Finding God FInding Me
Zoom workshop on Saturday 17th of February 2024.
See the website www.resurrexit.ie for details.
Peace: An Advent Reflection
Saturday 16th of December 2023.
The Beatitudes – The Heart of the Gospel presented by Denis Gleeson
(cf Resources Page for notes.)
Jesus gave us the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. They contain the core of his teaching in eight pithy wisdom sayings. The strange thing, however, is that we seem to give them very little attention. Do you remember the last time you heard a homily on the Beatitudes? I wonder why it is that we pay them such little consideration?
Well, this one day workshop is a chance to reclaim the Beatitudes as the heart of the Gospel and of the teaching of Jesus. It is a chance to refresh our understanding of what Jesus was about. So, the Beatitudes will be approached from different angles:
- The Beatitudes as a transformation of consciousness.
- The Beatitudes as gifts of the Spirit.
- The Beatitudes throughout scripture.
- The Beatitudes as blessings.
- The Family Tree Beatitudes.
- The Beatitudes for praying and reflecting.
One source that will be used throughout the workshop will be the wonderful little book by Aidan Donaldson: “The Beatitudes of Pope Francis – a Manifesto for the Modern Christian” It is available in the Veritas bookshop and also for ordering online. It would be a wonderful preparation for the workshop if you were able to pick up a copy and read the introduction and the first chapter. You will find that the voice of Jesus of Nazareth still echoes powerfully down through the centuries.
Other Spirituality Programmes.
Most of these programmes can be arranged for local groups on request and can be delivered over a number of days, a weekend or one session a week for a series of weeks.
A Heartfulness Retreat
This is a silent Intensive Retreat for those who have a well-established practice of Centering Prayer. The retreat seeks to deepen a person’s understanding and experience of Centering as a Christian spiritual practice. As we move inwards on the Christian contemplative journey, we open our hearts and begin to see God everywhere and in everything. Material developed by Fr. Thomas Keating will be used as input and there will also be periods of Centering Prayer, some discussion, time for oneself and optional one to one spiritual accompaniment.
God is Love Retreat: The Heart of All Creation
This special five day retreat will look at human evolution, Christ, religion, science and the development of consciousness. The purpose of the retreat is to raise our level of awareness of the divine presence in our lives. Material developed by Fr. Thomas Keating will be used as input and there will also be periods of Centering Prayer, some discussion, time for oneself and optional one to one spiritual accompaniment.
The Enneagram: A Journey of Self Discovery:
These two days offer a clear, gentle and conversational introduction the Enneagram. This workshop is important for anyone who wishes to get to know themselves and what really motivates them in life. Suzanne Zuercher says:
As we study the enneagram, we gradually come to see how we frustrate what we most desire for ourselves. We become aware of what clouds our perceptions and blocks our energy. We learn what strikes fear into our hearts and paralyses them as well as what sends them into automatic, compulsive reaction. We come to know the patterns of personal dynamics and life themes as these recur in experience. Through these awarenesses we can become reconciled with who we are and learn to flow with our life energies. We discover what endowment of ours is a gift for others as well as for us. In other words, we are introduced to our reality more and more.
Healing, Spirituality and the Twelve Steps
This workshop draws upon the proven twelve-step spirituality of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is suitable for anyone interested in the twelve steps and who wishes to continue, or to embark upon, a twelve step spiritual journey. The workshop is not meant as a first introduction to the twelve steps for someone struggling with addiction but it is suitable for someone who simply wants to explore a tried and tested spirituality and to establish spiritual practices that support heating, recovery and change. It is also for those who live with family members who struggle with addiction.
A Weekend Introducing Centering Prayer
Centering is a non-verbal and non-conceptual method of praying. This retreat is suitable for beginners and will provide a comprehensive introduction to Centering Prayer. The retreat will be a silent retreat. It will include sessions of Centering Prayer, powerpoint presentations and DVDs featuring Fr. Thomas Keating, a Trappist monk who is an authority on Centering. Places are still available.
A Down to Earth Introduction to Dreamwork
A weekend looking at how we can make use of our dreams for our own spiritual growth and tie them in to an authentic and practical spirituality for life. Topics will include dreams and scripture, the psychology of dreams, dreams and symbols, dreams and spirituality and practical ways in which we can work with dreams.
Trusting in God: Embracing Freedom
Many people today are disillusioned with God and with religion. So, why is this the case and what is it that really holds us back from accepting God into our lives? What are the beliefs, ideas, assumptions, misconceptions that would be helpful to unload? How can we move towards a religion and spirituality that is inspiring and vibrant and helps us embrace our humanity to the full? These two days are a gentle exploration of these and other questions. They are also a look at why the gospel is still very Good News for everyone today.
A Welcoming Prayer Retreat: Embracing Living
This retreat offers a practical and experiential introduction to the Welcoming Prayer. The Welcoming Prayer offers a method of consenting to God’s presence and action in our physical and emotional responses to events and situations in daily life. It is a letting go in the present moment. The prayer helps to address the emotional programmes of the false-self system and to heal the wounds of a lifetime stored in the body. It also contributes to the process of transformation in Christ which is part of Centering Prayer practice. We learn how we can be free of the false-self system and respond rather than just react to the present moment.
A Retreat Introducing Centering Prayer
Centering is a non-verbal and non-conceptual method of praying. This silent retreat is suitable for beginners and will provide a truly comprehensive introduction to Centering Prayer. It will include sessions of Centering Prayer, PowerPoint presentations, group discussions and DVDs featuring Fr. Thomas Keating, a Trappist monk who is an authority on Centering. Establishing a practice of Centering Prayer has proved to be a major step in spiritual development for many people. It can be a life changing experience.
A Wisdom Retreat
The retreat found its inspiration in a text from Thomas Merton:
There is in all visible things an invisible fecundity, a dimmed light, a meek namelessness, a hidden wholeness. This mysterious Unity and Integrity is Wisdom, the Mother of all, Natura naturans, nature naturing.”
The Enneagram and Spirituality
A journey of prayer, conversion and integration. This weekend course is designed to help you clarify your motivation in life and identify positive steps for spiritual and psychological growth.
The Enneagram and Prayer
Most of us find prayer difficult and part of the reason is that sometimes we use prayer forms that simply do not suit us. So, for those who already know their type on the Enneagram and who have done a basic introduction, these six evenings explore ways of using the wonderful insights of the Enneagram theory to discover the approaches to prayer that best fit their personality.
An Introduction to the Ancient Practice of Lectio Divina
An afternoon introduction to Lectio Divina as a tool for spiritual practice today.
A Weekend Introduction to the Welcoming Prayer
This weekend offers a practical and experiential introduction to the Welcoming Prayer. The Welcoming Prayer offers a method of consenting to God’s presence and action in our physical and emotional responses to events and situations in daily life. The prayer helps to address the emotional programs of the false self system and to heal the wounds of a lifetime stored in the body. It also contributes to the process of transformation in Christ that is part of Centering Prayer practice. We learn how we can be free of the false self system and respond rather than just react to the present moment. Familiarity with Centering Prayer would be helpful for anybody taking this weekend.
Earth’s Future – Be the Change
What kind of world will we leave our children and our grand-children? Can we continue to ignore ecological and environmental concerns? This workshop outlines how we can work to bring about an ecologically sustainable, socially just and spiritually fulfilling human presence on our planet. Everyone needs to do a workshop such as this.
“Meditation with Fireflies”: An Introduction to the life, thought and spirituality of Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, was one of the great spiritual teachers of the twentieth century. From his hermitage in the forest, he kept alive the Christian mystical and contemplative tradition and is credited with being one of the founders of the modern peace movement. To understand Merton is to understand your own true self and where Christianity must move in our own times
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<pre>Find the real world, give it endlessly away
Grow rich, fling gold to all who ask
Live at the empty heart of paradox
I’ll dance there with you, cheek to cheek</pre> (Rumi)