Invitation to Love 20th Anniversary Edition: The Way of Christian Contemplation

Fr Thomas Keating has written a book that gleans from among the best of the Church's contemplative resources such as John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, Cloud of Unknowing and presents it afresh with a gentle and winsome voice to today's would-be contemplatives. For many who find some of the deep classics on prayer such as those mentioned somewhat dense or obscure will find much to resonate with in 'Invitation to Love'. The method of Centering Prayer which he has helped develop and promote for our generation is a simple and rewarding way of prayer if one sets aside regular time for it. It is together with faithful practice and spiritual growth that one comes to grasp more deeply what is written here. However, even if one is a newbie to Centering Prayer or treads a different prayer path, there is much that one can relate to and find helpful such as his thoughts on the famous 'night of the sense' and 'night of the spirit' which are commonly encountered in one's prayer as one advances. Familiarity with such experiences helps one persist and let God take us to a deeper level of union with him.Then, there is that beautiful story about Bernie, a real person of great love and generosity, who lives his life to the hilt in a monastery and when the time comes for him to let go, he drops everything in less than a moment's notice. It's an inspiring story of how true prayer makes a person fully human, fully alive!This is one of the better books on prayer I have read - easy, down-to-earth and powerful. Highly recommended! But be sure to read 'Open Mind Open Heart' before reading this for a good grasp of Centering Prayer, which is the backbone of Keating's thoughts on prayer.

I read this book with a nondenominational group of men. I didn’t have the theological background, not being Catholic and being educated in secular public schools. Other men helped me with these parts. I had read extensively works by Ken Wilber, and psychological books, so I was able to help them there. I got a lot out of the experience of reading this together and have a lot of respect for this book and it’s author. But I wouldn’t recommend it for an autodidact to read alone.

This is a book of spirituality about one of the great spiritual masters of the 20th century, Thomas Keating. In this book Thomas Keating breaks down all the elements of bringing ourselves closer to the loving heart of God.Additionally it breaks down some of the psychological stages of individual growth and then compares them to spirituality. This was interesting but way more complicated than a simple person like me could understand. Thus, I gave it four instead of five stars.However if you enjoy the psychology of growth stages overlaid with spirituality – – this could be the book for you

Beautifully written, Thomas Keating brings into crystaline clarity the much needed integration of psychology and spirituality. What he describes chapter by chapter is the place religion was meant to have in our lives, to guide us through the unfortunate and random events that shape us in our early years that color if not limit the outcome of our adult lives. To quote David Whyte, "This world was made to be free in," but many of us are blocked by circumstances beyone anyone's control that sadly gained the power to falsely name who we are. Keating offers the path to resolution, growth and transformation in his works, this is a solid introduction. I also recommend "Intimacy with God" to start with. As Dr. Shore points out (University of Minn) "Before there is a self, there is a relationship, and it is from this relationship that the self emerges," Keating penetrates this in "Invitation.." inviting the reader to become the authentic, pure being, we are all meant to be.

Father Keating's invitation is to live an ordinary life with extraordinary love..to exchange self limiting and ineffectual programs for happiness for a program of joy centered on our own truth and focused not inward but outward to others, to community and to the world. Addressed to Christians who may have used church and religion ineffectually in the pursuit of happiness, it also offers a compassionate, understanding and wise approach for all of us to help recognize these ineffectual programs for happiness within our lives. It offers us a practice which can help us exchange these programs for something that brings us into greater wholeness and fulfillment. It took me quite a few years in the practice to finally truly appreciate this wonderful teaching so if at first it doesn't connect, make the commitment to truth, beauty and service..then pick it up again..especially if you feel you have hit a wall in your spiritual journey.

I learned a lot from the review of the stages of personal development, using insights from modern psychology to clarify our innate yearning for God’s unconditional love and the call to worship all who he is, has done, and has made.Some parts, especially in the second half of the book were pretty dense. It was easy to get lost in the big theological concepts used, many of which tended to be prescriptive and extraordinary rather than relatable for me; but maybe I’m just not there yet.The final suggestions for applying contemplative prayer in every day life were very practical and I anticipate them being useful, but all in all I’m disappointed with what I took from the book, I was hoping for more information and guidance in contemplative prayer. Maybe I would have been better served to start with the first book in the series.

Awesome read, takes you to the depth of the love relationship that was intended for us by the loving God

The map of the spiritual journey is very well explained by Fr Keating.I would recommend this book with the other two in the trilogy Open Mind, Open Heart and The Mystery of Christ available individually or in a very nice combned hardback edition: Foundations for Centering Prayer and the Christian Contemplative Life

This book is the second in Thomas Keating's trilogy on Centering Prayer, Open Mind, Open Heart being the first.. His teaching is profound and is delivered clearly, succinctly and sometimes with humour. I thoroughly recommend his books.Delivery was prompt and the book in pristine condition.

Keating is perhaps one of the most important men of our age in contemplative prayer. His work and insights are legendary, his twinkling humour is his hallmark and gently, lovingly he leads us closer to our own relationship with God.

JUST AS I EXPECTED OF REV. KEATINGS MYSTICAL , AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE 21ST CENTURY!PRIVILEGED TO SHARE HIS SPIRITUAL JOURNEY IN THIS TROUBLED TIMES..FAITH-SHARING ..

Very good indeed