Q: I’ve been practicing meditation/contemplation for more than twenty years. As of late, I am periodically troubled by the question “why am I doing this, i.e., contemplation?” The question is in […]
Why Attend Multi-Day Retreats?
Q: Throughout the year we have opportunities to attend days of prayer. What do extended retreats add to the spiritual journey that reading books, attending Centering Prayer groups and workshops don't? […]
When you are in pain…
Q. When you are in pain, can you still practice the Welcoming Prayer if you take pain pills and/or tranquilizers? A. Prayer is a relationship. In any intimate relationship, one […]
What Texts to Use With Lectio Divina
Q: I’ve been listening to The Spiritual Journey on CD’s and watching DVD’s to become thoroughly familiar with Centering Prayer. I am praying Lectio Divina, per Fr. Keating’s guidelines of […]
What is “My Shadow Self”
Q. I am quite new to practicing Centering Prayer and entering into the contemplative life, and I am craving it more and more. I am an avid reader and have […]
What is Being “Welcomed” in the Practice of the Welcoming Prayer?
Q: On the Welcoming Prayer practice, what is being welcomed? What if I don’t feel “welcoming”? It seems like I can’t even “feel and sink into” the sensation if I’m […]
Welcoming & Security Issues
Q: I need help. Every day I pray the Welcoming Prayer. I trip up at “I let go my desire for security and survival.” I’m a mother. How can I […]
“We acknowledge that any good accomplished by CO is the work of the Holy Spirit”
Q: This is about the wording of the Contemplative Outreach Theological Principle 16 – “We acknowledge that any good accomplished by CO is the work of the Holy Spirit”. It […]
Using a Vision in Centering Prayer Instead of a Sacred Word
Q: In the last couple of weeks I find that a certain vision of a person with her/his back to me and arms stretched out toward a representation of me […]
Unsure of the Outcomes of Prayer
Q: I always try contemplative prayer, and it seems to be working. How can one be sure that the outcome (even though negative at times) is working for the right? […]
Unloading and Evacuation of Emotions
Q: There is a female inmate in a weekly Centering Prayer group I facilitate who is afraid of doing Centering Prayer on a daily basis because she believes she would […]
Thomas Keating & The Three Biological Needs
Q: Thomas Keating identifies three essential biological needs for human beings: (1) Security & Survival, (2) Power & Control, and (3) Affection & Esteem. Can you please tell me if […]
These Annoying Humans!
Q: What the heck is one supposed to do if one just doesn’t like people and humanity? Seemingly making some progress in my practice, desire closer relationship with God, but […]
There is No Other
Q: I have received and seen the DVD “God is All in All”. I enjoyed it very much. Thank you! However I have a question. Thomas Keating talks a lot […]
The Welcoming Prayer in Moments of Crisis
Q: How can the Welcoming Prayer help us during this time of Covid-19? Mary Dwyer: What an extraordinary time we are all living through. Personally, I feel a deep and […]
The Welcoming Prayer and Taking Action
Q: I understand the Welcoming Prayer is about acceptance. But what about change and action? If your boss treats you bad, your doctor ignores your health, if someone threatens […]
The Welcoming Prayer and “letting go of the desire for security, affection, and control.”
Q: I have a question about the Welcoming Prayer, related to “letting go of the desire for security, affection, and control.” I say the prayer often during my daily encounters […]
The Use of a Sacred Image During Centering Prayer
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 […]
The Two-Armed Embrace of God
Q: I daily say the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. However there are times that I cannot complete these prayers and I wonder [uneasily], is this how God […]
The Soul and the True Self
Q: I am currently wrestling with various concepts and definitions and how they fit together. When it comes to the false self and the true self I find the glossary at […]
The Sacred Word in Centering Prayer
Q: I have found it difficult to use just one word as I meditate. A simple 3-word phrase – that resonates strongly with me – is most comfortable for me. […]
The Sacred Word
Q: I know my sacred word is not a mantra. It is for me to use to express my intention of attending during my prayer time and I am to […]
The Rosary and Contemplation
Q: Is it possible to pray contemplatively while saying the rosary at the same time? A: The rosary, like Lectio Divina, can move one into a state of resting in […]
The Role of Purgatory
Q: I have a question on Purgatory……my hope has always been that to suffer here and experience death is enough … however our Church teaches differently. I would like to […]
The Original Blessing
Q: My grandchildren are being raised Baptist Faith. When I asked what made them want to be baptized by full immersion, I fully expected them to say ‚Äúbecause they love God‚Äù; […]
Made possible by a charitable foundation
supporting meditation and contemplative prayer.