Silent Saturday – a virtual hour of prayer

Saturday, December 5
Time: 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Please join us for an hour united in centering prayer, lectio divina and sharing. We encourage newcomers and long-time practitioners to participate. We will give a brief introduction to centering prayer and lectio divina before we begin.

We will meet via Zoom. Please RSVP to Chris Grostic at grostic@gmail.com
Chris will forward the Zoom login information a few days prior to the event. If you have not used Zoom, please let us know when you RSVP so we can send you instructions.

Introductory Workshop – Via Zoom

Discover the meaning of Psalm 46: “Be still and know that I am God.”

In this workshop we will explore the indwelling presence of God within each of us through the practice of a method of Christian meditation – Centering Prayer.

Experienced practitioners, commissioned through Contemplative Outreach Ltd., will lead a discussion about the benefits of Centering Prayer in ordinary life and together we will experience two periods of practice.


Date and Time
Saturday, August 8, 2020
10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Location
You may participate from the comfort of your home or office.

Directions
A few days prior, we will send all registered participants a Zoom link to access the workshop.

Contact Information
To RSVP for this event or for more information, please contact Chris Grostic at grostic@gmail.com or via (734)-904-1806 by Sunday, August 2.

Silent Saturday Day of Prayer

Contemplative Outreach Northeast Ohio (CONEO) and St. Rita Church in Solon, Ohio, will host a Silent Saturday Day of Prayer on February 1, 2020. Join us for a morning of centering prayer and reflection as we seek to deepen our relationship with God through our relationship with all of creation.

The schedule for this event includes several sessions of Centering Prayer and quiet time.

If this is your first time attending a CONEO event or your first time attending centering prayer, we look forward to having you with us! Someone will be available for a brief introduction about centering prayer before we begin.

To help us plan, please RSVP using the contact information below.

Location and Directions

St. Mark’s Chapel at St. Rita Church
32820 Baldwin Road
Solon, OH 44139
[link to Google maps]

Date and Time

Saturday, February 1, 2020
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Sign in and light refreshments at 8:30 a.m.

Contact Information

To RSVP or for more information about this event, please contact Jackie Fabian at phone (330) 562-0556 or email jfabian128@hotmail.com

Silent Saturday Day of Prayer

Contemplative Outreach Northeast Ohio (CONEO) and Epiphany Episcopal Church Euclid, Ohio, will host a Silent Saturday Day of Prayer on November 2, 2019. Join us for a morning of centering prayer and reflection as we seek to deepen our relationship with God through our relationship with all of creation.

The schedule for this event includes several sessions of Centering Prayer, quiet time, labyrinth walk and a presentation on praying with icons and using a labyrinth.

If this is your first time attending a CONEO event or your first time attending centering prayer, we look forward to having you with us! Someone will be available for a brief introduction about centering prayer before we begin.

To help us plan, please RSVP using the contact information below.

Location and Directions

Epiphany Episcopal Church
21000 Lake Shore Blvd.
Euclid, OH 44123
[link to Google maps]

Date and Time

Saturday, November 2, 2019
Sign in and light refreshments at 8:30 a.m.
Reflection and Closing Prayer 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. (noon)

Contact Information

To RSVP or for more information about this event, please contact Elaine Murphy at phone (216) 938-6489 or email elaynemurph@yahoo.com

Introductory Workshop


Discover the meaning of Psalm 46: “Be still and know that I am God.”

In this workshop we will explore the indwelling presence of God within each of us through the practice of a method of Christian meditation – Centering Prayer.

Experienced practitioners, commissioned through Contemplative Outreach Ltd., will lead a discussion about the benefits of Centering Prayer in ordinary life and together we will experience two periods of practice.

A donation of $10 per person is requested, payable at the door via cash or check made out to Contemplative Outreach Northeast Ohio.

All participants will receive a copy of Open Mind, Open Heart, by Father Thomas Keating.


Date and Time
Saturday, September 28, 2019
9:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
(please plan to arrive by 9:30 a.m.)

Location and Directions
First Congregational Church of Hudson
47 Aurora Street
Room 301 and 3rd floor chapel
Hudson, OH 44236

Contact Information
To RSVP for this event or for more information, please contact Kelly Berger at email KACBerger@aol.com by September 23.

Silent Saturday Day of Prayer

Contemplative Outreach Northeast Ohio (CONEO) and St. Nicholas Church in Struthers, Ohio, will host a Silent Saturday Day of Prayer on August 24, 2019. Join us for a morning of centering prayer and reflection as we seek to deepen our relationship with God through our relationship with all of creation.

To help us keep the event on schedule, we recommend arriving early to allow time for socializing, coffee and refreshments. 

If this is your first time attending a CONEO event or your first time attending centering prayer, we look forward to having you with us! Someone will be available for a brief introduction about centering prayer before we begin at 10 o’clock.

To help us plan, please RSVP using the contact information below.

Location and Directions

Christ Our Savior Parish
St. Nicholas Church
764 Fifth Street
Struthers, OH 44471
[link to Google maps]

Date and Time

Saturday, August 24, 2019
10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
(Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., Centering Prayer beings at 10:00 a.m. Please be on time.)

Contact Information

To RSVP or for more information about this event, please contact Pattie Pompeii at email pjp1144@sbcglobal.net or by phone at (330) 757-4156.

Because of the distance from the Cleveland/Akron area to the Youngstown area, we are offering an opportunity to carpool. If you are interested in riding with someone else to the Day of Prayer, please contact Jackie Fabian at jfabian128@hotmail.com email or by phone (330) 562-9556.

The Universal Christ: Another Name for Every Thing

Saturday, June 15, 2019
Contemplative Retreat

Click here for a PDF version of the information on this page.


What if Christ is a name for the transcendent within of every “thing” in the universe?
What if Christ is a name for the immense spaciousness of all true Love?
What if Christ refers to an infinite horizon that pulls us both from within and pulls us forward, too?
What if Christ is another name for every thing—in its fullness?


–Richard Rohr


Christ is more than Jesus’ last name. Jesus is a person whose example we can follow. Christ is a cosmic life principle in which all beings participate. The incarnation is an ongoing revelation of Christ, uniting matter and spirit, operating as one and everywhere. Together—Jesus and Christ—show us “the way, the truth, and the life” of death and resurrection.

On June 15, join Contemplative Outreach Northeast Ohio for Centering Prayer, contemplative teachings and practices, and reflection with 3 videos featuring Richard Rohr during the March 28 – 31, 2019 Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Registration required for lunch planning.
NO FEE. Free will offering will be accepted.

Date and Time
Saturday, June 15, 2019
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
(Registration – 8:30 am to 9:00 am. Please arrive early so we can start promptly at 9:00)

Location and Directions
Laurel Lake Retirement Community
200 Laurel Lake Dr.
Hudson, OH 44326

Contact Information
To RSVP for this event, please contact Nancy Moran at email nancymoran94@gmail.com, no later than June 12. For further information: contact Josefina Fernandez at email fucsina@mac.com

Retreat leaders
Nancy Moran and Josefina Fernandez

Agenda

8:30 am – 9:00 am                Registration

9:00 am – 9:20 am                Opening and Introduction

9:20 am – 11:00 am              Centering Prayer – Intro to the Universal Christ (video)

11:00 am – 11:15 am            Break

11:15 am – 11:45 am            Contemplative Sharing

11:45 am – 12:30 pm            Lunch

12:30 pm – 1:40 pm              Centering Prayer – The Universal Christ (video)

1:45 pm – 2:15 pm                Contemplative Sharing

2:15 pm – 2:30 pm                Break

2:30 pm – 3:15 pm                Contemplation, The Tomb and Not Knowing (video)

3:15 pm – 3:45 pm                Contemplative Sharing

3:45 pm – 4:00 pm                Closing

United in Prayer Day “Centering Prayer: A Way of Life

Fifty three people enjoyed our United in Prayer Day on March 19, 2016. So many people were touched by this scripture and also by the readings, many people asked for direct quotes, and that’s why it was decided to do a synopsis of our meeting and share it with everyone. To recall the blessings received surely gives glory to God! And, perhaps this will draw you to our Day of Prayer next year.

As we began we were asked to close our eyes, breath in, breath out, and consider the title, “Centering Prayer: A way of Life” and whether a scripture came to mind. We were asked to recall also the journey of where we have been in our prayer life, where and when we began, where we had been led. We joined our voices together in asking the Holy Spirit to fall afresh on us.

From Open Mind, Open Heart: Contemplative prayer is a process of interior transformation, a conversation initiated by God & leading, if we consent, to divine union.

We had seven members new to CONEO and new to CP, and explanations were given throughout the day for their ease and comfort. After the introduction we had our 20-minute period of Centering Prayer with the following quote …

God wants to share with us even in this life the maximum amount of divine life that we can possibly contain. The call of the gospel, “Follow me,” is addressed to every baptized person. We have within us in virtue of our baptism all the grace-given powers we need to follow Christ into the bosom of the Father. The attempt to do this – to reach more deeply toward the love of Christ within us and to manifest it more fully in the world – constitutes the heart of the spiritual journey – it is a way of life. (From Invitation to Love: The Emotional Programs for Happiness) We ended CP with: Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Jn 14:6.

Due to technical difficulties, but with good timing we had a break and switched up the program a bit. We went around the room and Ivi asked each person to share something about themselves, either how CP is affecting their lives, some healing they experienced, something they had noticed … or nothing, not to feel put on the spot … no cookie cutter question was given … but we only had about 30 seconds each! It was truly a beautiful and intimate and enriching sharing for the entire group.

With technical difficulties behind us, we viewed the video from Fr. Carl Arico entitled “Words”. Father spoke on our guidelines of Centering Prayer in a retreat setting just as we were. He covered a lot of ground, and everyone enjoyed and learned much or related well to his talk. He ended with asking “What is the Spirit saying to you about words and consenting?”

We followed with a break out session and discussion and sharing in small groups and then we moved back into our circle for Lectio Divina. A part of Psalm 119 was used from the book, “Psalms for praying: An Invitation to Wholeness” by Nan C. Merrill. If you would like the entire Psalm emailed to you, please email Ivi Latronica … ivi3@juno.com

Blessed are those who honor the Inner Being,

Who follow You with their whole heart,

Who enfold the world with love & walk on beautiful paths!

 You have shown us the way of Truth, the way that leads to freedom.

O, that I might ever reflect the Light!

 Help me to understand the way of your precepts,

& give me strength to follow through.

 So many people were touched by this scripture and also by the readings, many people asked for direct quotes, and that’s why it was decided to do a synopsis of our meeting. To recall the blessings received surely gives glory to God!

Lunch followed and grace was prefaced with a quote from Fr. Keating: “The best way to receive divine love is to give it away, and the more we pass on, the more we increase our capacity to receive. “

Lunch was a beautiful spread of food served buffet style, and everyone appreciated the delicious varieties of foods and salads and the fine service of tablecloths and cloth napkins and being served coffee. What a delight, how blessed we are!

Following lunch we viewed our second video presentation entitled “Embodiment” with Fr. Arico. We were asked to consider what the Holy Spirit is saying to you about the second guideline, sitting comfortably & with eyes closed … and consenting … CONSENTING … on every inconceivable level. Again, we broke into small groups and shared.

The day went by so quickly and 2:30 was upon us. We were asked if we wanted to share any comments or observations and quite a number of people shared their experience and their thanks and gratitude for the wonderful day. We ended the day with a quote from Fr. Menninger.

We have, each one of us, a place & a unique contribution
to make to this evolution.
In our world, as St. Teresa of Avila tells us,
Christ has no hands but ours, no feet but ours,
no heart, no love but ours.
We are the evolutionary way
in which the Holy Spirit of God now inspires,
directs, and accomplishes the fullness of God’s plan.

We were wished safe travels, and to SAVE THE DATE for next year

Third Saturday in March, MARCH 18, 2017.

Written by Ivi Latronica

Emptiness and Non-Attachment, by Carl McColman

“Last week I wrote about the difference between how Catholics understand meditation and contemplation, based on material found in the

Catholic Catechism. A reader left the following comment on that post:

We rest in God. But we do not empty our minds. We are always in communication with God. Prayer is focusing on God and we praise him for who He is, we intercede for others, and we put our requests to Him. We align our wills with His in prayer. Never do we make our minds a ‘spiritual vacuum’ for something else other than the Holy Spirit to fill it.”  Read more.