Thoughts on Contemplative Life

When I practice centering prayer, I usually sit for a moment or two just breathing in and out to settle my body and mind, then I pray, “Here I am, Lord” to surrender and move into the Silence. 

Yesterday, I breathed, “Here I am, Lord,” and the Inner Voice whispered, “Really?” 

Given a glimpse of where I really am - knowing the places that I haven’t yet surrendered,  I had no answer. 

In Silence. With humility. here i am, Lord.

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“…Jesus encouraged us to be in the world, but not of it….[P]eople who follow this path generally become less judgmental in their opinion of others, rather than more. Why? Because we become more aware of God’s judgment, rather than less. The love of God, which we seek, draws out the shadows within us, so they can be acknowledged and healed. We become less judgmental because those shadows, or the greater part of them, are made up of our own false judgments circling back on us. That’s what we must face, rather than projecting it onto others.” 

Jeff Golliher, A Deeper Faith: A Journey into Spirituality, pp. 93-94

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“There must be action, prompted by the attitude of faith and love accessed in times of resting in God. The resting of centering prayer has to be manifested in daily life….The interaction between daily life and prayer conditions us to the contemplative dimension of the gospel, which demands not just prayer alone or good deeds alone.”

Thomas Keating, Intimacy with God, p. 105

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“Slowly, steadily, Centering Prayer patterns into its practitioners what I would call the quintessential Jesus response: the meeting of any and all life situations…by the complete free giving of oneself.”  (p.88) 

“Centering prayer teaches from the outset that the fruits of the prayer are to be found in daily life.” (p. 109)

Cynthia Bourgeault, Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening