The Method of SACRED NOTICING
A CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE FOR DAILY LIFE
Michael J. Cunningham OFS
Between what happens to you and what you do about it lies a space.
This practice teaches you how to find it, expand it, and use it.
NOTICE with contemplative awareness what is present in this moment.
PAUSE to create sacred space for wisdom to emerge before responding.
RESPOND from integrated awareness with wise, heart-centered action.
REPEAT this rhythm throughout your day, allowing it to become a natural way of being.
What is Sacred Noticing?
Sacred Noticing is a contemplative practice that integrates awareness, reflection, and wise action into a single flowing movement. It is spiritual awareness in action—a method that honors what you may already practice while offering something more. Sacred Noticing weaves mindfulness, contemplation, and conscious response into one practice designed for the messy beauty of everyday life.
Unlike practices that focus on awareness alone or contemplation in isolation, Sacred Noticing completes the cycle from noticing through wisdom to action. It transforms how you engage with daily life—at work, in relationships, during transitions, and in moments of crisis.
A Practice for All
Sacred Noticing draws from the wisdom of the Christian contemplative tradition while remaining accessible to all. Whether you practice contemplative prayer, meditation, or neither, this method provides everything you need to cultivate presence and wisdom in daily life. It serves as a bridge between secular and spiritual approaches to conscious living.
Franciscan Roots
Sacred Noticing emerges from the Franciscan tradition of seeing the sacred in all creation. Like St. Francis who found God in every creature and moment, this practice helps you recognize thin places—those moments where heaven and earth touch—not as rare mystical experiences but as the ground of ordinary life. It integrates teachings from Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, Visio Divina, and Celtic spirituality into a unified practice for modern life.
. Sacred Noticing Guidelines
NOTICE with contemplative awareness what is present.
Practice seeing beyond automatic assumptions and habitual interpretations.
Ask: What else might be true about this situation that I’m not seeing?
Approach familiar moments with fresh eyes, as if experiencing them for the first time.
Notice both the outer situation and your inner responses without judgment.
PAUSE to create sacred space before responding.
Either:
Pause by waiting and reflecting on your noticing in whatever form suits you best, silence, more listening, reflecting.
Or use the Three-Breath Method: Take three conscious breaths, feel your feet on the ground, and ask, ‘What does this moment need from me?’
Use the pause to interrupt automatic reactions and create space for wisdom.
In the pause, remain open to what wants to emerge without forcing or controlling.
The pause is not emptiness but fullness—a moment of presence and possibility.
RESPOND from integrated awareness with wise action.
Let your response arise from the wisdom accessed in the pause.
Choose responses that serve the whole situation, not just immediate reactions.
Your response may be words, actions, or continued presence—whatever serves best.
Sometimes the wisest response is not to respond, but to remain present.
Some Practical Points
Begin practicing Sacred Noticing with routine daily activities—morning coffee, walking to your car, conversations with family. Choose one familiar situation each day to approach with fresh awareness.
The practice naturally develops over time. What feels deliberate at first becomes intuitive. Be patient with yourself as the three movements begin to flow together.
Yellow Light Moments—opportunities throughout your day when you can choose conscious response over automatic reaction—are everywhere. Traffic lights, phone rings, email notifications, and transitions between tasks all offer practice opportunities.
Sacred Noticing increases sensitivity to both beauty and pain. Practice sacred self-compassion. The deepening awareness you develop is a gift, not a tool for self-judgment.
The principal fruits of Sacred Noticing are experienced in daily life—in the quality of your presence, the depth of your relationships, and the wisdom of your responses.
What Sacred Noticing Is and Is Not
It is not mindfulness alone, but mindfulness integrated with contemplation and wise action.
It is not a relaxation technique but a practice of spiritual awareness and response.
It is not limited to prayer or meditation times but extends into every moment of daily life.
It is not a mechanical technique but a relational disposition—a way of being present.
It is not quick-fix spirituality but a path of ongoing transformation.
It is a complete practice integrating awareness, wisdom, and action into one flowing movement.
Sacred Noticing emerged from contemplative practice rooted in Christian and Franciscan spirituality, with the aim of bringing the mystical into everyday life.
This practice is offered as a gift to the contemplative community.
Please share it freely. When teaching or writing about Sacred Noticing, a simple attribution is appreciated: “Sacred Noticing by Michael Cunningham, OFS.”
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