THE CONTEMPLATIVE DIMENSION OF THE GOSPEL

[Liberal Catholic]

THE CONTEMPLATIVE DIMENSION OF THE GOSPEL

The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel is accessed and facilitated
by "Entering The Silence."

ENTERING THE SILENCE
Silence is not the absence of noise,
although the absence of noise is conducive to silence. Silence is the
state of
being open to Divine Presence.

A life which cultivates the mindfulness of silence is the
Contemplative Life.

Before going further, take a moment to Center. Breathe deeply. Sit in
an upright position. Relax, and be aware of all your feelings. Allow
yourself to be present to silence:

External silence
(if circumstances allow it),
and Internal silence
(which may be cultivated at any time).

May all who read these words receive
three blessings from the Spirit.

Receive trust, in mind and body,
to nurture a sense of infinite love.

Receive silence, to make you soul
a vast and spacious home for the Most High.

Receive grace, to cultivate relationships filled with justice, mercy,
and peace.

Again I sit. Breathing deeply.

The spaciousness within each atom
mirrors the topography of mind.

Thoughts dance like patterns
of rainbow color, bold against the greater silence; another breath,
and the pattern opens up; another breath, and the pattern becomes
translucent.
Like ants, the thinking pattern refuses to be stopped. Like an ant,
each thought
seems busy and vulnerable. They cover the contours of my mind, yet
they cannot conceal
the Presence shining through.

What about this Presence?

What jewel may I discover today,
while in your sacred landscape?

You call me, and yet now you hide.

I look for you, and I find the silence.

Earthy, womblike silence --

I sense that a seed
has been planted here.

A wild thing shall grow,
vast, untamed, powerful.

Here a wild thing shall grow,
and it is called my soul


�~Carl McColeman


============