Richard Rohr
Fr. Richard Rohr is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
In his book, Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life, Fr. Rohr “offers a new paradigm for understanding one of the most profound of life’s mysteries: how our failings can be the foundation for our ongoing spiritual growth. Drawing on the wisdom from tie-honored myths, heroic poems, great thinkers, and sacred religious texts, the author explores the two halves of life to show that those who have fallen, failed, or “gone down” are the only ones who understand “up.” We grow spiritually more by doing it wrong than by doing it right.
With rare insight, Rohr, takes us on a journey to give us an understanding of how the heartbreaks, disappointments, and first loves of life are actually stepping stones to the spiritual joys that the second half of life has in store for us.” (1)
In His Own Words
“Our mature years are characterized by a kind of bright sadness and a sober happiness… There is still darkness in the second half of life—in fact maybe even more. But there is now a changde capacity to hold it creatively and with less anxiety.” ~From Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life (p. 117)
“In the second half of life all that you avoided for the sake of a manufactured ego ideal starts coming back as a true friend and teacher. Doers become thinkers, feelers become doers, thinkers become feelers, extroverts become introverts, visionaries become practical, and the practical ones long for vision.” ~From Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life (p. 148-149)
“There must be, and if we are honest, there always will be at least one situation in our lives that we cannot fix, control, explain, change, or even understand.” ~From Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life (p. 69)
“You will and you must” lose at something. This is the only way that life-faith-god-grace-mystery can get you to change, let go of your ego-centric preoccupations, and go on the further and larger journey.” ~From Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life (p. 65-66)
Publications
- Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life (2011)
- A Companion Journal to Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life (2013)
- Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps (2011)
- What the Mystics Know: Seven Pathways to Your Deeper Self (2015)
- Just This: Prompts and Practices for Contemplation (2017)
- A Spring Within Us: Daily Meditations (2016)
- Wild Man’s Journey: Reflections on Male Spirituality (1986; Revised edition 1996)
- Why Be Catholic?: Understanding Our Experience and Tradition with Joseph Martos (1989)
- Simplicity, Revised & Updated: The Freedom of Letting Go (1991; 2nd New edition of Revised edition, 2004)
- Near Occasions of Grace (1993)
- Quest for the Grail: Soul Work and the Sacred Journey (1994; New edition, 1997)
- The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective with Andreas Ebert (1995)
- Jesus’ Plan for a New World: The Sermon on the Mount with J. Feister (1996)
- Radical Grace: Daily Meditations with John Bookser Feister, Editor (1993)
- Job & the Mystery of Suffering (1998)
- Hope Against Darkness: The Transforming Vision of Saint Francis (2001)
- The Good News According to Luke: Spiritual Reflections (2002)
- Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer (1999; 2nd Revised edition, 2003)
- Adam’s Return: The Five Promises of Male Initiation (2004)
- Soul Brothers: Men in the Bible Speak to Men Today (2004)
- From Wild Man to Wise Man: Reflections on Male Spirituality with Joseph Martos (2005)
- Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality (2007)
- Preparing for Christmas: Daily Meditations for Advent (2008)
- The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See (2009)
- Wondrous Encounters: Scripture for Lent (2010)
- A Lever and a Place to Stand: The Contemplative Stance, the Active Prayer (2011)
- Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self (2013)
- Yes, And…: Daily Meditations (2013)
- Silent Compassion: Finding God in Contemplation (2014)
- Eager to Love: The Alternative Way of Francis of Assisi (2014)
- The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation with Mike Morrell (2016)