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View video recordings
featuring Fr. Thomas Keating speaking on various topics. |
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Find all the daily
readings and psalms at The United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops web site. The readings are taken from the New American
Bible. |
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Our friends at
Contemplative Outreach of Fort Worth invite you to their centering
prayer groups and special events & retreats. Visit their new
web site for more information
about their activities. |
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Fr. Keating’s eulogy for Dom Basil
Pennington was given at his funeral on June 11,
2005. You may listen to
Fr.
Keating's Homily (23 minutes) given June 10, 2005. It
requires the free
RealMedia
Player. Read an
article
celebrating the life of Fr. Basil Pennington as presented by
his fellow monks at St. Joseph’s Abbey. Many of you already know of the sad news of
the death of M. Basil Pennington, who died on Friday, June
3, 2005, feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, from injuries
sustained from a automobile accident on Tuesday, March 29. |
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Find links to local Contemplative Outreach
Chapter Websites across the United
States and Canada. When traveling you may want to visit a local
centering prayer group. Check these websites for information
about their prayer groups. |
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Visit Father William Meninger's
web site to learn
about the Trappist Monastery, St. Benedicts, in Snowmass, Colorado.
You will discover some of his recent books and writings as well as
those of fellow Trappist, Fr Thomas Keating. Fr Meninger has
been at St Benedicts since 1979 and was the former retreat master at
St. Josephs Abbey in Spencer, Mass. His book, The Loving
Search For God is an effort to bring the message of The
Cloud of Unknowing to men and women of the 21st Century. |
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The Lay Contemplative
website is an
interesting site dedicated to the journey of the lay contemplative.
It is based upon the Lay Contemplative Guidebook which
includes testimonies, theological perspectives and contemplative
formation sites complete with description and contact information.
This work was completed in 1992 by the Association of Contemplative
Sisters, an organization of contemplative women from all walks of
life, which formed a task force to study resources of formation of the
Christian lay contemplative. |
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Shalem Institute
(Bethesda, MD) is an ecumenical Christian community dedicated to
the support of contemplative living and leadership. Its
mission is to be an ecumenical community responding to a call to
help mediate God’s Spirit in the world through the loving wisdom
of contemplative tradition. Although Shalem is grounded in
the Christian contemplative path, it is enriched by the grace
present in other traditions. Shalem welcomes anyone, regardless of
tradition, who would seek to learn from the contemplative
way. They offer contemplative prayer groups, retreats and
workshops as well as programs for spiritual directors.
What Does "Contemplative" Mean?
The word contemplative has many meanings today. It comes
from the Latin roots cum (with) and templum (temple), connoting a
sense of the sacred. Stated simply, the classical tradition
understands contemplation as a loving quality of presence in which
one is open to things just as they are in the present moment.
In Christianity and other traditions that
understand God to be present everywhere, contemplation includes a
reverence for the Divine Mystery, "finding God in all
things," or "being open to God's presence, however it
may appear." When referring to prayer or other
spiritual practices, contemplation is classically distinguished
from meditation.
Generally this means that meditation seems like
something we "do" by means of our own effort and
intention, while contemplation always seems to come as a
gift. Further, the reverence for mystery implies an openness
to unknowing, a willingness to be led and guided by God without
having to comprehend what is happening. |
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View Cherry Haisten's paper on
The
Welcoming Prayer (PDF format, 180 KB). Centering Prayer
and the Welcoming Prayer go together. Centering Prayer is
receptive and the Welcoming Prayer is concentrative. Please
visit the International
Contemplative
Outreach website and read Cherry Haisten's paper. |
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There are many excellent authors whose writings
provide deep insight into life here on earth and our capacity to
understand God. Articles by two outstanding spiritual
leaders, Thomas Merton
and Anthony de Mello,
SJ are featured by the The
National Institute for the Renewal of the Priesthood web site. |
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The labyrinth is a path arranged in a pattern such
as a spiral or circular shape. Recently, many people walk
the labyrinth as a means of meditation or reflection or to
reconnect with their spirituality. Locally, St Joseph church
in Richardson has a beautiful
labyrinth
path. The web site,
Texas
Labyrinth Locations, provides a list of labyrinths in the
state of Texas. |
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Love in
Action Int'l is a group of individuals who strive to fill the
gap between resource and need. Visit this Dallas
organization web site to see what they have accomplished for those
in need. Rae England is the director and co-founder. |
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Classic
Christian Ethereal Library web site contains online the
complete text of many classic Christian books. According to
the web site, all of the books on their server are in the public
domain. You may read the books online or download them to
your computer. Great site, take a look! |
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Contemplative
Outreach Ltd. The homepage for the Contemplative
Outreach organization which supports and promotes centering prayer
groups throughout the world. |
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Read
Fr
Ron Rolheiser's enlightening weekly column in the Western
Catholic Reporter. He writes on matters of faith in our
contemporary society. Fr Ron also has an interesting book, A
Holy Longing, on Christian spirituality. |
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The Maria Kannon Zen
Center was formed in 1991 as a place for people of various
backgrounds and faiths to practice Zen. The members are bound
together by a common commitment to cultivate wisdom and
compassion. The center's primary task is to offer people an
opportunity to practice Zen. |
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University of
Dallas is a Catholic liberal arts university located in
Dallas, Texas. Also, check out the
UD
Ministry page for campus religious services and events. |
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Osage
Monastery located in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, is a Christian
monastic ashram,
A place for contemplative retreat -- An ambiance for stillness of heart in the Benedictine monastic tradition with simplicity and joy.
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Bede
Griffiths. An interesting site about a monk who lived in
a way least thought of by others and, with a universal heart, was
an icon of integrity and guilelessness. |
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The Ecumenical Center
for Religion and Health located in San Antonio, Texas offers
faith-based, non-sectarian counseling for individuals &
families, education for religion & health professionals,
seminars and conferences. Telephone (210) 616-0885. |
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The Vatican
City web site is rich with information from its' historical
archives to the artwork to the current events. |
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