challenging to…
Category: Spirituality
In Defense of Forgiveness
Forgiveness is a central tenet of Christian faith and practice. But what exactly is it? Is it an emotional process by which people are supposed to overcome hurt feelings —…
Questions After a Retreat: What Books to Read, What Steps to Take Next
Shortly after concluding my Praying with the Spanish Mystics Retreat, one of the persons who participated sent me this follow-up email: Hello. I have your book Answering the Contemplative Call, which…
Missing Your Favorite Monastery or Retreat House? Here are Some Online Retreat Opportunities
In these extraordinary times that we find ourselves in, I have been profoundly moved at how meaningful online retreats and courses have become for so many. Everyone knows that Zoom…
The Sheer Sound of a Still Small Voice
“God speaks to us in a whisper,” or so said an Episcopal priest I once knew. It was one of his trademark sayings, and the idea was obvious enough: if…
Your Home is Your Abbey; Your Heart is Your Cloister
I met a woman once, many years ago, who taught writing in a prison. She had the inmates read The Rule of Saint Benedict. She encouraged them to use the spirituality…
Advice for Surviving a Pandemic from Julian of Norwich
Anyone who spends time on this blog knows that I love Julian of Norwich; just as John Ruysbroeck was Evelyn Underhill’s favorite mystic, Julian is far and away my favorite….
Celtic Spirituality, Celtic Prayer, and the Promises of the Heart: Three Contemplative Online Courses
It’s March, and that means St. Patrick’s Day is just a few days away! This year, instead of (or, in addition to) enjoying a pint of green beer, why don’t…
Less than 12% of the Catholic Catechism is devoted to spirituality. That, in a nutshell, is what’s wrong with the church today.
Over the years I have discovered that there are three types of people interested in Christian mysticism and contemplative spirituality: Some are practicing Christians, active in their local parish or…
“Blessed are the Peacemakers” — Jesus Said It, and It Still Applies Today
A couple of days ago in a dream I was instructed to write about “Blessed are the Peacemakers.” At first I put it off, because it’s such a huge topic…
Ora et Labora and Right Livelihood: Some Notes Toward a Contemplative Spirituality of Work
Most of us spend a lot of time working — so what is the spirituality of work? And how does work impact, or integrate with, our spiritual practice? The motto…
The Paradox of Radical Trust
On his live album Precious Friend, Arlo Guthrie cracked a joke: “You can’t have a light without a dark to stick it in.” Seekers of holy nonduality recognize this: in…