A great companion for the “Pilgrimage of the Soul” and contemplative journey is Father Henri Nouwen. His writings are vast and very simple and down to earth. A great place to begin is a short book I recently read called, “The Life of the Beloved.” Here’s a blessing from Father Henri to savor on a … More Henri’s Blessing
For centuries, apprentices of Jesus have spoken of the “three enemies of the soul” – the world, the flesh, and the devil. As the sources of temptation, they are viewed as a kind of “unholy trinity” in opposition to the Trinity. They are reflected in the Temptation of Christ in the desert: 1) the world: to tempt … More Three Enemies of the Soul
“Sooner or later we must distinguish between what we are not and what we are. We must accept the fact that we are not what we would like to be. We must cast off our false, exterior self like the cheap and showy garment that it is. We must find our real self, in all … More The Cheap and Showy Garment
People often asked Dr. Jung, “Will we make it?” referring to the cataclysm of our time. He always replied, “If enough people will do their inner work.” This soul work is the one thing that will pull us through any emergency. -Robert Johnson, Owning Your Shadow (1991)
LECTIONARY REFLECTION | HOLY CROSS | SEPTEMBER 14, 2019 John 3:13-17 I have recently been emphasizing that much Christian teaching and practice today focuses on “right doing,” while other Christian teaching and practice (e.g., Contemplative tradition) throughout the centuries has emphasized the importance of spiritual “seeing” or illumination or vision. I have been re-reading John’s … More Look and Live
SOURCE What is the Enneagram? How can the Enneagram help me? Which number on the Enneagram am I? Does the Enneagram work? The Enneagram: A (Very) Short History The Enneagram is old. It has roots in several wisdom traditions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Seven of the nine Enneagram types are associated with the “capital” … More What is the Enneagram?
“My soul, where are you? Do you hear me? I speak, I call you – are you there? I have returned, I am here again. I have shaken the dust of all the lands from my feet, and I have come to you, I am with you.” … More Journey Back to the Soul (Carl Jung)
“Midlife is the time to let go of an over dominant ego and to contemplate the deeper significance of human existence.” -Carl Jung One thing turning 40 has meant for me is coming to terms with who I really am, owning my true self regardless of what the world around me thinks or makes of … More Midlife Wisdom & the False Self
“What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?” (Mark 8:36 MSG) We are pulling up the anchor and setting sail on a new adventure at MainStreet this Fall. To shift to a more earthy metaphor, we are putting on … More Pilgrimage of the Soul
“Justify my soul, O God, but also from Your fountains fill my will with fire. Shine in my mind, although perhaps this means “be darkness to my experience,” but occupy my heart with Your tremendous Life. Let my eyes see nothing in the world but Your glory, and let my hands touch nothing that is … More Prayer of Thomas Merton
ISAIAH 5:1-7; PS. 80:1-2, 8-19; HEB 11:37-12:1 “They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground…Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is … More Treasures New & Old
“Men invent means and methods of coming at God’s love, they learn rules and set up devices to remind them of that love, and it seems like a world of trouble to bring oneself into the consciousness of God’s presence. Yet it might be so simple. Is it not quicker and easier just to do … More QUOTABLES: Brother Lawrence on Prayer
Jeremy L. Berg 