“The Gate of Heaven is Everywhere” ~ Thomas Merton   (Dedicated to the young people who are inheriting the world we have created.) I was touched by how Heather Ruce opened the daily Pause of meditation and Centering Prayer earlier this month.  She spoke of a great wave surrounding us, permeating us, which is itself the flow of God. The name God is shorthand (a nickname) for this unfathomable, ever-present, source of love.  More and more, as the disconnected world we have cons

Advent, with dragons by Paula Pryce "A most cruel and horrible dragon issued forth . . .  of various colours, with a beard and hair that seemed of gold, and teeth that seemed of iron, eyes sharp and brilliant as kindled flame." – The Legend of St. Margaret of Antioch Dragons curling, twisting, encroaching.  Many have said that this Advent feels different.  The soft hopefulness diminished, the growing light muted.  Instead a cavern of tangled serpents seems to be at our feet.

"A most cruel and horrible dragon issued forth . . .  of various colours, with a beard and hair that seemed of gold, and teeth that seemed of iron, eyes sharp and brilliant as kindled flame." – The Legend of St. Margaret of Antioch   Dragons curling, twisting, encroaching.  Many have said that this Advent feels different. The soft hopefulness diminished, the growing light muted. Instead a cavern of tangled serpents seems to be at our feet.  A roiling world with dragons all ar

Holdfast. As a kid, I used to love finding seaweed on the beach after a big storm. We would wield short strands of kelp like clubs in mock fights, twirl the long ones above our heads so they’d whistle in the wind, and pop the little air-and-slime-filled bladders. Once in a while we’d even find a root-like holdfast. Holdfasts. Such a lovely name; such an unglamorous appearance. By the time a holdfast shows up on the beach, it is dead: brittle and broken, a woody knot no longer

As a kid, I used to love finding seaweed on the beach after a big storm. We would wield short strands of kelp like clubs in mock fights, twirl the long ones above our heads so they’d whistle in the wind, and pop the little air-and-slime-filled bladders. Once in a while we’d even find a root-like holdfast. Holdfasts. Such a lovely name; such an unglamorous appearance. By the time a holdfast shows up on the beach, it is dead: brittle and broken, a woody knot no longer holding f

Autumn greetings, contemplatives. Here I am, as I am.  We came, physically, from across western Canada. We came, virtually, from Texas and North Carolina and Quebec and North Carolina and Ontario and Washington and Illinois and Maryland and New York and Ohio and Alberta. We showed up with rescue dogs and gardening tools; we showed up from kitchens and studies and the top of a windy Alberta park, wearing a warm toque. In this world, as it is.  We came with grief over deaths an

SUMMER SPECIAL: Use the coupon code, 38T6TM3P, to receive a 20% discount on all TCS store purchases from August 01st to September 02nd, 2024.   August 2024 Newsletter content August Greetings from The Contemplative Society!  We wanted to get this newsletter to you early in the month so that you still have time to register for our upcoming September 2024 retreat with Heather Ruce.   Please note that the registration deadline is August 31 and we are also organizing a rideshare

“There is a great difference between comprehending the knowledge of things and tasting the hidden life of them.” Quaker mystic Isaac Pennington Summer greetings from the Contemplative Society!  This newsletter features a personal invitation from Heather Ruce to join our upcoming Wisdom School in Sorrento BC from September 8-12, 2024.  Since the earlybird deadline for registration is fast approaching, we hope you will find this a timely reminder and inspiration to click on the

Welcome to June, the month of warmer temperatures and longer days! Summer in the Western Hemisphere is a season that most of us still like to celebrate despite the ever-present reality of wildfires aate warming.  In many ways, the time we are living in seems anything but ‘ordinary’. But for those who follow the Christian liturgical calendar this season is indeed known as  Ordinary Time . The word ‘ordinary’ in this context originated with the ‘ordinal numbers’ used to count t

Many blessings on this last day of May! In this newsletter we share several events being hosted in our contemplative community in the coming months. This includes a  Summer Centering Prayer Intensive  at Providence Renewal Centre, a  National Conference Retreat: From Anxiety to Peace  at UBC Vancouver, and a  Contemplative Retreat: Coming Home to Divine Light in Dark Times  at Sorrento Centre. Find out more below! Blessings, Tabitha Black-Lock The Contemplative Society Summer

– photo by George Meier Our hands imbibe like roots, So I place them on what is beautiful in this world. And I fold them in prayer, And they draw from the heavens light. – St. Francis of Assisi, as interpreted by David Ladinsky As the forest fires burned a few kilometres away last summer, as dams broke around the world, wars escalated and political rhetoric sharpened, I struggled to find a quiet heart. My practice — reading, scripture, meditation, prayer — was hard to maintai

As Lent nears its end and Easter approaches, we find ourselves amidst a journey of spiritual growth and reflection. During this time, we reflect on the significance of this transition, embracing the lessons learned during Lent and anticipating the joyous celebration of Easter. In this newsletter, we are excited to accounce a few upcoming events.  On April 20,  we will be hosting  The Faces of Mary: An Online Retreat  with Rev. Matthew Wright.  Matthew will lead us on a journe

– photo by Daria-Yakovleva “Do not neglect the Forty Days; it constitutes an imitation of Christ’s way of life.”  – Saint Ignatius of Antioch  The Church has begun the Great Fast of Lent, our Forty Days of preparation for the Mysteries of Holy Week, for our entering with Jesus into the journey of death and resurrection. Our participation includes an outer fast – putting less food into our bodies, if our health allows – to help us listen for the Divine. Within the human being

Happy New Year! As we step into 2024, we are invited to reflect on the chapters of the past and set intentions for the journey ahead. In the spirit of contemplation, this newsletter offers opportunities to inspire your path in the coming year. Explore the transformative experience of the  2024 Centering Prayer Summit on January 20-21, 2024 with Closer than Breath . Immerse yourself in moments of stillness and connection to deepen your understanding and personal practice as we

Bringing together silence and sound, chant offers a contemplative path that leads us through Advent’s winter shadows.  Chants, ancient or contemporary, draw us across a threshold into deeper quiet and give us courage, so that like the shepherds who rose out of fear to peer up at shining angels, we dare to step from familiar dark into unknown light.  Here, Susan J. Latimer, an Episcopal priest and musician, tells us how chant can give us courage, heal us, and help us become mo

As we immerse ourselves in the season of Autumn, watching as the leaves slowly fall from the trees, we are offered the opportunity to embrace the changes outside and within. This newsletter outlines upcoming offerings to guide us through these seasonal changes. There is still space to attend  The Web of Life: A Retreat for Contemplative Solidarity , from  November 20-23 at   Loon Lake, B.C. and online via Zoom . During the upcoming Advent season, two in-person retreats are be

As we slowly move towards the beautiful season of Autumn, we are pleased to share some wonderful upcoming events and offers to support your contemplative journey. This includes the  Web of Life Retreat with Cynthia Bourgeault , release of the  Re-Learning Trust E-Course,  an  online Wisdom School Study Group, and broadcasted Ecumenical Prayer Vigil.  This newsletter also includes an  important update regarding our Audio Store as well as details about our job opening  for th

Summer greetings! We hope you have been enjoying sunny days, relaxation, and time with loved ones. When things slow down in the summer, it can be a wonderful time to find new ways for contemplative practice. To support your spiritual journey in the last weeks of summer, we are offering a Summer MP3 Sale  on  all three parts  of  Practicing Living Presence: Discovering the Mind of Christ Within . Find out more below! In this newsletter we also share news about upcoming events

“Silence is God’s first language” ~ St. John of the Cross Snowmass recedes. We in the Centering Prayer community are mourning this month’s closure of St. Benedict’s guesthouse, and the apparent dissolution of the monastery. The universe found a vital heart at Snowmass during her few decades among us. Like a sheltering mother, she gathered us in. She encouraged us to see with wonder, find our centre, and give ourselves back to the world. There, we were nurtured and challenged

June Blessings! We hope you’ve been enjoying the magnificant blossoming flowers and soaking in the rays of sunshine that bless us during these warm summer months. This newsletter includes some exciting news. First, we are pleased to release  Part 3 of Practicing Living Presence: Discovering the Mind of Christ Within , a teaching by Cynthia Bourgeault . Below, Brian Mitchell shares a reflection of this teaching. A huge thank you to the team of volunteers who prepared this reco