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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260516T185616Z
UID:698-3622377@sjtdcourtenay.ca
DTSTART:20260707T003000Z
DTEND:20260707T013000Z
CLASS:PUBLIC
CREATED:20260512T104541
DESCRIPTION:Please come join us Mondays 5:30pm in the Church beginning June
  1st\, 2026. \nContemplative prayer\, resting silently in God’s presenc
 e beyond thoughts or concepts\, has a long history which may have  been p
 racticed about 700 BC with prayers such as Psalm 46:10: ‘be still and kn
 ow that I am God’.  Later\, Jesus said in Matt 6:6: ‘but whenever you
  pray\, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is
  in secret…’. The Desert Fathers and Mothers\, particularly Evagrius P
 onticus (345 AD) deeply encouraged silent prayer.  Christian monk\, John 
 Cassian (360AD) wrote about it\, passing it on as tradition and St Augusti
 ne\, a little later\, talked about prayer as ‘the internal articulation 
 of love and a ceaseless desire for God’. St Patrick and St Columbanus in
  the 4th and 5th centuries figured prominently in keeping silent prayer a 
 part of Christian life in Ireland\, Britain and Europe during the collapse
  of Rome. In time\, around 1000 AD\, silent prayer became relegated to mon
 asteries where\, during the Middle Ages\, a great many of our well known s
 aints practiced contemplation.  Since Vatican ll in our day\, John Main O
 SB\, Thomas Keating OCSO\, Thomas Merton OCSO and several other notables 
  re-captured the tradition from these ancient strands and have taught med
 itation to thousands\, young and old\, from all walks of life. \nContempl
 ative prayer is a solitary endeavour\, but within a group is particularly 
 supportive.  William Johnston SJ says: “…we can sit together in silen
 t and wordless meditation …and such silence will be almost palpable and 
 it can unite people more deeply than words”.  As Jesus said\, ‘where 
 two or three are gathered in my name there I am…’  Matt 18:20 \nLaur
 ence Freeman OSB\, in ‘Tasting Wisdom’\, 2025\, p 31\, says\, “As we
  let go of words and thought\, we are pilgrims from mind to heart. We come
  to places where only the Spirit teaches and leads into silence… . It is
  the light-filled silence of a communion of love.”  …the fruits of th
 e Spirit by the grace of God. \nYours in Christ\, \nBarb Neid and Linda 
 McAnsh 
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T104541
LOCATION:church
SUMMARY:Contemplative Prayer
URL;VALUE=URI:https://www.sjtdcourtenay.ca/events/contemplative-prayer/2026
 -07-06
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