October, 2023

 Blessings to all. Fall has finally come to New Mexico. After a very hot summer cooler temperatures are most welcome. Contemplative Outreach NM will hold a Day of Centering Prayer on October 7, 2023. The theme is "Tending our Inner Harvest." We look forward to gathering as a contemplative community once again. 

 Our weekly zoom gathering continues to flourish. Each Wednesday at 5 p.m. mountain time we gather to embrace the silence. We gather from near and far, from NM to TX to CO to Utah to Virginia and sometimes beyond. If you would like to join us for this weekly Centering Prayer gathering just send your request for the link to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

October is the month of the mystics. October 1 was the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux also know as "The Little Flower." She was a Carmelite nun who lived in the 1800s. She died at a very young age. She was proclaimed a doctor of the Church in 1997. She taught us to talk/listen to God and focus on being our best self. 

On October 4th we celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. He is know as the Patron saint of ecology and animals. He founded the Franciscan religious order and lived in the 1200s. A prayer attributed to St. Francis is "Who are you, Lord my God and who am I?'

On October 15th we celebrate the feast of St. Teresa of Avila, also a Carmelite nun who lived in the 1500s. She became an active reformer of the Carmelite Orders, founding the Discalced (barefoot) Carmelites along with St. John of the Cross. Teresa is know for her prominent works on Christian Mysticism and was declared a doctor of the Church in 1970.

So who is a mystic? According to Father Richard Rohr, a Franciscan Friar here in Albuquerque, a "mystic" is one who has experiential knowledge of God. This does not require a Theology degree but evolves from deep prayer and service of God. Our own Father Thomas Keating was and is a mystic. His life is described as one "Surrendered to Love."

 Donations are always welcome and assist us with operating expenses.

 Check or money order can be sent to:

 Contemplative Outreach of NM (CONM)

 606 Vista Este NE

 Rio Rancho, NM 87124