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May 2019

May 06, 2019

I’m Uncomfortable with the Notion of the “False Self.” Here’s Why.

A reader named Dave recently sent this question to me: Hi Carl, could you please...

May 04, 2019

Uncovering the Spiritual Heart through Contemplative Practice

Today's post is written by Lerita Coleman Brown, PhD, author of When the Heart Speaks, Listen:...

May 02, 2019

The Challenges of Spiritual Simplicity

One of the most attractive, although challenging, qualities of the Cistercian charism is simplicity. It's...

April 2019

April 29, 2019

Persevering Through the Dry Times of Prayer

In response to a post I wrote last year — "What to Do When Prayer...

April 24, 2019

After Wisdom: Speculating on the Future of Humanity

What is the future of humanity? Will we ever evolve beyond our current identity of homo...

April 23, 2019

Advice to a Young Christian — about Witchcraft and the Spiritual World

Since I have written about witchcraft and neopaganism — both books and posts on this...

April 13, 2019

Joyful Penitence and a Continuous Lent

Alleluia! Lent is almost over! In just a few days to come we will journey...

April 08, 2019

Intention, Attention, and the Practice of Contemplative Prayer

This is the third of a series of blog posts in response to a lengthy...

April 02, 2019

The Poetics of Faith, or, Why Centering Prayer is a Method and Not a Technique

Recently on social I media I offered this observation: My online friend James Ishmael Ford,...

March 2019

March 08, 2019

Six Videos on a Variety of Contemplative Topics

In August 2015 I had the opportunity to record a series of videos in front...

February 2019

February 14, 2019

How to Find God in Your Dreams

One night in a dream I found myself near the Ballston Metro station in Arlington,...

February 11, 2019

The Easy Way to Pray the Liturgy of the Hours

I believe that anyone who is serious about embracing the Christian contemplative path needs some form...

December 2018

December 26, 2018

Silence and Words are Like Yin and Yang: a Contemplative Spirituality Needs Both

How does language help us — or hinder us — as we try to express...

December 20, 2018

Planting the Seed and Watching it Grow

I grew up in the suburbs, and gardening was not something my family devoted much...

December 07, 2018

Christianity is a Myth — and I say that as a faithful Catholic

I lost a follower on Facebook today. I'm sure it happens all the time, but...

November 2018

November 15, 2018

If Mystical Christianity is Shamanistic, then the Divine Office is the Drum

For years, I have thought that one of the best ways to understand Christian spirituality...

November 13, 2018

God is Love — and Love is a Story

If the 1959 plane crash which claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper,...

November 01, 2018

Dialogue with a Druid (About the Relationship Between the Mystical Life and Faith Community)

On Facebook recently I engaged in a dialogue with a reader named Aaron who commented...

October 2018

October 27, 2018

Farewell to Two Contemplative Authors

This week was a rough one for the Christian contemplative community. We lost two major...

October 18, 2018

Letting Go Of (Our Limited Image of) God

“God loves us whether we remain Christian or not." That's a statement I made in...

October 10, 2018

Want to Learn About Zen? Here’s a Book to Get You Started

Introduction to Zen Koans: Learning the Language of Dragons is the latest book by James Ishmael...

September 2018

September 11, 2018

God In The Balance: More Thoughts About Mary and Martha

Today's post is by a guest author, Dr. David Rensberger, author of Johannine Faith and Liberating...

August 2018

August 14, 2018

Four Keys to a Contemplative Life (Courtesy of Psalm 37)

For years now I have loved Psalm 37, for it includes one of my favorite...

August 02, 2018

What To Do When Mystics Feel Like Misfits

In response to my recent article Why Are Mystics So... Weird?!?, one reader posted this comment

July 2018

July 25, 2018

The Self, Self-Esteem, and Dying to Self: Contemplative Spirituality and the Ego

A reader of this blog named John wrote to me a while back and asked...

July 23, 2018

Give Love, Receive the Kingdom: A New Treat for Lovers of English Spirituality

If you love the spirituality of the English people, a new treat awaits you, courtesy...

July 19, 2018

Saying Yes to “Prayer Without Ceasing”

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Saint Paul throws down the spiritual gauntlet. He instructs his readers...

June 2018

June 28, 2018

Why Finding God In All Things Leads to Fullness of Joy

One of the my favorite Christian writers is a woman who lived in fourteenth century...

June 25, 2018

Prayer of the Heart is the Heart of Prayer

Scripture very bluntly tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory...

June 22, 2018

Anam Ċara in Verse: How Poetry Is a Soul Friend

N.B. Today's guest post is by Judith Valente, poet, Benedictine oblate, and author of How to...