JOHN OF THE CROSS

A Brief IntroductionWhen I read John of the Cross now after decades of struggle in the spiritual journey, I look back to my seminary days. I wonder what, if anything, I understood from my class on John of the Cross. Today, I can understand the common idiom: “You don’t begin with the classics. You slowly...

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THE EXPERIENCE OF CONTEMPLATION

 The vast majority of honest seekers of God do not achieve a very deep Experience of contemplation, if any. There are two reasons. It is a complex topic that requires a good dose of guidance. Much more significantly, contemplation involves an increasing and costly level of self-sacrifice. Contemplation...

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INTRODUCTION TO CONTEMPLATION

In The Joy of the Gospel, Francis touches on these points. “The best incentive for sharing the Gospel comes from contemplating it with love, lingering over its pages and reading it with the heart. If we approach it in this way, its beauty will amaze and constantly excite us.” (The Joy of the Gospel,...

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A NEW STAGE FOR "PRAYING ALONE TOGETHER"

IntroductionI was the pastor of St. Rafael's parish in South Central Los Angeles for twenty years. (1994-2014) In my retreat in my tenth year, I had a special experience with the Interior Castle of Saint Teresa of Avila. For the next ten years, I continued the study and prayer as an expression of Carmelite...

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PRAYER AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE V

The Importance of Self-knowledge in PrayerIWhen we pray regularly, we develop the habit of deep personal prayer. This sets us on the road to serious personal change. This personal transformation, however, comes at a price. God always wants more. This is the why we come up with so many reasons we cannot...

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PRAYER AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE IV

This the fourth of a series of blogs on the Christian life prayer and self-knowledge.IPrayer plays a vital role on the Christian journey. This is especially true as we come face to face with the demands of gospel integrity. However, in the end, prayer only identifies and clarifies God’s presence in...

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THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, PRAYER AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE-III

The importance of Self-Knowledge on the Christian journeyIISelf-Knowledge and the Pursuit of GodOur normal mind-set is filled with deep prejudices, false values, illusions, and a grandiose sense of self-importance. They all join together to blind us to God’s presence in the depths of our heart. Clearing...

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THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, PRAYER AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE-II

The Importance of Self-Knowledge on the Christian JourneyIn the Exsultet, the most glorious Easter proclamation, we read:That sanctifying power of this nightDispels the brokenness, washes faults away,Restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to the mourners,Drives out hatred, fosters concord and brings...

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THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, PRAYER AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE-I

The Way of Prayer: A Guide to the Footsteps of JesusIThe Easter Vigil is the most sacred of all liturgical celebrations. The Liturgy of the Light is the first of four parts. It centers on the proclaiming of the Exsultet, the Easter hymn of singular beauty and sovereignty. This song celebrates the Easter...

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GRACE IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST ADDICTIONS

Question #5: “The most difficult thing about the teachings on addictions is this: How can actions that we previously thought were not sinful, make us idolatrous and unloving? This is a real stretch for me!”Of all May’s marvelous teachings on addiction, none is more important than this: we cannot overcome...

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TERESA’S ENDURING WISDOM

Teresa’s Program and Addiction Question #4: “Given the deep scientific basis for May’s insights on addictions. How can your favorite author, Teresa of Avila, have anything relevant to say about addictions?”Teresa of Avila had none of the benefits of Gerald May’s gifted and exceptional scientific...

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ADDICTIONS AND THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

Question #3: “While the material on addictions is fascinating and both frightening and helpful, how is it connected to my spiritual life?”In almost all authentic spiritual traditions, even centuries before Christianity, the individual’s relationship to creatures has had a fundamental role. Creatures...

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ADDICTION AND GRACE, QUESTIONS -1

IWillingness and WillfulnessOne of the most immediate difficulties in reading Gerald May’s classic, Addiction and Grace is this. He attributes real spiritual damage to indulgence in some of the most ordinary things in life: drinking a soda, watching a favorite TV show, commitment to your favorite team,...

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ONE MORE TIME

PrefaceI have been writing this blog, Praying Alone Together for seven years. To my utter amazement, I will have my two millionth visitor in a month or two.When I started writing, a few things were clear to me. I wanted to treat Carmelite spirituality and prayer, particularly from the perspective of...

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TERESA AND PURGATORY-V

Teresa of Avila’s classic, The Interior Castle, is about purification and transformation on the pilgrimage to God. It has an uncanny similarity to the role of purgatory in our salvation. The following five reflections seek to flesh out some positive elements in this connection. In sum, it is our invitation...

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TERESA AND PURGATORY-IV

The Gold in the Debris of LifeThe Tragic in LifeTrouble will be there until the end. We see this mixture of good and evil in all levels of reality: the family, our community, our parish, our society and most of all within ourselves. In the parable of the weeds and the wheat (Mt: 13:24-30) Jesus captures...

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