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the Mendicant
\ me n- di - k nt \ : be ggar I N THE FRANCI SCAN TRADI TI ON
WI NTER 2014 VOL. 4 NO. 1
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aul of Tarsus was neither one of the Twelve nor
ever knew Jesus in the esh. Nonetheless, he totally
trusted his personal experience on the Damascus
road and largely wrote on his own authorityagainst his
own past, the Jewish tradition for which he was a zealot,
and even against the new Christian establishment in
Jerusalem. Paul was in a category of his own; his let-
ters, and those from his school and disciples (Ephesians,
Colossians, Hebrews, and others), are nearly one half of
the New Testament. Where did he
get the courage to say so much with
such authority? He hardly ever quoted
Jesus directly! He mostly taught about
Christ, or the Christ Mystery, which is
the same risen presence that you and I
encounter every day.
His primary influence on the
development of what became
Christianity (many call him the
originator of the very notion of
church) and on some of the thought
patterns of Western civilization are
foundational and dynamic. Paul made
Jesus essential lifestyle and cosmic
message into a conceptual theology
that many could work with and
build upon. Jesus did it, and Paul
theologized about what Jesus did.
Paul, of course, created huge
problems through his zeal and sin-
gle-hearted devotion to the Christ.
To paraphrase Carl Jung, The greater light you have,
the greater shadow you cast. Pauls dualistic distinction
between flesh and spirit has had untold negative conse-
quences on Christian self-understanding, yet I sincerely
believe the message is not at all what he intended. He
lived inside a totally cosmic notion of Christ, a mystical
understanding of the whole message, an ongoing under-
standing of the one incarnation that was continued in
real people (1 Cor 12), and even the physical elements
of bread and wine (1 Cor 11:17-34). Only a mystic could
make these extrapolations so clearly and so convincingly.
Paul also had a very practical desire to create realtime
communication hubs for this transcendent message. He
wanted to establish very practical communities that would
illustrate how transformed people livewhich often made
him descend into simplistic moralisms to get there (Rom
1:18-31, 5)much like a father wanting to raise perfect
kids. Unfortunately this is all many people can remember,
maybe because it sounds like Mom
and Dad all over again. It makes Paul
look like a petty churchman instead
of the high level mystic and utterly
courageous man that he really was.
I end this short article on Paul by
pointing out that all of his moralizing
and judging in Romans 1 is totally
undone in Romans 2:1-11, where
he states that we are not to judge others,
because we do the same thing ourselves!
Mystics love to talk in such paradoxes,
so that we can be driven toward a
God who alone can resolve them. Paul
does the same with Jews and Greeks,
tradition and freedom, flesh and
Spirit, law and grace, and the one
and the many. As a result, only non-
dual thinkers (contemplatives) are
really prepared to understand him.
You may know Ive accepted an
invitation to lead a study pilgrimage
from October 23rd through November 1st, 2014, follow-
ing the 2nd and 3rd missionary journeys of Paul, onsite,
in Phillipi, Ephesus, and Thessalonika. My hope is to
reteach, with new emphasis, what I spoke of in the
CD set titled The Great Themes of Paul, and will address in
the February 25, 2014 webcast, Meeting the St. Paul You
Never Knew.
Jesus DID it, and Paul
theologized about what
Jesus did.
Paul: A Man Born out of Due Time
2
Connect wi th CAC

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Turni ng Informati on i nto Transformati on
The question for us is always how can we turn information
into transformation? How can we use the sacred texts, tradition,
and experience to lead people into new places with God, with life,
with themselves? Richard Rohr, OFM
We seek to empower individuals to live out their sacred
soul tasks in service to the world through:

Conspire Symposia: Seven-year series of events

following Fr. Richards underlying themes

Online Education: Self-paced, online courses connect-

ing learners worldwide

Living School: Two-year program, combining onsite

and online learning

Webcasts: Live teachings from Fr. Richard streamed

online, around the world

Bookstore: A comprehensive selection of books and

recordings (many available only at CAC)

Daily Meditations: Free daily studies sent by e-mail

to over 100,000 individuals
A Note from the Executive Director
F
or CAC, 2014 is beginning as the season
of St. Paul. The February webcast with Fr.
Richard promises to open our minds and
hearts as we meet and come to understand the
mystical genius Paul. Without question, Paul
multiplied and deepened the reality of his and
our mystical relationship to Christ. He carried
the story of his own encounter with God every-
where he went. Pauls invitation to experience
God directly and to share that experience has transformed
our awareness of what it means to multiply.
So many of you multiply our work, and for that we are
grateful. Introducing theological thinking, especially non-
dual thinking, is not an easy thing to do. However, you
continually nd ways to receive Fr. Richards teaching and
humbly share it with others: a daily meditation here and
there; a Tweet; a homily; a new article, book or recording.
People tell stories of how they were introduced
to Fr. Richards work, often crediting those in their
lives who began listening to this contemporary
prophet who introduced them to a God who is
loving, compassionate, and inclusive. And because
they could hear that message, they discovered their
belovedness and were able to trust the underlying
benevolence of the universe. In turn, they have been
able to love more mindfully, fearlessly, and joyfully.
Like Paul, why not be a multiplier in 2014? Its as risky as
being struck by God and traveling a different road the rest of
your life. Its as rewarding as being your authentic self.
Thank you for partnering with Fr. Richard and CAC,
sharing 21st century spiritual teaching with others. There is
no better story than your own.
May the light and its silent Author bless you.
Alicia Johnson, Executive Director
An educational center grounded in the
Christian mystical tradition
3
Ri ppl es i n the Worl d: CAC Mul ti pl i ers
W
e are honored to share stories of friends who
take teachings and turn them into palpable
actions and blessings for others. These multipliers
extend our reach much further than we could ever dream.
Thanks to the many, in addition to those named here,
who allow the ripples of love to cross the still surface of
their souls and become waves of transformation.

On November 5th, I lost the

contest to be the new Mayor of
Minneapolis. It had been a ten-
month battle but I was determined
to run the campaign from my
identity as an initiated male (Men
As Leaders and Elders [M.A.L.Es.], a
program inaugurated by Fr. Richard
Rohr and transitioned from the
CAC to Illuman, Inc.). The stress
of campaigning was a threat to
spiritual balance, and I found an anchor in a steady diet
of centering prayer. The narcissistic flood of biographical
detail, reprints of ones name, and the proliferation of
ones image were hazardously fattening to the false self,
so I kept reminding myself that it was about the people of
Minneapolis, not about me.
So here I am, once again, in a life full of uncertainty,
in the liminal space of transition. But I am not alone.
Thankfully, I have the support of a group of initiated men
who know me well, and who have heard my highs and
lows over the years. They even held a special blessing
ceremony for me at the start of the race.
I am grateful that the language, experience, and ideas
of the initiation process and the wise words of Richard
Rohr added context and balance to the whole experience.
With Gods help, I am pretty much ready for anything.

Don Samuels emigrated from Jamaica in 1970 at age 20. He is

an industrial designer who worked at executive levels in the toy
industry before graduating from Luther Seminary. He is the 5th
Ward Council Member on the Minneapolis City Council.

For many years my husband,

Rainer, and I have given courses and
retreats at Benedictine abbeys. In
our work we concretely discuss and
share Fr. Richards teachings on con-
templative prayer, non-dual think-
ing, spirituality of the two halves
of life, and Emerging Christianity.
We are convinced that these good
news teachings should be spread
throughout the world.
Fr. Richards teachings and my connection to him, both
in Germany and at CAC in Albuquerque, have changed
my life. I have more freedom to trust myself and to realize
my lifes calling. Fr. Richards teachings have been like a
bottle-opener for my inner voice, my inner knower.
As a Type Three on the Enneagram, I always needed
much appreciation for my work. However, by practising
contemplative prayer regularly, I am more in touch with
my True Self and it has become less important to me
what others think of me.
I will never forget one of Fr. Richards statements at a lec-
ture at the Kirchentag, during a tour Rainer and I organized in
Hannover, Germany in 2005: You are important, and you are
not so important.a statement that has kept me balanced.
As a child of God I have great dignity and a special gift
for this world, and, at the same time, I must step aside, be
humble, and recognize that I am not the hub of the world.

Ulla Peffermann-Fincke, an Enneagram instructor and pastoral

counsellor at Benedictine abbeys, gives retreats and courses for
personal and spiritual growth. She currently lives in Lbeck,
Germany with her husband Rainer, a Lutheran Pastor.

Many years ago, I heard a well-

known psychiatrist and author
tell a story about someone who
wanted to know why he seemed
to have such a problem with the
Church. He responded by saying,
I dont have a problem with the
Churchthe Church has kept me
in business for years.Consistent
with this statement, much of my
25-years in private practice as a
counseling psychologist has been spent addressing guilt
and shame created by our fundamentalist Christian belief
systems.I recently saw a sign on a church near my office
that said We are too blessed to be depressed. I wondered
how many of my patients would drive past that sign and
feel somehow weak and ashamed for struggling with their
situations. In my opinion, people who enter therapy are,
in one way or another, on a path of descent as Fr. Richard
teaches. This is where we, as therapists, are usually asked
to intervene. I frequently use Richard Rohrs teachings and
healing rituals to address issues such as addiction, grief, post-
traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and childhood
trauma; and it is difcult to describe the transformative effect
these teachings have had on my patients, as well as myself.
On a personal level, I have had, and will continue to have,
my own paths of descent, and it has been through many of
Fr. Richards teachings that I nd my own peace and comfort.
I am so very grateful for the CAC and for Fr. Richard for
their ministry, and want to take this opportunity to thank
them for all that they do.

Sherry Fleming is a counseling psychologist in private practice

in Abilene, TX. She is also a volunteer with Therapy Dogs
International and the American Red Cross.
Don Samuels
Ulla Peffermann
Sherry Fleming
4
Ri chard Rohrs Dai l y Medi tati ons
A new year, a new message, and a new feature
Putting Everything Back Together Again: A Primer for Living a Whole Life
O
ver 100,000 people around the globe
receive Fr. Richards Daily Meditations.
CAC has been sending these free email
reections every day since 2008. And 2014 is no
exception, thanks to people like you who sup-
port this work with your nancial gifts!
This year, the meditations follow the tra-
jectory of a life, from the silence before birth
through the development of ego, the fall that
can drop us into the second half of life, a jour-
ney of descent (through suffering, humility, and
shadow), ever emancipating us for greater matu-
rity and eldership, and eventually the silence
again of full union.
Early in life we splitself from others, body
from mind, life from death, acceptable from
unacceptable self. Fr. Richard offers a map for
the journey toward wholeness, toward freeing
the True Self. This primer focuses on the ways
in which we experience transformation.
Fr. Richard describes our contemplative
practice as a laboratory in which we learn to die
and to receive the Divine gaze. The rest of our life
becomes the eld in which we live out this way of
surrender and participation in Love, returning the
gaze of grace to the Beloved, mirrored in everyone
we meet.
A Sabbath for Busy Readers
In 2014, each week of meditations closes with
a special Sabbath reection: key thoughts from
the preceding days (Remember) and an invitation
to a unique contemplative practice (Rest). We
hope the Remember digest gives those who dont
read on a daily basis the opportunity to follow
along and return to the full message, if it calls
to them. The Rest practices bring the weeks
teaching deeper, below head into heart and body,
to integrate and connect Fr. Richards words with
authentic life.
Fr. Richard
offers a
map for
the journey
toward
wholeness,
toward
freeing the
True Self.
Staff Pi cks
Everything Belongs, an excellent introduction to Fr. Richards
teachings, taught me to trust the river and its ow because
the river is Gods providential love. Andee Dunick,
Events Manager
In the talks, Emerging Church, I most value the raw passion
of Alexie Torres-Fleming and the vibrant energy of Shane
Claiborne, offered within the framework of a mature and
ancient faith. Peter Knipper, Facilities Coordinator
The Enneagram and the Discernment of Spirits is the perfect
introductory tool for the beginner! It encouraged me to
discover and understand my Enneagram type and helped
me in my day-to-day relationships, as well. Morgan
Overton, Customer Service and Technical Support
Spirituality/Religion: Both And is a crucial teaching on my
ongoing journey of transformation Paul Swanson,
Director of Curriculum
I think about Emotional Sobriety on an almost-daily basis,
usually right around the time my ego is about to throw a
little temper tantrum. Lisa Tannenbaum, Bookstore Team
WHAT FR. RI CHARD I S READI NG
I recommend Amos Smiths book Healing The Divide:
Recovering Christianitys Mystic Roots (Resource Publications),
for which I happily wrote the Afterword. The book might
appeal most to those who are theologically inclined; how-
ever, Amos clarication of how the early church named the
Jesus-paradox of human and divine and then failed to make
it a dynamic message has strong implications for every
Christian life.
5
What are current Li vi ng School students experi enci ng?
A Conversation with Alana Levandoski
Mendicant: Tell us a bit about yourself
and what drew you to the Living School.
Alana: I live in a tiny house that my
partner, Ian, and I built in the woods out-
side of Edmonton, Alberta. I grew up in an
evangelical environment; the music from
my little country church inspired me to pur-
sue music as a profession. It was many years
before I experienced a descent that plunged
me into letting go of false self. In the past 4
years, I have been more wary of the entrap-
ment of action without being balanced, and
I felt the Living School was a wise choice.
The application process melted away false
intentions, so I actually let go of attending the school, but
then allowed it to resurface in an authentic place.
M: What aspect of the Living School experience thus far
has impacted you the most?
A: To have modern mystic elders help
us understand mystics from other ages
has given me new depths to yearn for and
helped me to see that the adventure isnt at
a dead end!
M: How are you integrating these
learnings (or unlearnings!) into your day-to-
day life?
A: Jim Finley dened the 7th castle of
Teresa of Avilas Interior Castle as unity with
God, even amidst disruption. Presently, as
I am speaking with you, I am nine months
pregnant, one day past my due date. One of
the students mentioned this in the student
forum: Whats in the way, is the way. That has become my
mantra for these days of expectancy and challenge.
M: Thank you, Alana. Our prayers are with you, Ian,
and your baby!
Emancipating and Multiplying through the Rohr Institute
T
he Rohr Institutes Living School for Action and
Contemplation is a reality, thanks to the early sup-
port of over 400 Charter Living Stone donors and a
multitude of others who believe in this vision of multiply-
ing Fr. Richards theological message. The overwhelming
support afrms what we know to be truethis is emancipa-
tory teaching. It reaches
deep within our Christian
Tradition and frees us to
say yes to Gods radical
love and yes to sur-
rendering our lives to be
instruments of that love.
This teaching carries with
it the potential to change lives for generations
to come.
Our work grows and the opportunities to
participate are many:

Consider becoming a student of the Living
School! Visit cac.org/rohr-inst to learn
more about the Living Schools deep-
exposure lineage and teaching themes.

Take a single online course. Self-paced
online courses are open to all! See the
enclosed yer for a list of courses and
dates, and visit cac.org to register.

Conspire with us in person at the next
symposium, September 2014. Rob Bell
and Ilia Delio join Fr. Richard, teaching us how the
Trinity reveals a benevolent universe. (Registration opens
in February.)
Support our workfuture funding will create new
courses, more scholarships, and excellent faculty. Donate
securely online at
cac.org/support-cac,
send a check, or contact
us for information about
charitable giving. You can
view the complete list of
our Charter Living Stones
at cac.org.
6
SUPPORT THE WORK OF TURNI NG I NFORMATI ON I NTO TRANSFORMATI ON!
The Center for Action and Contemplation is a non-prot educational organization. Please support this work by donating securely online
at cac.org/support-the-cac or by sending a check, payable to CAC, to PO Box 12464, Albuquerque, NM 87195.Please also consider
remembering CAC in your will. To learn more about making a charitable contribution, including stock transfers and bequests, contact
Executive Director Alicia Johnson by email: ajohnson@cac.org.
A Primer for Living a Whole Life
Richard Rohrs Daily Meditations continue in 2014,
following the arc of a life.
From innocent beginning, through inevitable brokenness,
to putting everything back together, through ripening into
unionFr. Richard offers a map for the journey.
Join over 85,000 individuals around the world who receive these
free daily studies by email, directly from Fr. Richard!
Sign up at cac.org/sign-up
The landmark
meditations
from 2013 are
available in
book form,
a keepsake
volume
exploring
Fr. Richards
seven core
teaching
themes.
Order Yes, And...
at store.cac.org
live teaching with fr. richard
Meeting the St. Paul You Never Knew
Tuesday, February 25 5:00 p.m. (U.S. Mountai n Ti me)
Fr. Richard introduces us to the biblical writer who has often
been misunderstood. Pauls message is not individualistic
but cosmic, not moral but mystical, not so much about
Jesus but about the Cosmic Christ.
Regi ster f or the webcast at cac.org
SAVE THE DATE!
C ONS P I R E 2 0 1 4
AUGUST 31SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 HYATT TAMAYA, SANTA ANA PUEBLO LANDS
Join Richard Rohr, Rob Bell, and Ilia Delio in person
as they reveal a benevolent universe and the loving face of God.
Sign up to receive our emails and youll be notified when registration opens:
cac.org/sign-up
A CONS P I R A C Y F OR G OD S Y MP OS I U M