A reader, who chooses to remain anonymous, posed the following question: “a world shaped by peace and harmony among the people of all positive paths.” Are they all the way …
Many Paths, One Way: Balancing Religious Commitment with Spiritual Diversity Read More »
“Everyone can pray” is the hopeful and helpful opening message of Learning to Pray, the new book from bestselling Jesuit author James Martin. But he knows that many people don’t …
When I was a small boy, there was a lady named Mrs. Frazier who lived across the street from my home. Mrs. Frazier and her husband were a bit older …
How My Surrogate Grandmother Introduced Me to Silence Read More »
A reader recently wrote to me: Dear Carl, I grew up as a Protestant, but as I’ve journeyed into Contemplative Christianity over the last while I’ve become more amenable to Roman …
How do I choose a contemplative lay order? And do I have to be Catholic to do so? Read More »
Contemplative spirituality has its own jargon, and this “language of prayer” evolves over time. Nowadays you’ll find students of the mystical path speaking about meditation, nonduality, mindfulness and heightened consciousness, …
The Prayer of Recollection: A Classic Mystical Practice as Taught by Evelyn Underhill Read More »
Nobody’s perfect. It’s such a bit of folk wisdom that it just rolls off our tongue. But do we believe it? Do we accept the imperfections in ourselves — or …
Sometimes, people grow up in conservative churches where the Bible is often read in a very literal or fundamentalist way. Such persons might go on to study at a college …
Balancing Faith in the Word with a Scholarly Understanding of the Bible Read More »
Dear friends, I’m excited to announce that I have launched two new podcasts. Each one will be oriented toward exploring mystical spirituality — one in a more “learning about” sense, …
Two New Podcasts, One Existing Podcast, and a Youtube Channel for You to Explore Read More »
Today, September 29, is the Feast Day for the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. It’s traditionally known as “Michaelmas” and in the Episcopal Church it’s called the Feast of St. …
One of the most attractive, although challenging, qualities of the Cistercian charism is simplicity. It’s a principle immediately apparent in Cistercian architecture: the monasteries and churches of the Cistercian order, …
A reader named Allen writes: With what is going on in the world, how do we as contemplatives take care of our spiritual health? I find it more challenging to …
Forgiveness is a central tenet of Christian faith and practice. But what exactly is it? Is it an emotional process by which people are supposed to overcome hurt feelings — …
Shortly after concluding my Praying with the Spanish Mystics Retreat, one of the persons who participated sent me this follow-up email: Hello. I have your book Answering the Contemplative Call, which …
Questions After a Retreat: What Books to Read, What Steps to Take Next Read More »
In these extraordinary times that we find ourselves in, I have been profoundly moved at how meaningful online retreats and courses have become for so many. Everyone knows that Zoom …
“God speaks to us in a whisper,” or so said an Episcopal priest I once knew. It was one of his trademark sayings, and the idea was obvious enough: if …
