Here's a paper by Ralph Martin, my first teacher of the Carmelite Saints. I thought some of you might enjoy his teaching on this subject.

http://www.renewalministries.n...ature/Char_Cont..pdf

He addresses what he sees as a "wide-spread impression that the contemplative and the charismatic are contradictory, not complementary..."

Ralph corrects misunderstandings he's gathered from comments like:

"I used to be charismatic but now I've gone on to the contemplative" and

"I much prefer the quiet of contemplative prayer and could never be a charismatic" and

"How could you encourage the expression of charismatic gifts? Don't you realize what John of the Cross says about these kinds of spiritual experiences?"

Thanks, Ralph!

Yes, good paper by Ralph Martin. If you know him, give him my regards, though I suspect he'd be one who'd think I'd fallen off the deep end with kundalini and has probably written me off because of my book. I hope I'm wrong about that, however.

It's true that JOC did not condemn charismatic gifts; what he discouraged was the seeking after consolations, however, which charismatics are sometimes prone to do (also Marianists and many others).