Contemplative prayer resources?

[beckycmarie]

Hi brigid

I believe God feeds us according to whats best for us. **The first time I tried to read The Way of Perfection, it was better suited as a cure for insomnia. **The second time, which was about 10 years later, I absorbed the entire book.

Jim

I agree. I read The Interior Castle 4 years ago before I’d even had a minimal level of conversion, and I may as well have tried to tackle Homer’s “Odyssey” in the original Greek. :hypno:

 

[Augustine]

Same reading and concern/request, here. R. Martin did wonderfully, I just need/want more and St. John’s works are intimidating.

This is perhaps a common prejudice. Maybe because one of his major works starts with the word “dark” and because many know what it’s about only very superficially, people are intimidated by St. John of the Cross. In this jest, many miss his wonderful poetic works “Spiritual Canticle”, “Sayings of Light and Love” and “Living Flame of Love”.

Nothing could be more unfair. All of St. John’s works are about the light of God’s love in out lives, even in their darkest hours. If anything, St. John writes so that we can endure and not lose sight of Who is calling us to intimacy.

 

[Augustine]

I read Fr. Dubay’s writings once and didn’t “connect”. I didn’t seem to have any problem with Interior Castle, tho’. Sounds like I should try again with Fr. Dubay’s - first time I read The Story of a Soul, I didn’t get it either. Second time…well, I was hooked.

I personally find Fr. Dubay’s style a hurdle. He strives to be precise, which is a good thing, but a bit in the academic paper style, which is rather dry.

Nevertheless, I keep his books around exactly because of their precise language and wealth of information. Even if they’re not the best books for spiritual reading, IMHO.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I personally find Fr. Dubay’s style a hurdle. He strives to be precise, which is a good thing, but a bit in the academic paper style, which is rather dry.

Nevertheless, I keep his books around exactly because of their precise language and wealth of information. Even if they’re not the best books for spiritual reading, IMHO.

Many people including myself, find Fr Thomas Merton and Fr Thomas Keating’s writings on contemplative prayer, very helpful and easier to understand.

Jim

 

[Augustine]

I agree. I read The Interior Castle 4 years ago before I’d even had a minimal level of conversion, and I may as well have tried to tackle Homer’s “Odyssey” in the original Greek. :hypno:

The problem with any of St. Teresa’s writings is that she was a very, very busy woman. She’d finish a chapter in one city and start another chapter in another, after traveling for up to a week. And it often happened that she’d encounter different situations where she’d got and she’d try to address that in the newly started chapter. It’s not uncommon that she’d postpone treating a subject, but never got to it again. So it’s very hard to follow her loose line of thought.

I think that she’s better read if one sits down to talk to her as an old friend, when the conversation has not prearranged topics and let her talk about what her mind wanders to. I try to picture myself in the parlor listening to her. :getholy:

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Augustine;

The problem with any of St. Teresa’s writings is that she was a very, very busy woman.

It has more to do with the fact that St. Teresa, as she herself admits, wasn’t a good writer. She goes off on tangents, which cause many people to lose the point she’s trying to make.

St. John of the Cross is much easier for me to read, and I prefer his writing over St. Teresa’s. Both are saying the same thing however.

Jim

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Many people including myself, find Fr Thomas Merton and Fr Thomas Keating’s writings on contemplative prayer, very helpful and easier to understand.

Jim

I found Thomas Merton’s “Contemplative Prayer” quite a helpful read on the subject…while personally I did find it a ‘dark’ work, somewhat depressing…yet it still had valuable things to say to me…Barb