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 [...]
Title:
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, [...]
Title:
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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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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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 [...]
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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 [...]
Series:
Voices of Community
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My relationship with Fr. Thomas Keating has not been lengthy in terms of time but has been lasting in support for my practice and ministry and is embedded in my body as [...]
