Undergoing God

Posted on May 2, 2024 by Daniel J. Miller

[ uhn-der-goh ] undergo — to experience, go through, endure, bear, withstand, sustain, suffer In his book The Shattered Lantern, Ronald Rolheiser asserts that one essential task of contemplation is not to make of God “something to be studied, Read more [...]

Do as the Flowers Do

Posted on September 29, 2022 by Daniel J. Miller

All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Holy One, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Holy One who is the Spirit. 2 Cor. 3:18 Years ago, when I worked at The Center for Spiritual Development Read more [...]

To Be Known is to Know

Posted on August 22, 2021 by Daniel J. Miller

Be still and know that I am God. ~ Psalm 46:10 I have always loved this line from Psalm 46. But I think it is often misunderstood. What does it mean "to know" The Holy One we too casually call God? Is God accessible to us by way of cognition, human Read more [...]

Brother Weeps on Contemplation

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Daniel J. Miller

Brother Weeps was speaking about prayer when he said, "In contemplation, we act the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son, and allow the One of Great Concern to find us. That's all. But that is everything -- to come out in the open as oneself before Read more [...]

Conspiring with God

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Daniel J. Miller

A Lenten Reflection ~ 33 3/29/20 NOTE: I am doubling down on this breath theme (i.e. after yesterday's post. CLICK "<-- Previous" above. There is no season, whether in nature, the liturgical cycle, or the human adventure, which does not know Read more [...]

Contemplative Seeing — The Look of Love

Posted on September 25, 2019 by Daniel J. Miller

THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE involves the discipline and willingness to let the Spirit “cleanse the doors of perception,” to use William Blake’s phrase, so that when we look we see with the eyes of our heart into the heart of whom or what we see. Or Read more [...]

The Way of the Mystic 2

Posted on July 4, 2019 by Daniel J. Miller

The late Carmelite monk William McNamara describes the simple awe and perceptive appreciation that is at the core of the mystic way. He writes: To engage in the natural art of contemplation is to look long and steadily, leisurely and lovingly at Read more [...]

Prelude for a Meditator

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Daniel J. Miller

Mindbe still.Thoughtslet go of, let fallaway.Facethe blind beggar’sat night orthe flower baskingin the light.Eyesshut softlyor shyly castdown.Wordswithhold.Dissolve like a lozengeon the tongue.No more.Voicego quiet as sand.Breatheuntil it becomes Read more [...]

Of Mystics and Prophets, of You and Me

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Daniel J. Miller

My favorite quote to illuminate what it means to be holy is the well-worn line from St. Iranaeus: “The glory of God is the human person fully alive.” From the perspective of faith, the sacred drama of life involves and avails us the opportunity to Read more [...]

The Mystic: Proficient at Being Loved

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Daniel J. Miller

We love because God first loved us. ~ 1 Jn. 4:19
Whatever else contemplative prayer is,
it is the experience of allowing oneself to be loved by God.~ djm
William Johnston, the Jesuit teacher and specialist in East-West mysticism, asserts that mysticism Read more [...]

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Tag Archives: Contemplation