When a desert abba once said, “Watching means to sit in your cell and be always mindful of God,” he could have been talking about Centering Prayer. An ancient practice that may lead to contemplation, Centering Prayer helps practitioners, through silence, learn to rest in God – and know God. It is stunningly simple. Learn how.
By Sister Catherine Cleary, OSB
“O God you are eternal life and everlasting peace by your essence,” prayed the seventy-some women and men who participated in the 3rd annual Muslim/Christian Women’s Dialogue, sponsored by the Benedictine Sisters of Rock Island. The doors opened with flowing crowds coming from their study clubs, their Scripture groups, coming with their spouses, their daughters, their mothers and by themselves. They came until all chairs were filled and the room was electrified with greetings of, “It is so good to see you again!” “I don’t recall your name but you were at my table last year!” Continue Reading
This comes from Brother David Standl Rast, OSB:
Gestures that help you show gratitude:
1. Say one word today that gives a fearful person courage.
2. Calmly hold someone’s hand today and spread calm.
3. Look a stranger in the eyes today and realize that there are no strangers.
4. Give someone an unexpected smile today and so contribute your share to peace on earth
“Paul Tillich once defined real religion as what we attain when, in our religious quest, we attune ourselves to a reality and a consciousness that is beyond our own, as opposed to touching what is highest inside of ourselves or highest within the collective ideals of humanity. In real religion we meet God, not ourselves.” – Fr. Ron Rolheiser
“I believe you can look at solitude, community, and ministry as three disciplines by which we create space for God. If we create space in which God can act and speak, something surprising will happen. You and I are called to these disciplines if we want to be disciples.”
–Henri J. M. Nouwen
“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.”
– Thomas Merton
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