Evelyn Underhill, Baron Friedrich von Hügel, and the Journey of Spiritual Formation

June 15, 2020 By Carl McColman

Today (June 15) is a day for remembering the passing of Evelyn Underhill, who died on this day in 1941. If you are new to Evelyn Underhill, she was probably the most important writer in the English language for celebrating Christian contemplative and mystical spirituality in her lifetime. From the publication of her magisterial book Mysticism in 1911, until her death three decades later, she (in the words of Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey) “did more than anyone else… to keep... Read more

An Examen of the Senses

May 26, 2020 By Carl McColman

Today I want to share with you something I co-wrote with my wife, Fran. For our RCIA program, we often begin or end our meeting with an Examen — a prayer practice inspired by the Daily Examen as promoted by St. Ignatius of Loyola. Think of it as a daily “life review,” an examination not only of conscience but even more so of consciousness — consciousness of God’s presence in our lives and of how we both accept that resist that presence.... Read more

How to Find the Right Contemplative Community

May 5, 2020 By Carl McColman

A reader named Brian writes: Being a Lay Cistercian seems to be an important part of your journey. I’m wondering if becoming an oblate is a next step for me? My spiritual director and I have discussed this off and on for over a year now. While I have an established contemplative practice (e.g., Daily Office, Lectio Divina, Examen, Centering Prayer), he and I agree that “scaffolding” helps keep me intentional, accountable, and engaged with community. How to discern which... Read more

Some Thoughts On the Dolphins That Are (Not) in Venice

April 20, 2020 By Carl McColman

In March 2020, shortly after the COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders started to show up at local and state governments across the land, I read somewhere — I don’t remember where — that dolphins had been seen in the canals of Venice. Perhaps it was this tweet: Venice hasn't seen clear canal water in a very long time. Dolphins showing up too. Nature just hit the reset button on us pic.twitter.com/RzqOq8ftCj — Luca De Santis (@yeSaints) March 17, 2020 Other stories were... Read more

Twelve Mystics Who Lived Through Epidemics and Pandemics

April 14, 2020 By Carl McColman

It’s been over a month now since the World Health Organization has acknowledged that COVID-19 is a pandemic. As of today (4/13/20), over 22000 Americans and 116,000 people worldwide have died from the virus; and those numbers will certainly rise in the days and months to come. While this is not the plague (which decimated over a third of Europe’s population in one terrible four-year period), it’s far worse than the ordinary flu or even the swine flu. Almost everyone’s... Read more

“Don’t Call Yourself a Mystic” — How Kenneth Leech’s Challenge Helped Me To Embrace Contemplative Practice

April 8, 2020 By Carl McColman

In my book Unteachable Lessons I talk about Kenneth Leech, the Anglican priest who wrote a variety of books on topics related to both contemplative spirituality and the struggle for social justice (if you’re not familiar with Ken Leech, check out Prayer and Prophecy, an anthology of his most essential writings). I only met Ken on a handful of occasions. When I ran the bookstore in Sewanee (the site of an Episcopal seminary), he came in to the store while he was... Read more

Celtic Spirituality, Celtic Prayer, and the Promises of the Heart: Three Contemplative Online Courses

March 5, 2020 By Carl McColman

It’s March, and that means St. Patrick’s Day is just a few days away! This year, instead of (or, in addition to) enjoying a pint of green beer, why don’t you observe St. Patrick’s Day by enrolling in a Celtic spirituality e-course through Spirituality and Practice? These courses are available “on demand” — which means you can sign up, and receive the course materials via e-mail at your convenience. Each course includes a dozen “lessons” that cover informative material about Celtic... Read more

What’s the Best Church for Contemplative Christians?

February 21, 2020 By Carl McColman

A reader writes: Carl, do you think the Catholic Church has more scope to welcome contemplative Christians? I attend an Anglican church and I’m very high Anglican in my thinking. A friend calls me a secret Catholic. I’m growing weary of the evangelical fundamentalist direction of the church… I’m a bit lost to be honest. I’m sorry you feel lost, and I think it’s not unusual, especially when someone discovers contemplative spirituality, to feel a bit out of place if... Read more

Contemplation and Emotional Intensity

February 17, 2020 By Carl McColman

One of this blog’s readers wrote to me this past Saturday (February 15, 2020) to ask a question about Richard Rohr’s daily meditation for that day. Here’s the quote (emphasis added): Contemplative prayer always requires hospitality to your deep self, to the deep parts of your self. It demands the openness to receive whatever might arise in you and then gently release it into God’s hands. But in prayer you are not alone as you open yourself to whatever might... Read more

Less than 12% of the Catholic Catechism is devoted to spirituality. That, in a nutshell, is what’s wrong with the church today.

February 3, 2020 By Carl McColman

Over the years I have discovered that there are three types of people interested in Christian mysticism and contemplative spirituality: Some are practicing Christians, active in their local parish or church but frustrated by what they see as the lack of spiritual nurture that takes place in such settings; Others are people who may have been raised in the church, but really have no connection to institutional Christianity; they are interested in spirituality but not religion, and while they might... Read more