Voices of the Community
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Voices of Community
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“Welcome to this sacred circle, where each of us is invited to access the silent place within us where the Divine Presence awaits us.”[1] With these words, Fr. Thomas [...]
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Voices of Community
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When I was first asked to write about Lectio Divina in this time of crisis, many thoughts came to mind. Firstly, we are in the liturgical season of Easter [...]
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Voices of Community
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“Deep prayer is the laying aside of thoughts. It is the opening of mind and heart, body and feelings—our whole being—to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond words, thoughts, [...]
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Voices of Community
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My first encounter with Centering Prayer was in 2010 in Cambridge, England, where I was taking a two-year course of study on The Art of Spiritual Direction. One of [...]
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The Birth of God Within
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Voices of Community
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The birth narrative of Luke portrays Mary as the archetype of the Christian contemplative, whom Gabriel declares “full of grace” and “blessed among women” (Luke 1:28). For Luke, [...]
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The Sacred Breath
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Voices of Community
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Throughout most of my contemplative practice, the breath has been my natural access point into realms of Divine expansion. So much so that it has become my sacred symbol [...]
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Voices of Community
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I left the bedroom at 1:43 am, confident my congested, snoring wife would happily sleep away the night on her own. I made for the guest room and quiet. [...]
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Voices of Community
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When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will cause your life [...]
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Voices of Community
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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 [...]
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Voices of Community
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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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Voices of Community
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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. [...]
Title:
The Nameless Place
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Voices of Community
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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. [...]
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Voices of Community
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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 [...]
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Voices of Community
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“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 [...]
Title:
Tuning-in to Nature
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Voices of Community
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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 [...]
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Voices of Community
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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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Voices of Community
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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 [...]
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Voices of Community
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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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Voices of Community
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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 [...]
Title:
The Wind Beneath Our Wings
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Voices of Community
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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 [...]
Title:
Remembering Our Beloved
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Voices of Community
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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 [...]
Title:
Governing Board Updates
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Voices of Community
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As Pat Johnson prepares to retire from her role as administrator of Contemplative Outreach Ltd. at the end of 2018, the governing board agreed by consensus to appoint her to [...]
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Voices of Community
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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 [...]
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Voices of Community
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Here is a letter that Ken Wilber sent to Father Thomas shortly before he passed: Dearest Father Thomas, I’ve been following your illness as it progresses, and, with so many [...]
