Contemplative Prayer
Contemplative Prayer As we’ve explored this week, any human perfection simply reflects God’s holiness. Receiving such goodness comes through grace; it cannot be achieved. But we can be honest and humble, ...
Meditating on the Cross
Meditating on the Cross The logo for the Center for Action and Completion is an oval framing two intersecting arrows forming the cross of Christ, shows a collision of opposites. One ...
Gaze of Grace
Gaze of Grace Invite a trusted beloved (friend, lover, parent, or perhaps yourself through a mirror) to spend a few minutes sharing each other’s gaze. Sit facing each other and begin ...
Litany of the Holy Spirit
Litany of the Holy Spirit When we come to the end of our rope and hit rock bottom, we are not dashed but fall into God’s hands. It is here at ...
The YHWH Prayer
The YHWH Prayer A rabbi taught this prayer to Richard Rohr many years ago. He writes about it in the second chapter of his book The Naked Now. The Jews did not ...
Saying Grace
Saying Grace Many cultures have a beautiful tradition of saying a prayer before or after a meal, expressing gratitude and asking for blessing. If we are accustomed to praying over our ...
The Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart As a Catholic, Richard Rohr was often puzzled by the continued return to heart imagery among our saints and in our art. The “Sacred Heart” of Jesus and ...
Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina Lectio divina is a contemplative way to read short passages of sacred text. With the first reading, listen with your heart’s ear for a phrase or word that stands out for you. ...
Centering Prayer
Centering Prayer This is what you are to do. Lift your heart up to the Lord with a gentle stirring of love, desiring him for his own sake and not for ...
Examen
A great way to pray is to look for God’s presence in your life. More than 400 years ago St. Ignatius Loyola encouraged prayer-filled mindfulness by proposing what has been called ...
Centering Prayer
“Prayer is not a request for God’s favours…Genuine prayer is based on recognising the Origin of all that exists, and opening ourselves to it.” ~Cynthia Bourgeault CENTERING PRAYER: THE VERY BASICS ...
Lectio Divina
Lectio divina (Latin for sacred reading) is a contemplative way of reading and praying with Scripture. Rather than trying to rationally understand a static text, this practice helps us be present ...
The Welcoming Practice
The Welcoming Practice created by Mary Mrozowski (1925–1993), a spiritual teacher, mystic, and founding member of Contemplative Outreach. It is based on her personal experience of surrender as essential to transformation ...
Simple is Beautiful
Simple Is Beautiful By Eknath Easwaran There is a close relationship between a house full of possessions and a heart full of desires, between a cluttered closet and a crowded schedule, ...
Simple Lectio Divina
Simple steps of Lectio Divina: Take a little saying, Unpack it, Express wonder, thanks or frustration, Hide it in your heart and rest for a moment, or 20, Go forth and ...