Dear John,

Thirty-five years ago, during the summer of 1986, I left Cincinnati with all my possessions in the back of my little Toyota pick-up and started driving west to Albuquerque, New Mexico. I stopped in Kansas to visit my family, where my father immediately put up the hood of my truck to fix it; not that it even needed fixing! I suppose that is just what a father did back in those days. 

In those early years when I would return home from speaking, I often took a moment to sit and consider my recent experience—maybe this was a little bit like checking under my own hood—and I would think… “these things I’m saying to people about the Gospel and contemplation… I don’t know where the words are coming from, but this is good stuff! I’ve got to find more ways to give this to people.” I’m sure there was some egocentricity in that, that I was the giver of the message. But I never thought I was the only one saying it. Frankly, it was disappointing that all ministers and priests were not saying it too because to me it is so obvious that the Gospel is good and liberating news for every one and every thing.

Helping people discover the often hidden or even denied traditions of Christian contemplation was what led me to found the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC), and 34 years later there is still a real sense of urgency to this work—perhaps more so now than at any other time I can remember. What we need is a new way of being in the world together that embodies the reality that all life is sacred, precious, and connected; only the contemplative mind can bring forward this new consciousness which is needed to awaken a more loving, just, and sustainable world.

This work is only possible because of the trust, partnership, and support of people like you. 

Twice per year, we pause the Daily Meditations and ask you for your support. If you have been impacted by the CAC’s programs (including these Daily Meditations) and are financially able, please consider making a contribution. Your support is what enables this work to reach people around the world, many for the very first time.

Thank you for being a part of this community. The CAC is not funded by any large institution or big foundation, but by thousands of people around the world who have been impacted by this work—people just like you. 

As I continue to slow down at the age of 78, working with our editorial team to share these meditations is one of my greatest joys. I am honored and humbled by your trust and partnership through it all.

Please take a moment to read our Executive Director Michael's note below. Tomorrow the Daily Meditations will continue exploring the theme of Spirituality and Addiction. 

In gratitude and solidarity,

Dear John,

Think back to the first time you heard about Richard Rohr or the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC). Was it a book, audio recording, a conference talk or one of these Daily Meditation emails? I’d venture to guess that whatever it was, someone that you trusted gave it to you. A friend gave you a cassette tape, a co-worker burned you a CD, a relative told you about a book or sent you a podcast. 

For the last three and a half decades, this community has grown person by person through trusted friends sharing the message with people they care about. The growth of this community has been driven from the bottom-up because there is a deep need for the integration of both action and contemplation that is historical, inclusive, service-oriented, and honest. 

The CAC’s vision is to realize Fr. Richard’s hope of supporting a global movement of people who are putting this contemplative message and spiritual practice into action in the world. When we do that, we bring a dose of healing, love and compassion to our families, communities, and societies. It is love made manifest in the world. 

If you have benefited from the work of this CAC community, please consider making a one-time donation or recurring gift to support it. If you are able, please consider making your donation a monthly one. Recurring support helps CAC consistently provide new offerings, many of them at no cost, that can support the lives of more people who have yet to access this contemplative tradition. 

Donors from outside the United States may find PayPal the most effective credit card processor. Click here to donate via PayPal through our bookstore.

In gratitude for an online donation of any size, we will send you a digital version of our new edition of ONEING with the important theme of The Cosmic Egg.

We are so thankful for your partnership and help in serving as a gateway to this contemplative path. We do not live this life alone, but we are all deeply connected to each other living inside of God’s great story. Keep being an agent of love in your own way in this beautiful but hurting world.

Peace and Every Good,

Michael Poffenberger

Executive Director
Center for Action and Contemplation

P.S. You can donate securely online at cac.org/dm-appeal or send a check (USD only) to CAC, P.O. Box 12464, Albuquerque, NM 87195. Donations are tax-deductible in the United States. EIN # 85-0354965. We invite donations of any size. Learn more about other ways to give, including gifts of stock, qualified distributions from your IRA or an estate gift at cac.org/support. Email us at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like further information. Thank you so much. 

Explore Richard Rohr's Daily Meditations archive at cac.org. Visit CAC on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to connect with others and explore more ideas about contemplation.

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