How exactly is a person supposed to meditate in a Christian way? Connie Rossini explains a simple and natural way in Part IV of her series: “How to Pray”.
How do we choose material for meditation? Find out what Connie Rossini recommends in Part III of her “How to Pray” Series.
What’s Christian meditation and what does it have in common with Eastern meditation? Connie Rossini explains in part two of her “How to Pray” Series.
How is it that we are supposed to pray? Find out whether meditation on Scripture is necessary as Connie Rossini begins a new series on prayer.
What’s dangerous about centering prayer? How is it different from true contemplation? Discover the Church’s true explanation as Connie Rossini delves into how centering prayer advocates gets contemplation wrong, in an excerpt from her book: Is Centering Prayer Catholic? Fr. Thomas Keating Meets Teresa of Ávila and the CDF.
Can I Trust Father Thomas Keating? “Open Mind, Open Heart” Book Review Trappist Abbot Thomas Keating is one of the foremost promoters of the practice of Centering Prayer. His book Open Mind, Open Heart, first published in 1986, has sold over half a million copies. Is this book a good resource for growth in prayer?
What is the key to the silence that is necessary for union with God? Find out when Connie Rossini concludes her discussion on prayer and silence.
What do prayer and silence have to do with each other? How does this differ from centering prayer? And, what stages of prayer can we reach on our own? Learn from Connie Rossini as she explores Teresa of Avila’s teachings in Part II of this three-part series.
Should We Sit Quietly During Prayer? Part I of III Today I want to begin discussing misconceptions about the place of silence in prayer growth. Since we desire contemplation, should we sit still in prayer and wait for it? Should we try to make it happen by quieting our minds? This three-part series speaks to
Away with spiritual envy! It’s so easy to be influenced by the attitudes of the culture. We fight against a utilitarian attitude when we fight assisted suicide and euthanasia. We know that being is more important than doing. Yet, in our own lives, we often feel unworthy when we see all our weaknesses. Spiritual envy
Practicing Recollection During the Day St. John Chrysostom wrote, “It is impossible, utterly impossible, for the man who prays eagerly and invokes God ceaselessly ever to sin” (De Anna 4, 5). Since you are reading this post, I assume that you would like to be able to overcome every temptation. But how can we pray
Are there Two Paths to Holiness? The other day while doing research for a blog post, I came across a discussion about Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle in a Catholic forum. One poster wrote that a holy priest told her that Teresa of Avila’s teaching was not meant for most lay people. This is the
God turns Sinners into Saints Sometimes my mind is too tired or distracted to engage in detailed meditations during prayer time. I look for a simple image to focus on that will bring me into God’s presence and still my scattered thoughts. One of my favorite images is fire. I can easily imagine red flames
Our Destiny is Love Why did God make you? Some of us memorized the answer to that question as children. The Baltimore Catechism says, “God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next” (No. 6). More specifically, the
The other day I was feeling disgusted at the depravity of our culture. I am an idealist. I would like the world to be perfect, a place where everyone is striving to follow God. Or if I can’t have that, I’d settle for a world that tolerates people who are striving to follow God and
