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….
Called to the Prayer of Listening to Christ
God saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus…
Contemplation and Vocal Prayer: For a Balanced Spiritual “Diet,” Cultivate Both
A reader of the blog wrote to me with this question: We had an opportunity last night to attend a presentation on prayer & spiritual warfare. I’m now contemplating the…
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…
With Great Reverence and Above Reason: Two Keys to the Mystical Adoration of God
If you talk to an old-school Trappist monk, he’ll tell you that “adoration” is something properly given to God alone. I learned this the hard way, when in the acknowledgements…
“The Settling of the Mind Into Silence” — How a Definition of Yoga also Defines All Forms of Contemplation
The first four lines of the ancient text, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, offer a basic definition of yoga — that might surprise many westerners who are used to thinking of…
Have We Given Up on “Happily Ever After”?
First, an admission: I have a guilty pleasure in costume dramas, especially the kind that show up on PBS. From Downton Abbey to Lark Rise to Candleford to Victoria to the endless adaptations…
What’s the Best Church for Contemplative Christians?
A reader writes: Carl, do you think the Catholic Church has more scope to welcome contemplative Christians? I attend an Anglican church and I’m very high Anglican in my thinking….
Contemplation and Emotional Intensity
One of this blog’s readers wrote to me this past Saturday (February 15, 2020) to ask a question about Richard Rohr’s daily meditation for that day. Here’s the quote (emphasis…
Mysticism is a Love Story: A Baker’s Dozen of Contemplative Books for Valentine’s Day (or Any Day)
Simply put, mysticism — at least, Christian mysticism — is all about love. To explore Christian mysticism basically means to explore love. It’s an invitation to join the noblest of…
“For Darkness is as Light to You” — Why Mysticism Isn’t Afraid of the Dark
So if the Bible rather consistently offers this image of light representing good and dark representing evil, why then do we find writings in the literature of mysticism with titles like The Dark Night of the Soul (St. John of the Cross), The Darkness of God (Denys Turner), and A Dazzling Darkness (an anthology of mystical wisdom)?
Seven Mystical Affirmations
Currently I’m reading two classic self-help books, both for my personal edification and as research for a project I’m working on. The books are Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and John Bradshaw’s Healing…