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Saturday, February 27th, 2021

Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation

From the Center for Action and Contemplation

Week Eight Summary and Practice

Wisdom

February 21 - February 26, 2021

Sunday
Jesus teaches his disciples through his lifestyle, a kind of “seminary of life.”

Monday
What Jesus experiences in his consciousness, we are to experience in ours. We are to enter into his very heart, the center of his being. —Beatrice Bruteau

Tuesday
All in all, the Rule of Benedict is designed for ordinary people who live ordinary lives. . . . It was written to provide a model of spiritual development for the average person who intends to live life beyond the superficial or the uncaring. —Joan Chittister

Wednesday
Wisdom is clearly more than mere intelligence, knowledge of facts, or information. Wisdom is more synthesis than analysis, more paradoxical than linear, more a dance than a march.

Thursday
When Jesus of Nazareth prefaced his enigmatic sayings with the words, “let those with eyes to see, see, let those with ears to hear, hear,” scholars tell us he was speaking as a teacher of Jewish wisdom, appealing not just to the head but to the whole person of his listener: heart, body, mind, senses, imagination. —Christopher Pramuk

Friday
Wise fools are always formed in the testing ground of exile when the customary and familiar are taken away and they must go deeper and much higher for wisdom.

Creating a Rule of Life

In this week’s meditations on Wisdom, we mentioned the power of the monastic way of life. Few contemporary writers speak about modern monasticism with as much depth and clarity as spiritual teacher Beverly Lanzetta. She notes that an important aspect of any monastic community is a rule of life, or code of conduct. In her recent book, A New Silence, Lanzetta explores ways in which the everyday contemplative practitioner can deepen their commitment to love of the Divine. She writes:

Over the years, I have composed and followed a personal rule of life. I include below excerpts from the original and longer rule, which you may find helpful in writing and living your own code of conduct.

I invite you to spend some time this week contemplating the rhythm of your own life. Without judgment, reflect on how you spend your time, what you pay attention to, and where your energy goes. Does the rhythm of your life honor the relationships and values that are most important to you? Is there some degree of balance between work and rest, solitude and community? Be open to the movement of the Spirit. How might God be inviting you into greater freedom, integrity, and love through the rhythm of your daily life?

Experience a version of this practice through video and sound.

Beverly Lanzetta, A New Silence: Spiritual Practices and Formation for the Monk Within (Blue Sapphire Books: 2020), 286‒287.

Image credit: Mark Kauffman, Howard Thurman (detail), photograph, copyright gettyimages.com, used with permission.

Image inspiration: Pictured here are the hands of the Howard Thurman, revered theologian and inspiration for civil rights in the 20th century. We see a profound gentleness in the way Thurman holds his glasses; the same timeless and human gentleness that permeates his writings and teachings.

News from the CAC

Explore the Sacredness of All Creation

See Christ at the heart of all things with Every Thing is Sacred: 40 Practices and Reflections on the Universal Christ. In this new companion to The Universal Christ (now available in paperback), Richard Rohr and Patrick Boland guide readers through contemplative practices, reflection activities and journaling exercises to help awaken us to God’s love in ourselves and the world.

Discover the Wisdom of Mary Magdalene

Join participants from across the world for Mary Magdalene: Apostle to Our Own Times, an online course from Cynthia Bourgeault. Learn more about one of Christianity’s most courageous women, and journey with us on a path of conscious love. Registration is open now! Financial assistance is available for those who apply.

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A Time of Unveiling

Watch Father Richard introduce this year’s Daily Meditations theme to discover what A Time Of Unveiling means—and how God reveals infinite Love by unveiling reality.

Explore Richard Rohr's Daily Meditations archive at cac.org.

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