Tag Archives: Thomas Keating
Thomas Keating: The Secret Embrace, Part One: Weekly Summary
Thomas Keating: The Secret Embrace, Part One Saturday, October 24, 2020 Summary: Sunday, October 18—Friday, October 23, 2020 I believe Thomas Keating showed great courage in heeding the call of the Second Vatican Council, “opening the windows” of the monastery, and offering Centering Prayer to the world. (Sunday) In this season of planetary upheaval, Thomas… Continue Reading Thomas Keating: The Secret Embrace, Part One: Weekly Summary
What the Mystics Know
Thomas Keating: The Secret Embrace, Part One What the Mystics Know Friday, October 23, 2020 Today I pause Cynthia Bourgeault’s reflections and offer a few words about the essential role of contemplation in the lives of honest spiritual seekers like Thomas Keating and Cynthia herself. To many people, contemplation is an old-fashioned word, but it… Continue Reading What the Mystics Know
The Dark Nights
Thomas Keating: The Secret Embrace, Part One The Dark Nights Thursday, October 22, 2020 His silence is a kiss, His presence an embrace. But now he is fading, fading. And I am alone . . . —Thomas Keating, “Loneliness in the Night” I don’t think anyone can get to my (Richard’s) age without deeply empathizing… Continue Reading The Dark Nights
The Secret Embrace
Thomas Keating: The Secret Embrace, Part One The Secret Embrace Wednesday, October 21, 2020 Before being born into the world of time, The silence of pre-existence was all absorbing. The transition from eternity to time Is full of sufferings, fears, and little deaths. But, in the transition from death To eternal life, The silence of… Continue Reading The Secret Embrace
The Sound of Silence
Thomas Keating: The Secret Embrace, Part One The Sound of Silence Tuesday, October 20, 2020 The silence of the Creator is thunderous, Drowning out everything else, And hiding in endless creativity. —Thomas Keating, “Out of a Stone” One of Thomas Keating’s greatest legacies will surely be his development and teaching of Centering Prayer, a Christian… Continue Reading The Sound of Silence
A Christian Contemplative
Thomas Keating: The Secret Embrace, Part One A Christian Contemplative Sunday, October 18, 2020 I first met Father Thomas Keating (1923–2018) in 2002 when he came to Albuquerque to speak at a conference on Centering Prayer [1] with me. I knew of his work and of Contemplative Outreach, the organization he had founded, but our… Continue Reading A Christian Contemplative
Inner Unity
Being Peaceful Change Inner Unity Sunday, July 26, 2020 Before you speak of peace, you must first have it in your heart. —Francis of Assisi Generations of Christians seem to have forgotten Jesus’ teachings on nonviolence. We’ve relegated visions of a peaceful kingdom to a far distant heaven. We hardly believed Jesus could have meant… Continue Reading Inner Unity
The Wisdom of Contemplation
Mind, Body, Heart The Wisdom of Contemplation Wednesday, February 19, 2020 We may think of prayer as thoughts or feelings expressed in words. But this is only one expression. . . . Prayer is the opening of mind and heart—our whole being—to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond thoughts, words, and emotions. Through grace we open our… Continue Reading The Wisdom of Contemplation
Divine Therapy
Twelve-Step Spirituality: Part Two Divine Therapy Sunday, December 15, 2019 Step Six: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Step Seven: Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings. [1] Thomas Keating (1923–2018), one of the founders of Contemplative Outreach which promotes the practice of Centering Prayer, explained how meditation is… Continue Reading Divine Therapy