June 26, 2026

The gifts we have been given are not for ourselves alone." — Thomas Keating, Open Mind, Open Heart

Keating wrote within a contemplative tradition that was actively recovering from decades of decline in Western monasticism. He was working to make Centering Prayer accessible to ordinary people outside monastery walls, not just trained religious. The line reflects his core conviction that spiritual development is not a private achievement — it exists to flow outward into community and ordinary life. For anyone asking how inner work connects to service, this is the direct answer: you grow so you can give.