Q: I am a trying to get a handle on Centering Prayer. Is it OK … to use the imagery that comes into my head when I sit, e.g., God […]
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The Nameless Place
I enter what enters me, Reaching a place in me, yet not in me, Releasing me to extend beyond The sensed boundaries Of my being alone in the world. […]
Going Inside: An Elder Brother Learns the Father’s Embrace
The fifteen years since my conversion have found me testing and confirming Fr. Thomas Keating’s assertion that, “the false-self accompanies us, implacably, into whatever lifestyle we choose” (1). Raised […]
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Brief Contemplative Lessons from Meister Eckhart
Meister Eckhart was a Dominican friar who lived in fourteenth-century Germany. He was a contemplative engaged in preaching and teaching. When he preached, his sermons were subtle and sublime. […]
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The Goal of Centering Prayer
Q: When I was in college in the late 60's, I used psychedelic drugs a number of times. Now when I pray with Centering Prayer, I find myself […]
Silence is Not Empty: It is Filled with God
I cannot imagine a better start to each day than a silent sit. When I practice Centering Prayer, I respond to God’s question, “Will you sit with me (Matthew […]
God’s Hints of Non-Dual Love Within Science and Nature
"Science is becoming more and more a prophet for our time, telling us things about God we never knew and about how the universe works." – Thomas Keating, That We […]
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Tuning-in to Nature
If we take time to look and listen, nature provides space and oxygen to breathe, salve for our souls and encouragement for our spirits. However, to access that bounty, there […]
Introducing Centering Prayer and the Practice of Silence to Young Adults
At the end of October 2018, we attended the first retreat at Snowmass after the passing of Fr. Thomas Keating and Abbot Joseph Boyle. The retreat began just five days […]
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Experiencing Peace in Centering Prayer
Q: People practicing Centering Prayer speak of experiencing a sense of peace. Can you please comment? A: The word peace can have different meanings, but what does it mean in the […]
Desire and Everyday Mysticism
In our lives and in our prayer practice, we often unconsciously live out two different types of spirituality: 1) A spirituality of duty is focused on following the desire of […]
A Lenten Visio Divina at Gallery W83 in NYC
“this really happened” by Julie Shelton Snyder When it was time to exhibit the wood block prints that came out of her residency at the foot of Mt. Fuji in […]
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Sacred Pathways Into Centering Prayer
Welcoming the Body, Stilling the Mind, Opening the Heart Incarnating Breath, Gesture, Chant “The contemplative dimension is the heart and soul of every religion. It initiates the movement into […]
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Often I am more aware of my pulse than my breath
Q: I have used the sacred word and the sacred breath at different times in my practice of centering prayer. But often I am more aware of my pulse than […]
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It seems the interest to do Centering Prayer has died
Q: I had been practicing Centering Prayer since 2008. But for the past year it seems the interest to do it has died. I would rather say the rosary or […]
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How Contemplative Outreach of South Africa came into being
Our founder was Winnie Young, and in 1995 Fr Carl Arico (on his first of 4 visits) helped her establish an ad-hoc national committee. This was replaced in 1997 by […]
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Eight Contemplative Attitudes and Centering Prayer
Q: I am reading all I can about the process…as well as doing it twice daily.. I have examined closely the “contemplative attitudes” such as opening/gentleness/simplicity etc…. is it ok […]
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Books, Retreats and Centering Prayer
Q: I've been doing Centering Prayer faithfully for over 20 years. In the first 10-15 years I was hungry for information and read just about every book on spirituality and […]
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Who Will Replace Thomas Keating?
Centering Prayer – I think it’s increasing, it’s burgeoning, and I think after my demise it’s likely to grow significantly, even more. I don’t know why, it’s just the nature […]
The Wind Beneath Our Wings
I first met that Irish monk years ago on the sidewalk. I was alone, hesitant, looking for belonging It was just the two of us standing there before Mass when […]
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The Contemplative Dimension of Giving
Q: During this time when giving has so much to do with emptying shelves and wallets, what is the contemplative dimension of giving? A: When I reflect on the word […]
Remembering Our Beloved
Well done,my good and faithful servant.Come, share my joy. – Matthew 25:21 As we mourn the passing of our beloved teacher, Fr. Thomas Keating, let us reflect on all that […]
My prayer has not gone to a deeper level
Q: I have been doing centering prayer faithfully for a number of years. However, I am still operating on the surface, as a beginner. My prayer has not gone to […]
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The Active Prayer Practice
Q: The active prayer is my daily "go to" practice along with Centering Prayer. Can you please clarify the differences and similarities between receptive and active contemplative practices, and how […]
Letter to Fr. Thomas from Ken Wilber
Here is a letter that Ken Wilber sent to Father Thomas shortly before he passed: Dearest Father Thomas, I‚Äôve been following your illness as it progresses, and, with so many […]
