So contemplation, mystically speaking, is one type of prayer. And the Catechism definition gives us a pretty good way of understanding this unique dimension of communication with God.
Tag: contemplative prayer
Living in the Spirit of Contemplative Prayer
What does it mean to live a contemplative life? Especially for those of us who are not called to live in a monastery or some other form of intentional religious…
Contemplating Calm Awareness
The contemplative psychiatrist, spiritual director, and author Gerald May wrote in his book Will and Spirit: A Contemplative Psychology: Water is a commonly used metaphor for consciousness and awareness in…
“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…
Prayer for Beginners: What is the Best Practice for Newcomers to Mystical Christianity?
A reader writes, I am emailing to ask you what particular practice of prayer you would suggest to someone starting out on the mystical path? I have a little experience…
Four Questions about Centering Prayer and Other Forms of Contemplative Practice
I received the following email from a reader. I’m editing it slightly for the purpose of clarity, but otherwise posting it in its entirety. My question hovers around how centering prayer and Cynthia Bourgeault’s expression of it sits in tension with Orthodox traditions of the Jesus Prayer. Bourgeault figures centering…… Read more at Patheos
Four Keys to a Contemplative Life (Courtesy of Psalm 37)
For years now I have loved Psalm 37, for it includes one of my favorite verses in all of scripture: Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4) But there’s much more to this Psalm than that one splendid verse, excellent as…… Read more at Patheos
Five Elements of a Daily Contemplative Practice — and Four Principles for Cultivating Your Practice
Recently a reader of this blog posted this question: Just curious Carl — what does your typical schedule look like? How do you put it all together? I think the larger question here…
What to do When Contemplative Prayer Leads to Sadness
A reader, who has asked to remain anonymous, writes: I have been practicing centering prayer for about 3 years. It took me a while, but I stuck with it and…
Thoughts are to Contemplative Silence like a Monstrance is to the Host
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines contemplation like this: A form of wordless prayer in which mind and heart focus on God’s greatness and goodness in affective, loving adoration;…
Seven Blessings of Silent Prayer
Silent prayer — contemplative prayer, what the Catholic Catechism calls “wordless prayer in which mind and heart focus on God’s greatness and goodness in affective, loving adoration” — is an…
Mindfulness and Contemplation
Recently a reader left the following comment on this blog: I have been reading and tried to practice the way of a contemplative life although poorly I believe. But my…