Invitation to Love: The Way of Christian Contemplation
Overview
Invitation to Love provides a road map for the journey that begins when Centering Prayer is seriously undertaken. Pointing to some of the recognizable landmarks on this journey, as well as to its ultimate destination, Father Keating addresses common questions regarding contemplative practice: How will it affect my life? Where does it lead us spiritually? What obstacles will I encounter along the way? How does it work? Following on from Open Mind, Open Heart, this book establishes a dialogue between the insights of contemporary psychology and the classic Christian spiritual masters, providing a solid conceptual background for the practice of Centering Prayer. This is a practical book, articulating the stages of the process of spiritual growth, and outlining how we might develop a deeper relationship with God and move from contemplation to action.
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Key Features
- Provides instructional guidebooks, workbooks, and daily devotionals to ease you into silent worship
- Combines contemporary psychological wisdom with time-tested spiritual strategies
- Presents valuable insights and practical application
Top Highlights
“To repent is not to take on afflictive penances like fasting, vigils, flagellation, or whatever else appeals to our generosity. It means to change the direction in which you are looking for happiness.” (Pages 11–12)
“The experience of the transforming union is a way of being in the world that enables us to live daily life with the invincible conviction of continuous union with God. It is a new way of being in the world, a way of transcending everything in the world without leaving it.” (Page 117)
“The greatest fruit of the night of spirit is the disposition that is willing to accept God on his own terms. As a result, one allows God to be God without knowing who or what that is.” (Pages 114–115)
“In the light of transforming union, therefore, the most important element in centering prayer is the practice itself, not its psychological content.” (Page 109)
“Because of our fixations on particular programs for happiness, we treat survival/security, affection/esteem, and power/control symbols as absolutes, that is, as substitutes for God. Instead of being content with a reasonable amount of security, pleasure, and independence, we want to squeeze from these limited goods an absolute happiness that they cannot give. We then experience immediate disappointment and frustration.” (Page 55)
About Thomas Keating
Thomas Keating is known throughout the world as an exponent, teacher, and writer on contemplative prayer. A Cistercian (Trappist) monk of St. Benedict’s Monastery, Snowmass, Colorado, he is a founder of the Centering Prayer Movement and of Contemplative Outreach. He is the author of numerous books, particularly of the trilogy Open Mind, Open Heart; Invitation to Love; and The Mystery of Christ. Among his most recent books is The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living, compiled by S. Stephanie Iachetta. He served as abbot at St. Joseph’s Abbey in Massachusetts for 20 years before retiring to Snowmass, where he now resides.
