One theme Catholic Social Teaching addresses is the Rights and Responsibilities of every Catholic.  Our Catholic Church teaches that “each person has human rights as a child and friend of God.”  In the encyclical...

Cindy Yamnitz reflects on the gift of silence: Be still and know that I am God. In stillness, we can find silence. Silence is the language of ...

MMOC Contemplative Core Team member Paul Schulte discusses how practices of silence like Centering Prayer can help us to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, and offers an opportunity to help us become attuned to...

Quiet Time Now are we winter deep In quietness. The shadowed snow, The gliding owl,...

Catholic Social Teaching:  Life and Dignity of the Human Person We are created in God’s image! (Genesis 1:26-31) As we gathered at table with family and friends during the holidays, did we see the reflection of God in every person? So too with...

This week, we’ll identify the seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching ( CST), each of which will be discussed in more detail in coming weeks in our Food for Thought column for the bulletin.  We will also be presenting the six areas where the Peace and Justice Ministry will suggest...

“Without doubt, regular periods of physical silence play a crucial role in the spiritual life.  It must be cultivated and reverenced.  We don’t make retreats alongside highways.  Places of.

Over the next several weeks, The Food for Thought column in our weekly bulletin will focus on the seven principles identified by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) as the core of...

Carolyn Hebenstreit draws on an audio divina prayer practice to discuss silent contemplation as an expression of love for God: “Contemplation is taking a long loving look at the Real.”  Walter Burghardt Distraction comes in so many forms these days – we all experience...

Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, O.M.I. reminds us of the contemplative commitment of giving birth spiritually: First, like Mary, we need to get pregnant by the Holy Spirit. We need to let the word take such root in us that it begins to become part of ...

We offer an excerpt of the poem below from Maya Angelou for your Christmas contemplation. A link to the text of the full poem and a video of Dr. Angelou’s reading can be found on our webpage at https://marymother.org/contemplative-prayer. Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem Hope is born again in the faces of ...

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We encourage you to review Matthew 1:1-16 together with this meditation. The genealogy of Jesus is startling evidence of God’s gentle persistence in overwhelming, with good, the chaotic actions of humankind: Judah visited prostitutes, Rahab deceived by covering up her night visitors; David had an affair and murdered; Solomon flirted with other spirits; all to arrive at Joseph, the right man as a...

click on the title above to see this week's image

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Advent can become an unintentionally worrisome time as we get caught up in striving, rather than simply allowing each moment to unfold before us. Taking inspiration from a prayer on the website abide.com, we offer this practice as a way of releasing worry: Overcoming worry is found by intentionally seeking God. Let’s begin first to posture our bodies before God, as God postures and aligns our souls ...

During the season of Advent, the Peace and Justice Committee will offer an image for our reflection, in conjunction with the readings both at Sunday Mass and in the Food for Thought column.  We are invited to ...

Fr. Richard Rohr discussed how detachment from things can lead to more time and space for spiritual growth: What right do I have to talk about contemplation when I have been living on overdrive? It seems that we tend to think...

The journey of contemplation is different for each of us, but saints, mystics, and contemplative practitioners through the ages make it clear that dedicated contemplative practice can lead to real healing and freedom of body, mind, soul, and spirit. The reasons for this ...

The Al Hamichyah is an ancient prayer recited by our Jewish sisters and brothers after meals. A version of the Al Hamichyah appears below. This Thanksgiving, consider ending mealtime with this or another call to prayer and intention, so that the remainder of our day and of our lives may ...