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 The Principle of Likeness
To have a spiritual life is to recognize early on that there is always a similarity and coherence between the seer and the seen, the seekers and what they are capable of finding. You will seek only what you have partially already discovered and seen within yourself as desirable. Spiritual cognition is invariably re-cognition. Call…
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Seeking The One Who Has Already Found Us
Scripture says that God is endlessly involved in active, intimate love with us. According to the psalmist, God formed us in the womb and knows our every thought before we speak; we could fly to the uttermost parts of the universe, and God would still be with us. God spoke through Jeremiah: “I alone know…
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Listening From the Heart
Shalem’s Young Adult Life and Leadership Initiative (YALLI) Two years ago, Carole Crumley and Leah Rampy invited me to participate in the Young Adult Life and Leadership Initiative (YALLI). YALLI was born out of a conviction that there was a crucial need for the development of spiritually-motivated young adult leaders who would help shape a…
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Tending the Seed of Spiritual Friendship
On Becoming a Spiritual Director When reflecting on my ministry of spiritual guidance, it seems that being a spiritual director has been about discovering and nurturing something that was already planted within me and given in love long ago. It has been about listening more deeply to who I am in God and opening more…
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Our Soul’s Response to God
Selections from Evelyn Underhill’s writings Prayer is our soul’s response to God’s immense attraction, and this response begins in the activity of the will. Will and desire are the heart of the mental life turned to God. This is not mere pious reverie. As Saint Teresa says, at the beginning of our prayer life, we…
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What I Know and Don’t Know
Years ago, I recall sitting in a group with Jerry May while he was speaking about contemplative prayer. With great fun, he shared a story about a Tibetan monk who when asked a question would respond: “don’t know” and kept repeating “don’t know.” I still chuckle when I remember this and am reminded that answers…