Spiritual Practices
The Divine Hours of Prayer and the Blues
Over the years, the Divine Hours of Prayers have often evolved into hours for the Blues for me as a result of choosing to spend significant time during these periods of time reflecting on my own personal plights and those within the communities in which I live, work, worship, socialize, and serve. I first learned…
Read MoreThe Wounded Healer: in the Spirit of Henri Nouwen
Henri J. M. Nouwen has made synonymous the “wounded healer” and the minister. In his book, The Wounded Healer[1]Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Wounded Healer, Image Book: New York, 1979., Nouwen describes wounded healers as individuals who “must look after (their) own wounds but at the same time be prepared to heal the wounds of…
Read MoreThe Spiritual Practice of an Inner Monastic Cell
The word “cell” has a long monastic tradition referring originally to the monk’s cave or room. Monastic writings are filled with sayings that note that the monk who lives in a cell lives in a sacred place. The English word for cell comes from the Latin word “cella” which means “small chamber” and from the…
Read MoreThe Night Watch (Vigils)
The Night Watch is one of the most powerful spiritual encounters that we can have with God. This experience has historical roots within the Christian tradition of daily prayer called the Divine Office. Over the past centuries, the Divine Office has also become known as the Liturgy of Hours. As many as seven hours of…
Read MoreThe Spiritual Practice of Silence
Within the context of religion, silence has long been understood as an important step in spiritual development. Silence has been encouraged in mind and spirit in order for transformative and integral spiritual growth to occur. Centuries ago, Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross promoted a prayer of simplicity within the Christian tradition…
Read MoreLectio Divina: A Call to Serene Contemplation and Social Commitment
The art of Lectio Divina has evolved into four traditional steps for us today. The first step is reading, the second step is meditation, the third step is prayer, and the fourth step is contemplation. There are two related steps that I have added, however, that invite us to engage in further actions that will…
Read MoreSpiritual Practice of Incarnational Solidarity
The underlying consideration concerning incarnational solidarity is three-fold: 1) if all is not well with others all is not well with you; 2) if all is not well with you than all is not well with others; and 3) if all is not well with you and others than all is not well with God.…
Read MoreExamination of Consciousness in the Spirit of St. Ignatius of Loyola
An Examination of Consciousness is a spiritual practice that helps us reflect on God’s activity during our daily life. During this time we can ask God to help us examine ourselves. The scriptures teach us that God probes the souls of individuals and examines their actions. “I the Lord search the heart and examine the…
Read MoreDark Night of the Soul
“God Reveals Deep Things of Darkness and Brings Deep Shadows Into The Light” (Job 12.22) What is the Dark Night of the Soul? St. John of the Cross has forever etched the descriptive words “Dark Night of the Soul” into the spiritual heart of our world. The Dark Night of the Soul is an on-going…
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