Contemplative Life
Discovering Our Path into the Heart of God
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Contemplative life begins when we take the first step into the silence of our heart. It’s a pilgrimage—a journey that takes us first to the inner reaches of who we really are, and from there, into the life we were meant to live. We don’t usually start a journey like this unless we’re searching, even longing, for a different way of life. The search often begins when we experience an existential crisis, a trauma, a loss, or sometimes just a weariness with the way life is. It may be a search for purpose or meaning, or a desire for a deeper connection with the Ultimate Mystery. As any spiritual pilgrim knows, the journey is one of mystery and discovery. It’s a different path for every person with one experience common to all: every person who embarks on the journey will be changed by it. It doesn’t matter where you are on your life’s path, whether you’re young or old, experienced in prayer or a novice, religious, spiritual, agnostic, or none of the above. What matters is that something deep in the silence of your heart called you to take the first step. This book is a guide to a formation program called the Contemplative Living Experience (CLE). The CLE program’s foundation is based on the Christian contemplative practice of Centering Prayer, along with other contemplative practices. It first teaches us how to grow in the life of the Spirit, and then how to integrate our spiritual experiences into daily life, thus cultivating a contemplative life. We all have been formed by our life experiences. Engaging with a formation program like CLE gives us the opportunity to be intentional about entering into a process that fosters transformation. When we enter into this process, we’re simply consenting to be transformed. We commit to the program and the practices it teaches, but we’re not expected to change ourselves. Transformation is the work of the Spirit. Formation is a life-long process, a journey that starts in the silence of our heart and leads us into the heart of God.
Select Format
Book Details
About the Book
This book started out as a guidebook on the Contemplative Living Experience program, a spiritual formation program in contemplative life offered by Contemplative Outreach. It grew into a story about how a life dedicated to contemplative prayer can be transformed when one consents to the presence and action of God within, the divine indwelling. Because Julie’s teaching style comes out of her lived experience, the book also became part memoir and part practical application of Thomas Keating’s teaching. You will likely be able to relate to many of the examples from her life which will remind you of similar experiences you’ve had in your life, all in this exploration of contemplative prayer and its movement into a deeper relationship with the Ultimate Mystery.
About the Author
Julie Saad has been a student of Father Thomas Keating since 1994. Keating was the Abbot of St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts and one of the founders of Contemplative Outreach, a spiritual network committed to renewing the Christian contemplative tradition through the practice of Centering Prayer. Julie practices and teaches Centering Prayer and the other contemplative practices contained in this book both in person and online. She is a member of the Contemplative Outreach community in Denver, Colorado and currently serves on the governing board of the Contemplative Outreach international organism. She is the coordinator of the Contemplative Living Experience program, a formation program in contemplative life.