Night of the Sense and Night of the Spirit
Q: I recently read Fr. Daniel Renaud's article on "Desire and Everyday Mysticism" and I see that over 25 years of Christian life I started on the positive way […]
Author: pbegeman
Posts by pbegeman
Finding Wonders in the Desert
Few go willingly into the desert. It is a harsh life, more about survival than comfort. The silence can blister like the noonday sun. But harsh does not mean […]
Centering Prayer and Trauma
Q: I have been practicing Centering Prayer for 12 years, and recently I have been praying for the transformation process to hurry up. To put it more politely, for […]
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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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 […]
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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. […]
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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Contemplative Tattooing
Many years of meditation have given me the time to develop a relationship with the Divine in silence and solitude. This ever-deepening relationship has conditioned me to bring contemplative […]
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 […]
