“I have been able to recognize more fully that God has made a home here in each one of us and we are invited to be present to that presence in ourselves, in one another, and in the world at large. A habit of seeing differently was (and is) emerging.” Spiritual Direction Program Participant.
On a sparkling October day, our conference center vibrated with the energy of the thirteen women and men who had participated in Cranaleith’s Formation Program in Spiritual Direction. For two years, they had engaged in a contemplative process toward the art and practice of spiritual accompaniment. Cranaleith’s distinctive program is drawn in a special way from charism of Mercy, with a particular
focus on accompanying the impoverished or marginalized.
At the commissioning ritual, each member of this second cohort received a blessing to listen “with the ear of their heart.” to the sacred stories of others. On their certificates were printed the words of Catherine McAuley: “There are three things the poor prize more highly than gold, tho’ they cost the donor nothing; among these are the kind word, the gentle, compassionate look and the patient hearing of their sorrows.”
As the program was completed, one of the participants summed up his experience. “Through these two years my heart vision has
became larger and larger reaching back in time through history and forward to a completion of God’s dream for the universe. It extends to all people hungry for more from life, particularly the poor and the humble. I hope that I can participate in this work and be led by the Spirit that I felt was present in this community.”