Carl McColman's Blog, page 29

Wisdom During Difficult Times from Evelyn Underhill and Julian of Norwich

Today I led a day of reflection for the Mary Brewster Committee of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Ridgfield, CT. This committee is tasked with creating a retreat each year for the purpose of supporting women’s spirituality in their community. When they approached me about the retreat we decided on the theme “Wisdom During Difficult Times” to acknowledge what a challenging year 2020 has been, and we selected the fourteenth century mystic Julian of Norwich and the 20th century mystic Evelyn Und...

Two New Podcasts, One Existing Podcast, and a Youtube Channel for You to Explore

Dear friends, I’m excited to announce that I have launched two new podcasts. Each one will be oriented toward exploring mystical spirituality — one in a more “learning about” sense, and the other in a more direct, “practice/exercise” sense.

Both of these new podcasts are now available on Apple Podcasts, and will be available on Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, and other directories soon.

Here’s the details:

Schola Mystica

Schola Mystica is Latin for “Mystic School” and the idea comes...

Video: Just what IS Mysticism?

What is mysticism? It’s a question I often get asked, so here is a short little video where I try to sort it out a bit.

Is Non-Attachment a Christian Virtue?

Recently I received a note from a long-time reader of this blog who was questioning me on something I have previously written, basically this: Why Experience is Not the Foundation of (All) Spirituality. In several blog posts over the years, I have offered an admittedly contrarian view to the common idea that mysticism and spirituality are all about “experiencing God.” I question the notion that experience should be the most important (or only) criteria for spirituality. Indeed, in my book Unteac...

Need Help? Ask the Angels

Today, September 29, is the Feast Day for the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. It’s traditionally known as “Michaelmas” and in the Episcopal Church it’s called the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels.

So for today I thought I’d write a bit about the angels, and how they can impact our lives, both spiritually and in general.

I’m reminded of my one of my wife’s favorite authors, Lorna Byrne. Lorna Byrne is an Irish visionary, who speaks of her capacity to see — and interact with — angels. ...

Optional Reading List for the Zeitgeist “Contemplation and Practice” Course

From September 28 through November 9, 2020 I’m leading a program called “Contemplation and Practice” through Zeitgeist Atlanta. Here is a sneak preview from that course: one of the meditations that participants will have access to.

On this page I’m listing books that may be of interest to persons taking the course — or to anyone else interested in exploring meditation and contemplation from an interfaith/interspiritual perspective.

All of these books are optional reading — since the heart of th...

Basic Breath Meditation

Brief instructions for a basic breath meditation, with timed silence for practice. Suitable for meditators at all levels of expertise (including beginners) and adaptable to any wisdom tradition or mindfulness practice.

The Challenges of Spiritual Simplicity

One of the most attractive, although challenging, qualities of the Cistercian charism is simplicity. It’s a principle immediately apparent in Cistercian architecture: the monasteries and churches of the Cistercian order, whether built in the 12th century or the 20th, are typically remarkable for their aesthetic simplicity. There are few if any statues or other adornments, rarely even featuring stained glass, and even the most Gothic or Romanesque structures are remarkable for their elegant appea...

Get Verbum to Study the Bible, Explore the Mystics, and… Read a Few of My Books, Too!

It’s no secret to anyone who has been reading my blog for a while that I’m a huge fan of Verbum. Verbum is a Bible study software designed specifically for Catholics or anyone interested in a Catholic approach to Biblical scholarship. It draws on the entire history of Christian theology and spirituality, meaning that when you study a particular passage, you can receive guidance in interpreting it from the doctors of the church, the saints and mystics of every generation, and the best of contempo...

Christianity and “Other” Philosophies — Discerning Boundaries (and When to Cross Them)

A question came to me recently from a reader named Allen:

I am reading some stoic philosophy.  Can we learn from other philosophies or is all we need to know about how to live found in church teaching and our faith? Surely there must be other approaches to daily living that are not incompatible with Christianity but not explicitly talked about in our tradition?

Thanks, Allen. This is a great question — and, I fear, a perennial one. Your question is a question about boundaries. It could be rephra...