Richard Rohr

“I decided years ago that if I'm going to keep teaching contemplation, then the last years of my life should be contemplative.”

“If we seek spiritual heroism ourselves, the old ego is just back in control under a new name. There would not really be any change at all, but only disguise, just bogus self-improvement on our own terms.”

“Knowing without loving is frankly dangerous for the soul and for society. You'll critique most everything you encounter and even have the hubris to call this mode of reflexive cynicism "thinking" (whereas it's really your ego's narcissistic reaction to the moment). You'll position things to quickly as inferior or superior, "with me" or "against me," and most of the time you'll be wrong.”

“Having a school really is the fulfillment of a longtime dream of mine.”

“With improved historical records, and easier access to them, we actually have better reasons for hating one another, for anger and violence toward one another.”

“It's not correct to say Jesus is God. Now, don't run and report me to the bishop, all right? It's not correct to say that - Jesus is the union of the human and the divine. That's different.”

“When you get your,'Who am I?', question right, all of your,'What should I do?' questions tend to take care of themselves”

“Transformed people transform people.”

“Right words make all of us feel falsely important. Right action keeps all of us forever beginners.”

“It is no surprise that the first and always unwelcome message of male initiation rites is LIFE – IS – HARD.”

“Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment instead. It is such a willingness to live with bewilderment that characterizes the true wise man.”

“Contemplation is an alternative consciousness that refuses to identify with or feed what are only passing shows. It is the absolute opposite of addiction, consumerism or any egoic consciousness.”

“Change is not what we expect from religious people. They tend to love the past more than the present or the future.”

“The cross solved our problem by first revealing our real problem, our universal pattern of scapegoating and sacrificing others. The cross exposes forever the scene of our crime.”

“I do not think you should get rid of your sin until you have learned what it has to teach you.”

“If change and growth are not programmed into your spirituality, if there are not serious warnings about the blinding nature of fear and fanaticism, your religion will always end up worshiping the status quo and protecting your present ego position and personal advantage as if it were God.”

“I would wonder if you could be a hero or heroine if you did not live in deep time, that is, Past, present, and future all at once.”

“People who know how to creatively break the rules also know why the rules were there in the first place.”

“When we fail we are merely joining the great parade of humanity that has walked ahead of us and will follow after us.”

“We do not handle suffering. Suffering handles us.”