I simply love this story of two desert fathers, which Thomas Merton recounts in his book The Wisdom of the Desert: There were two elders living together in a cell,…
Joyful Contemplation (No Fooling!)
If you are engaged in a serious and sustained practice of silent prayer and contemplative spirituality, then you need to be a very somber, sober, and serious person, for the…
You can do it, my friend: you can thrive with a daily practice of silent prayer
In my travels I hear a lot from people who get discouraged regarding silent prayer. Some folks tell me their minds race too much when they try to pray in silence….
Psalm 131: Humility, Silence and Hope
Sometimes I get asked “Where is contemplation in the Bible?” One obvious answer to this question is Psalm 131. It’s a short Psalm, only three verses. Here it is in…
"Just a touch of wildness"
One of my favorite contemplative authors from the early twentieth century — Evelyn Underhill — corresponded with another favorite author, C. S. Lewis. Underhill (1875-1941) was the leading English author…
Why We Need Contemplation
I am troubled by the idea that it’s harder to be a child today than it was when I was young. Is that just my personal angst, the anxiety of someone…
Let's go swimming.
God is an ocean of silence, mercy and love. Let’s go swimming. pic.twitter.com/GMbPdqWK57 — Carl McColman (@CarlMcColman) March 6, 2015
Making (and Keeping) a Personal Rule of Life
Every January, lots of folks make New Year’s Resolutions. This year I will lose weight, exercise more, improve my diet, pay off my credit cards. Sadly, though, it seems that by…
Lessons I’ve Learned from a Feral Cat
We first noticed feral kittens in our front yard last spring. At the time we just thought they were cute, and didn’t try to interact with them — like all…
The Dazzling Darkness
“There is in God (some say) A deep, but dazzling darkness” — Henry Vaughan “Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.” — Isaiah…
Seven Hopes for the Christian (and Church) of the Future
In his 1981 book Concern for the Church, Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner made his famous prediction, “the Christian of the future will be a mystic or he will not exist…
My Forthcoming Book on Cistercian Spirituality
Dear friends, I’m excited to announce the title and subject of my forthcoming book. In July 2013 I began a conversation with an editor associated with Ave Maria Press about…