Thomas Keating (1923–2018)

Father Keating is a prolific writer of spiritual texts which are considered by contemporaries to be "transformative". That's because he is a Trappist monk (Cistercian Order) whose Catholicism is drawn from genuine spiritual values and is of very little comfort to the hierarchy of the "Religions". For example, he does not trumpet his "belief" and "Faith", but instead, seeks God and is only motivated to help us/others -- to inspire, heal and reveal.

My impression is that now, here, toward the show more end of his remarkable life, he no longer "believes" in God. Like Mother Teresa, who documented her own exhaustion with devotions to which God remains relentlessly silent, he is well past fatigue and anger, and has discovered that Consciousness is divine. That humans are spiritual, and "God" head is a human creation which is not really operational or even necessary in the function of the Church or hierarchy the "Religions". Hence, Religion falls away, leaving the centering praying core.

Hint: Anyone who prays "for" things is missing...well, everything.

Love -- yourself, others, If God exists, this Loving is the only possible thing he is remotely interested in. show less

Centering Prayer is a precious part of the ancient spiritual traditions of the West. When Finding Grace at the Center was first published in 1978, people all over the world welcomed this practical guide to a simple and beautiful form of meditative prayer. Reflections and advice on Centering Prayer's possibilities―and its pitfalls―are presented with clarity and simplicity, with a vision of the deeper life of the soul that contemplative prayer can bring about.

A book portions of which I return to periodically, but rarely read all the way through. On my recent complete pass through it I was struck by how dated the "Divine Therapist" trope seems today. But I also discovered greater value than before in his chapter on the relationship of the rosary to contemplative prayer, so I was glad to have read it again.

Invitation to Love provides a road map for the journey that begins when Centering Prayer is seriously undertaken. Pointing to some of the recognizable landmarks on this journey, as well as to its ultimate destination, Father Keating addresses common questions regarding contemplative practice: How will it affect my life? Where does it lead us spiritually? What obstacles will I encounter along the way? How does it work? Following on from Open Mind, Open Heart, this book establishes a dialogue show more between the insights of contemporary psychology and the classic Christian spiritual masters, providing a solid conceptual background for the practice of Centering Prayer. This is a practical book, articulating the stages of the process of spiritual growth, and outlining how we might develop a deeper relationship with God and move from contemplation to action. show less