A skilled listener can help people tap into their own wisdom. Richard Rohr More Quotes by Richard Rohr More Quotes From Richard Rohr One is struck in the study of saints, angels and gods by a pattern that seems quaint and harmless. Yet, it is so common that I know there must be a deeper meaning. There always seem to be guardians and spirits of doors, bridges, exits and entranceways. Richard Rohr angelbridgesdoors What healthy religion is saying is that the real life is both now and later. You have to taste the Real first of all now. The constant pattern, however, is that most Christians either move both backwards (religion as nostalgia) or into the distant future (religion as carrot on the stick) and consistently avoid where everything really happens and mattersthe present moment. Richard Rohr realchristianfaith Jesus praised faith and trust – even more than love. It takes a foundational trust to fall, or to fail, and not to fall apart. Richard Rohr falling-apartfalljesus Change is not what we expect from religious people. They tend to love the past more than the present or the future. Richard Rohr religiouspeoplepast I believe in mystery and multiplicity. To religious believers this may sound almost pagan. But I don't think so. Richard Rohr religiousbelievethinking Having a school really is the fulfillment of a longtime dream of mine. Richard Rohr fulfillmentdreamschool Silence is the necessary space around things that allows them to develop and flourish without my pushing. Richard Rohr pushingspacesilence Ancients knew that you need guidance, patronage and protection as you move from one place or state to another, whenever you cross a bridge. You had better know what you are doing when you leave one group or place to join another. Richard Rohr groupsbridgesmoving It is so important to balance orthodoxy with orthopraxy. Richard Rohr orthodoxybalanceimportant If you try to assert wisdom before people have themselves walked it, be prepared for much resistance, denial, push-back, and verbal debate. Richard Rohr denialtryingpeople The big truth for men is that often we have to leave home in the first half of life before we can return home at a later stage and find our soul there. Richard Rohr soulhomemen In the second half of life, people have less power to infatuate you. But they also have much less power to control you or hurt you. Richard Rohr halfhurtpeople Someone has said, 'To be a saint is to have loved many things' —many things — Richard Rohr flowerdoglove-you Jesus is the very concrete truth revealing and standing in for the universal truth. Richard Rohr concreterevealingjesus If God continues to give me health and a sane mind and verbal ability, I want to teach. Richard Rohr mindwantgiving Today we need whatever methods or help we can receive to allow the Christian message to take us to a deeper level of transformation. Richard Rohr levelschristianneeds We Catholics must admit that there is a constant temptation among us to avoid the lectionary and the Word of God for private and pious devotions that usually have little power to actually change us or call our ego assumptions into question. Richard Rohr egocatholictemptation We do not make or create our souls, we just grow them up. Richard Rohr growssoul We find it hard to love imperfect things so we imagine God is just as small as we are. If we expect or need things to be perfect or to our liking ( including ourselves) we have created a certain path for a very unhappy life. Richard Rohr imperfect-thingsunhappyhappy-life A mystic doesn’t say “I believe.” They say “I know.” A true mystic will ironically speak with that self-confidence but at the same time with a kind of humility. So when you see that combination of calm self-confidence, certitude, and humility all at the same time you have the basis for mysticism in general. Richard Rohr self-confidencehumilitybelieve
