Voices of the Community
Voices of Community
“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 [...]
Voices of Community
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 [...]
Voices of Community
“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, [...]
Voices of Community
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 [...]
The Birth of God Within
Voices of Community
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, [...]
The Sacred Breath
Voices of Community
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 [...]
Voices of Community
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. [...]
Voices of Community
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 [...]
Voices of Community
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 [...]
Voices of Community
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 [...]
Voices of Community
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. [...]
The Nameless Place
Voices of Community
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. [...]
Voices of Community
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 [...]
Voices of Community
“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 [...]
Tuning-in to Nature
Voices of Community
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 [...]
Voices of Community
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 [...]
Voices of Community
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 [...]
Voices of Community
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 [...]