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Tag Archives: Mother Teresa

Faith and Doubt Are Not Opposites

Unknowing Faith and Doubt Are Not Opposites Wednesday, February 3, 2021 The imagination should be allowed a certain freedom to browse around. —Thomas Merton, Contemplation in a World of Action Basic religious faith is a vote for some coherence, purpose, benevolence, and direction in the universe. Unfortunately, the notion of faith that emerged in the West was… Continue Reading Faith and Doubt Are Not Opposites

Changing Ourselves, Not the Other

Contemplation and Action Summary Changing Ourselves, Not the Other Thursday, December 31, 2020 New Year’s Eve In 1998, I spent three days immersed in the life, spirit, and ministries of Mother (now Saint) Teresa’s (1910‒1997) community at the motherhouse in Calcutta—a year after her death. Our work together ended on October 1, the feast day… Continue Reading Changing Ourselves, Not the Other

Thy Kingdom Come

Contemplation in Action: Week 2 Thy Kingdom Come Sunday, July 2, 2017 Shane Claiborne is a young friend of mine and a living example of the integration of action and contemplation. Shane is a founding partner of The Simple Way, a faith community in inner-city Philadelphia that has helped birth and connect radical faith communities… Continue Reading Thy Kingdom Come

The Third Way

Paradox The Third Way Friday, August 26, 2016 Paul is a marvelous dialectical teacher. The word dialectic originally referred to the Greek art of debate. A dialectic (different than our political debates) does not move forward by either/or thinking. It’s when you play the two off of one another and then come to a tertium… Continue Reading The Third Way

Unconditional and Conditional Love

Two Halves of Life: Week 2 Unconditional and Conditional Love Tuesday, June 21, 2016 The only happy people I have ever met are those who have found some way to serve. I do mean that. Such folks are not preoccupied with self-image, success, and power. They almost always began conservative and traditional with rules, discipline,… Continue Reading Unconditional and Conditional Love

Your Life Is Not about You

Initiation Your Life Is Not about You Wednesday, May 25, 2016 One reason we Christians have misunderstood many of Jesus’ teachings is that we have not seen Jesus’ way of education as that of a spiritual master. He wants to situate us in a larger life, which he calls the “Reign of God.” But instead… Continue Reading Your Life Is Not about You

Contemplation AND Action

Action and Contemplation: Week 1 Contemplation AND Action Friday, May 13, 2016 I used to think that most of us must begin with contemplation or a unitive encounter with God and are then led through that experience to awareness of the suffering of the world and to solidarity with that suffering in some form of… Continue Reading Contemplation AND Action

Giving Birth to God

Creation Giving Birth to God Wednesday, January 28, 2015 From the beginning until now, the entire creation as we know it has been groaning in one great act of giving birth. —Romans 8:22 Creation did not happen once by a flick of the Divine hand, and now it’s slowly winding down—which is what we’ve assumed… Continue Reading Giving Birth to God

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