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Visioning Day with Susan Komis

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Visioning Day is a special event for our contemplative Community in the Spirit of Centering Prayer

A “Visioning” day provides an opportunity for all Centering Prayer practitioners in our community to gather together to celebrate our history, assess our needs as a contemplative community, and “envision” future growth and direction for Heart of Texas Contemplative Outreach.

All participants will have an opportunity to offer input and be a part of future planning as we envision our future as a contemplative community. We are excited about this day and encourage all to attend. We ask in advance that you commit to attending the entire day . . . you won’t want to miss it!

In the Visioning process, we will:

  • Celebrate our strengths in our initial stages of growth and formation
  • Explore challenges and assess needs to implement realistic growth
  • Prioritize needs and create a road map for the next 1-2 years
  • Acknowledge and encourage ecumenical dimension and Spirit
  • Establish needs of Leadership Team; discernment of Service Teams
  • Prayerful discernment process for Chapter Coordinator

Why participate? 

Chances are your first experience with Centering Prayer was made available to you by volunteers of a chapter of Contemplative Outreach, who chose to participate in the building of our contemplative community.

Participating offers:

  • An opportunity to give back a portion of what you have spiritually received
  • A chance to help build our contemplative community
  • An opportunity to create a vision for the future of Centering Prayer in this region
  • A chance to meet others in the community who share the same contemplative lifestyle
  • An opportunity to share your gifts and talents in loving service to others

 

Our Visioning Day will include:

  • Coffee and refreshments
  • Two periods of Centering Prayer
  • Lunch
  • Large group and small group process

 

 

We request that you pre-register for the day at the link below so we can plan for lunch.

 

_______________________________

 

Susan Komis has served Contemplative Outreach since 1990, first as a volunteer for the St. Louis, MO chapter, then as a Coordinator. She is Director of the Chapter Programs & Services (CPS) team which supports Coordinators and Contact Persons throughout the Contemplative Outreach spiritual community. She assists chapters by making on-site visitations and offering programs for leadership enrichment and chapter development. Susan serves as a staff person for Contemplative Outreach retreats, mentors other servant-leaders, and continues to develop leadership formation programs for Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. Susan is a certified Pastoral Minister and has worked in Adult Faith Development and various other ministries, including spiritual direction and interspiritual dialogue.

 

 

Mercy

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…”Mercy “expresses God’s way of reaching out to the sinner, offering him a new chance to look at himself, convert, and believe” (Misericordiae Vultus, 21), thus restoring his relationship with him. In Jesus crucified, God shows his desire to draw near to sinners, however far they may have strayed from him…

MESSAGE
OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
FOR LENT 2016

“I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” (Mt 9:13).
The works of mercy on the road of the Jubilee

 

Practices for a Deeper Commitment To the Contemplative Life

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Notes on “Practices for a Deeper Commitment To the Contemplative Life” 

a weekend retreat with Mary Dwyer
by
Nancy Moran
 
     What a spiritually enriching weekend it was with Mary Dwyer presenting on “Practices for a Deeper Commitment to the Contemplative Life” on October 2,3 and 4.  This retreat sponsored by CONEO at River’s Edge Retreat Center in Cleveland focused on Deepening Centering Prayer, The Welcoming Prayer, The Forgiveness Prayer and Integration and Transformation.
     I had never heard her speak before last weekend and I was delighted to discover that Mary Dwyer is a spiritual leader who embodies and transmits the wisdom of Father Thomas Keating, Mary Mrozowski, the originator of the welcoming prayer, and Mary Dwyer’s own wisdom teachings on spiritual practices.  All of us present at the retreat were invited to learn with our hearts as well as with our minds.
     There was so much to learn but I will jot down here just a few notes and quotes from Mary over the 3 days.  For more information on the Spiritual Practices themselves and how to do them please go to contemplative outreach.org.  There are books, pamphlets and listings of retreats available to learn about and experience these practices in depth.
Centering Prayer:
       – The deeper you go the more there is to learn.
       – As Father Keating says, sit in the chair every day 2 times and be quiet.  The more you show up to the chair the easier it gets to go to the chair.
       – God is waiting to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
       – There are no rules because who is doing the prayer?  God’s spirit in us is doing the praying.
       – We have 4 simple guidelines for Centering Prayer – but we never know what God will do with us
       – Simple practice…..Profound results.
       -The present moment contains all we need to be happy, no matter what the psychological content. God is present…..All is well.
 
The Welcoming Prayer:
       – We need a second engine to lift us off throughout the ordinariness of our daily lives. The Welcoming Prayer helps us actively let go of thoughts and feelings that support the false self system.  It helps us embrace painful emotions rather than avoiding or suppressing them.
       – The Welcoming Prayer helps us while stuff is happening…..Consent on the go…..
       – Experience, not intellectual understanding is where it all begins.
       – I can only do work to the level of consciousness I am at now.
       – Some things take years.   The 1st moment is the process of seeing it.
       – A meditation practice is foundational for these other practices to take hold.
 
The Forgiveness Prayer:
       – We need the Forgiveness practice for what is still “sticky” after Welcoming.
       – St. Theresa of Avila, “A contemplative can have many faults except the inability to forgive.”
       – Forgiveness does not mean reconciliation.
       – Forgiveness practice needs a lot of safety and safe space.  The practice is done in our own time and space.
       – Sometimes the forgiveness process takes years….. and sometimes this process takes minutes.
       – Forgiveness does not mean we are allowing it to happen again.  Forgiveness changes things….. making things conscious…..so it is less likely to happen again.
       – We do the Forgiveness Practice after Centering Prayer when we are in a space of open heartedness.
 
Let me end this with gratitude for Mary for her time, teachings, presence and authenticity and for helping all of us to let our light shine a little brighter. 
       

The Centering Prayer Introductory Program Brochure

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New resource available        (Original communication from CO, Ltd)

To all worldwide Contemplative Outreach coordinators, contact persons and presenters:Centering Prayer Introductory Program brochureOn behalf of the Centering Prayer Introductory Program Service Team, I’m pleased to announce a new brochure for the Introductory Program.  The Centering Prayer Introductory Program brochure was developed as a result of input from many of you. It is intended to be given to potential host organizations and participants of all faith denominations interested in the Introductory Program.   You may order it in packages of 25 from the online store (color) or it can be downloaded and printed from the website (black & white).

Traditionally, Contemplative Outreach has used our dear Father Keating’s six video presentations for the Continuing Sessions. For those of you who still have that set (which is no longer being produced), it is still a viable alternative.

The resources listed in The Centering Prayer Introductory Program brochure are new alternatives that you can fashion to fit your particular needs. For example, there is the multiple DVD set produced by Sounds True, “Centering Prayer: A Training Course in Opening to the Presence of God” as well as another option for those in 12-Step Programs.

The Resource Guide: Options for the Continuing Sessions  is geared to presenters and facilitators of the continuing sessions. It presents these resources in much fuller detail and also offers options for scheduling the sessions. This was introduced in the fall of 2014. (Note: To access this link, you must be logged in to the website and have access to the Leadership Resources page.  Please reply to this email if you experience access problems.)

We listened to your ideas and needs through the survey of coordinators in 2013. Thank you for your invaluable help which guided our work.  We want to keep listening and partnering with you in the development of future Centering Prayer Introductory Program materials.

We hope and pray that these new resources will help guide newcomers to transformation by deepening their relationship with the Holy Spirit through Centering Prayer.  One of our team members will be following up with you directly about using these new resources and any questions you may have.  Or, you can contact us directly by emailing Ruth Hofmann or calling +1.412.445.5055.

In humble service to you,

Ruth Hofmann
Team Leader, Centering Prayer Introductory Program Service Team
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CONEO e-news. April,1 2015

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April 1, 2015

Dear friend of Centering Prayer

I would like to inform you that we had a very successful event, United In Prayer -United In Silence, last Saturday, March 21, at Laurel Lakes. We had 43 participants this year. Having Joslyn and Chris Grostic, the youngest people of the group leading the event, was impressive. They successfully established and kept the prayerful tone and facilitated beautifully. Thank you to Mary Tatman for the organization of this event at Laurel Lakes where we were offered many options and flexibility.

Our coming events are:

Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshops
a. Saturday, April 18, Women’s Retreat of the Presbyterian Church in Wooster. Please contact Carol Vagnini (330) 749-0590
b. Saturday, May 16, sponsored by Contemplative Outreach and Trinity Cathedral. Please see and download flyer on the website.
c. Saturday September _____ , Contemplative Outreach and Laurel Lakes Retirement Community, Hudson, Ohio. Details will follow

Saturday Silent Days
a. April 18th, at St. Rita Parish, Solon, from 9:00 am 12:00 pm. Please RSVP to Jacqueline Fabian at jfabian128@hotmail.com
Address: 32820 Baldwin Rd, Cleveland, OH 44139
b. June 13th, Our Lady of the Lake, Euclid, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Please RSVP to Mary McGeary at MMcgeary1@gmail.com
Address: 175 East 200th Street, Euclid, OH 44119

Weekend Retreat
October 2,3 and 4. This retreat will run from Friday afternoon to Sunday lunch time at River’s Edge.
3430 Rocky River Dr, Cleveland, OH 44111

The leader of this retreat will be Mary Dwyre. Mary is a long-time student of Fr. Thomas Keating, a former Chairperson of the Contemplative Outreach Faculty, coordinator for the Living Flame Program and a member of the Welcoming Prayer Service Team.

We are in the planning stage to develop a program with the possibilities of having a full weekend, and partial program/commuter program experience to
accommodate our very diverse community. Please mark your calendar. Details will follow.

I would like to close this message in the same way we closed our United Prayer- United In Silence Day. Teresita Richards wrote the poem during the experience of our prayerful day.

THE PULSING HEARTBEAT OF GOD

We are all one.
There is no us and them.
From One came the entire human race.

The heartbeat of God pulses in us all
-pulses beyond and through all the generations of humanity simultaneously.
-pulses across all the boundaries constructed by human minds.
-pulses us into a unified beat with each other
and with the rhythm of God’s heart.

God is
-simply is
-profoundly is

God is
-intrinsically everywhere.
-sustaining everything.
-present – hiding in plain view

And every once in a while we are privileged to catch a glimpse of wonder or
Hear the quiet roar of God’s immense love pulsing through us.

By: Sr. Mary Teresita Richards, SND
23rd. Annual Worldwide Day of Prayer.
United In Prayer – United In Silence
Hudson, Ohio. March 21, 2015

Blessings,

Josefina Fernandez
CONEO coordinator

The Pulsing Heartbeat of God _ A Poem

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We are all one.
There is no us and them.
From One came the entire human race.

The heartbeat of God pulses in us all
-pulses beyond and through all the generations of humanity simultaneously.
-pulses across all the boundaries constructed by human minds.
-pulses us into a unified beat with each other
and with the rhythm of God’s heart.

God is
-simply is
-profoundly is

God is
-intrinsically everywhere.
-sustaining everything.
-present – hiding in plain view

And every once in a while we are privileged to catch a glimpse of wonder or
Hear the quiet roar of God’s immense love pulsing through us.

                                     By: Sr. Mary Teresita Richards, SND
23rd. Annual Worldwide Day of Prayer.
CONEO: United In Prayer – United In Silence
Hudson, Ohio. March 21, 2015

The Pulsing Heartbeat of God

CONEO e-news. March 11, 2015

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March 11, 2015

Dear friend of Centering Prayer

There are few things I need to communicate to you at this moment:

1. Our United in Prayer, United in Silence event is coming up on March 21 at Laurel Lakes, Hudson. Please, RSVP to Joslyn Grostic, phone (216) 650-9804 or e-mail: joslyngrostic@gmail.com before March17. We need the number of people for lunch planning.

A formal PDF Invitation with all the information.

2. There is an article about Contemplative Prayer in the February 27th edition of The Catholic Exponent. It is about the awakening story of Joanne Underwood and how the experience of Centering Prayer and the support of Contemplative Outreach have helped her. Please do not hesitate to send this link. Perhaps it will stir up some interest in Centering Prayer! This is the link: The Catholic Exponent.

3. We are continuing our 2015 Saturday Silent Day program

a. April 18 St. Rita Parish, Solon from 9:00 am 12:00 pm. Please, RSVP to Jackqeline Fabian at jfabian128@hotmail.com

b. June 13, Our Lady of the Lake, Euclid from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Please RSVP to Mary McGeary mmcgeary1@gmail.com.

4. There are two Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop coming up. The first one will be on Saturday April 18 in a Women’s Retreat of the First Presbyterian Church in Wooster. Please contact Carol Vagnini ( 330) 749-0590. The second one will be on Saturday May 16, sponsored by the Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland.

5. We have updated our website for cleaner looks and easier manageability. Check it out. www.coneo.org.

Have a blessed rest of the week,

Josefina Fernandez
CONEO Coordinator