The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living: Excerpts From the Works of Father Thomas Keating

by Thomas Keating, S. Stephanie Iachetta (Compiler)

This work brings together for each day of the year three prayer practices for contemplative living: first, a brief "active prayer"; second, spiritual reading; and, third, Lectio Divina. The brief introductory prayer sentences are from various sources - the Bible and traditional prayers of the church or of well-known spiritual writers. The spiritual readings come from eleven of Father Keatings books and one audiotape, with a month's worth of readings derived from each work. Each day's entry concludes with a brief selection from the Bible, or Lectio Divina.

Genres: Spirituality, Faith, Religion, Nonfiction, Prayer

398 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2003

About the author

Keating entered the Cistercian Order in Valley Falls, Rhode Island in January, 1944. He was appointed Superior of St. Benedict's Monastery, Snowmass, Colorado in 1958, and was elected abbot of St. Joseph's Abbey, Spencer, Massachusetts in 1961. He returned to Snowmass after retiring as abbot of Spencer in 1981, where he established a program of ten-day intensive retreats in the practice of Centering Prayer, a contemporary form of the Christian contemplative tradition.

He is one of three architects of Centering Prayer, a contemporary method of contemplative prayer, that emerged from St. Joseph's Abbey in 1975. Frs. William Menninger and Basil Pennington, also Cistercian monks, were the other architects.
n 1984, Fr. Thomas Keating along with Gustave Reininger and Edward Bednar, co-founded Contemplative Outreach, Ltd., an international, ecumenical spiritual network that teaches the practice of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina, a method of prayer drawn from the Christian contemplative tradition. Contemplative Outreach provides a support system for those on the contemplative path through a wide variety of resources, workshops, and retreats.
Fr. Keating currently lives at St. Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado.

Reviews

[Marypat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book every morning it helps you to center in contemplative prayer . It starts my day off feeling enriched enhanced and balanced in my spirituality.

[Barbara Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daily Reader for Contemplative Living

This complication of Fr Thomas’ work is a daily reminder of this journey of love into Christ. It is so simple yet deep that it reminds us daily of our path and our Fathers love every step of the way. I recommend it as the one book to read everyday year after year as a touchstone of reality no matter what else we read on the way. Blessings to Stephanie.

[Belinda Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Father Thomas is among my favorite writers and speakers of all-time. In The Daily Reader For Contemplative Living, he gives us spiritual food for each new day. This is a wonderful book to begin the day with or keep at the bedside for nightly prayer.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, this is my favorite daily devotional. It really resonates with my soul.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each month has quotes from one of Keating's books or, in one month, an interview. This is an excellent introduction to Thomas Keating which has a short one-page selection for each day of the year.

[Marylee Heller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have found that I love reading Father Keating-- and I'm not Catholic. :-) A daily read that I restarted at the turn of the year.

[Mark O'Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the Fr Keating book.

[Rocky Curtiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

A daily devotional, there were some entries that did not click with me, but many more that demanded further contemplation.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a daily meditation book focused on Christianity and centering/welcoming prayer.

[Contemplative Outreach Hawaii · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suggested for those with a faithful practice of Centering Prayer. The book presents short reading for each day of the year that starts with a short scriptural saying, includes a spiritual reading excerpted from one of Thomas Keating's many books, and ends with a short scriptural saying. It is used as caily reader by individuals and Centering Prayer groups alike as a vestibule or opening prayer to their daily periods of Centering Prayer. It provides reinforces and encourages people in their prayer practice and provides support for on on-going fidelity to the practice. Groups have commented on how often what is read in the reading for the day "coincidentally" relates to the groups discussion topic for that session or to events happening in one's day.

[Matt Cinadr]

This book is very helpful. It is well described here but I ad that it is one of those manifestations of the almost limitless writing of Fr Keating ( each day's offering is clearly linked to one of many many books) . This book also offers each day's text in a brief almost approaching the soul of brevity.

I believe this daily reader might eventually make a wonderful adjunct to what many currently use in their practice.

It is also a good orderly compendium of Fr Keating's wisdom

[Kathy fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Favorite Daily - Silence, Stillness, Peace.....Have been reading this for 2 years daily

[Dan Brunner · Rating 5 out of 5]

For where I am in my journey right now, this has been one of the most worthwhile daily devotional books I have ever read.