Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.

Lenten Silent Saturday – In Person
2022-03-05 08:00 - 12:00 UTC | Holy Spirit Retreat Center, 4316 Lanai Road, Encino, CA, 91436, United States
The season of Lent invites us to deeper prayer and reflection.
Join us for a quiet morning of Centering Prayer and silence.
The morning provides time for communal prayer, a contemplative walk, private journaling and reflection, and ends with a period of Lectio Divina.
For those new to Centering Prayer or wanting a review of the method,
a brief introduction will be given at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time
We’re sorry, we are not accepting walk-ins at this time
Please be prepared to show current proof of Covid-19 vaccination or
Proof of Negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of May 7th
REGISTER ONLINE AT www.hsrcenter.com under 1 Day Retreats
For more information, email pbcurreysd@gmail.com
All donations gratefully received

Somewhat Silent Saturday
2022-02-26 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | st johns lutheran church, Saint John Lutheran Church Lutheran Church 715 College St, , Cedar Falls, IA · (319) 268-0165, IA, 50613, United States
You are invited to a “Somewhat Silent Saturday” on Saturday, February 26. This day will include opportunities for ~
– multiple periods of Centering Prayer;
– an introduction to and guided experience of Prayer of the Breath, an attentive discipline that may become a prelude to Centering Prayer for you;
– a session of traditional Lectio Divina (“Sacred Reading” of scripture);
– personal reflection, walking and/or journaling;
– a brief opening and closing devotional/worship time; and
– refreshments and a light lunch.
The only cost for this event is a donation for the meal. Please join us at St John Lutheran Church, 715 College St, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613. The event itself will be led by local members of Contemplative Outreach of Northeast Iowa. If interested in attending or if you have questions, contact Bonnie Smith-Davis , Coordinator of CONI at 319-230-2165 or email CONEiowa@gmail.com and include your contact information of name, email, or phone number.

Introduction to Centering Prayer via Zoom
2022-02-26 09:00 - 13:00 UTC | Internet – Online
Have you been longing for a deeper, more intimate relationship with God? The method of Centering Prayer, a traditional form of Christian contemplative prayer, gives you a way to say “yes” to God’s presence and action in your life. Come to learn the method or to renew your practice and go deeper. Our half-day format offers a relaxed way to hear the basics, practice, and ask questions. Following the workshop, we will offer a weekly series of 1.5 hour evening sessions, which will go deeper into the method and include 20 minute practice sessions as well as time for questions and discussion.
For more information and to register, see the link below.
Saturday, February 26, 2022, from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM U.S. Pacific Time Zone.

Lenten Centering Prayer Weekend Retreat - Onsite
2022-02-25 15:00 - 2022-02-27 12:00 UTC | St. Mary’s Sewanee, 770 St. Mary's Lane, TN, 37375, United States
Lenten Centering Prayer Weekend Retreat at the St. Mary’s Sewanee Retreat Center in Sewanee, TN, USA.
COVID protection policies include full vaccination, negative COVID test, signed Medical Waiver and Symptom Checklist.
Please register using the link below.

​ Introduction to Centering Prayer (via Zoom)
2022-02-23 10:00 - 15:00, 2022-02-05 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Internet – Online
Centering Prayer is a form of Christian prayer rooted in the ancient Christian contemplative tradition. Its purpose is to foster a deeper intimacy with Christ through the silence and stillness of contemplative prayer. This time of pandemic has led many to seek to deepen their relationship with God through this wordless prayer of contemplation.
This workshop/retreat is designed for those new to Centering Prayer and will be held over Zoom. A reliable internet connection with the capability for audio and video is required. There will be opportunities for questions and discussion.
Retreat Director: Sister Mary McGehee

7-Day Silent Intensive & Post-Intensive Retreats
2022-02-21 15:00 - 2022-02-27 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Mt. Angel, Oregon
REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.
TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITING LIST, CONTACT REGISTRAR, BENNETH HUSTED, bhusted@easystreet.net
Come, rest in the stillness with contemplative companions, away from the busyness of daily life.
Expansive views of the Willamette Valley, walking the stations of the cross on the park-like grounds, opportunities to pray with the monks, or simply soaking in the silence, will enhance your Centering Prayer practice whether you are coming for the first time (Intensive Retreat) or returning (Post-Intensive). Intensive retreatants will watch Fr. Keating’s Spiritual Journey videos, while those on the Post-Intensive track have an extra prayer period and no videos.
The retreat is designed to deepen your established practice. Grand Silence (no eye contact) will be observed throughout, including at meals, except for opening and closing programs. Discussion after videos for the Intensive track is optional.
Registration fee includes 6 nights in a private room with private bath and delicious meals by Bon Appetit, who will attempt to honor special diets. Elevators and one ADA room available.
Pre-requisites: daily Centering Prayer practice for six months; fully vaccinated for Covid with booster at least 2 wks prior. The guesthouse is in compliance with State of Oregon Covid-19 prevention recommendations regarding face masks, social distancing, and air filtration.
Deposit of $100 due at the time of registration ($50 is non-refundable)
Balance due by January 15, 2022
TRANSPORTATION TO THE ABBEY FROM PDX OR PORTLAND AMTRAK TRAIN STATION IS INCLUDED
Partial scholarships available! To apply, email Patricia Lacy, patricia.a.lacy@gmail.com
Other questions? Email Benneth Husted, bhusted@easystreet.net

David Frenette Workshop - via Zoom
2022-02-20 11:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Internet – Online
Hosted by Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.
Silence Speaking, Stillness Acting: Centering Prayer, Contemplative Petition and Unity
Sunday February 20, 2022 via Zoom
11am – 1pm Pacific Time (noon Mountain; 1pm Central; 2pm Eastern; London (BST) 7pm; UTC 19:00)
Free; suggested donation $35 USD
Help! Our world, our loved ones and we ourselves are in need of help. Always, and it seems especially, now. How can we use our Centering Prayer practice to connect with the needs around us and to pray for help in a way that is aligned with our contemplative journey?
This workshop will explore the practice of contemplative petition: prayers of intercession flowing from the dynamic silence and stillness of Centering Prayer. Contemplative petition can help embody our Centering Prayer practice with intention, connecting it with our human needs and the needs of the world. This is not just “praying for what we want” in a materialistic or magical-thinking way. This practice is about surrendering into God in trust, as ultimately, contemplative petition is God in us, praying for God in others.
We will learn how Centering Prayer’s greatest relevance for our contemporary world is in the way it can flow into contemplative petition and contemplative service, into what happens off the prayer seat, in the integration of silence and speech, stillness and action.
Join us as we experientially learn three basic guidelines for a practice of contemplative petition. We will have two short periods of Centering Prayer, the first flowing into a group petition for a common need, the second expressing itself in personalized petitions for a need of your own. We will have small breakout groups for sharing and you will also receive a worksheet that will guide you in continuing your personal contemplative petition practice on your own.
You may also be interested in the 2021 November session, The Dynamic Center of Being.
This event will be recorded for those that cannot attend the live version.
About David Frenette:
David Frenette, author of The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God (Sounds True 2012), is a contemplative spiritual director, mentor for other spiritual directors, and spiritual writer. He co-created and co-led a contemplative retreat community where he lived as a monk for 10 years. He has an MA in transpersonal counseling psychology, has been a trustee of Contemplative Outreach (the international Centering Prayer organization), an adjunct faculty member at Naropa University, a founding member of Integral Spirituality, and a teacher at leading retreat centers across the country. From 1983 until his death in 2018, David’s spiritual father was the Trappist monk and founder of Centering Prayer, Father Thomas Keating. Learn more about David here.
Register for the event here:

The Astounding Bernadette Roberts: Insights and Experiences of a Modern Christian Mystic
2022-02-19 09:00 - 16:30 UTC | Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT, 6107, United States
Fr. Thomas Keating considered Bernadette’s book, The Experience of No-Self, to be “one of the best … since St. John of the Cross. An amazing book, it clarifies the higher regions of the spiritual path.” Combining prodigious intelligence and psychological acumen with her own astonishing mystical journey, she boldly plunges into territory usually left unexplored. Hers is buried treasure indeed: daunting, liberating and exhilarating! Come and discover.
The event includes periods of Centering Prayer in the morning and the afternoon.
Please register below using the link.

“God is Love, the Heart of All Creation” via Zoom
2022-02-19 09:00 - 12:00 UTC | Internet – Online
Thomas Keating with Carl J. Arico
Video and Discussion hosted by Benedicte Vibe Christensen
The video series God is Love, The Heart of All Creation was filmed in Snowmass, CO, in 2013. Carl Arico interviewed Thomas Keating about a variety of topics from cosmology, divine/human evolution, and unity consciousness, to silence and centering prayer. Thomas Keating considered this video series as Part 8 in his foundational Spiritual Journey series.
This half-day retreat—the first in a series of two retreats—will focus on two segments: Prologue on cosmology and the human evolution. Thomas Keating explains how scientific discoveries have led us to a new cosmology based on our evolving understanding of God and how the Universe was created.
This half-day retreat includes periods of Centering Prayer.

Mystic Series - Praying with Icons
2022-02-17 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Center for Contemplative Living in Elm Grove WI, 890 Elm Grove Road, The Village Court, WI, 53122, United States
Feb 17, 2022
$20
By Zoom or In-Person at the Center for Contemplative Living, Elm Grove, WI.
Religious Icons have been a part of Christianity from its earliest days, creating environments for worship and as objects of personal devotion and prayer. Through a prayer process know as Icon Gazing, we will learn more about them and how they can be meaningful for our personal faith journeys. 6 participants minimum.
This workshop will begin with a time of Centering Prayer.
The instructor, Jim Gill, holds a master’s degree from the Institute in Creation Centered Spirituality (Mundelein College-Chicago) and trained as a spiritual guide through Siena Retreat Center’s Spiritual Guidance Training Program. He ministered in Milwaukee area parishes for over three decades in Adult, Family and Child formation. Most recently he was a staff member at Siena Retreat Center, and began a free-lance ministry in retirement from full-time work in July of 2020. Jim is an Associate of the School Sisters of Notre Dame.

Welcoming Prayer – Part 2 (Zoom)
2022-02-14 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Internet – Online
Part 1 Saturday February 5, 9:30-11:30 am CST
Part 1 Monday February 7, 6:30-8:30 pm CST
Part 2 Saturday February 12, 9:30-11:30 am CST
Part 2 Monday February 14, 6:30-8:30 pm CST
Part 3 (optional) Saturday February 19, 1:30-2:30 pm CST
Part 3 (optional) Monday February 21, 7-8:00 pm CST

Centering Prayer Intensive/Post Intensive 7-Day Retreat
2022-02-14 16:00 - 2022-02-20 13:00 UTC | Knobs Haven Retreat Center, 515 Nerinx Road, Nerinx, KY, 40049, United States
An intensive retreat offers silence and solitude with periods of Centering Prayer in community each day and video presentations by Thomas Keating that support Centering Prayer. A Centering Prayer post-intensive retreat offers a deeper silence and is for those who have made an intensive retreat.
Download the brochure here for further information and registration.

Welcoming Prayer – Part 2 (Zoom)
2022-02-12 09:30 - 23:30 (America/Chicago) | Internet – Online
Two time options are offered for each part; all are in Central Standard Time.
Part 1 Saturday February 5, 9:30-11:30 am CST
Part 1 Monday February 7, 6:30-8:30 pm CST
Part 2 Saturday February 12, 9:30-11:30 am CST
Part 2 Monday February 14, 6:30-8:30 pm CST
Part 3 (optional) Saturday February 19, 1:30-2:30 pm CST
Part 3 (optional) Monday February 21, 7-8:00 pm CST

Body Presence and Contemplative Awareness - Intro to BioSpiritual Focusing via Zoom
2022-02-12 09:30 - 14:30 (America/Chicago) | Internet – Online
Presented by Mike Smoolca
Co-sponsored by Contemplative Outreach Chicago and Contemplative Outreach of Connecticut.
9:30 AM to 2:15 PM Central Time Zone (10:30 AM to 3:15 PM Eastern Time Zone)
Discover a deeper awareness of healing and wisdom accessible to each of us through our bodies. BioSpiritual Focusing, like Welcoming Prayer, is a practice that allows you to become more aware of welcoming and holding your body feelings with curiosity and loving care. BioSpiritual Focusing allows you to directly access the Wisdom of your Body and the healing experience of God’s grace that comes with attending to the body feelings you carry within. At its most profound level it gives you access to your membership as the collective Body of Christ. In this experiential workshop you will be introduced to the overall method of BioSpiritual Focusing and be given some tools and awareness you can apply to enhance your own sense of Body Presence and contemplative awareness. We’ll cover the following material:
Conference 1: How BioSpiritual Focusing fits into the Landscape and Spirituality of Body Presence and Contemplative Awareness practices.
Conference 2: Introducing BioSpiritual Focusing – Clearing Space and The Felt Sense – The fundamental building blocks and tools
Conference 3: The method of BioSpiritual Focusing with demonstration, discussion and next steps
There will be a time of Centering Prayer together.
Please see the link below to register.

Welcoming Prayer - Part 1 (Zoom)
2022-02-07 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Internet – Online
Two time options are offered for each part; all are in Central Standard Time. Please register using the link below.
Part 1 Saturday February 5, 9:30-11:30 am CST
Part 1 Monday February 7, 6:30-8:30 pm CST
Part 2 Saturday February 12, 9:30-11:30 am CST
Part 2 Monday February 14, 6:30-8:30 pm CST
Part 3 (optional) Saturday February 19, 1:30-2:30 pm CST
Part 3 (optional) Monday February 21, 7-8:00 pm CST

Welcoming Prayer – Part 1 (Zoom)
2022-02-05 09:30 - 11:30 (America/Chicago) | Internet – Online

The Biology of the Human Condition - Hybrid event
2022-02-05 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Denver) | Internet – Online
Hosted by The Center for Contemplative Living, Denver Colorado.
This is a hybrid presentation, conducted both in person at The Center for Contemplative Living in Denver, Colorado and online via Zoom videoconference.
Presentation description: Neuroscience research validates that contemplative practices, like Centering Prayer, are practical skills that rewire our entire being. Learn how the brain centers of compassion and connection are activated as our emotional centers become more regulated with contemplative prayer and the Divine Therapy that is initiated.
Dr. Christine O’Brien (Travers) has been involved with Contemplative Outreach since 1992. As a doctor for 37 years she has seen the powerful effects of spiritual belief on health. As a mother of seven children she knows the challenges of nurturing a family with loving kindness and compassion. As Medical Director of Whole Health Program for the Cheyenne VA Medical Center she uses research on neuroscience to validate and teach veterans about the human ability to transform in mind, body and soul with contemplative practice.
Times listed are Mountain Time.
Click on the link below for more information and to register.

The Holy Trinity as Spiritual Practice
2022-01-29 09:00 - 13:00 UTC | Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT, 6107, United States
The doctrine of the Holy Trinity, a core tenet of Christianity, has often been treated as nothing more than a complex mental construct remote from ordinary experience. Dr. Jonas explores with us how Trinity – a “dance-around of love” – becomes a core archetype for navigating unity and diversity in our daily life, in our relationships with each other and the natural world, and in our efforts to build a more just and sustainable society.
Periods of Centering Prayer will be offered in the morning and afternoon.

Introduction to The Welcoming Prayer
2022-01-29 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Denver) | Internet – Online
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and anxious about many things … but one thing is needful.”
-Luke 10:42
The Mary and Martha story is an example of the focus we can bring to everyday life activities. As the Welcoming Prayer 40-day practice booklet reminds us: “To assist this process, we need complementary practices. Centering Prayer teaches us consenting in stillness; the Welcoming Prayer practice teaches us consenting in activity.”
“The Welcoming Prayer practice is a way of letting go into the present moment in the ordinary routines of daily life. It is used when your needs for security, affection and control are frustrated or gratified and cause emotional reactions. It is a way of turning everything over to God …” Thomas Keating, Open Mind, Open Heart
The presenters are part of the community of the Center for Contemplative Living in Denver CO. Over the years they have been blessed through the presence and teachings of Thomas Keating OCSO, and Mary Mrozowski as well as many other spiritual leaders.
We hope to see you at our workshop. May you be open to including the Welcoming Prayer in your invitation to the Holy Spirit to extend the walls of your inner room to all of life.
Time listed is Mountain Time (Denver, Colorado)
Click the link below to register.

Welcoming Prayer Workshop - via Zoom
2022-01-24 19:00 - 22:00 (Asia/Shanghai) | Internet – Online
Contemplative Outreach of Philippines invites you to a Zoom workshop with Mary Dwyer, long-time student of Thomas Keating and practitioner of Centering Prayer and Welcoming Prayer since the 1980’s.
Read more about the Welcoming Prayer here.
7pm – 10pm Manila Time UTC+8 (11am – 2pm London; 6am – 9am New York)
Email below for Zoom connection details. Donations welcome.

7-Day Silent Directed Retreat
2022-01-23 19:00 - 2022-01-30 10:00 UTC | Francis House of Prayer, 84 Walnford Road, Allentown, NJ, 08501, United States
Receive the healing and transforming grace of seven days with God, savoring the silence and prayer that open your whole being to God’s Word and Presence. Daily liturgy, spiritual direction and optional Centering Prayer periods are included.
For more information, click on the link below.

Introduction to Centering Prayer
2022-01-22 10:00 - 15:00 UTC | St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, High Point, NC, 108 W. Farriss Ave., High Point, NC, 27262, United States
Be Still and Know I am God.
An Introduction to Centering Prayer
Hosted by Contemplative Outreach of Central North Carolina
Centering Prayer is a method of Christian silent prayer which deepens our relationship with God, the Indwelling Presence … a prayer in which we can experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. In this Workshop, we will examine how Centering Prayer will deepen our relationship with God, others and ourselves. We will learn the method of Centering Prayer and how to deal with our thoughts during the prayer period. There will be two periods of Centering Prayer and a time for questions.
The registration fee is $40.00, which includes a boxed lunch for the Saturday, January 22, 2022, workshop and a copy of Thomas Keating’s Open Mind, Open Heart. For detailed information and to register, please email Diane Popalis at dianep@stmarysepisc.org.
Presented by Diane Popalis, commissioned presenter for Contemplative Outreach, and coordinator for Contemplative Outreach of Central North Carolina.

Releasing an Enslaved Spirit – A Workshop on Communal Contemplative Spirituality
2022-01-22 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Internet – Online
Presented by Very Rev. Michael Battle, Ph.D.
Co-sponsored by Contemplative Outreach Chicago and Contemplative Outreach Atlanta
9 AM to Noon Central Time Zone
10 AM to 1 PM Eastern Time Zone
Michael Battle points out something we all may have noticed: that events and organizations working to encourage Christian spirituality and contemplative life seem to attract a certain demographic, predominantly white and westernized. Those who look, act, and seem different from this demographic often find no access point. Publishers, spiritual leaders, and socially conscious folks are deeply aware of this binding apart and often grieve the fact that many Christians do not pray together
In this workshop, it is our hope to bring together people from diverse backgrounds who share an interest in contemplation. Together we will pray through, think about and practice how to be more communally diverse in Contemplative Spirituality — how to release the natural unity the Holy Spirit constantly offers the world.
Providing an indication of where the workshop will take us, Rev. Battle quotes St. John of the Cross:
“The soul that is attached to anything however much good there may be in it, will not arrive at the liberty of divine union. For whether it be a strong wire rope or a slender and delicate thread that holds the bird, it matters not, if it really holds it fast, For, until the cord be broken the bird cannot fly.”
– Ascent of Mt. Carmel, Book One, 11
The workshop will begin with a 20-30 minute contemplative experience led by Contemplative Outreach. This will include Centering Prayer as well as a brief guided meditation to expand our experience and open our hearts.
Then, building on St. John’s powerful insight, Rev. Battle will lead an interactive and deeply spiritual workshop incorporating presentations, art, music, and pauses for reflection. The intention is to uncover, describe and practice approaches that can help us begin to “break the cord,” removing constraints and divisions within our own individual hearts and across the wider contemplative movement. There will be pauses for silence, small group sharing, and discernment about what God may be inviting our community into with regard to spiritual/racial union.
In Centering Prayer and other contemplative practices, we find a path that opens us up to oneness, while the racial divide denies this reality, insisting instead on the “otherness” of those who may be different from us in appearance or culture. As we open to a greater and more connected state of awareness, it is essential to do so communally, rather than just individually — to share our being more openly with others, including others of different backgrounds.
We invite you to join us on this sacred journey toward Communal Contemplative Spirituality. Please register using the link below.

Centering Prayer Summit
2022-01-15 09:00 - 2022-01-16 16:00 (America/New_York) | Internet – Online
Organized and hosted by Keith Kristich, this two-day Centering Prayer Summit is an opportunity to learn from 10 Centering Prayer teachers.
Join the Summit presenters:
– David Frenette
– Mary Dwyer
– Rich Lewis
– Nhien Vuong
– Colleen Mae & more!
– Fr. Carl Arico
Cynthia Bourgeault & Ted Jones will be offering the Keynote on “The Evolving Consciousness of Thomas Keating.”
January 15 & 16, 2022- see the link below for all details!

Introductory Workshop to Centering Prayer for the Younger Generation, Part Two - via Zoom
2022-01-13 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | Internet – Online
Two online live sessions of the introductory workshop for the younger generation on 10th and 13th January 2022, with weekly follow up sessions thereafter. Register with Brian Aldworth: bja2885@gmail.com. Open to all regardless of age or faith

Model of the Human Condition via Zoom
2022-01-11 09:00 - 10:30 (America/Chicago) | Internet – Online
Course II, Spiritual Journey Series
online Zoom class
$25 for Six Consecutive Weekly Sessions (January 11, 2022 through February 15, 2022)
We as human beings have an inborn desire to seek happiness. Where does this come from? What keeps us from true happiness? And what is happiness?
Thomas Keating relates spiritual development through the lens of contemporary psychology in terms we can understand. This opens us to insights into our behaviors and a deeper look at our inner life. This modern day translation of the spiritual journey describes a path that leads to peace and freedom, and a most intimate relationship with God. It is highly suggested that you are familiar with The Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop.
The class opens with a 20-minute period of Centering Prayer, video of Thomas Keating followed by a live group discussion.
Dates: Six weeks, Tuesday January 11 through February 15, 2022
Time: 9:00am – 10:30 am Central Daylight Time
Book: Invitation to Love by Thomas Keating, available through link or through our website at: contemplativewisconsin.org/shop
Sponsored by: Contemplative Outreach of Southeast Wisconsin
Fee for Class: $25.00 – includes all 6 sessions
Contact and Facilitator: Christine Bender, bendercm@earthlink.net, 720-987-7433
The Zoom link information will be sent together with the registration confirmation email.

Introductory Workshop to Centering Prayer for the Younger Generation - via Zoom
2022-01-10 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | Internet – Online
Two online live sessions of the introductory workshop for the younger generation on 10th and 13th January 2022, with weekly follow up sessions thereafter. Register with Brian Aldworth: bja2885@gmail.com. Open to all regardless of age or faith. Sessions will be recorded.

Eight-Day Centering Prayer Retreat
2022-01-07 17:00 - 2022-01-14 11:00 UTC | St. Mary’s Sewanee, 770 St. Mary's Lane, TN, 37375, United States
Eight-Day Centering Prayer retreat on the beautiful grounds and accommodations of St. Mary’s Sewanee.
Please see the link below for more information and to register.
*Registration is now closed.

Icons as Portals for Unlocking the Contemplative Heart via Zoom
2021-12-18 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Internet – Online
Led by Mary Atalo, a half-day retreat sponsored by Contemplative Outreach of Maryland and Washington.
Icons, as opposed to paintings, are considered as “writings of the heart” which open the contemplative to “Behold” the Glory of the Lord. Many paintings can aid in our “seeing,” but icons allow us to “behold.” In our contemplative prayer, first through a silent “gazing” at the image in Visio Divina, another realm begins to appear which lures us to step beyond the gaze into the ineffable realm of the Divine, where “Beholding” is the work of silence.” This “Beholding” transfigures the way we see the world, how we act in it, and conveys the great hope of God’s enduring love and wisdom as promised in the Covenant of Peace.
In this mini retreat, we will practice contemplative “Beholding” through Visio Divina of icons from the ancient Orthodox Akathistos Hymn, The O Antiphons, The Litany of Loretto, and the Old Testament Wisdom Books. We shall see that there are really two Christmas stories of Incarnation occurring during this season: one occurring in time and space as the incarnation of Christ; another occurring in eternity, as the incarnation of the Divine. We will follow the Contemplative Outreach guidelines for Visio Divina.
Rev. Dr. Mary Atalo is an Archpriest of the Wisdom tradition in the independent Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch, and Associate Dean of Sophia Divinity School, the Church’s distant learning Seminary. She is the rector of a newly formed church, “Our Lady of the Bridge” in Union Bridge, MD, a sacramental and contemplative community in the Christian mystical tradition. She had a former 30-year career as an oceanographer, and seeks to bridge science and religion. In 2020, she led the COMW Advent mini-retreat, and has been an advocate of the contemplative prayer practices of Fr. Thomas Keating and Fr. William Meninger in daily life.
