We had a very successful Dublin & Environs Meet-Up in Balally Parish Centre on Saturday 26 November 2022. We had 75 in attendance, including 25 from the local parish, all interested in the practice of Christian Meditation.
Mgr. Dermot Lane gave a wonderful reflection on Theology, Spirituality and Contemplation. He spoke of the urgent need to reintegrate these three disciplines. Quoting Seamus Heaney, who once said that ‘The biggest shift in my lifetime has been the evaporation of the transcendent from all our discourse and our sense of human destiny’, he asked where do we look for God in the secular landscape of today? The answer, of course, is to look within ourselves and to attend to the interiority of our own being. He reflected on three models of experiencing God in whom we live and move and have our being. Click here to read Dermot’s very rich talk.
Our Cork region also held their first Day of Talks and Meditation with Fr. Donagh O’Shea O.P. since Covid disrupted their regular pattern of two retreat days each year. They were pleased to have 76 people present, many new to meditation. They were delighted and honoured to welcome to welcome the new Bishop of Cork and Ross, Bishop Fintan Gavin. He gave a short talk and spoke of the importance of having a contemplative core in the Church. He explained that the John Main tradition was very close to his heart.
Fr. Donagh O’Shea was at his inspiring best. The theme running through the day was the presence of God in each of us, and the importance of meditation to keep us grounded in that truth. He reminded us that we all havea ‘homing instinct ‘ at the deepest level of our being, which draws us towards God, no matter where our life’s journey had taken us. He used the analogy of salmon returning each year to the two foot wide ‘river’ next to the on which he grew up farm. The salmon having travelled far and wide on their life’s journey always returned home.
Referring to the chaotic state of our world right now, he suggested that it is often from a state of complete turmoil that new valuable shoots spring up. He described how during Advent, we are awaiting someone who is already here, and drew a comparison to the word Maranatha, which, depending on where you put the emphasis in the Aramaic language, can mean either ‘Come, Lord Jesus’, or ‘The Lord has come!’
Contemplative Events at Bally Parish - A Centre for Meditation
Balally Parish offers a number of regular and occasional opportunities for contemplation. Every Tuesday is a Desert Tuesday, beginning at 10 a.m. in the church with morning prayers and eucharistic devotion with meditation following at 10:40. See our last newsletter for more information.
On Friday of this week, 02 December 2022, Dr Barry White will speak on health and meditation; he will address stress, sleep, aging, mental health and spirituality and how meditation impacts on these. All are welcome to attend.
Sunday, 04 December sees a School of Prayer event in the Lane Room of Balally Pastoral Centre from 6 to 9 pm. Caroline Stratton will speak about meditative practice and Rev Sarah Bachelard will Zoom in from Australia, addressing how meditation creates community.
The Board of CMI is developing a short teaching program to introduce meditation to young adults. If you have any young adults in your group (aged 20-45) please email Noel Keating via contact@christianmeditation.ie We may also be able to offer a scholarship for a young adult event in Bonnevaux next Summer.
Projected CMI Events 2023
All of the following events for 2023 will take place in Balally Parish Centre – the dates are provisional but please add them to your diary
Sat, 18 Feb 2023: Regional Coordinators
Sat, 04 Mar 2023: Dublin & Environs Meet-Up
Sat, 13 May 2023: Annual Forum & AGM
Sat, 23 Sept 2023: National Retreat Day
Are you interested in visiting Bonnevaux for the Easter Retreat?
We would like to encourage Irish meditators to consider a visit to Bonnevaux for a retreat next year. We are considering the possibility of fixing on a particular event and encouraging as many as possible from Ireland to consider attending. We are looking at the Easter Retreat which will run from 01 April to 09 April 2023. Bonnevaux offers very modern accommodation in a single room for €800 inclusive of all meals and €640 for a shared room. Travel is not included. If you are interested in attending this event – or if you would like us to consider an alternative retreat in Bonnevaux – email mnkeating@gmail.com to express your interest and state your preferred event. Don’t book just yet! We will let you know more in a further newsletter. In any case, each person will make their own booking through the Bonnevaux website and will make their own travel arrangements. Once we know who will commit, we might aim to ensure we all book the same flights to travel together to make it an easier journey for those who have never been to Bonnevaux. Travel to Bonnevaus is usually by Ryanair (Dublin-Stanstead-Poitier) and taxi from Potiers to Bonnevaux.
Online Meditation continues at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday & Sunday evenings (Irish time) facilitated by Noel Keating.
New Éist Website - Hearing God's Word
Paul Daly of Éist has for many years run a business recording talks given by speakers at a wide range of events with a spiritual theme. He was able to have recordings of the talks available on CD for purchase at the end of the event, a facility that was very welcome to so many of us. In addition, he would have books and copies of a wide variety of talks he had recorded from previous events for sale also – so if you missed an event you could always catch up!
Paul has now redeveloped his website making all of the talks he recorded over the years available for purchase as digital download. This means you can save them to your device and listen to them at your leisure. You can visit his website by clicking of the image to the right and who knows what treasure you may find!
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