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November 2020

November 28, 2020

Heart to Heart, Simple Awareness of Love

Recently I received this message from a new reader of this blog... Hi Carl, I...

November 17, 2020

Finding Your Perfect Prayer Posture

A question that sometimes comes up when people are first learning a practice like Centering...

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...

January 2019

January 17, 2019

Understanding How Contemplation and Mysticism are Different (and Similar)

Sometimes people will ask me if "contemplation" and "mysticism" are synonyms. I admit: I often...

January 04, 2019

After the Silence, or, the Long Process of Forming a Contemplative Life

So you've been to a centering prayer workshop or two, and now you participate in...

January 01, 2019

Silence is Not a Vow (Not Even for Monks)

"There are times when good words are to be left unsaid out of esteem for...

December 2018

December 28, 2018

The Privilege of Silence

Back in 2003, I spent a day at a relatively new monastery near Sligo, Ireland....

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...

October 2018

October 06, 2018

Ten Bible Verses About Silence, Stillness and Solitude

This evening I've been asked to speak to a small house church in my neighborhood...

October 02, 2018

How To Know When to Speak (and When to Be Silent)

Recently I posted this on Facebook: In response, a reader made this comment: Carl, it...

August 2018

August 17, 2018

Three Forthcoming Books On Silence You Won’t Want to Miss

Over the next six months at least three noteworthy books on one of my favorite...

May 2018

May 18, 2018

We Need to Find the Silence Within — Even in the Midst of a “Joyful Noise”

Check out this insightful, evocative quotation from Barbara A. Holme's wonderful book Joy Unspeakable: Contemplative Practices...

May 02, 2018

What’s the difference between Ignatian Spirituality and Centering Prayer?

What is the difference between centering prayer and Ignatian spirituality? To answer this question, let's...

April 2018

April 25, 2018

A Conversation with Richard Rohr, OFM

Richard Rohr — author of numerous books on the contemplative dimension of spirituality, including Everything Belongs and The...

January 2018

January 08, 2018

Contemplating the Trinity

The heart of Christian spirituality is the Mystery of the Holy Trinity. This is the...

November 2017

November 30, 2017

What is the Relationship Between Silence and Social Justice?

Today’s post is by a guest contributor: writer, photographer, and filmmaker Cassidy Hall. ...your silences will...

November 14, 2017

If You Could Capture Contemplation on a DVD, It Might Be a Lot Like This…

One of my favorite movies is finally becoming available on blu-ray and DVD: In Pursuit...

October 2017

October 26, 2017

Six Books on Christian Spirituality (and the Order in Which to Read Them)

It's always a little awkward to write about my own books. But today's post is...

October 02, 2017

“No Moment of Silence” — Why Boycotting Silence is A Mistake

We are all reeling from the horrific events in Las Vegas Sunday night. May God...

September 2017

September 22, 2017

Seven “Ingredients” for Cultivating a Truly Mystical Life

Last night I gave a talk at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Philip, here in...

July 2017

July 26, 2017

The Politics of Silence

The other day, I posted this tweet: And a friend of mine posted this...

May 2017

May 23, 2017

What Is the Relationship Between Christian Prayer and Meditation?

Christian spirituality is dedicated to growing in intimacy with God. Both the prayer of silence...

May 21, 2017

Mystery of the Missing Silence

To you, silence is praise, O God in Zion: and unto You shall the vow...

March 2017

March 29, 2017

Is it possible to “fail” at contemplative prayer?

Anyone who has ever trained with weights knows that form is important. If you lift...

March 15, 2017

Why Silence Matters (Video)

Silence is the heart of the spiritual life, and especially of the Christian contemplative...

February 2017

February 15, 2017

Seven Important Bible Verses About Silence

Catholics (and other Christians) can be a noisy bunch. I'm always a bit surprised when I...

January 2017

January 12, 2017

Andrew Garfield and Stephen Colbert talk about Silence, Jesuits and Humility…

Are you as eager to see Martin Scorsese's film adaptation of Shusako Endo's Silence as I...

January 11, 2017

“Constantly Seek His Face”

Today’s Mass Readings (Hebrews 2:14–18, Psalm 105:1–9, and Mark 1:29–39) offer an interesting insight into the role...

November 2016

November 23, 2016

Thoughts are to contemplative silence like a monstrance is to the Host

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines contemplation like this: A form of wordless prayer...

September 2016

September 21, 2016

The Flicker of the Screen

For if there is no dark night of the soul anymore that isn’t lit with...