Calendar
The season of Advent draws us to the quiet where Mercy sings. We invite you to join us for a program. Take a step back from the pressing concerns of everyday life to reflect and pray.
Hearing the Silent Cry: Living the Mystical Life
We are all mystics. Come for a quiet Advent Day of exploring and nurturing your own mystical life. The mystical journey takes us into the heart of God, then back out into the world, transformed and acting in union with the love that we experience. Mystics hear and respond to “the silent cry”…all the cries and cares of humanity that are carried in the heart of God. To be a mystic is to open to the exquisite beauty of all life, embrace the fire of love, and then carry it into our suffering world as a source of healing and illumination. In these dark days, “Why not become Fire?”
Presenter
Handel’s Messiah
One of the most beloved music scores of all time is the “Messiah”. How often have you reveled in its glorious melodies? It is also a perfect meditation for the Advent season. Come, listen and pray with the rich scripture passages that are at the heart of this great holiday tradition.
Presenter: Marie Ann Ellmer, RSM
Evening of Contemplative Prayer
There’s a lot demanding our attention. The best thing to cut through the noise? Space to hear God speak. You don’t need a crowd of people or a big cathedral to have a conversation with God, but there’s undeniable power in experiencing prayer together under one roof.
Join us for a simple time of quiet presence to the merciful heart of God within us and within our broken/ blessed world. We will shelter the gift of silence with a guided invitation to prayer and the availability of supportive practices. Please call each week to confirm participation and location.
Presenter: Maria DiBello, RSM
Mondays, though May 20, 2019, 7-8 p.m.
Location: Main House
Cost: Donation
Call 215-934-6206 to register.
Deepening Our Wisdom Years: A Spirituality of Aging
Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Cost: $30 (includes lunch)
As we grow older, we become more conscious of the new realities that life holds for us. We invite you to come together and grow in community with others who are experiencing the process of aging. In a setting of prayer, peace and beauty we will share what is stirring in us, listen to valuable reflections and enter into prayer that will touch our hearts and spirits. All of this will enrich our later years, offer us wisdom and peace, and help us to become more conscious of God’s presence in all aspects of our lives.
December 10, 2019, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Cherishing Our Relationships
January 7, 2019, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Deepening Our Wisdom Years: A Spirituality of Aging: Self-Care and Self-Compassion as We Age
God created us in God’s image out of God’s overwhelming love. We are God’s beloved. We participate in God’s ongoing creation by caring for ourselves—body/mind/spirit persons—with tender care and great compassion. In this reflection we will explore what this looks like as we age.
January 21, 2020, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Aging and Mysticism: Hildegarde of Bingen
One of the most gifted of the Medieval Mystics, Hildegarde saw and loved the created world as she imagined God did. She was convinced of the inter-relatedness of all things and had an understanding of the universe as a living, organic entity. She desired that others would “taste and see” the goodness of God. She was poet, musician, healer, artist and Benedictine nun. Today she is a canonized saint and a Doctor of the Church. A fascinating woman!
February 4, 2020, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
God’s Presence in the Midst of Suffering
No one of us can escape suffering in our lives. We will ponder where God is found in the midst of our suffering: What is God feeling? What is God doing? We will consider what meaning suffering might hold for us in our lives.
February 18, 2020, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Aging and Mysticism: Teresa of Avila
Teresa’s greatest legacy to persons of faith is her teaching on prayer, which she set forth in her classic The Interior Castle. She was very much convinced that every person has the capacity to realize the presence of God in one’s self. Even though her writings were questioned by the Inquisition, it is her definition of prayer that is used today in the Catechism of the Catholic the Church. Let’s ask her to help us learn how to pray!
March 10, 2020, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Finishing Strong: A Spirituality of Living and Dying
The older we get, the more conscious we become of the reality of death. As our loved ones die, we realize that we, too, one day will return to God. We will reflect on how we can live the last years of our lives in grace and with peace and how we can face the reality of our own death with hope and even joy.
March 24, 2020, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Aging and Mysticism: Thomas Merton
Merton’s remarkable and enduring popularity indicates that he speaks to minds and hearts of people searching for answers to life questions. He invites people to explore deep places within themselves and offers insights into the paradoxes of life. He wrestles with how to be a contemplative in a world of action – without a quick fix or “Ten Easy Steps to a Successful Spiritual Life.” We will examine what this “modern mystic” has to offer.
April 21, 2020, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Aging and Mysticism: Dorothy Day
“Don’t call me a saint! I don’t want to be dismissed so easily.” This quote from Dorothy gives a glimpse into her life and legacy. Dorothy was about a radical movement that was faithful to the Gospel AND the Church. She was immersed in the social issues of the day, with the aim of transforming both individuals and society – until her very last days! What will she inspire in us?
Presenters
Taizé Prayer
Join us this Advent for the quieting, mystical experience of Taizé Prayer. The Taizé community is an ecumenical monastic order in France with a strong devotion to peace and justice through prayer and meditation. Gathered in the presence of Christ, we will sing uncomplicated repetitive songs, uncluttered by too many words, allowing the mystery of God to become tangible through the beauty of simplicity.
Presenters: Dorothea DiGiovanni and Maria DiBello, RSM
The Incarnation: Mystery Ever Nearer
As Christmas approaches consider stepping aside to ponder the wonder of the Incarnation: mystery ever nearer! During our time together we will explore and reflect upon God’s in-breaking into our lives and our world.
Presenter
Evening of Contemplative Prayer
There’s a lot demanding our attention. The best thing to cut through the noise? Space to hear God speak. You don’t need a crowd of people or a big cathedral to have a conversation with God, but there’s undeniable power in experiencing prayer together under one roof.
Join us for a simple time of quiet presence to the merciful heart of God within us and within our broken/ blessed world. We will shelter the gift of silence with a guided invitation to prayer and the availability of supportive practices. Please call each week to confirm participation and location.
Presenter: Maria DiBello, RSM
Mondays, though May 20, 2019, 7-8 p.m.
Location: Main House
Cost: Donation
Call 215-934-6206 to register.
Knit, Crochet, Pray Together
Those of us who knit and crochet know its impact on our body, mind and spirit. Join us to continue a centuries-old tradition of blending creativity with reflection and sharing of life. Create a prayer shawl for women in our veteran’s program or bring your own project. Skills will be shared and fun had by all. Beginners welcome. The program takes place in Cranaleith’s historic home. Some patterns and materials will be provided. We will be using the book Knit, Purl, Pray: 52 Devotions for the Creative Soul by Lisa Bogart. Available in our Gift Shop for $12.
Cost: $7/session
Facilitator
Evening of Contemplative Prayer
There’s a lot demanding our attention. The best thing to cut through the noise? Space to hear God speak. You don’t need a crowd of people or a big cathedral to have a conversation with God, but there’s undeniable power in experiencing prayer together under one roof.
Join us for a simple time of quiet presence to the merciful heart of God within us and within our broken/ blessed world. We will shelter the gift of silence with a guided invitation to prayer and the availability of supportive practices. Please call each week to confirm participation and location.
Presenter: Maria DiBello, RSM
Mondays, though May 20, 2019, 7-8 p.m.
Location: Main House
Cost: Donation
Call 215-934-6206 to register.