December 2013
"The Incarnation of the Word made flesh is the marriage between the divine and human nature in Jesus Christ. We share in the mystery of the Word made flesh in virtue of the oneness of the human species and become one body with Christ.
…
"This season, let us put aside all fear and surrender to the Eucharistic presence in which Christ, that is God, gobbles you up. … SO BE YUMMY! That is to say, really surrender to God! Turn your life over completely to love and see what remains – hopefully nothing but God. So let God be all in all in you."
Q&A with Fr. Carl Arico
Q: Please help me understand how Centering Prayer and the charismatic or Pentecostal belief in speaking in tongues as a sign on baptism in the Spirit are related? Can they abide in the same person?
A: Read Fr. Carl's response.
Q: On a recent Contemplative Outreach silent retreat I had my first encounter with the theme of contrition. I felt a little tickled because I knew that I was being much harder on myself than the Lord, who didn't seem as concerned as I. ... Bottom line: I want this behavior to stop, to no longer take hold of me in moments of egoistic insanity. Could you kindly comment on this? I'd like to ask for a "fix", but I don't think that's how this works.
A: Read Fr. Carl's response.
See the archive of previous Q&A’s. Please submit your questions about contemplative practices, the spiritual journey and the contemplative life to Fr. Carl by emailing
Pamela Begeman.
The Contemplative Outreach News is now available
The December 2013 issue of
The Contemplative Outreach News is
available online. Find it on the website> Resources>Newsletters, where you’ll also find a
complete archive of past newsletters. Support the newsletter by
donating here.
Teleconference recording is now available
A public teleconference was hosted on December 3, 2013 by the Circle of Service (COS) of Contemplative Outreach.
A report is posted online for public review; the COS highlighted and discussed this report with members of the community who joined the call. You may download and listen to a free recording of this teleconference
here or
here.
An Advent Gift
We shared this with our Advent online retreat community of over 500 pilgrims and thought the rest of our worldwide community would enjoy it as well.
As a gift of awe and wonder . . . and as a remembrance that we are so small and yet somehow so significant to the Creator of both galaxies and grasses, we offer you this cosmic Advent calendar of a very different order -- the 2013 Hubble Space Telescope Advent Calendar. Each day, let us offer gratitude to our Creator from the Visited Planet.
New in the Store
Centering Prayers, by Peter Traben Haas. A year-long daily reader with prayers intended for use before or after your Centering Prayer time.
$18.99 USD.
The Transforming Power of Lectio Divina, by Sr. Maria Tasto. Discover God’s spirit alive in you with lectio divina, and learn step-by-step how to make this ancient prayer practice your own, so you can become the Word of God you are meant to be.
$12.95 USD.
Centering Prayer and Rebirth in Christ on the Tree of Life, by Kess Frey. This book offers a detailed and revealing look into the hidden workings of the Spirit in the soul’s inner depths. When read slowly and thoughtfully, this book elevates the mind, offering what is, for most of us, a new vision of our evolving life in Christ and Christ in us.
$18.00 USD.
Voices of the Community
I
Slid Off … and Found God, by Jeanne Jemison. "The slippery slope of questioning the fundamentals of belief .... I slid off AND.. found GOD; GOD bigger than our beliefs, than our understanding ... " Read more.
It is the wailing and the weeping, by Bob Hope. "It is the wailing and the weeping/That wakes the will to repent/Infinite happiness is the soul’s birthright/..."
Read more.
Advent Reflections, by Peter Traben Haas. "Soon I'll retire for the day and receive the gift of sleep. I'm writing from the Katoski room at the Shalom Retreat Center in Dubuque, Iowa where I'm leading a 3-day Advent Centering Prayer retreat. ...
Read more.
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Find a Retreat for 2014
Browse the calendar and plan your 2014 time apart with God. Check out special retreats for the Welcoming Prayer and Lectio Divina, or others with a special focus. Visit our online calendar for full listings of retreats, workshops and special events. New events are added each week.
On Sale and Featured in the Store
Three new digital downloads from the Spiritual Journey series - great for new and beginning practitioners:
- The Spiritual Journey Series: Prologue: The Method of Centering Prayer & the Psychological Experience of Centering Prayer, MP3.
$8.00 USD.
- The Spiritual Journey Series: Part I, Developing Centering Prayer and the Spiritual Journey, MP3.
$8.00 USD.
- The Spiritual Journey Series: Part II, Model of the Human Condition, MP3.
$8.00 USD.
Prepare for 2014 with a daily reader - The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living, compiled by Stephanie Iachetta. A year-long daily reader of excerpts of the teachings of Fr. Thomas Keating.
$16.95 USD.
A great gift - Journey to the Heart, Centering Prayer for Children, by Frank X. Jelenek. This loving book makes it easy for children to share in the spiritual nourishment of centering prayer through age-appropriate illustrations and text that provides clear directions and encouragement in simple, fun language. Ideal for ages 3 -10.
$15.99 USD.
Various DVDs and products have been reduced in price by up to 50%.
Find a Local Contact and/or Prayer Group
You can search our worldwide
Community section of the website for local contacts and local websites. These people are also a source for event and prayer group information.
For more information on events, retreats, local Centering Prayer contacts, an online store and teachings from Contemplative Outreach, go to our website.
