The Three Marks of the Mystic

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Daniel J. Miller

To engage in the natural art of contemplation is to look long and steadily, leisurely and lovingly at anything—a tree, a child, a pear, a kitten, a hippopotamus, and really “see” the whole of it; not to steal an idea of it, but to know it Read more [...]

Prayer and Descent

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Daniel J. Miller

As we make the transition from practicing prayer to practicing descent, I wanted to reiterate something I said on Sunday about prayer that is kin to the journey downward, whether as intentional spiritual practice or as the unsolicited gravity of life. I Read more [...]

Tis a Gift to Be Simple

Posted on November 30, 2009 by Daniel J. Miller

Practicing Resurrection¹means that God’s intention has become the human desire, that the divine dream is now the new vision that guides our way of seeing and being in the world. At its core God’s intent and/or dream is to share God’s aliveness Read more [...]

The Silence that Moves Us Toward Compassion and Justice

Posted on November 29, 2009 by Daniel J. Miller

In addition to being the fertile ground for self-understanding and healthy self-care as well as the sanctuary for contemplative prayer, the silence of a listening heart is also the seedbed for reverent relationships, social compassion, and cosmic concern. Read more [...]

The Salvation of Silence

Posted on November 25, 2009 by Daniel J. Miller

Another reason silence is important is because it makes the deep wordless and nonconceptual prayer of contemplation possible. In prayer, silence is the voluntary poverty that invites persons to let go of their agendas, hidden or otherwise, and to let Read more [...]

Stillness Exposes the Restlessness Within Us

Posted on November 21, 2009 by Daniel J. Miller

If solitude reveals the compulsions of the false self, stillness exposes the restlessness that Ron Rolheiser claims is especially characteristic of our times (The Shattered Lantern). It is conceivable, if hypothetical, in our therapeutic culture, that Read more [...]

The Sacred Braid

Helping Persons and Communities Weave Lives of Spiritual Depth.

Tag Archives: Contemplation