Tribute to Father Thomas Keating and the Monks of St. Benedict’s
Contemplative Outreach San Diego dedicates this website with heartfelt gratitude to Father Thomas for the good that has come about through his ardent love of God and service to his people. We would also like to thank Fr. William Menninger; the architect of Centering Prayer in its modern form, taken from the medieval work Cloud of Unknowing; and to Fr. Basil Pennington’s work on the method of Centering Prayer in the early years, as this opus dei took form. To all the monks of St. Benedict’s at Snowmass and the many years of support to the people of COSD who have attended retreats and workshops at this beautiful monastery in the mountains of Colorado, thank you for your gracious hospitality.
Our website draws from Father Thomas’ teachings distilled from the spiritual journey he lived as a Cistercian monk in the world. Much of the web site has been edited from his book, Foundations for Centering Prayer and the Christian Contemplative life which contains the works of Open Mind Open Heart, Invitation to Love and the Mystery of Christ.
Out of their desire to share their contemplative journey with our modern world; grew the practice of Centering Prayer, and the organization of Contemplative Outreach. CO was established in order to bring Centering Prayer, an ancient prayer practice, out of the monastic milieu to those in contemporary society.
Fr. Thomas offered his final letting go of the body, on October 25th 2018. He modeled for us the incredible riches and humility borne of a divine relationship that is not only possible but is already the fact in every human being. Such was his teaching, such was his life.
“I have climbed up to the highest in me, and seen, the Word is far, far above.
A curious explorer, I have plumbed my own depths, and He was far deeper than that.
I have looked outward; I saw Him far beyond.
If I looked inward, He was further in still.
And I know what I had read is true, that in Him we live and move and have our being.” St. Bernard of Clairvaux.
