About
This retreat was recorded live in July 2014 at Emmaus Retreat Centre in Dublin, Ireland, and released in partnership with New Monasticism Ireland and Eist Audio. This purchase includes an MP3 audio download with a total running time of approximately 5 hours. St. Brendan, the 6th-century Irish monk, is remembered through the Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis—a narrative of his legendary Atlantic voyage in search of the “Land Promised to the Saints.” Whether read as history or allegory, the voyage has enduring power as a spiritual archetype. In this retreat, Cynthia Bourgeault explores Brendan’s story as both a Christological allegory and a model of the monastic and human vocation: the quest for union with the Divine by bridging time and the timeless. Key themes include the imaginal realm, the resurrection body, the role of the monastic archetype, the spiritual journey through purgation, illumination, and union, and the practices of lectio divina and psalmody. Cynthia presents these daily disciplines as “ancient vessels of transformation” that cultivate the unitive imagination, essential for approaching the Christian mystery and for a “new rising” in contemporary Christianity. The retreat also features readings from Cynthia’s play The Voyage of St. Brendan, chant, and group reflections. References for this teaching include works by Geoffrey Ashe, Charles Baudelaire, Cynthia Bourgeault, Sally McFague, Nan Merrill, John O’Meara and Jonathan Wooding, Raimon Panikkar, Valentin Tomberg, and Simon Tugwell. Cynthia Bourgeault is a modern-day mystic, Episcopal priest, and internationally known retreat leader. She is the author of numerous books, including The Wisdom Jesus and The Meaning of Mary Magdalene, and is recognized for her pioneering work in integrating the Christian contemplative path with other global streams of wisdom. St. Brendan icon by Michael Galovic – used with permission of the artist.