Without good theology, contemplative prayer is dangerous, and without contemplative prayer, theology is lifeless. Anthony Lilles, Foreword to The Devil in the Castle
In the 16th Century spiritual classic The Interior Castle, Spanish contemplative Teresa of Ávila describes seven stages of faith (or "mansions") on the way to spiritual maturity and intimacy with God. Along the way, she also describes the potential pitfalls... Continue Reading →
Contemplation is a very simple thing, really. To advance in it what you need is not to complicate your techniques but to persevere in simplicity, a thing that most people find very, very hard. Put up with your boredom. Resist... Continue Reading →
Martin Laird tells how the practice of contemplation led one woman from being a victim of suffering to a witness of pain.
A minister may fill his pews, his communion roll, the mouths of the public, but what that minister is on his knees in secret before God Almighty, that he is and no more. John Owen
God is love. God loves all of us and wants us to experience abundant life. This means abiding in love—love of God, and love of neighbors as ourselves. Through prayer and worship, meditation and silence, we can commune with God,... Continue Reading →
Evelyn Underhill explains the first step on the path to contemplation: recollection
Evelyn Underhill unpacks her definition of mysticism as the art of union with Reality.
Merton explains how it is not material things that are evil, but rather our false self that forges sinful relationships with them.
The Magpie 