Newsletter Fall 2012

of Phoenix
Fall 2012
Dear Contemplative Outreach Community Members,
We welcome you to this, our Fall 2012
newsletter.
Our 2011-2012 year was rich in
experience, with major events featuring Fr.
William Meninger in November and Fr. Martin
Laird in April. We have no speaker dates for the
remainder of 2012, but are working on a presenter
for November 2013. We call your attention to the
many ongoing activities that provide support for
the practice of Centering Prayer. Several of these
are amplified in this newsletter.
Foremost are the individual practice of
Centering Prayer and its encouragement through
Introductory Days and in the many small groups
meeting in homes and churches for weekly
reinforcement and community in quiet.
For
information about scheduling an Introductory Day,
contact Sr. Rachel, and for prayer group listings
see our web site (www.contemplativeoutreachphoenix.org). We also note the new contemplative
prayer sessions at St. Francis parish in Phoenix
and the ongoing activities at St. Barnabas in
Paradise Valley.
Two more of our ongoing activities are
featured in these pages. Look for an explanation
and invitation regarding our monthly core
meetings, and for Jeannie Lashinske’s piece about
the “Why” of making an Intensive Retreat (and for
2013 retreat dates as well). Other opportunities
include events at the Franciscan Renewal Center
(www.thecasa.org), for example, the retreat titled
“The Process of Forgiveness” by Fr. Meninger,
scheduled for November 9-11, 2012.
The
We welcome your input to this newsletter. Please send
any suggestions or comments to Kathy Kramer-Howe
at [email protected] or Rusty Swavely at
[email protected]. If you would like to write an
article on Centering Prayer or related topic please
contact Kathy Kramer-Howe.
newsletter also includes a poem by Kate Brophy, a
review by Dave Murray of Fr. Laird’s A Sunlit
Absence, and a summary of last Spring’s “United
in Prayer” day by Tina Murray.
We take this chance to remind you of some
of the resources of the Contemplative Outreach
international organization.
Its web site
(www.contemplativeoutreach.org) will lead you to
many presentations, archived newsletters and Fr.
Thomas’ articles published over the years. Also
accessible are event schedules in the U.S. and the
world. October 25 and 26 this year will be the
gathering of the annual Contemplative Outreach
Community Conference in Snowmass to celebrate
the community’s relationship with Saint
Benedict’s Monastery. This promises to be a
joyful celebration with Fr. Thomas and his
Cistercian brothers present to the greater
community.
As we assemble this newsletter, we are
reminded that the Phoenix chapter of
Contemplative Outreach has been blessed by 20
years of faithful service, and looks to the future
with optimism and hope. If you are able to help
with your energy or with your resources (for
example, by augmenting funds available for
retreat scholarships as costs rise) please let us
know. In any event, be assured of our interest and
prayers for your continued spiritual nourishment.
Your Core Community
Contact People
The following may be contacted for information about
Contemplative Outreach programs and meetings in their
area.
• Rick & Kathy Kramer-Howe....Phoenix 602.955.6057
• Robert Johnson.........................Prescott 928.717.2441
• Phil and Mary Leonard.............Phoenix 480.966.7558
• Rusty Swavely..........................Sedona 928.300.2949
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Contemplative Outreach of Phoenix
Centering Prayer Small Groups
The intent of Contemplative Outreach is to foster the
process of transformation in Christ in one another
through the practice of Centering Prayer. Most people
find the small Centering Prayer Group a great support
for their practice. Please see the website
www.contemplativeoutreach-phoenix.org for locations,
meeting dates and times, and contact people for each
small group. You may also call one of the contact
people listed on the front page for information.
To report any changes to the information for a
Centering Prayer Small Group listed on the website
please contact Kathy Kramer-Howe,
[email protected], 602.955.6057
Fall 2012
Introductory Centering Prayer Workshops
Contemplative Outreach of Phoenix has trained
presenters who are available to present Introductory
Centering Prayer Workshops to anyone who is
interested. The workshop is generally four hours long
and consists of several presentations and practice
sessions. There are six Follow-up Sessions which assist
participants in understanding the workshop concepts
more fully. Please contact Sister Rachel or another
member of the Contemplative Outreach of Phoenix
Core in order to arrange a presentation. We will come
to your church or facility to make the presentations.
Workshops presented at various sites are generally
posted on our website. There is a donation of $20 for
the workshop.
Contact: Sister Rachel Torrez at [email protected] or
call 602.944.2728.
Event Announcements
News from St. Barnabas, Paradise Valley
➟Monday Centering Prayer group, 7pm in the Music
Building, will resume on September 10. Following
a 20 minute sit, the initial presentations will be a
series of DVD’s featuring Richard Rohr, OFM and
Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault, Ph.D., entitled GOD AS
US! -the Sacred Feminine & the Sacred Masculine.
Contact Ethel Sickert at [email protected] with
questions.
➟Tuesday Centering Prayer Meetings are held from
9:00-10:30am in the Learning Center in St.
Matthews Room. Following a 20 minute sit,
segments of the video series JESUS and the
BUDDHA, by Richard Rohr, OFM and James
Finley are discussed. For further information
contact Susan McDaniel at 602-765-8880.
➟Quiet Days will resume Saturday, September 15,
9:30am-1:00pm. Fr. Jim Clark will give a reflection
followed by time for personal reflection and a 20
minute sit. Quiet days are held the 3rd Saturday of
each month. Contact the St. Barnabas office at
480-948-5560 for details.
➟An introductory session on Centering Prayer will be
held on Saturday, October 6, 9:30am -3:00pm in
the sanctuary at St. Barnabas. Fr. Jim Clark will be
the presenter on developing a Centering Prayer
practice. Follow-up sessions will be held on the
next five Tuesdays at 7:00pm in the Music
Building. Registration is required. Contact Liza
Bell at [email protected] or 602-527-6161.
2
➟The 6th Annual Silent Retreat will be held
November 29-December 2 at Redemptorist Retreat
Center in Tucson. This is a silent, self-directed
retreat. Cost is $339.00 for a single occupancy and
$296.00 for double occupancy. For information
regarding this retreat, contact Ethel Sickert at
[email protected]. For registration contact
Barbara Pickrell, Registrar, at [email protected]
or 480-945-0469.
News from Sedona
➟A six session course on Centering Prayer, the
Prayer of Consent, begins on Thursday, October 4,
from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at St. John Vianney. This
course includes the Centering Prayer Introduction
and follow-up sessions. For more information or to
register for the course please contact Rusty
Swavely at 928-300-2949 or e-mail her at
[email protected].
News from Flagstaff
➟On Saturday, October 6, the Episcopal Church of the
Epiphany in Flagstaff will host a Day of Prayer
and Reflection in Two Parts.
Part 1 A Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop
will be offered from 9am to noon. Part 2 An
afternoon of prayer and reflection will be offered
from 1pm to 4pm and include a DVD presentation
by Fr. Thomas Keating. Participants may attend
either the morning or afternoon session or both. To
register or for information about the program and
lunch options please contact Sue Norris at
[email protected] or call her at 928-526-6684
(home) or 520-491-0132 (cell)
Contemplative Outreach of Phoenix
Fall 2012
The Core Community
by Mary Leonard
From time to time this question comes forth:
how does Contemplative Outreach operate or who runs
Contemplative Outreach?
Or even, what is
Contemplative Outreach?
come to the Valley and do a major presentation for the
greater community of Phoenix and the state of Arizona.
Small group communities pitched in and helped as we
had hundreds of people attending these events.
The small group continued on. Now we met in a
church room for prayer and crock pots of soup and bread
provided by group members.
We continued on
Let us start with the last question. The National
supporting
the cause --- teaching and supporting
Contemplative Outreach webpage puts it succinctly this
Centering Prayer. Some people left and others came.
way: “The intent of Contemplative Outreach is to foster
Sometime along the way we began calling ourselves the
the process of transformation in Christ in one another
core community.
We had two coordinators in the
through the practice of Centering
beginning, along with a secretary
Prayer.”
and a treasurer.
Eventually we
moved to one coordinator and
Here is the local history. In
finally we found ourselves operating
the early 1990’s Fr. Thomas Keating
in a new way --- no coordinator but
gave a Centering Prayer retreat at ...the core group has evolved a m o n t h l y c h a i r p e r s o n w h o
the Casa.
From that retreat
coordinates the meeting, and
experience and other budding
into a caring community that someone who agrees to take the
contemplatives in the Valley and
meeting notes and send them on for
bands together to “foster
Tucson, there was interest in a
the next meeting. When it comes to
Formation workshop, a week- long
money matters we still have a
the process of
seminar on teaching Centering
treasurer!
Prayer. The National Office from
transformation in Christ in
New Jersey sent a trained team
The updated version
comprised of Centering Prayer
one another through the
follows: every 4th Tuesday from
practitioners from around the US
August through May, a small core
practice of Centering
(Maine, Texas and Colorado to
community (6-14 members) gathers
name a few) to present a training
at Central United Methodist Church
Prayer.”
workshop to over 20 participants.
at 7:00 pm for Centering Prayer and
After a rigorous session, some
a meeting to discuss how we can
participants agreed to form a group
support Centering Prayer in the
to establish, teach and support
month(s) ahead. Within this group
Centering Prayer in the Valley.
are individuals who plan and teach
Centering Prayer Introductory Days,
A group gathered in a private home for
order the books, invite and plan presentations by well Centering Prayer, a pot-luck and planning for
known speakers, work on intensive retreats, write the
Introductory Days. Each month the group gathered, ate
newsletter, update the web page - to name some of our
together and shared the good news. Little by little small
recent activities. Each person gives where s\he can.
prayer groups were sprouting in the Valley and beyond.
Often times it is a matter of bringing a suggestion and
Little by little the word was getting around. We were
opening it to the group, asking for approval and
invited by various communities ---- Episcopal, Lutheran
assistance. We try to operate by consensus, the method
and Catholic among the invitations --- to present
that the National Office uses. To some it might not
Introductory Days. From these presentations, more
appear very organized or structured, but to those who
prayer groups evolved either at a church setting or in a
participate, the core group has evolved into a caring
private home. From the monthly group we had members
community that bands together to “foster the process of
going to Snowmass for intensive retreats. The monthly
transformation in Christ in one another through the
group decided to do an annual 4-day retreat for the
practice of Centering Prayer.” If you want to support
greater community. Twice we invited Fr. Thomas to
our mission, come and see.
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Contemplative Outreach of Phoenix
Fall 2012
Intensive Retreats - Silent Retreats
What is an Intensive?
by Jeannie Lashinske
Every winter Contempla1ve Outreach of Phoenix offers an Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat at Santa Rita Benedic1ne Abbey in Sonoita, Arizona (40 miles SE of Tucson). This opportunity, for anyone who has been centering for at least 6 months, is a powerful way to become deeply rooted in the prac1ce and fruits of Centering Prayer. The retreat features Parts I, II, and III of the “Spiritual Journey” DVD series by Fr. Thomas Kea1ng. The flow of the day consists of mul1ple Centering Prayer sessions, the DVD’s, free 1me for hiking, journaling, reading, drawing, etc., and opportuni1es to join with the sisters at Santa Rita Abbey in their services. The schedule Contempla1ve Outreach of Phoenix adheres to on our retreats is the same schedule that Fr. Thomas Kea1ng developed with the retreat team in Snowmass, CO in the early 1980’s. It has stood the test of 1me and enfolds the wisdom of Fr. Thomas. Reflection on an Intensive
by Janet Shreve
...And Jesus said, "Come apart with me to a
desert place."
As I drove south from Tucson on Hwy 83
through the lovely soft-colored foothills toward Santa
Rita Abbey, I thought of the many wonderful 3-4 day
retreats that I'd attended sponsored by Contemplative
Outreach of Phoenix. I was embarking on my first 8-day
Intensive Retreat and was so looking forward to it.
When I arrived for the retreat, I was struck by
the beauty of the setting. The retreat center and abbey
are situated at the base of the snow-capped Santa Rita
Mountains. On that first day and every day of the retreat
as I walked on the grounds, the "quiet" was so profound
except for an occasional sound of a bird, the wind or the
bells of the abbey. This was truly a holy place.
We started our day early each morning (while it
was still dark) as we met in the candlelit chapel for our
first "sit." It was one of my favorite times of the day on
the retreat and I continued this ritual when I returned
home. It's a wonderful way to start the day.
Previously, I rarely centered more than once a
day. Following the retreat, I felt compelled to do two
sessions of Centering Prayer daily. Also, a 20-minute
4
Retreatants con1nually express their deep gra1tude for having said yes to this 1me of luxury where they allow for a week away from the busyness of daily life and invest 1me in God, themselves, and their prayer prac1ce. Paradoxically incredible community bonds are created amongst the retreatants in the silence and depth of the prayer.
Meanwhile the full richness of the “Spiritual Journey” DVD’s provide the mental nourishment in the form of explaining so clearly the Psychological and developmental growth that occurs due to our consent to this deep rest we call Centering Prayer.
Finally par1cipants speak of feeling very loved and nurtured by the beau1ful bounty of food that is prepared for each meal.
So perhaps this is the year to treat yourself in a most loving and sweet manner by giving yourself the gi\ of a retreat. Come taste and see the goodness of the Lord!
(Par1al scholarships are always available)
session seemed short after becoming accustomed to the
longer sessions of the retreat.
The experience of the Intensive has deepened
my relationship with God. When I hear the gospel read
in church it is more "alive" for me and I feel closer to
Jesus. Fr. Keating said the gospel is to be lived and to be
internalized at a deep level. "When the gospel is read in
church, Christ is present. Sometimes its message goes
straight to the heart because you already know it inside
and it comes to light." These daily videos with Fr.
Keating at the retreat were very enlightening.
Attending lauds and sharing Eucharist with the
sisters and hearing their sweet voices as they chanted
were another special part of the daily ritual.
As always, centering as a group was powerful.
When praying and working together a relationship
develops, even in silence.
The loving and selfless team who served us
exuded some of the qualities I see as an important part of
the contemplative path - love, humility and faithfulness.
As I continue on the path, these are qualities I strive for.
I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to
attend this Intensive Retreat and hope to return at some
time in the future.
Santa Rita Abbey, Sonoita, AZ
Intensive Retreats - Silent Retreats - 2013
Contemplative Outreach of Phoenix offers 8 day, silent intensive retreats
to those who are interested in renewing and deepening their relationship
with God through Centering Prayer. The retreats take place in Sonoita,
AZ at the Trappistine Monastery,* with a lovely setting on high desert
terrain. There are seven single rooms; one room can accommodate two
retreatants, if two people want to share. Each room has its own bath.
The retreat food is vegetarian.
*Check out the Santa Rita Abbey webpage: santaritaabbey.org
Intensive Retreat: January 4th – 12th
The retreat is open to all who have a 6 month Centering
Prayer practice. We will have 3 one hour prayer sessions
daily and listen to 2 Fr. Thomas Keating Spiritual
Journey DVD’S. Plus we will share in Lectio Divina.
Also available is the opportunity to participate daily in
Lauds, Liturgy (Communion Service) and Vespers with
the Trappistine Sisters. There will be talking at the
evening meal.
Post-Intensive Retreats:
January 25th–February 2nd
February 2 2nd – March 2nd.
Pre-requisite: Must have attended an
intensive retreat. This retreat consists of 4
one hour prayer sessions daily. There is time
for individual quiet time: writing, sketching,
walking, etc. We also share in the sisters’
prayers of: Lauds, Liturgy, Vespers and
Compline. This is a totally silent retreat.
Registration: Beginning September 1, 2012:
Write, call or email Jeannie Lashinske at:
5728 E. Orange Blossom
Phoenix, AZ 85018
Phone: 480 423 1645 Email: [email protected]
The retreat fee is $500.00. This is the first time we have raised
the fee in the many years we have been doing the retreats. With
food prices continuing to move upward, we are in need of more
resources. Scholarships are available. If you have a need,
please talk to Jeannie Lashinske when you register.
The shared room will be 425.00 each.
A non-refundable $100.00 registration fee reserves your room.
Please make out check to Contemplative Outreach of Phoenix.
Questions? Ask Jeannie or email Mary Leonard:
[email protected].
5
Contemplative Outreach of Phoenix
‘A Sunlit Absence’ by Martin Laird
reviewed by Dave Murray
Fall 2012
limitless expanse cradles and permeates the physical and
emotional realm, embracing both the turbulent and
In a follow-on to his earlier book Into the Silent
tranquil, the quiet and noisy, providing a context wherein
Land, Martin Laird’s A Sunlit Absence weaves together
we can be of the world yet not be consumed by it. To
the deep insights of Christian saints, mystics and poets
this point, Laird cites Meister Eckhart speaking to his
with case studies of everyday people and Laird’s own
students of this inner Silence “if he is in the right state of
deep awareness of the contemplative path to provide a
mind, he is so whether he is in church or in the market
powerful guide for those seeking a deeper level of
place”.
contemplative awareness.
Having pierced the veil of compulsive and
Laird transitions us from his previous work by
obsessive
thought that opens us to the ground of
reminding us that contemplation is a prayer art that seeks
awareness,
we face the challenge that this awareness
God not by active searching in the way one would search
extends
beyond
any capacity of the thinking mind to
for an ordinary object, but instead surrendering ourselves
grasp,
for
we
have
now entered into the unknowable
and allowing God in his Grace to reveal an awareness
th Century classic The Cloud of
referred
to
by
the
14
beyond words and thoughts; an expansive, pure and
Unknowing.
The resulting stage of spiritual growth is
enlightened state, “a sunlit absence”.
what
St.
John
of
the Cross terms the “night of the senses”
While disengaging our minds from the
and
is
many
times
accompanied by a spiritual aridity or
distractions of our exterior life, which have the power to
boredom.
Laird
notes
“that with nothing for the thinking
otherwise devour us is central to this practice, Laird
mind
to
do,
it
feels
bored
or even anxious”. Far from an
underscores that contemplative prayer is not a means of
excuse
to
abandon
the
consolation
of our once juicy
escaping our lives. Instead it works within the context of
prayer
practice,
this
stage
of
growth
is
a positive signal
our lives to form an integrated dynamic to open us.
according
to
Laird
that
“our
prayer
is
going
deeper than
Laird best expresses this by saying “As
where
our
thoughts
and
feelings
reach”.
our practice matures and deepens, so
It
is
in
this
phase
of
our
journey
that
we
will our experience of ordeals, sorrows, ...contemplation is a prayer art that
are
called
to
begin
abandoning
ourselves
and joys of life, however they happen to
unconditionally to God and through the
seeks God ...by surrendering
be at any given moment, also expand
continued vigilance of our practice enter
into generous, receptive maturity”. In
ourselves and allowing God in his
deeper within this Mystery as we slowly
short, we learn to pray contemplatively
Grace to reveal an awareness
learn to “walk by faith and not by sight”
through our difficulties, not around
as St Paul instructs us.
beyond
words
and
thoughts;
an
them.
Possibly the greatest obstacle to
Laird introduces basic tools
expansive, pure and enlightened
our
contemplative
journey is our
honed throughout the centuries by
state, “a sunlit absence”
vainglory
and
pride
or
ego,
played out in
Christian mystics. Fundamental among
scenarios
that
St
John
of
the Cross
them is the awareness that certain
termed
“sharp
trials
of
the
intellect”.
patterns of life, with potential to ensnare
Rather
than
oppose
the
grace
that
seeks
to
displace
it, our
us into compulsive and disruptive behavior, can pull us
ego
slyly
embraces
it
as
its
own
and
then
smothers
it in
from the contemplative path.
These thoughts, first
the
way
a
boa
constrictor
suffocates
a
sleeping
prey;
th
codified by Evagrius, a 4 century Egyptian monk, are
slowly and silently without struggle, almost undetected
known as the eight deadly sins or “afflictive thoughts”
until the end. This underlies a key trait of the ego, it
and are identified here as gluttony, impurity, avarice,
simply does not want to let go which is diametrically
sadness, anger, acedia, vainglory and pride. It is not “if”
opposite to the contemplative path. Here, Laird points
but “when” we are caught up in the whirlwind of
out that boredom, “serves to pry loose ego’s grip on
emotion churned up by these thoughts that we lose
whatever it is holding on to”, and that illustrates that
contact with reality grounded in our true selves and God.
once the role of the ego is illuminated by our practice
Rather than despair, Laird instead shows how this
that “This humbling self-knowledge is a crucial
seemingly hopeless state, when coupled with our
component to the deepening of our practice”. Turning
contemplative practice, can be transformative.
again to St. John of the Cross who “insists that this light
Emphasizing this, Laird cites St Isaac of Nineveh who
we are filled with is a ‘very loving light’ ” but for lengthy
tells us that “Without temptations, God’s concern is not
stretches of the spiritual journey, as our practice deepens,
perceived, nor is freedom of speech with him acquired,
this “ ‘very loving light’ enables us to see aspects of
nor is spiritual wisdom learnt, nor does the love of God
ourselves that we would rather not see but nevertheless
become grounded in the soul”.
bear our name”. It is at this stage of the journey we
Much is said about silence. While, physical
must rely solely upon faith alone to direct and sustain us,
silence facilitates focusing the mind into resonance with
as our senses, manipulated by the ego, tell us that our
stillness, it is merely a catalyst in opening the door to the
lives are falling apart at the sight of what we see in
deeper expanse of internal Silence. It is this internal
ourselves. In the end it is this very faith that is one of
Silence that is the bedrock awareness we seek. Its
contemplations greatest gifts.
6
Contemplative Outreach of Phoenix
Spending a day with Fr. Laird
a reflection by Rusty Swavely
Father Martin Laird returned to Phoenix last
April 14 and spent the day with 107 contemplatives at
Central United Methodist Church praying with us and
presenting his thoughts on stillness and silence. The title
of the day was a quote from Evagrius, a fourth century
spiritual writer on asceticism, “Let Stillness be the
Criterion for Assessing Everything.” Fr. Laird spoke in a
quiet gentle voice and shared from the rich depth of his
own stillness. His second book, A Sunlit Absence, is
reviewed by Dave Murray in this newsletter.
Fr. Laird referred to a story told by Kathleen
Norris in her book Amazing Grace. She asked a class of
school children to make as much noise as possible and
then to be as silent as possible when she gave a signal.
After a few tries with this exercise she observed that “the
silence became a presence in the classroom”. She then
had them write about the silence and she noted how
United in Prayer Day
by Tina Murray
On March 17th, 2012 Contemplative Outreach of
Phoenix was honored and blessed to host the United in
Prayer Day at the beautiful Central United Methodist
Church in Central Phoenix.
This was the 20 th Annual Contemplative
Outreach United in Prayer Day. This event had its
humble beginnings in 1992 and was presented to the
Contemplative Outreach Worldwide Community as a
means of joining together in a silent bond of prayer and
enrichment. Since that time, thousands of participants
have taken part in this yearly event. I have only been
involved in the United in Prayer Day for the past few
years. I am always touched by the number of people who
make the drive from all over Arizona to share this day
with their brothers and sisters in Christ. The sprinkling of
eager folks who are new to the practice and full of
thought provoking questions and new awakenings adds
much to the day.
Fall 2012
making silence liberated the imagination of so many of
the children. Fr. Laird commented that “out of silence
imagination and creativity are born.”
Another statement by Fr. Laird is “Once we get
acclimated to the ordinary liberating boredom of our
prayer a new dynamic will begin. We can see something
we need to see - maybe humiliating self-knowledge or
even deep pain.” Thus the silence and stillness of our
prayer overrides our expectations and opens us to what
God wants us to hear.
Fr. Laird answered a question on pain and
suffering. He said there is a silent center to pain but what
gets in the way is our commentary on the pain. It is this
commentary which causes our suffering. In referring to
his own experience with pain, Fr. Laird said silence and
solidarity are one and “when I sit in prayer I sit in
solidarity with all people who suffer”.
The day left me with many things to ponder. I
appreciated Fr. Laird’s presence, and recommend
spending quiet time with his new book.
As always, we were blessed with a glorious day
and began with a 20 minute period of Centering Prayer.
The first presentation was a 44 minute DVD titled “The
House of God, The Womb of God”, a talk by Fr. Thomas
Keating, as well as a revealing interview with Fr.
Thomas. His topics were, “The House of God, The Word
of God”, “Offering Self to God”, “Levels of
Consciousness” and “Dispositions of Centering Prayer".
After viewing the DVD, we gathered in small groups for
some wonderful, engaging discussion followed by
another 20 minute period of Centering Prayer.
The second presentation was a 16 Minute DVD
entitled "Reflections on Lectio Divina” by Fr. Micah
Schoenberg. We gathered in groups once again to discuss
and reflect on Fr. Schoenberg’s insights on Lectio Divina.
We closed with a prayer of gratitude for all of the gifts in
our lives today and for another opportunity to take our
relationship with God just a little bit deeper. We said our
goodbyes, and most of us will surely gather together next
year to once again come together to share in prayer,
reflection and silence.
7
The Quiet Journey
by Kate Brophy
I pray for golden wings
to carry me beyond the sun
to hold me safe
across the silver night
to the other side of the moon
where there is no fear
and freedom gives
safe harbor in the
dark nights of life
I pray for quiet journey
into hope
where life and death are one
and in each moment
the curtain rises
on a new and splendid place
where beauty never ends
and joy sings wild songs
to keep eternity alive
from One Equal Eternity
(Poems of Passage, 2009)
Contemplative Outreach, LTD.
2622 E. Del Rio Dr
Tempe, AZ 85282-4136
*Return Receipt Requested*
www.contemplativeoutreach-phoenix.org