An angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there. . . When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” - John 5:4-6 NKJV Too often we go to prayer looking for ...
We are certainly right to think of God in light of eternity. However, the temptation can be to think of eternity as sometime or someplace in the future. That’s why it’s so compelling that our Eternal God identifies Godself as “I AM” (Ex 3:14), not “I was” or “I will be.” In taking this Name, God reveals the...
Contemplative prayer invites us to pray with our whole selves, including our bodily selves. Jesus expressed his divinity through his human body, and we can express the Spirit which indwells us in the same way! Fr. Richard Rohr discusses drumming as a contemplative practice: There are many forms of body prayer—for example, chant, walking meditation, dance . . . tai chi, pilgrimages, prayer beads, gestures, and...
The invitation offered by Centering prayer to use a word, object, song, etc. “when engaged with thoughts” in order to reaffirm openness to God is NOT meant to direct us not to think – this would be impossible! When you settle into a Centering Prayer period, thoughts will come, and in many cases, are vessels of grace, even as we don’t engage them. Recognizing that...
As we turn our focus to the ever new and ever-present joys of the Resurrection, the MMOC Contemplative Core Team (CCT) wishes to offer a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who attended either part of our Lenten program! We have been pleased to hear from so many how the Spirit used these outings to deepen your relationship with ...
Fr. Richard Rohr here suggests a practice for allowing to “die” those parts of our false, passing selves whose time has passed: At the end of [World War II], some Japanese communities had the wisdom to understand that many of their . . . . veterans’ only identity for their formative years had been as a “loyal soldier” to their country, but now they needed ...
The fourth guideline of Centering Prayer is, “At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.” At times, it may be tempting to mitigate or even “skip over” this guideline, particularly if we are doing our prayer practices in the midst of an especially busy, frustrating, or exciting moment in our lives. Nevertheless, this guideline ...
The key reason the Contemplative Core Team advocates Centering Prayer and other forms of contemplation is because they allow us to know God heart-to-heart – the only way God can even begin to be truly known! Nevertheless, although no words can fully capture the truth of God, poetry and other works of art can give expression to the Truth that only the heart can really know. In that spirit, we offer you ...
The third Centering Prayer Guideline is, “When engaged with your thoughts [including body sensations, feelings, images, and reflections], return ever so gently to the sacred word.” In examining this guideline, we must recognize that...
This week we offer the artwork below for your prayer. This painting was created by French Catholic priest François Vidil in collaboration with the community of the Mafa African tribe. Take some time to sit with the image. How does it speak to your heart? How does it challenge you? How does it bless you? What response does it evoke in you? (Click the title to see the full article with image)
The second guideline of Centering Prayer is, “Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your...