A NEW AND EXCITING WEEKEND SERIES!
This weekend
is one part of a series of five weekends (see all dates below) or can be a
ttended as a standalone weekend.
Each weekend is an opportunity f or us all\, women and men\, to hear and see the Good News through the words and the lives of named and unnamed women in the Gospels and allow these wo men to speak into your life.
There will be the opportunity to enter a
nd explore each story through Lectio Divina\, poetry\, Visio Divina\, photo
graphy\, labyrinth walks\, art\, midrash and silence. Spiritual accompanime
nt will also be available with the retreat team.
PRESENTER
Elizabeth Lee is a Spiritual Director\, Retreat Facilitator and Past oral Supervisor. \;
DATES
4-6 March - Woman at the W edding
22-24 April - Woman at the Well
22-24 July - Woman with the Haemorrhage
7-9 October - Woman at the Tomb
25-27 November - Woman with an Angel
COST
Weekend: 2 nights: $310
INCLUSIONS
All inclusive of meals\, accommodation \, presentations and spiritual direction.
TIMES
All retr eats commence with a 5.30pm welcome and conclude with the Eucharist at 1.45 pm.
TO REGISTER:
For further details and application
forms\, contact:
The Administrator
St Mary's Towers Retrea t Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Email: \;contact@towe rsretreat.org.au
LAST-MODIFIED:20220113T030859Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:New! Prayer Weekend "Woman at the Well" TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191122 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191129 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:2no595c73al73hcnn0tfor003m@google.com CREATED:20191015T015949Z DESCRIPTION:Presenters:The double movement of the experience of Christ’s presence followe d \;by an absence\, \;that increases the soul’s desire\, \;form s the pattern in the text of the Song. \; \;
Directed Retr
eat - 8 Day
A Directed retreat is a time spent in silence with your God. The title can b e misleading because it may give the impression that a retreatant will be t old what to do during the retreat by someone accompanying them. In fact it is a time when God takes me where I am in my personal relationship with Him and leads me deeper into intimacy with Him.
A Spiritual Director (so metimes called a Prayer Companion) will support you to be sensitive to what God is doing and encourage you to follow God’s promptings. A Directed Retr eat is usually eight days.
It is a time of profound silence\, interio rity and stillness.
Cost for either retreat: 8 Days $1160
N
on Refundable Deposit: $50
For further details and application fo rms\, contact:
The Administrator
St Mary's Towers Retreat Centr e
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Ema il: \;contact@towersretre at.org.au
Website: \;h ttps://towersretreat.org.au
LAST-MODIFIED:20200715T032902Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:Directed Retreat and Guided Retreat: Song of Songs ... Living the S ong - Pauline Compton fdnsc TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200803 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200808 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:5gptrndeph8capip0psk7ghtqp@google.com CREATED:20200630T033908Z DESCRIPTION:Welcome to Stage 1 of our staged re-opening of the Retreat Cent re!The current requirements for attending the Retreat Centre are set out in our document \;here. It \;includes \;important information about new arrangements \;< /b>necessary for attending retreats at this time\, which you need to co nsider when planning your visit.
Direction Cost: $70
Stage 2 - 10-14 August: Day V isits click here
Stage 3 - 17-21 August: Overnight stays click here
Stage 4 - 24-30 August: 6 Day Directed retreat click here
Easter Guided Retreat - 8 Day
Prepare for Easter as we enjoy the liturgies of Holy Week and enter into the silence leading to the Holy Easter Mass.
There will be a morning reflection each day and th e opportunity to share with a spiritual companion.
The retreat commen ces with a 5.30pm welcome and orientation on the first date and concludes b efore lunch on Easter Sunday morning.
Cost: 9 nights $1280
For
further details and application forms\, contact:
The Administrato r
St Mary's Towers Retreat Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Email: \;contact@towersretreat.org.au
LAST-MODIFIED:20210329T055020Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:Easter Guided Retreat - 8 Day TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210318 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210322 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:1dlphf0o2njecbma2lav9l7pvr@google.com CREATED:20210310T002717Z DESCRIPTION:In the Light of the Beholder - Extended Prayer Weekend - 3 nights - Thurs-Sun
We enter this retreat through the doorway of prayer. \; We begin with deep faith and generosity\; faith that God wa nts to communicate very personally with us\; generosity to be totally open to God moving within us\, regardless of where we have been in life \,no mat ter how closed we may have been in the past.
Let God be the story of our lives\, with all life’s joys and blessings\, shadows\, and losses….as G od tells it! \;
Being beheld in God’s wondrous light can offer us much inspiration and nourishment for our own journeys of the heart. \; During this retreat we will ponder such things as\, what are our deepest l ongings? what are our true desires? where are those places where we need to trust?
We will use some of the wisdom of the early mystics as our gu ides.
We will visit places of shadow in our prayer experiences and ho w this shadow can really be the light of Christ beholding us with such tend er love.
This guided retreat will be ‘time-out’ to explore the possib ilities of living a new life in the Trinity of love\, allowing God\, in our prayer\, to reveal to us just how God is experiencing the experienc e of my life. \; The love with which God desires to ‘be’ in\, through a nd with us through the varied circumstances of our daily lives.
There will be a morning reflection each day and the opportunity to share with a spiritual companion.
Cost: 3 nights $345
For further details an
d application forms\, contact:
The Administrator
St Mary's Towers Retreat Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Email: conta ct@towersretreat.org.au
ONLINE DAY RETREAT: The Journey to Emmaus with Spiritual
Accompaniment
Spiritual accompaniment\, traditionally known a s Spiritual direction\, is a way of sharing your faith journey with a compa nion who listens with you to the true ‘director’\, God in your life. In the company of a skilled and trained companion\, you learn to discern better t he movements of God in your prayer and daily life. \;
Join us as we explore the benefits of spiritual accompaniment and answer your question s. \;
Presenters: \; \;
Sr Pauline Compton&nbs
p\;fdnsc \;
Fr Dominic Gleeson MSC \;
And members o f the Retreat Team \;
Format: 9am Reflection\, Afternoon Meditati on \;
Option 1 Cost: $120 \;includes: Live presentations\, Pr ayer \;Materials\, 40 min Individual Spiritual \;Accompaniment sess ion \;
Option 2 Cost: $60 \; includes: Live Presentations\, P rayer Materials \;
To enquire or register send an email: \;contact@towersretreat.org.au
The retreat begins with the following
topics over the weekend:
Day 1 Mary\, Companion in Faith
Day 2 Mary\, Companion in Grace
Followed by:
Day 3 Creating a space for Grace
D ay 4 Mary\, Companion in Silence
Day 5 Waiting for Jesus
Day 6 Be filled with Grace
- Guided Meditation
There will be a daily
reflection at 9:00am and the opportunity to share with a spiritual companio
n.
COST:
6 nights: 3-9 December $870
Weekend: 2 night s: 3-5 December $290
All inclusive • meals • accommodation • daily Eu charist • daily spiritual companionship if requested \; \;
Fo
r further details and application forms\, contact:
The Administra tor
St Mary's Towers Retreat Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Pa rk 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Email: \;contact@towersretreat.org.au
LAST-MODIFIED:20211124T231244Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:6 DAY Residential Retreat "Be Filled with Grace Like Mary" Retreat Team (Weekend Option 3-5) TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200824 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200831 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:1rremt30nbas7mb0veack9h3m1@google.com CREATED:20200630T040858Z DESCRIPTION:Welcome to Stage 4 of our staged re-opening of the Retreat Cent re!The current requirements for attending the Retreat Centre are set out in our document \;here. It \;includes \;important information abou t new arrangements \;necessary for attending retreats at this t ime\, which you need to consider when planning your visit.
As places
will be limited for the time being\, all appointments and visits will need
to be booked through the Administrator:
Stage 2 - 10-14 August : Day Visits \;click here< /p>
Stage 3 - 17-21 August: Overnight stays \;click here
LAST-MODIFIED:20200716T054416Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:Stage 4 Opening - 6 Day Directed Retreat TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210521 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210524 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:2pntdub2vro1ti63kk14tn8vhm@google.com CREATED:20210505T051434Z DESCRIPTION:In this Men's Weekend Retreat\, we will be reflecting on sel ect scripture passages and exploring how\, the power of “Yes!” changed circ umstances in dark times\; how we can live in the light of God’s truth which can bring much joy to our lives and much needed peace and harmony. This gu ided retreat will be ‘time-out’ to explore the possibilities – the spiritua l possibilities – of living a new life in Christ\, allowing God\, in my pra yer\, to reveal to me just how God is experiencing all the diverse circumst ances of my life and the love with which God desires and delights to reveal to me through the varied circumstances of my daily life.
The retreat commences with a 5.30pm welcome and orientation on the first
date and concludes with a 1.45pm Eucharist on the final date.
Co
st:
2 nights: 21-23 May $290
For further details and applic
ation forms\, contact:
The Administrator
St Mary's Towers R etreat Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph. 02 4630 02 33
Email: \;contact
@towersretreat.org.au
(8 Day) 6-14 December 2019
(Personal Retreat Weekend) 6-8 December 2019
This retreat is a blend of daily spir itual directionand celebration of the Eucharist.
The Retreat will com mence with a 5.40pm welcomefollowed by the 6.00pm meal on the first date an d will conclude following the1.45pm Eucharist on 14 December.
Cost201
9: \;
$920– 8 Days
$230– Retreat Weekend
$50:00 d eposit confirms the booking.
Alltariffs are negotiable \; \;< /p>
Applicationforms available
Fromthe website:
< p>https://towersretreat.org.auOr
TheAdministrator
<
/p>
St Mary’s Towers Retreat Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2 569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Email: contact@towersretreat.org.au
This retreat will notice how we are calle d to be participants in the life of grace by reflecting on the Mysteries of Light and where we notice the waters of baptism welling up within us. It w ill begin appropriately at our own baptism and see how this calls us into a deep relationship of faith. It will journey through the wedding at Cana\, the meeting with the woman at the well\, the Transfiguration and the transf ormation of life which we meet in thanksgiving at the Eucharist. It will he lp us to notice that we are not called to be the castle on the hill overloo king the river of life\, we are called in to enter into the stream and noti ce how we are called to become like water.
A NEW AND EXCITING WEEKEND SERIES!
T
his weekend is one part of a series of five weekends (see all dates below)
or can be attended as a standalone weekend.
Each weekend is an op portunity for us all\, women and men\, to hear and see the Good News throug h the words and the lives of named and unnamed women in the Gospels and all ow these women to speak into your life.
There will be the opportunity
to enter and explore each story through Lectio Divina\, poetry\, Visio Div
ina\, photography\, labyrinth walks\, art\, midrash and silence. Spiritual
accompaniment will also be available with the retreat team.
PR ESENTER
Elizabeth Lee is a Spiritual Director\, Retreat Facilitat or and Pastoral Supervisor. \;
DATES
4-6 March - Wom an at the Wedding (this retreat)
22-24 April - Woman at the Well
< p>22-24 July - Woman with the Haemorrhage7-9 October - Woman at the Tomb
25-27 November - Woman with an Angel
COST
Weekend: 2 nights: $310
INCLUSIONS
All inclusiv e of meals\, accommodation\, presentations and spiritual direction.
< b>TIMES
All retreats commence with a 5.30pm welcome and conclude with the Eucharist at 1.45pm.
TO REGISTER:
For furth
er details and application forms\, contact:
The Administrator
St Mary's Towers Retreat Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Email: \;contact@towersretreat.org.au
Presented by
Michelle Vass and Lou Nulley
Prayer Weekend
13-15 March 2020
<
b>
Topics include:
•Being Mindful in the Christi an Tradition
•Mindfulness practices
•The effect of mindfulness on the brain
•Mindfulness meditation
•Using the body to help us to be mindful
\;Spiritual accompanim
ent \; \;
and the celebration of Eucharist
and Rec onciliation
are available.
Cost 2020:
$250 for the weekend
$50 deposit confirms the booking.
All tariffs are negotiable
Application Forms available from:
TheWeb site:
\;or
The Adm inistrator
St Mary’s Towers Retreat Centre
POBox 19A
Doug lasPark 2569
Ph.02 4630 0233
Email: contact@towersretreat.org.au
LAST-MODIFIED:20200108T063814Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:Mindfulness and the Presence of God Prayer Weekend TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190830 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190902 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:1441j05req09lnrsj2kd4229i3@google.com CREATED:20190821T001844Z DESCRIPTION:\nCost 2019: $230.00 for the weekend.\n$50.00 deposit confirms the booking.\nAll tariffs are negotiable\n\nApplication Forms available fro m:\n\n\nThe Administrator\nSt Mary’s Towers Retreat Centre\nPO Box 19A\nDou glas Park 2569\nPh. 02 4630 0233\nEmail: contact @towersretreat.org.au\n\n\ nRetreat Presenter\nPaul White (Grad Dip Sp. Dir.\, Uni of Divinity Melb.\, )\nWith Retreat Team St Mary’s Towers Retreat Centre\n\nA feature of the 20 19 Men’s Weekend Retreat this year will be reflecting on where God ha s bee n in the dark moments of my life my personal purgatory and pain\; allowin g God to tell the story of God’s great love back to me. Through a series o f meditations\, there will be an exploration into the many different facets of God being with us and always loving us\n\n\nTogether we will ponder the times in our lives when we have experienced God being absent but recalling at the same time being present What of my times of shadow and doubt\, time s of light and darkness? LAST-MODIFIED:20190821T001844Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:Men’s Prayer Weekend TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211008 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211011 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:6an56ekncqf5up2ebqb3m120tt@google.com CREATED:20210708T084856Z DESCRIPTION:The gospels speak of many women but with very little detail… To learn more about these women\, we need to learn to read between the lin es with our own intuitive hearts. \;Martha Driscoll OSCO. This r etreat is a chance to allow some of these women to come alive and speak to us in our lives today. We will spend time with Martha and Mary\, the Samari tan Woman at the Well and Mary of Magdala.
ONLINE OPTIONA Reflection for Easter Sunday 2020
This is the day for which we have been preparing since the beginning of Lent. Jesus be lieved that his Father would not abandon him but would take him from the cr oss into his eternal embrace. It was this faith that sustained him especial ly throughout his suffering and crucifixion\, the terrible ordeal on which we have been accompanying him over the past few days. Today\, with great jo y\, we celebrate the triumph of love over death. Jesus is alive. We are hap py for him\, and we know that what God did for Jesus he will do for all of us who place our trust in him. As Jesus promised at the Last Supper: ‘Do no t let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God\, believe also in me.In my Fa ther’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so\, would I ha ve told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you\, I will come again and will take you to myself\, so that wh ere I am\, there you may be also’ (John 14:1-3). And he prayed: ‘that the l ove with which you\, Father\, have loved me may be in them\, and I in them’ (John 17:26).
God made everyone for love and the faith which we have caught from Jesus is that it is God’s will that every person be saved from sin\, that is to say\, from everything that separates us from God’s love a nd hardens us against receiving God’s loving Spirit. Jesus believed that It is God’s will that everyone be saved from death to enjoy forever the commu nion of love for which we are created. All of this we celebrate on this day of Easter.
In today’s readings we hear from Peter\, Paul and John\, three leaders in the early Christian community. In the First Reading\, Pet er witnesses to the fact that Jesus who died on the cross has made his livi ng presence known to Peter and to others in the community. This experience was so convincing that Peter has emerged from the fear and despair that he experienced consequent upon Jesus’ death\, and we see him fearlessly reachi ng out to everyone to share with them what he has come to know. He knows th at it is especially our sins that drag us down and we hear him assuring us that Jesus came to show us that God does not condemn us because of our sins . No\, God overwhelms us with his love so that we can find the courage to l eave sin and to commit ourselves to a life of love. The Resurrection of Jes us is the proof that Jesus was right and the guarantee that we have the Spi rit of Jesus to continue sustaining us through the ups and downs of our liv es\, through our suffering and death. Since Jesus is raised into God’s eter nal embrace\, we too will be raised with him.
In the Second Reading\ , Paul begs the people of Colossae not to get so caught up in the surface d istractions of this life that they forget to raise their minds and hearts t o where Jesus is drawing us\, through his grace\, into the real love for wh ich our hearts long.
The resurrection of Jesus encourages us\, as it encouraged Jesus’ first followers\, to follow the way he showed\, even thr ough apparent failure\,for it proves that there is a justice that transcend s death and the limited horizons within which we tend to live our lives.
I would like to reflect with you on two questions: ‘What convinced the first disciples that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead?’ and ‘How might we share this same conviction?’
In today’s Gospel we see the stone rolled back and the cold\, gaping emptiness of the tomb. While the empty to mb does not\, of itself\, tell us what happened to Jesus\, it does raise a question and it prepares us\, as it prepared Mary of Magdala\, Peter and th e Beloved Disciple\, to be vigilant so that when the risen Christ made hims elf known to them they would be ready to recognise him.
You will hav e noticed that in today’s Gospel it is the one who loves who grasps the sig nificance of the empty tomb. We are told that it was the disciple whom Jesu s loved who ‘saw and believed’. A similar message is conveyed in the scene that immediately follows today’s Gospel. The other disciples return home\, but Mary of Magdala continues to linger by the tomb. She refuses to give up the search and so Jesus comes to her. As Jesus himself promised at the Las t Supper: ‘I will reveal myself to those who love me’(John14:21).
Th e scenes in which we see Jesus conversing with Peter and the apostles\, dra matize the truth that Jesus’ followers experienced him among them when they found themselves being called by him\, forgiven by him\, loved by him and commissioned by him to share this love with others. The life that they expe rienced welling up within them was that of Jesus himself. It was his Spirit who inspired them\, and it was the power of his love that bore fruit in th eir ministry. The feeling of communion that they experienced\, with God and with each other\, was inspired and made possible by Jesus. He was not dead but alive in God\, and present at the heart of their lives.
This wa s especially the case when they assembled on the first day of the week to c elebrate the beginning of God’s new creation\, as we are accustomed to asse mble. Sadly we can’t do this in our present situation\, but we can long to assemble and know that God will pour the Spirit of his Son into our heart a nd into our families and communities. May we be open to experience this as we celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection. So many of the Resurrection narratives ce ntre on the Eucharist. This is because it was at the Eucharist that\, in a special way\, they remembered Jesus. It was there that they heard his word proclaimed. It was there that they experienced the presence and power of hi s living and life-giving Spirit. It was there that they experienced their o wn communion as his body. It was there that they experienced the reality of his presence\, nurturing them as he had always nurtured them\, inspiring t hem as he had always inspired them\, forgiving them as he had always forgiv en them\, calling them as he had always called them\, and sending them out to draw others into the community of his love.
How might we share th eir conviction? The Beloved Disciple gives us the answer. We must first con template the crucified one\, for only by looking upon the one we have pierc ed can we see the heart of God laid bare (John19:34-37). Only there is the veil removed so that we can see ‘the glory of God in the face of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4:6).
But it is not enough just to contemplate Jesus cru cified. We must experience him for ourselves as he continues the mission of love given him by God. Like Thomas\, we will do this only when we listen t o him calling us to reach out and touch his wounds (John 20:27). And his wo unds are everywhere. For whenever anyone is hungry or thirsty or naked or s ick or imprisoned\, the heart of Christ is pierced. This was the experience of the first generation of Christians\, and it has been the experience of hosts of Christians since. It is when we allow him to live in us (Galatians 2:20)\, and to reach out to the oppressed through us\, that we will experi ence him alive among us\, and with Thomas we will find ourselves saying in sacred awe: ‘My Lord and my God’. \;
Michael Fallon msc
LAST-MODIFIED:20200409T051841Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:Easter Sunday Reflection TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200511 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200517 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:4odgbe9n3kec2lee8ol3hk0ps5@google.com CREATED:20200508T070657Z DESCRIPTION:In keeping with the silent and contemplative nature of our retr eat work\, St Mary’s Towers Retreat Centre is offering a reflective online retreat experience on "Paul's Letter to the Galatians". This is a self-pace d retreat using the work of Fr Michael Fallon msc. Each day pdf files of th e presentations and the accompanying audio files will be made available thr ough the towersretreat.org.au website. There will be two meditations each d ay to be accessed in your own time. Members of the retreat team will be ava ilable for \;individual spiritual accompaniment \;by phone \, skype or Zoom. Spiritual accompaniment sessions are 30-40 min in length. \;*Details on access to the retreat material will be given prior to the commencement of the retreat. Cost: There are three ways to par ticipate in this retreat.
All fees are negotiable with the Director\, in keeping with our ethos and general practice of making retrea ts available to all regardless of circumstances.
Registration : \;Please register your interest with the Administrator at&nb sp\;contact@towersretreat.org.au \;by indicati ng your name\, phone number\, choice of option (1\, 2 or 3)\, and any reque st for spiritual accompaniment.
Payment can be made online:
Acc
ount: St. Mary’s Towers
ACN: 29783100
BSB: 062 784
Commonwealth Ba
nk
Please notify the Administrator with your details when you have ma de an EFT payment
Team members available for spiritual accompaniment: Fr Michael Fallon msc\, Michelle Vass\, Sr Pauline Compton fdnsc\, Fr Domi nic Gleeson msc and Sr Katrina Zhang rsm. Please note that spaces will be l imited.
The current require ments for attending the Retreat Centre are set out in our document \;here. It \;includes \;important information about new arrangements \;necessary for attending retreats at t his time\, which you need to consider when planning your visit.
Stage 3 - 17-21 August: Overnight stays \;clic k here
Stage 4 - 24-30 August: 6 Day Directed retreat \;click here
This prayer day is an opportunity to explore some of Mary’s spirituality. From an early age she knew struggle and hardship in her famil y life as well as a deep faith in a loving and provident God. \;
What does Mary MacKillop offer us today in our struggles? \;
Join us on the Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop\, Australia's Saint\ , as we learn \;a little \;about Mary and \;how her life encour ages us to rely on God more and more. \; \;
Presenter: \; Sr \;Jennifer \;Scally \;rsj \;
Format: 9am \;and 2 pm \;Reflection\, \;7 pm Optional Prayer \;
Option 1 C ost: \;$120 \;includes: \;Live presentations\, Prayer \;Mat erials\, \;40 min Individual Spiritual \;Accompaniment session \;
Option 2 Cost $60 \; includes: Live Presentations\, Prayer Mat erials \;
To enquire or register send an email: \;contact@to wersretreat.org.au
LAST-MODIFIED:20210722T073416Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:New! ONLINE DAY RETREAT: Mary MacKillop Prayer Day: Sr Jennifer Sca lly RSJ TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220414 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220418 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:7s0h57av1fjaifnkdqeqbqopvh@google.com CREATED:20220110T072601Z DESCRIPTION:The Easter Triduum Weekend commences on Holy Thursday night and concludes with the Easter Vigil on Saturday night. Retreatants depart afte r breakfast on Easter Sunday morning.It is a time of profound silenc
e\, interiority and stillness.
Cost 2020
$1000 f
or 8 nights (shorter stays are possible)
$125 per night
$50
deposit confirms the booking
All tariffs are negotiable
Applications available from:
The Coordinator
St Mary’s Towers
Retreat Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph: 02 4630 0233
<
a href="mailto:contact@towersretreat.org.au">contact@towersretreat.org.au
http://towersretreat.org.au \; \;
In the Heart of Creation with Jesus - R etreat Team
Contemplating our relationship with Creation is an im
perative for us all in these troubled times. This team retreat seeks to ins
pire our careful involvement in such work. \; As we attune our hearts t
o the heart of creation\, in its beauty and its destruction\, we will becom
e more aware of the cries of our world\, and\, the ever present possibiliti
es for a \; ‘new creation.’ With the Word of God\, we will let Jesus te
ach us afresh how to live from the depths of Trinitarian Love. And with the
encouragement of Pope Francis and the 10 things he wants us to know about
the environment\, we seek to better understand that care for the environmen
t is an underlying spiritual calling at the heart of our faith today.
Reflection topics include:
Day 1 \; \; \; \; Lis tening to the cry of the World \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;
Day 2 \; \; \; \; \;“10 thing
s Pope Francis wants you to know about the
\; \; \; \;
\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;
\; environment”. \;
Day 3 \; \; \; \; The Word o f God in Creation \; \;
Day 4 \; \; \; \; Cr eation and the Word of God in Scripture \; \; \; \; \;& nbsp\; \; \; \;
Day 5 \; \; \; \; Prayin g in Creation: A Walking Meditation
Day 6 \; \; \; \ ; Learning from Wisdom in Creation \; \; \;
Day 7 \; \; \; We are Co-Creators \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;
Day 8 \; \; \; Quiet Reflection
- Remembering the Pope’s 10
\; \; \; \; \; \;&
nbsp\; \; \; \; \; \; \; points
Cost
The retreat commences with a 5.30pm welcome and orientation on the first date and concludes with a 1.45pm Eucharist on the final date.
Cost:
6 nights: 15-21 June $870
For furth
er details and application forms\, contact:
The Administrator
St Mary's Towers Retreat Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Email: \;contact@towersretreat.org.au
LAST-MODIFIED:20210505T062656Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:Tending the Flame of Love - 6 Day Retreat\, Michelle Vass TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211210 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211217 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:7mp6eakunn286btm5m74sa4fla@google.com CREATED:20211117T021705Z DESCRIPTION:A Directed retreat is a time to spend in silence listening w ith God.
Each retreatant has the opportunity to meet daily with a spi ritual companion as they discern the movement of the spirit in their life.< /p>
COST:
6 nights: 10-16 December $870
Weekend: 2 nights : 10-12 December $290
All inclusive• meals• accommodation• daily Euch arist• daily spiritual companionship if requested \;
For further
details and application forms\, contact:
The Administrator
St Mary's Towers Retreat Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Email: \;contact@towersretreat.org.au
2. Prayer for the Week 6-10 April 2020
What are the new ways in which we are being invited to pray and be ONE with each ot her and our world in this ‘Corona-time’? A little thought…Corona means crow n and in this time of Lent we are immediately taken to Jesus and his crown of thorns….
Take a moment to become quiet and still. Bring your atten tion to your breath\, gently breathing in the Spirit of Love\, and breathin g out Peace. Listen to the words of Jesus: “Whenever you pray\, go into you r room and shut the door.....” Mt 6:6 Let your attention now focus on Jesus ’s presence in your heart as you ponder the reflections. This week\, we rem ember the goodness of our God\, even in times of trial.
Adapted from Julian of Norwich the Showings
– A Co ntemporary \; Translation by \; Mirabai Starr\, Canterbury Press No rwich\,2014\, Ch 5\, p14.
Our Lord also showed me that it give s him great pleasure when a simple soul comes to him naked\, open and intim ate. This is an expression of the love-longing awakened in the soul that ha s been touched by the Holy Spirit. I understood this when the following pra yer came to me: God\, through your goodness\, give me yourself. You are eno ugh for me. I cannot honour you by asking for anything less. When I do ask for less\, I am never satisfied. Only in you do I have all.
<
/p>
Psalm16
1 \; Protect me\, O GOD. I turn to you for help.
2 \; You are my greatest good.
3 \; You have put int o my heart a marvellous love
\; \; \; For the faithful who dwell in the land.
4 \; Those who run after strange gods
\; \; \; \; only multiply their sorrows.
5 \; You\, O GOD\, are my chosen portion and my cup.
\; \; \ ; It is you yourself who are my prize.
6 \; The lot marked out fo r me is my delight.
\; \; \; Welcome indeed the heritag e that is mine.
7 \; \; I thank you for all your blessings. < /p>
\; \; \; \; It is you who give me counsel.
&n bsp\; \; \; \; Even at night you direct my heart.
8 \ ; \; O GOD\, I keep you always before me.
\; \; \;& nbsp\; With you at my side I will not waver.
9 \; \; So my he art is glad.
\; \; \; \; A profound joy wells up wit hin me.
\; \; \; \; Even my flesh rests secure\,
\; \; \; \; as I place my trust in you.
10 You d o not abandon me to death.
\; \; \; \; You do not le t your faithful see the grave.
11 \; You show me the path to life .
\; \; \; \; Your Presence fills me with joy.
< p> \;And from St Elizabeth of the Trinity\, L 136 To Germaine de Gemeaux 14 September\,1902. The Complete Works Vol Two Letters from Car mel Elizabeth of the Trinity\, p65.
You are deprived of receiv ing Him as often as you wish\, and I understand your sacrifice so well. But remember that His Love does not need a sacrament to come to his little Ger maine: communicate with Him the whole day since He is living in your soul. Listen to what our holy Father St John of the Cross says to us\; “Oh\,Soul\ , most beautiful of creatures who desires so ardently to know the dwelling place of your Beloved in order to seek Him and be united with Him\, you are yourself the refuge where he takes shelter\, the dwelling place in which H e hides Himself within you\; and\, actually\, you cannot be without Him!” ( Spiritual Canticle 26-27)
\;
Is God really e nough for you? How do you witness to this each day?
\;
*the following meditation from Bill Gates gives us some ideas …< /b>
Perhaps we are being reminded of important lessons that we seem t o have forgotten and it is up to us now if we will learn them or not.
\;*Beautiful message from Bill Gates*
*What is the Corona/ Covid-19 Virus Really Teaching us?*
I’m a strong believer that there is a spiritual purpose behind everything that h appens\, whether that is what we perceive as being good or being bad.
As I meditate upon this\, I want to share with you what I feel the Corona/ Covid-19 virus is really doing to us:
\;1) It is reminding us t hat we are all equal\, regardless of our culture\, religion\, occupation\, financial situation or how famous we are. This disease treats us all equall y\, perhaps we should too. If you don’t believe me\, just ask Tom Hanks.
\;2) It is reminding us that we are all connected and something th at affects one person has an effect on another. It is reminding us that the false borders that we have put up have little value as this virus does not need a passport. It is reminding us\, by oppressing us for a short time\,o f those in this world whose whole life is spent in oppression.
\ ;3) It is reminding us of how precious our health is and how we have moved to neglect it through eating nutrient poor manufactured food and drinking w ater that is contaminated with chemicals upon chemicals. If we don’t look a fter our health\, we will\, of course\, get sick.
\;4) It is rem inding us of the shortness of life and of what is most important for us to do\, which is to help each other\,especially those who are old or sick. Our purpose is not to buy toilet rolls.
\;5) It is reminding us of how materialistic our society has become and how\, when in times of difficu lty\, we remember that it’s the essentials that we need (food\, water\, med icine) as opposed to the luxuries that we sometimes unnecessarily give valu e to.
\;6) It is reminding us of how important our family and ho me life is and how much we have neglected this. It is forcing us back into our houses so we can rebuild them into our homes and to strengthen our fami ly units.
\;7) It is reminding us that our true work is not our job\, that is what we do\, not what we were created to do. Our true work is to look after each other\, to protect each other and to be of benefit to o ne another.
\;8) It is reminding us to keep our egos in check. I t is reminding us that no matter how great we think we are or how great oth ers think we are\, a virus can bring our world to a standstill.
\;9) It is reminding us that the power of free will is in our hands. We can choose to cooperate and help each other\, to share\,to give\, to help and to support each other or we can choose to be selfish\, to hoard\, to look a fter only our self. Indeed\, it is difficulties that bring out our true col ours.
\;10) It is reminding us that we can be patient\, or we ca n panic. We can either understand that this type of situation has happened many times before in history and will pass\, or we can panic and see it as the end of the world and\, consequently\, cause ourselves more harm than go od.
\;11) It is reminding us that this can either be an end or a new beginning. This can be a time of reflection and understanding\, where we learn from our mistakes\, or it can be the start of a cycle which will c ontinue until we finally learn the lesson we are meant to.
\;12) It is reminding us that this Earth is sick. It is reminding us that we nee d to look at the rate of deforestation just as urgently as we look at the s peed at which toilet rolls are disappearing off shelves. We are sick becaus e our home is sick.
\;13) It is reminding us that after every di fficulty\, there is always ease. Life is cyclical\, and this is just a phas e in this great cycle. We do not need to panic\; this too shall pass.
14) Whereas many see the Corona/Covid-19 virus as a great disaster\, I pre fer to see it as a *great corrector*
\;
\;
& nbsp\;
LAST-MODIFIED:20200422T055810Z SEQUENCE:1 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:"Reflections in times of change" for the week commencing 5 April TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200409 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200410 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:4omea0fhn3de1g60taovoqeopb@google.com CREATED:20200406T042132Z DESCRIPTION:Reflection for Holy Thursday 2020
He had alw ays loved those who were his in the world\, but now he showed how perfect h is love was. Jn 13:1
\;“A different Holy Week\, Easter is no t the same this year”…..No doubt you have heard such comments and possibly even agreed with the sadness accompanying them. Maybe you too have bemoaned the changes that have come upon us – no Easter celebrations\, closed churc hes\, and no Eucharist as we are accustomed to receiving it. Yet what gift and opportunity lie hidden here in these days. If ever we were being asked to accompany the crucified Christ\, this Triduum is it. If ever we were to beg for the Spirit of the Lord to anoint us and help us bring good news to the poor\, it is now. If ever we were being asked to “wash feet” and give u p our lives for others\, it is NOW.
This Easter\, we can’t rely on th e wonderful traditions of our faith\, the usual liturgies of this week\, an d being led through the passion of Jesus. Instead\, the onus is on each of us individually to do exactly what Jesus himself teaches us\, “Whenever you pray\, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret….Mt6:6”. We are even being told that by our governments! “Go home \, stay home\, be still – this is the greatest sacrifice you can make for y ourself and for others to save lives.” The hard part is that when we pray w ith Jesus to be one\, as He is in God and God is in Him (Jn17:21)\, we ofte n imagine positive\, peaceful\, hope-filled times of oneness in God and wit h each other. The current coronavirus\, Covid-19\, is showing us a whole ne w way of being one through great suffering. Never before has our whole worl d suffered as one\, and so never before has our world found itself with the opportunity to truly turn away from selfish behaviours and extend uncondit ional love in new ways. This Easter we are being asked to witness to our fa ith and our love for each other by staying home\, and trusting that we will be fed. Is it a little bit like the five thousand being asked to “sit down in groups of about fifty” (Lk9:17)\, to sit down in their “family” groups\ , with no one being turned away? Remember\, they all ate and were filled.
So this evening\, we will once again remember Jesus’ actions at th
e Last Supper and the message he gave – if you want to truly belong to me\,
you must follow me\, in self-giving service. We must wash the feet of othe
rs and be ready to say with Jesus\, “This is my body given up for you.” Yes
it is wonderful to go out and help the poor\, after all anyone in need is
our neighbour. Yet in our being kept home\, this “corona-time” is inviting
us to trust our prayer for others and tend the ones closest to us\, sometim
es the ones hardest to be with\, the ones we can take for granted. Then fol
lowing the great commandment\, we also are being asked to tend ourselves an
d our relationship with God. Perhaps this is our greatest challenge and sac
rifice this Easter\, to give ourselves wholly over to a deep inner prayer\,
one with Jesus in the Father\, through the Holy Spirit\, uniting our whole
world.
Are we truly his in this world?
Le t’s really open our hearts to his perfect love this Easter. \; &nbs p\; \;It is said that St. Francis of Assisi would spend an entire night in prayer with two simple questions: "Who are you\, God? And who am I ?"
This retreat seeks to provide an opportunity to come away and list en deeply to these questions and what they might be saying to you in your l ife now. In a peaceful and relaxing environment\, the silence of creation w ill hold you on your journey.
The retreat commences with a 5.30pm wel
come and orientation on the first date and concludes with a 1.45pm Eucharis
t on the final date.
Cost:
6 nights: 25 June to 1 July $870
2 nights: 25-27 June $290
For further details and applicat
ion forms\, contact:
The Administrator
St Mary's Towers Ret reat Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Email: \;contact@t owersretreat.org.au
LAST-MODIFIED:20210505T062727Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:Who are you God? Who am I? Meeting God in Silence and Solitude - 6 Day or Weekend\, Michelle Vass TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191115 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191119 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:2gjjbhru6kvhse9vkhnlqtdba8@google.com CREATED:20191015T015906Z DESCRIPTION:Presenters:A NEW AND EXCITING WEEKEND SERIES!
This weekend
is one part of a series of five weekends (see all dates below) or can be a
ttended as a standalone weekend.
Each weekend is an opportunity f or us all\, women and men\, to hear and see the Good News through the words and the lives of named and unnamed women in the Gospels and allow these wo men to speak into your life.
There will be the opportunity to enter a
nd explore each story through Lectio Divina\, poetry\, Visio Divina\, photo
graphy\, labyrinth walks\, art\, midrash and silence. Spiritual accompanime
nt will also be available with the retreat team.
PRESENTER
Elizabeth Lee is a Spiritual Director\, Retreat Facilitator and Past oral Supervisor. \;
DATES
4-6 March - Woman at the W edding
22-24 April - Woman at the Well
22-24 July - Woman with the Haemorrhage
7-9 October - Woman at the Tomb
25-27 November - Woman with an Angel
COST
Weekend: 2 nights: $310
INCLUSIONS
All inclusive of meals\, accommodation \, presentations and spiritual direction.
TIMES
All retr eats commence with a 5.30pm welcome and conclude with the Eucharist at 1.45 pm.
TO REGISTER:
For further details and application
forms\, contact:
The Administrator
St Mary's Towers Retrea t Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Email: \;contact@towe rsretreat.org.au
LAST-MODIFIED:20220113T031052Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:New! Prayer Weekend "Woman with the Haemorrhage" TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200417 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200426 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:7vi7v0oq3ikbdq8a4aesgpvaep@google.com CREATED:20200415T043745Z DESCRIPTION:Easter Sunday Reflection
Matthew 28:1-10
The women came back from the tomb\, “Afraid yet filled with Joy”. This phra se certainly contains within it a great deal of fear\, change and uncertain ty. Yet at the heart of it is joy and resurrection. I think that this passa ge\, while seemingly not as emotional as John’s Gospel\, gets at the heart of the emotional ambiguity that Easter 2020 is bringing for all of us: “Afr aid yet filled with Joy”.
The Angel tells them to\, “No Longer Be Afr aid”. This command concerning fear is in an on-going tense. We need never b e afraid any more! Jesus is Risen. I would offer another way to hear the co mmand to ‘No Longer Be Afraid. As Christians\, we can no longer be afraid o f grief. For instance\, the grief that is so evident spreading across the w orld with Covid-19. Not that we will avoid grief\, but that we do not have to fear visiting the tomb. We can ‘go there’ and mourn and even mourn with others. The power of the Resurrection is revealed as we let our hearts expe rience the sadness of our goodbyes. Only one who knows they will say hello again can give a proper good-bye and miss a person!
Amid the midst of grief and sorrow\, the women want to look at the grave. In our culture\, w e are often taught\, especially as Christians\, to avoid the grave\, to avo id grief. We are taught to live in joy of the Resurrection. This is true\, we must also go to the grave and be confronted by the power of death. Furth ermore\, I think our encounter with the news of the Resurrection\, produces a mixture of fear and joy\, echoing the emotions of the first disciples.
‘Stop being afraid and keep not being afraid”. The Resurrection means we have nothing to fear\, truly\, nothing to fear. These are words to the c ommunity of faith\, not just the individual. They are
also present te nse\, suggesting the disciples were afraid and that they are no longer to b e afraid.
It is also worth noting that the angel emphasizes that Jesu s is Risen\, “Just as he said”. The angel is challenging them to have faith \, not just in the Resurrection but in evidence of God’s faithfulness. Even the story that should be about all the proof in the world is still about t rusting a word\, the word of Jesus\, the word of the angels and finally the word of the women.
Dominic Gleeson msc
LAST-MODIFIED:20200422T055836Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:"Reflections in times of change" for the week commencing 19 April TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200508 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200517 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:6hfm0958faqrv6uqli1sm603rq@google.com CREATED:20200507T035159Z DESCRIPTION:“Do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1).
\;As we come to today’s reflection\, we find ourselves in a differe nt place to that of several weeks ago. Perhaps this week provides the oppor tunity to reflect on our reactions to the global spread of the Covid 19 vir us. As cases were diagnosed in Australia and the spread of the virus was ra mpant in Italy and Spain\, what were your reactions? Were you among the pan ic buyers?Were you\, perhaps\, in denial or resistance thinking the virus w ould go away and not affect your life? Did you withdraw with a strong urge for self-protection? Were you moved to take the millions\, far more greatly affected than we have been in Australia\, into your prayer?
\;A s the time of isolation became a way of life\, perhaps this helped you to b e present to the moment\, accepting the vulnerability bought by the pandemi c\,and being more open to God’s action in your life? Perhaps you have been drawn to be more prayerful\, as well as taking the opportunity to reflect o n what this time of upheaval could mean for you\, our Australian society an d our world? The present continues to be full of uncertainty as we look at mitigating restrictions\,after having gained some control over the spread o f the virus. The past (the way things used to be) may never return. One wou ld hope\, in many respects\, that it will not. Perhaps\, we will learn to l ive more simply\, be more contemplative\,and more mindful of the needs of o thers – those on the front line\, those who are weighed down by financial h ardship and our suffering brothers and sisters throughout the world.
\;In whatever situation we find ourselves Jesus’ words to the disciple s\, in Sunday’s gospel\, are relevant. “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1). In verse 27 of the same chapter Jesus says\, “Peace I leave w ith you\; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives” (Jo hn 14:27).
\;The peace that the world gives is nothing like the peace of Jesus. The former is often conditioned by circumstances\, and illu sory. It comes and goes and can be without any grounding in what is real.Je sus’ peace\, on the other hand\, is grounded in his awareness of being belo ved by the Father. The love bond he shared with the Father was the source f rom which Jesus lived. Everything in Jesus’ life flowed from his relationsh ip with the Father. The peace of Jesus also arose from his constant search to do always what pleased his Father: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and finish his work” (John 4:34). It was the truth of his being an d life\, of the continual love of the Father and living in this love that e nabled Jesus to bring life to so many. It was this that enabled him to love to the end\, that we might be drawn to share in the same communion with Go d that Jesus shared.
\;As Jesus was not spared crises\, difficul ty\,disappointment\, and persecution neither are we. We know Jesus is with us in everything. There is\, moreover\, no doubt of reality of our life in God: no matter the circumstances\, we are held in and supported by the infi nite tenderness of God’s unconditional love. Indeed\, from the beginning of time we have been secure in this love. Each of us has been in the heart an d mind of God from all eternity. “God has never not known who we are eterna lly\, who God eternally contemplates us to be” (James Finley\, “Turning to the Mystics: Thomas Merton\,” Podcast Session 4). In the words of Julian of Norwich: “We were treasured and hidden in God\, known and loved from witho ut beginning … [God]wants us to know that [our] soul was preciously knitted to him in its making\,by a knot so subtle and so mighty that it is united in God” (“Julian of Norwich Showings\,” translated by College and Walsh\, C hapter 53). We are of God\, from God and for God in whom we live and move a nd have our being (Acts 17:28). \;As we awaken to this truth of our be ing and blessedness together with the love that is continually giving itsel f to us\, we can say “Yes”and open ourselves to the love that is constantly being offered to each of us.
\;Could it be that during these re maining weeks of the Easter Season\, and as we live ‘new’ lives\, we are be ing invited to live in greater awareness of the truth of who we are and the all-pervading presence\,infinite tenderness and self-giving love of God in which we are held and supported? Perhaps\, also\, we are being invited\, t hrough this awareness\, to live more deeply in and from the bond of love in to which Jesus draws us? In so doing\,we are enabled to live more deeply in the peace Jesus gives us\, a peace which comes from the truth of who each of us is as the Beloved of God?
\;Ultimately\, we are called to live more fully aware of God’s love and presence in our lives – the now and not yet of eternity. It is only then\, and with God’s grace\, that we can live more deeply from the life we share in God and in self-giving love as J esus did. Such love\, after all\, is not our love but God’s love. Let us pr ay for this grace during the coming weeks. Then\, also\, we will become Chr ist’s transforming presence to our brothers and sisters with whom we will d iscover we are in profound solidarity.
\;Pauline Compton fdnsc
\;
From the book of Henri J. M. Nouwen\, Life of the Beloved.
\;I believe deeply that all the good things our world has to offer are yours to enjoy. But you can enjoy them truly only w hen you can acknowledge them as affirmations of the truth that you are the Beloved of God. That truth will set you free to receive the beauty of natur e and culture in gratitude\, as a sign of your Belovedness. That truth will allow you to receive the gifts you receive from your society and celebrate life. But that truth will also allow you to let go of what distracts you\, confuses you and puts in jeopardy the life of the Spirit within you.
\;Think of yourself as having been sent into the world … a way of see ing yourself that is possible if you truly believe that you were loved befo re the world began … a perception of yourself that calls for a true leap of faith! As long as you live in the world\, yielding to its enormous pressur es to prove to yourself and to others that you are somebody and knowing fro m the beginning that you will lose in the end\, your life can be scarcely m ore than along struggle for survival. If\, however\, you really want to live in the world\, you cannot look to the world itself as the source o f life. The world and its strategies may help you to survive for a long tim e\, but they cannot help you live because the world is not the source even of its own life\, let alone yours.
\;Spiritually you do not belo ng to the world. And this is precisely why you are sent into the world. You r family and your friends\, your colleagues\,and your competitors and all t he people you may meet on your journey through life are all searching for m ore than survival. Your presence among them as the one who is sent will all ow them to catch a glimpse of the real life.
\;Everything change s radically from the moment you know yourself as being sent into this world . Times and spaces\, people and events\, art and literature\,history and sc ience\, they all cease to be opaque and become transparent\,pointing far be yond themselves to the place from where you come and to where you will retu rn. It is very hard for me to explain to you this radical change because it is a change that cannot be described in ordinary terms\; nor can it be tau ght or practised as a new discipline of self-knowledge. The change of which I speak is the change from living life as a painful test to prove \ ;that you deserve to be loved\, to living it as an unceasing ‘Yes’ to t he truth of that Belovedness. Put simply\, life is a God given opportunity to become who we are\, to affirm our own true spiritual nature\, claim our truth\, appropriate and integrate the reality of our being\, but\, most of all to say “Yes” to the One who calls us the Beloved.
\;
& nbsp\;
\;
\;
\;
\;
\;
LAST-MODIFIED:20200507T071615Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:"Reflections in times of change" for the week commencing 10 May TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200501 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200510 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:1oi7fglr7nt1vnqkgf07scoumi@google.com CREATED:20200427T021353Z DESCRIPTION:During the 1960s there was a movie with a theme song titled “The Mother is Dear in the World”. It was sung by a young girl and\, even after 50 years\, is still famous today and often played around Mother ’s day each year.
The song speaks of a child being treasured in thei r mother’s eyes and of the immeasurable happiness and joy of being held in her arms. It speaks\, too\, of how distressing it is without having such a mother\, happiness nowhere to be found. Yes\, a mother is\, indeed\, dear t o the world. Children who have a mother\, even if they are unaware of how b lessed they are being held in her embrace\, smile even in their dreams.
Whenever I listen to this song many memories of my own childhood are ev oked. Are there any memories that you have about being loved and comforted by your mother or grandmother\, or someone whom you called ‘mother’ or‘mum’ ?
When I reflect on the life of Mary (Our Lady)\, even though there are very few references to her in Scripture\, my most profound impression i s that of a woman whose life speaks of gentleness\, humility\, sensitivity\ , care\,silence and trust. The wedding feast of Cana is such an example of all these qualities and reveals clearly her motherly love. It reads in scri pture: Mary said to Jesus “They have no wine.” (Jn 2:3). These simpl e words not only showed her gentleness and care\, \;but also showed he r motherly concern for the newly married young couple. Mary had noticed the ir needs even though they had not asked for her help. She turns to her Son\ , Jesus\, for his help and intercedes for them.
\;“Do whatev er he tells you” (Jn 2:5). Mary’swords revealed her deep hope and trust in her Son. Hope and trust require silence and self-giving. For Mary\, it was not just in this event but in her whole life that her silence was a sil ence of love. Her self-giving was the fruit of that love.Jesus fulfilled Ma ry’s request for his help\, which was exactly what she was waitingfor. &nbs p\; \; \;
The month of May is especially devoted to the Bless ed VirginMary in the Roman Catholic tradition. During May\, then\, let us e speciallyh onour this extraordinary and blessed woman\, our Mother Mary who loves us and intercedes for us in all our needs. Let us pray with her for our world\, our country\, our families and ourselves. Let us especially rem ember the sick and suffering and all those caring for those afflicted by th is current pandemic\,COVID-19.
May all our sisters and brothers in Ch rist experience\, through us\, the tender love and motherly embrace of Mary \, Mother of God – smiling even n their dreams.
In Honour of Mary\ , Mother of Jesus
Holy Mary\, Mother of God\, pray with us.
Holy Mother for all the nations\, pray with us.
Mother of the Word I ncarnate\, pray with us.
Mother of Hope for all peoples\, pray with u s.
Mother who teaches us the paths of discipleship\, pray with us.
Mother who bears the image of Christ
in the heart of every peopl e\, pray with us.
Mother who teaches the nations to sing of God’s glo ries\, pray with us.
\;Pray for us\, O Holy Mother of God\, t hat we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. *
* Taken from Edward Francis Gabriele\, My Soul Magnifies the Lord\,p.189. 1996 by Ave M aria Press\, Inc.
\;
Katrina Zhang rsm
LAST-MODIFIED:20200427T021850Z
SEQUENCE:0
STATUS:CONFIRMED
SUMMARY:"Reflections in times of change" for the week commencing 3 May
TRANSP:TRANSPARENT
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200529
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200607
DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z
UID:19vjkacv2h9sjnlgsjnf1f08cd@google.com
CREATED:20200529T052021Z
DESCRIPTION:This week's beautiful reflection is now available on our new "P
rayer Resources" Page. Life's Healing Journey is a silent retreat\, which draws on the
Spirituality of the Heart of Jesus. \;Any hurtful life experience\, los
s or painful memory can be brought for healing \;and transformation thr
ough the grace and power of God. There is no hurtful or \;limiting expe
rience of ours that cannot be shared with Jesus. \;This retreat \;i
s \;a powerful experience that taps into Elizabeth Kubler Ross's stages
of grieving and assists participants to deal with pains\, hurts and losses
from their past. \; "Transformation takes place when we befriend
all the hurts of life so far." (Sebastian Moore) \; This Retreat
is a blend of \;daily input sessions\, \;daily meetings \;with
\;a \;Prayer Companion\, daily \;celebrations \;of Euchari
st \;and \;celebrations of Anointing and Reconciliation. \; Many who have experienced this retreat have found it life changing and a
path to freedom to live from their true self\, which is who God created us
to be. \; The retreat commences with a 5.40pm welcome and orient
ation on the first date and concludes with a 1.45pm Eucharist on the final
date. Cost: 9 Days : $1305 including Life's Healing Journey Book
Click here&nb
sp\;
\;
\;
LAST-MODIFIED:20200529T052123Z
SEQUENCE:0
STATUS:CONFIRMED
SUMMARY:"Reflections in times of change" for the week commencing 31 May
TRANSP:TRANSPARENT
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220408
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220418
DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z
UID:20o9ptb6nh5vfj6iov5eb8nnm9@google.com
CREATED:20220110T072519Z
DESCRIPTION:
Accompanied and \;Presented by the Retreat Team \; \; \;
Please note that this is an intensive \;heali
ng retreat. As such\, there is a detailed application process involved and
this can take some time. It is advised that you begin \;your applicatio
n as soon as possible before the advertised dates so that your place in the
retreat can be considered \;and \; approved \;in good time. Th
is is especially the case if you are travelling \;from overseas.&nb
sp\;
Retreatants need to complete the full 9 Days. \;
For further details and application \;forms\, contac
t: \;
The Administrator \;
St Mary’s Towers Retreat Centre \;
PO Box 19A \;
Douglas Park 2569 \;
Ph. 02 4630 0233 \;
Email: \;contact@towersretreat.org.au \;
Web site: https://towersretreat.org.au \;< /p>
The current requirements for attending the Retreat Centre are set out in our document \;here. It \;includes \;important information about new arrangements \;necessar y for attending retreats at this time\, which you need to consider when pla nning your visit.
As places will be limited for the time being\, all appointments and visits will need to be booked through the Administrator:
Stage 2 - 10-14 August: Day Visits \;click here
Stage 4 - 24-30 August: 6 Day Dir ected Retreat click here
LAST-MODIFIED:20200716T054548Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:Stage 3 Opening - Overnight Stays TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200410 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200411 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:7ht4ootspnsmb26lk4meie04lo@google.com CREATED:20200406T041930Z DESCRIPTION:Good Friday Reflection
In recent weeks\, there have be en two main themes running through the daily readings: the constant overtur es of a longing and compassionate God to God’s children and the growing hos tility and threat to Jesus’ life as the authorities sought to have Jesus ki lled. As this latter theme grows in intensity\, we hear God’s outpouring of love and longing.
\;“I am about to create a new heaven and anew earth. The things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind”(Isa iah 65:17ff.). “I will bring you back to the land of Israel … I will put my spirit in you that you may live … I have promised\, and I will do it …” (E zekial37:12-14). “I will deliver them from all their sins of apostacy\, and cleanse them so that they may be my people and I may be their God … I will make with them a covenant of peace … My dwelling will be with them …” (Eze kial 37:23\, 26-28).
What emerged for me was the profound beauty and depth of the total self-giving of Jesus as Savior. Each time I was drawn to stay with this\, level upon deeper level of what it was for Jesus to save us\, freeing us from sin and bringing us into the communion he shares with his Father\, seemed to be revealed to me. Words do not do justice to this e xperience. It was one of seeing something\, if only very little\, of the en ormity of Jesus’ love in the ongoing gift of himself\, in bringing healing\ ,compassion and life\, even when so many seemed against him and the mission he received from his Father was\, seemingly\, failing.
I wonder what Jesus’ really felt in the agony in the garden. I imagine this was a horrif ic experience. Of course\, Jesus didn’t want to die. He wanted to live and love and see his Father’s kingdom realised in a broken world. He wanted to bring his people to freedom and fullness of life. He wanted to bring God’s estranged children home. He wanted this for you and me. If was for this that Jesus lived and died.
Imagine his anguish in t he face of seeming failure and of a life cut short. Only one thing mattered \, amid the growing opposition \; Jesus experienced\, and that was to l ove and for love to prevail. Jesus kept on loving to the end until his arms \, stretched upon the tree of the cross\, were opened wide in his embrace o f absolute and unconditional love. As Philippians tells us\, “Jesus emptied himself. Taking the form of a slave … he became obedient to the point of d eath.” (Phil 2:6-11).
Do we really appreciate the enormity of Jesus’ gift to us? Do we understand our identity\, gifted to us through Jesus’life \, death and resurrection\, as the beloved of God? Have we allowed ourselve s to experience God’s unconditional love in the absolute forgiveness of sin and gift of freedom that Jesus is still bringing us? Yes\, we are sinners and our weakness can so often dominate our lives. \;Yet\, the truth is that we are deeply loved\, forgiven and saved.
As we contemplate Jesu s’ suffering and death\, Ignatius of Loyola invites us to ask for the grace of compassion - to suffer \;with Jesus. Michael Ivens sa ys this is “a suffering which is ours\, but in and through which Christ mak es us sharers in his own.”[1]This is an invitation to deepening inti macy. It is to “ask for grief with Christ in grief\, to be broken wi th Christ broken\, for tears and interior suffering on account of the great suffering that Christ endured for me.” [2]
What is our response in the face of such incomprehensible love for me ? Ignatius of Loyola suggests one for us:
Take\,Lord\, and receiv
e all my liberty\,
my memory\, my understanding\,
and my entire will\
,
all I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To you\
, Lord\, I return it.
Everything is yours\; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace\,
that is enough for me.
\;As we ask for grief with Christ in grief\, we might also ask to experience this with Jesus who is suffering in our brothers and sisters throughout the world. There are too many \; who are suffering in unima ginable ways including in the Covid 19 pandemic.
I came across a poem recently on Facebook that may invite reflection at this time. It was writt en in 1869 by Kathleen O’Mara.
And people stayed at home
And read
books
And listened
And they rested
And did exercises
And made a
rt and played
And learned new ways of being
And stopped and listened<
br>More deeply.
Someone meditated\, someone prayed
Someone met their
shadow
And people began to think differently
And people healed.
An
d in the absence of people who
Lived in ignorant ways
Dangerous\, mea
ningless and heartless\,
The earth also began to heal
And when the da
nger ended and
People found themselves
They grieved for the dead
A
nd made new choices
And dreamed of new visions
And created new ways o
f living
And completely healed the earth
Just as they were healed.
Reprinted \; during Spanish flu
Pandemic\, 1919.
Speaking recently\, Pope Francis says the pandemic can be a ‘place of conversion.’ T wo things he said stood out for me:
“Go down into the underground\, a nd pass from the hyper-virtual\, fleshless world to the suffering flesh of the poor. This is the conversion we have to undergo. And if we don’t start there\, there will be no conversion.”
“What we are living now is a pl ace of metanoia (conversion)\, and we have the chance to begin. So let’s no t let it slip from us\, and let’s move ahead.”
May you be abundantly blessed during these holy days.
Pauline fdnsc
[1]Michael Ivens\, “Understanding the Spiritual Exercises. Tex t and Commentary: AHandbook for Retreat Directors\,” (Leominster: Gracewing \, 1998).\,147.
[2]Ivens\, “Understanding\,” 154.
LAST-MODIFIED:20200409T045703Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:Good Friday Reflection TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210604 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210613 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:6ln1jl5pssfhh8j14e92qufqln@google.com CREATED:20210505T052550Z DESCRIPTION:This retreat encourages you to deepen your prayer with Jesus through the writings of Mark’s gospel. We will begin by immersing ourselve s in the story of this gospel as we seek to understand “Who is this Jesus?”
Retreat Program
Evening Introduction - Praying with Jes us
Day 1 Who is Jesus in Mark’s Gospel?
Day 2 Jesus &\; Wild erness Spirituality
Day 3 Jesus\, Man of Compassion
Day 4 Jesus \, Liberator
Day 5 Call and Discipleship
Day 6 Jesus\, Face of God
Day 7 Relationships in the
\; \; \; \; \
; \; \; \; \; Reign of God
Day 8 Proclaiming M ark’s Gospel
The retreat commences with a 5.30pm welcome and orientat
ion on the first date and concludes with a 1.45pm Eucharist on the final da
te.
Cost:
8 nights: 4-12 June $1160
2 nights: 4-6 June $290
For further details and application forms\, contact:
The Administrator
St Mary's Towers Retreat Centre
PO Box 1 9A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Email: \;contact@towersretreat.org.au
\;
The Christian life is a life of continual turning to God. Wh y turn to God? What does this involve? Who is the God we are called to turn towards? How do we enter into the process of turning to God? \; These questions and more will be explored on this week-long guided retreat.
There will be a daily reflection and the opportunity to share with a spiri tual companion.
COST:
6 nights: 12-18 November \; $870
< p>Weekend: 2 nights: 12-14 November $290For further details and appl
ication forms\, contact:
The Administrator
St Mary's Towers Retreat Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Email: \;conta ct@towersretreat.org.au
6 Days with options for individual Day Bookings
This retreat invites participants to engage with Ignatius’ journey of conv ersion through the major elements of a spirituality that Ignatius promoted and adhered to. \; Every spirituality is centred on Christ and the reve lations of God and Ignatian Spirituality is no different. Through daily pre sentation we will explore the key elements that mark the pathway of Ignatia n spirituality and how they may be incorporated into our daily lives.
There is no greater example of living the Ignatian pathway than that of Po pe Francis SJ\, whose whole life has been devoted to that of the ‘Pilgrim’ (St. Ignatius of Loyola). \; This is the basis of his inspiration and l ifestyle which has been unlike any of his papal predecessors. It is a spiri tuality for our times.
Join us to pray and understand the spiritualit y of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
· \; \; \; \; \;&nbs p\; \; \;Key elements of this retreat will include:
· \;& nbsp\; \; \; \; \; \; \;Imaginative contemplation
· \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;Discernment
· \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;Praying the E xamen
· \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;Findin
g God in everyday life.
A weekend retreat to remember the good news of the gospel in the midst of Covid news.
Where two or three are gathering in his nam e\, Jesus will be with them (Mt18:20). Let's join together in a contemplati ve atmosphere to pray the sufferings and the joys of our pandemic world. Le t's share the stories that have given us hope as we face our own fears stre sses and confusion.
How do we pray in these Covid times? What can we give thanks for in these times?
Presenters: \; \;
Michelle Vass
Sr Katrina Zhang RSM
Format: 9am Reflection\,
4pm optional afternoon gathering\, 7pm Evening Prayer \;
Opt ion 1 Cost: $250 includes: Live presentations\, Prayer \;Materials\, Da ily 40 min Individual Spiritual \;Accompaniment session \;
Op tion 2 Cost: $175 \; includes: Live Presentations\, Prayer Materials&nb sp\;
DAY 1 Friday 27 August
9am \;Remember the Good news of the Gospel!
Sharing the gospel stori es that bring us joy and sustain us. What are you praying with at the momen t?
4pm Let nothing disturb you\, all shall be well!
Shar ed Prayerful Reflection (OPTIONAL) on difficult times with St Teresa of Jes us and Julian of Norwich
7pm Evening Prayer lectio on a passag e from the day
DAY 2 Saturday 28 August
9a m Covid Prayer - Where two or three are gathered in my name ...
W e name the places and people in need of prayer
- Praying for our Worl d
- Praying for our Country\, Community\, Family
4pm Sha ring the world's stories
An opportunity (OPTIONAL) to briefly share a story that has stayed with you from this pandemic time. We will hold these stories together in the silence.
7pm Evening Prayer lectio on a passage or story from the day
Day 3 Sunday 29 August
9am Covid Prayer - Do not be afraid!
What the Scrip tures tell us about fear.
Praying for ourselves!
Naming our fea rs\, stresses\, anxieties\, confusion\, losses
4pm What can we give thanks for i this time - new learnings\, new hope
Leading into Closing Prayer
To enquire or register send an email: \;contact@towersretre at.org.au
LAST-MODIFIED:20210827T035015Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:New! ONLINE WEEKEND: Praying the News: Michelle Vass and Sr Katrina Zhang RSM - PRAY FOR OUR WORLD! TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211001 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211005 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:6834u53bsskee7qn9mugnr94ai@google.com CREATED:20210708T083946Z DESCRIPTION:This simple retreat over a long weekend…it is wise now and again to tune in to your heart and listen for what it carries.
\;
< p>…I would love to liveLike a river flows\,
C arried by the surprise
Of its own unfolding.
The pow
er of the heart’s attitude is expressed beautifully in Scripture: \;
Where your treasure is\, there your heart is also. \;[Matt 6:21] Th
e heart is beautiful precisely because it is where God dwells: the heart is
the divine sanctuary.
[Adapted from John O’Donohue\, \;Be
nedictus\,pp. 116\, 121]
At Home in the Heart retreat is an i
nvitation to rest in God’s presence and discover your own inner truths and
wisdoms. Come and see how Wisdom [Sophia] is present in your life. Through
scripture\, music\, poetry\, movement\, silence and every other creative di
mension\, your heart awaits your coming home.
Therese Carroll rsj
is a Sister of Saint Joseph\, Spiritual Director\, Retreat &\; Leadersh
ip Facilitator\, Pastoral Supervisor and University Lecturer.
Cost
6 Days $930
Weekend $310Praying with Julian of Norwich - 8 Day Guided Retreat
(options for shorter stays are available)
Presenters: P auline Compton fdnsc &\; Michelle Vass
Julian of Norwich\, was a f
ourteenth century English anchoress who was the first woman to write a book
in the English language: Revelations of Divine Love. At the age of thirty
in 1373\, she experienced a severe illness during which she had a series of
sixteen visions. Following the experience\, she lived a contemplative life
in an anchorhold dwelling attached to the church of St Julian’s Parish of
Conisford\, Norwich. The visions are grounded in Christ’s Passion and give
intensely emotional\, graphic descriptions of his pain and death. These sho
wings inspired continued reflection for the rest of her life. \; \;
Topics will include Julian’s message of hope and love\, Julian’s teaching on prayer\, the Parable of the Lord and the Servant\, the Motherh ood of God and the Trinity.
The retreat commences with a 5.40pm welco me and orientation on the first date and concludes with a 1.45pm Eucharist on the final date.
Cost: 8 Days $1160
Prayer Weekend: $290
< p>Non Refundable Deposit: $50For further details and application for ms\, contact:
The Administrator
St Mary's Towers Retreat Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Emai l: contact@towersretreat.org. au
Website: https://towers retreat.org.au
Cost: 6 Days $870
Non Refundable Deposit: $50
For f urther details and application forms\, contact:
The Administrator
St Mary's Towers Retreat Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Email: \;contact@towersretreat.org.au
Website: \;https://towersretreat.org.au
LAST-MODIFIED:20200715T032820Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:Trinity: Heart of our Desiring - Colleen Rhodes rsm TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210805 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210806 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:31d9i0g7pf0nn1ubrm0o73bfg1@google.com CREATED:20210720T072116Z DESCRIPTION:ONLINE DAY RETREAT: The Journey to Emmaus with Spiritual
Accompaniment
Spiritual accompaniment\, traditionally known a s Spiritual direction\, is a way of sharing your faith journey with a compa nion who listens with you to the true ‘director’\, God in your life. In the company of a skilled and trained companion\, you learn to discern better t he movements of God in your prayer and daily life. \;
Join us as we explore the benefits of spiritual accompaniment and answer your question s. \;
Presenters: \; \; \;
S
r Pauline Compton \;fdnsc \;
Fr Dominic Gleeson MSC \ ;
And members of the Retreat Team \;
Format: 9am Reflection \, Afternoon Meditation \;
Option 1 Cost: $120 \;includes: Li ve presentations\, Prayer \;Materials\, 40 min Individual Spiritual&nbs p\;Accompaniment session \;
Option 2 Cost: $60 \; includes: L ive Presentations\, Prayer Materials \;
To enquire or register se nd an email: \;contact@towersretreat.org.au
Prayer \; for 3rd \;Week of Easter 26 April – 2 May 2020
At the end of March we began our reflections f or this ‘Corona-time’ with a passage from the Revelations of Julian of Norw ich\, the fourteenth century anchoress who lived through the plague. Strang ely enough\, I had the good fortune to spend three full days in Norwich in October last year. I remember listening to the history of the city as we dr ove past a park where many of the plague victims had been buried. It was ha rd to imagine half a city being wiped out like that. It was hard to reconci le the joy that permeates Julian’s writings with the reality of her times.< /p>
Now here we are\, in a world suffering a pandemic of unimaginable mag nitude. It seems to me that Julian is the perfect companion for us as we pr ay our way through this time. She knows the fear\, and she trusts in the Lo ve that is ALL.
We continue to meet each day in the Trinity Prayer Ro om at 12pm to pray for you and your intentions\, and our world.
Take a moment to settle and become quiet. Wait in stillness upon the God who dw ells within….
\;I have told you this so that my own joy may b e in you
\;and your joy may be complete. Jn 15:11
Within this triple phrase\, “It is a source of endless joy\, bliss\, and
delight to me\,” God revealed to me three more states of bliss. Joy stood
for the Father’s pleasure\; bliss for the Son’s honour\; and delight for th
e Holy Spirit. The Father is pleased\; the Son is honoured\; and the Holy S
pirit is happy forevermore.
The Joy that Permeates the Passion
With this I received a new way of contemplating his blessed pass ion. I saw the joy that permeates his passion and makes him take delight in it. All the aspects of his passion that I had witnessed led to this final phase. Our gracious Lord first showed me his bleeding head\, next the disco louration of his face\, then the deep slashes in his body from the scourgin g and the copious blood that flowed from them\, followed by the profound dr ying of all the moisture in his flesh\, and finally the joy and bliss of th e passion.
God wants us to rejoice with him in our liberation. He wan ts us to take deep comfort in this and be strengthened by it. With his grac e\, he wants our souls to be completely and joyfully engaged. For we are hi s bliss\, and he delights in us and wishes for us to delight in him\, with his grace. All that he does for us\, and has done\, and ever shall do\, doe s not cost him a thing and has never been a burden to him\, nor ever will b e. He paid one fixed price during that time\, which began with his sweet in carnation and lasted until his blessed rising on Easter morning. With the c ompletion of this deed\, the debt was paid\, we are liberated\, and Christ endlessly rejoices.
Sweet Jesus\, let us pay attention to the delight the blessed trinity takes in our liberation! Let us be equally delighted! Let us strive\, with his grace\, to find as much joy in our liberation as C hrist has\, for as long as we are here on earth!
Reflection: How are you being liberated in this Easter season? How are you rejoicing with God i n this liberation? Take some time now to rest in the delight God has for yo u. Even just for today\, live as the bliss of God!!
We pray:
Go d\, of your goodness\, give me yourself\, for only in you I have all.
You have restored us by your precious passion.
And you keep us in yo ur blessed love.
God\, of your goodness\, give me yourself\, for only in you I have all.
Thanks be to God!
Adapted from\, Julian of Norwich The Showings – A Contemporary Translation\, Mirabai Starr\, Ch 2 3\, pp56\,57 and prayers from An Office for the Lady Julian\, issued by the Julian Centre\, Norwich.
mkv
\;
LAST-MODIFIED:20200422T233504Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:"Reflections in times of change" for the week commencing 26 April TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200517 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200524 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:28fksc858hllalnosjj8qnl0e9@google.com CREATED:20200512T035749Z DESCRIPTION:A reflection on the readings for the sixth Sunday of East er
We have reached the climax of Jesus’ farewell speech to his di sciples. Three times Jesus insists on covenant love as being the essential response required of us: ‘If you love me you will keep my commandments’(14: 15).‘The one who receives my commandments and keeps them is the one who lov es me’(14:21). ‘Those who love me will keep my word’(14:23). Three times he assures us that we will not be left alone: ‘I will ask the Father and he w ill give you the Spirit to be with you for ever’(14:16). ‘I will come back to you ... I will show myself to you’(14:18\,21). ‘My Father and I will com e to you and make our home in you’(14:23). Each time he assures his discipl es that this intimate communion with the Spirit\, with himself\, and with t he Father is something that \; those who reject him (‘the world’) canno t experience. It is a communion possible only for those who respond in love to what God is offering.
This is the last night of Jesus’ life. He has a mission from God his Father to reveal who God really is to the world. He does so by his love.Now he is calling us to carry on this mission. Jesu s loved with the love that he received from his Father. ‘As the Father has loved me\, so I have loved you\;abide in my love’(15:9). That we might be a ble to love in the same way\, Jesus promises to dwell with his Father and t he Spirit in our hearts. He consecrates us so that we will indeed be a temp le where the Blessed Trinity abides.
John speaks of this firstly as an experience of the Spirit: an experience of being drawn into the communio n of love which Jesus himself experienced. John has been preparing us for t he coming of the Spirit from the beginning of his Gospel. When Jesus was fi rst introduced by John the Baptist he was introduced as the one who ‘baptis es with the Holy Spirit’(1:33). Jesus told Nicodemus that he would need to be ‘born of the Spirit’ (3:8)\, for it is the Spirit who ‘gives life’(6:63) . Jesus will pour forth this love-Spirit from his pierced heart on the cros s (19:34)\, and after the resurrection\, from the depths of his communion w ith God his Father\, he breathes on his disciples and says:‘Receive the Hol y Spirit’(20:22).
Jesus has continued to pour his Spirit into the he arts of those who come to him. We see this in today’s First Reading. This i s the gift which we received when we were initiated into the Christian comm unity in Baptism\,Confirmation and the Eucharist. It is the gift that we ar e to receive again today. And so the Church invites us in today’s Responsor ial Psalm to cry outwith joy and to proclaim the marvels that God has done for us.
Saint Paul often speaks of this amazing truth: that we are t he sacred place where God has chosen to dwell: ‘Do you not know that your b ody is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you\, which you have from God?’ ( 1Corinthians6:19). ‘Because you are children\, God has sent the Spirit of h is Son into our hearts\, crying\, “Abba! Father!”’(Galatians 4:6). ‘God’s l ove has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been g iven to us’(Romans 5:5).‘If Christ is in you ... If the Spirit of him who r aised Jesus from the dead dwells in you\, he who raised Christ from the dea d will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you’(Romans 8:10-11).
Having spoken of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit\, John goes onto assure us that in experiencing this indwelling of the Holy Spirit we will be experiencing Jesus’ continued communion with us. Jesus is about to die\, but his Father’s ‘little children’(13:33) will not be left orphans. We will watch him die\, but he will continue to live (5:2 6\; 6:57)\, and we will live with his life.
Paul writes: ‘It is no lo nger I who live\, but it is Christ who lives in me’(Galatians 2:20). We are ‘saved by his life’(Romans 5:10). We are‘made alive in Christ’(1Corinthian s 15:22). Jesus has already spoken of his being in the Father and the Fathe r being in him (see 10:38\; 14:10\,11). Now he adds: ‘and you in me and I i n you’. The life that Jesus came to give consists in sharing with him in th e intimate communion which he enjoys with the Father(see 6:56-57\; 14:3). < /p>
Once again\, love is the condition for experiencing this intimate com munion. This is not because God’s offer of love is conditional. It is becau se we can receive love only in love. It is our receiving that is conditiona l upon our love\, not God’s giving. Jesus goes on to assure his disciples t hat he and the Father will come and make their home with whoever believes i n him – the invitation is open to all. Jesus began this discourse by speaki ng of the many dwelling places he was preparing. Here we learn that these d welling places are the hearts and souls of his disciples that Jesus\, in hi s love\, is preparing to be homes for the indwelling of God.
Jesus’ mission is to reveal the Father. The Holy Spirit’s mission is to deepen the disciples’ understanding of Jesus’ revelation and to keep them faithful to it. This is achieved by our being continually drawn by the Spirit into the embrace that unites Jesus and the God he calls ‘Father’ ina communion whic h is Jesus’ incarnate experience of the union between the Word and God – a union in which the very being of God consists (see 1:1-2).
Every hum an being is sacred\, because everyone is made in the image of God. If this is true of every human being\, how we should marvel at what is happening in the soul of one whose heart is open to welcome Jesus and his Father and th e Spirit that is their bond of love? This is the fullness of life that Jesu s came to offer to the human race.
Let us listen to Saint John of th e Cross. In his Spiritual Canticle (1\,7) he writes: ‘O most beautiful of c reatures\, transcendent spirit\,who long to know where your beloved is and where you may find him so as to be united with him. He dwells within you. Y ou are yourself the tabernacle\, his secret hiding place. Rejoice\, exult\, for all you could possibly desire\, all your heart's longing is so close\, so intimate as to be within you\; you cannot be \;without him.’ In his Living Flame (3:9)\, he writes: ‘The soul is like the air within a flame\, enkindled and transformed in the flame\, for the flame is nothing b ut enkindled air.’
In one of his Romances (4:15-17)\, he speaks of J esus as the Bridegroom and of us as the bride. He writes: ‘He would take hi s bride tenderly in his arms\, and there give her his love. And when they w ere thus one\, He would lift her to the Father\, where God’s own joy would be her joy. For as the Father and the Son and He who proceeds from them liv e in one another\, so it would be with the bride. For\, taken wholly into G od\, she will live the life of God.’
So it is that Saint Peter begin s today’s Second Reading with the words: ‘Reverence the Lord Jesus in your hearts.’
Michael Fallon msc
LAST-MODIFIED:20200512T040120Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:"Reflections in times of change" for the week commencing 17 May TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201016 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201023 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:3cfjtsm2854adcioao858cv6tc@google.com CREATED:20200324T063156Z DESCRIPTION:Paul's Letter to the Ephesians - 6 Day Retreat
(options for shorter stays are available)
Presenter: Michael F allon msc
We are frequently conscious when reading Paul of his passio nate concern for the unity and the catholicity of the Christian community\, but nowhere else does he argue the case for both so compellingly. Nowhere else are we as aware of Paul the teacher insisting on the importance of kno wing that a church\, rich in diversity and all-embracing in its love\, is a t the heart of God's eternal design for the human race. \;
The re
treat commences with a 5.40pm welcome and orientation on the first date and
concludes with a 1.45pm Eucharist on the final date.
Cost: 6 Day s $870
Prayer Weekend: $290
Non Refundable Deposit $50
Ni ghtly: $145
For further details and application forms\, contact:
< p>The AdministratorSt Mary's Towers Retreat Centre
PO Box 19A< /p>
Douglas Park 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Email: \;contact@towersretreat.org.au
Website: \;https://towersretrea t.org.au
LAST-MODIFIED:20200715T032633Z SEQUENCE:2 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:Paul's Letter to the Ephesians - Michael Fallon msc TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190920 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190923 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:2psi27s0drf58tvgh0rduirrod@google.com CREATED:20190821T002519Z DESCRIPTION:Presented by Michelle Vass\n\nReflection Topics:\n18 Sept: A Sp irituality of the Arts\n19 Sept: Art and Prayer\n20 Sept: Visio Divina - Pr ayer of the Gaze\n21 Sept: Listening into Silence with Music\n22 Sept: Jesu s the Poet\n23 Sept: The Healing Medicine of Poetry\n24 Sept: The Art of Fi lm\n25 Sept: Photography and Creation\n26 Sept: Celebrating the Art of Livi ng and Loving\n\nCost 2019: $230.00 for the weekend\n$920.00 for 8 days\n$5 0.00 deposit confirms the booking.\nAll tariffs are negotiable\n\n\nTo stro ll through an art gallery or to attend a concert is to pause and appreciate the present moment. The Arts invite us to take time and serve as an inspir ation to quieten our souls\, to enter the silence and a gentle conversation with Jesus\, the one who so longs for us to know God as he did.\n\nFor fur ther details and application forms\, contact:\n\nThe Administrator\nSt Mary ’s Towers Retreat Centre\nPO Box 19A\nDouglas Park 2569\nPh. 02 4630 0233\n Email: contact@towersretreat.org.au LAST-MODIFIED:20190821T002519Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:Spirituality of the Arts Prayer Weekend TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200703 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200712 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:7n25jnoc9hh1u8r1les2voip15@google.com CREATED:20200706T051535Z DESCRIPTION:Description:You can view this week's reflection by clicking&nbs p\;here \; \; LAST-MODIFIED:20200706T051713Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:"Reflections in times of change" for the week commencing 5 July TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200713 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200721 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:7150m01fofph3jkld33u56u9mk@google.com CREATED:20200709T035641Z DESCRIPTION:St Mary's TowersDouglas Park
Prese nter: Fr Michael Fallon msc
8 Day Guided Retreat 13-20
July 2020
\;
In keeping with the silent an d contemplative nature of our retreat work\, St Mary’s Towers Retreat Centr e is offering a reflective online retreat experience on "The Gospel of John " from 13-20 July 2020. This is a self-paced retreat using the work of Fr M ichael Fallon msc. Each day pdf files of the presentations and the accompan ying audio files will be made available through the \;towersretreat.org.au website. \;There will be two meditations each day to be accessed in your own time. Members of the retreat team will be available for indivi dual spiritual accompaniment by phone\, skype\, Microsoft Teams or Zoom . Spiritual accompaniment sessions are 30-40 min in length.
*Deta
ils on access to the retreat material will be given prior to the commenceme
nt of the retreat.
Cost: There are three ways to participate
in this retreat.
1. \; \; \; \; \;Access the
retreat material only for a suggested fee of $50-$200.
2. \;&
nbsp\; \; \; \;Access the retreat material and receive daily sp
iritual accompaniment during the retreat for a suggested all-inclusive fee
of $250.
3. \; \; \; \; \;Access the retreat
material and receive spiritual accompaniment occasionally during the retrea
t for a suggested all-inclusive fee of $40 per session.
\;
All fees are negotiable with the Director\, in keeping with our ethos and general practice of making retreats available to all regardless of circ umstances. \;
\;
Registration: Please register your i nterest with the Administrator at contact@towersretreat.org.au \;by indicating your name\, phone number\, choice of option (1\, 2 or 3)\, and any request for spiritual acc ompaniment.
Account: St. Mary’s Towers
ACN: 29783100
BSB: 062 784
Com
monwealth Bank
Please notify the Administrator with your details when yo
u have made an EFT payment
A Directed retreat is a time spent in silence with your God. The title can be misleading because it may give the impression that a retr eatant will be told what to do during the retreat by someone accompanying t hem. In fact it is a time when God takes me where I am in my personal relat ionship with Him and leads me deeper into intimacy with Him.
A Spirit ual Director (sometimes called a Prayer Companion) will support you to be s ensitive to what God is doing and encourage you to follow God’s promptings. A Directed Retreat is usually eight days.
It is a time of profound s ilence\, interiority and stillness.
$125 per night ($250 for a weekend stay)
$50 deposit confirms the
booking
All tariffs are negotiable
Applications availabl e from:
The Coordinator
St Mary’s Towers Retreat Centre
PO
Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph: 02 4630 0233
contact@towersretreat.org.au
http://towersretreat.org.au \; \;
When Elijah meets God at Horeb\, not in the dramatic signs o f wind\, earthquake and fire\, but in the sound of sheer silence\, a voice asks him\, “What are you doing here? (1 Kings 19:11-13).”
We too migh t have heard these words during the recent months of staying home in Corona -time. What are you doing here? What are you doing here in the midst of fam ily or community\, enjoying the quieter time and perhaps still longing for space\, for silence\, for solitude?What are you doing here\, those who live alone\, in this imposed silence and solitude?
We have a rich spiritu al tradition in Christianity informing us that silence is the guardian of o ur hearts and the indispensable means for our inner growth in prayer. Jesus himself knew the importance of silence and solitude\, going out to the mou ntain at night to pray(Lk 6:12)\, and encouraging us to go into the room of our heart\, to close the door and pray to God in secret (Mt6:6). \;&n bsp\;All the prophets before him encountered God in Silence and solitude\, and the great mystics of our tradition also knew their power. \; \;
This retreat seeks to explore the ways in which we meet God in silen ce and solitude. While some will find this easier to do in a physical space of silence and solitude\, ultimately we are seeking a solitude of heart in companionship with the Holy One who calls us into Love.
The retreat will consist of a daily online reflection at 10:30 am. This will be deliver ed using Microsoft Teams\, a form of Skype. Instructions for access will be provided upon registration. The retreat will be delivered in keeping with our usual practice\, however there will be brief opportunities for sharing prayer or a simple comment on the first and last days only. If you wish to reflect with another on your retreat experience\,spiritual accompaniment wi ll be available with members of the Retreat Team by phone or online\, throu ghout. Reflection material from the daily sessions will be available on the website to access at your own pace during the retreat.
Please contac t the Administrator to register:
Email: contact@towersretreat.org.au \;by indicating your name\, phone number\, choice of option (1\,2 or 3) and any request for spir itual accompaniment. Payment can be made online:
Account: St. Mary’s Towers
ACN: 29783100
BSB: 062 784
Commonwealth Ba nk
Please notify the Administrator with your details when you have ma de an EFT payment
\;
Cost 2020:
Option1 \ ;$50-200 to participate (depending on your financial situation)
Option 2 $200 for daily spiritual accompaniment with onlin e presentations included
Option3 \;$40 per session of spiritual accompaniment by phone or online with online presentations in cluded
LAST-MODIFIED:20200521T064743Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:Online Retreat: Meeting God in Silence and Solitude - Michelle Vass TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220611 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220620 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:4hb18dr5anr2e22i6efnk91cvv@google.com CREATED:20220606T021326Z DESCRIPTION:Living a Grateful Life - 8 Day Guided Retreat with Weekend/N ightly OptionSurprised by Love - new ways of Praying - 6 Day Retreat
(options for shorter stays are available)
Presenter: Dominic Gleeson msc
This retreat will help us to be in-tune with the experiences we have when we engage with ‘life’. \; How our life can\, ‘ imitate art’\, and how this art (of life) form in its many descriptions\, t hemes and colours can lead us to a profound place of being – being in heart .
The retreat commences with a 5.40pm welcome and orientation on the first date and concludes with a 1.45pm Eucharist on the final date.
C ost: 6 Days $870
Non Refundable Deposit: $50
For further de tails and application forms\, contact:
The Administrator
St Mar y's Towers Retreat Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas Park 2569
Ph . 02 4630 0233
Email: \;contact@towersretreat.org.au
Website: \;https://towersretreat.org.au
LAST-MODIFIED:20200715T032808Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:Surprised by Love - new ways of Praying - Dominic Gleeson msc TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210824 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210825 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:20s1mut5qbuoe741pooa2sg78q@google.com CREATED:20210720T080015Z DESCRIPTION:Taking time to write\, read and reflect opens the Way to dis cover God’s Word in the story of your daily life. This reflection day invit es you into refreshment through writing. \; \;
The reflection day will include a morning presentation\, and afternoon/evening prayer. Sp iritual \;Accompaniment \;available if requested. \; \;
Presenter: \;Sr \;Therese Carroll \;rsj \; \; \;
Format: 9am Reflection\, afternoon/evening prayer \;
Optio n 1 Cost: $120 \;includes Live Presentation\, Prayer Material and Indiv idual Spiritual \;Accompaniment \;
Option 1 Cost: $60 include s Live Presentation and Prayer Material \;
To enquire or register send an email: \;contact @towersretreat.org.au
LAST-MODIFIED:20210819T070930Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:New! ONLINE DAY: Writing Your Way in God: Sr Therese Carroll RSJ TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220603 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220610 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:4gmhvch8qpt952up8n992vsne7@google.com CREATED:20220603T073948Z DESCRIPTION:Visiting the Well - 6 Day Guided Retreat with Weekend/Nightl y OptionPeaceful Living - 8 Day Guided Retreat
( options for shorter stays are available)
Presented by: Retreat Team
Topics for reflection: \;
Introduction: \;Mak
e me a channel of your Peace \;
- \;I have told you \;this\,
so that \;you may find peace in me. \;Jn 16:33 \;
Day 1 Jesus’ Peace - My Peace I give you Jn 14:27 \;
Day 2 Jesus’ Peace in our Hearts \;- \;A \;way of living in prayer \;
D ay 3 Guarding the Heart \;- what robs us of peace \;
Day 4&nb sp\;I have not come to bring peace but the sword. \;Mt 10:34 \;
Day 5 Peace of the Resurrection \;- Peace includes suffering \;< /p>
Day 6 Prayer of Peace - \;Fruits of the Spirit \;
Day 7 Simplicity of Peace - Keep your eyes on Jesus \;
Day 8 Peaceful Living - Be thankful! \;
Commences with a 5.40pm welcome and orie ntation on the first date and concludes with a 1.45pm Eucharist on the fina l date.
Cost: 8 Days $1160
Weekend $190 \;
Non Re fundable Deposit $50
For further details and application \;forms\
, contact: \;
The Administrator \;
St Mary’s Towers Retrea t Centre \;
PO Box 19A \;
Douglas Park 2569 \;
< p>Ph. 02 4630 0233 \;Email: \;contact@towersretreat.org.au \;
Web site: \;
https://towersretreat.org.au&nbs
p\;
Do not worry about anything\; but in every prayer and petiti
on make your requests known to God with thanksgiving\, and the peace of God
which is beyond all understanding will guard your hearts and your thoughts
in Christ Jesus. \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;&n
bsp\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;
\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;
\; \; \; \; \;Phil 4:6-7 \;
This retreat offe
rs \;an \;opportunity to delve deeper into this will of God for you
\, particularly through the attitude of Gratitude. \;When we try \;
to \;become more like Jesus\, we \;sometimes \;focus on \;s
piritual \;disciplines or specific prayer practices. Yet \;if we le
t him live in us\, put on his mind so to speak\, we will find ourselves nat
urally cultivating a \;more grateful heart \;– a heart like his.&nb
sp\;
Program
Day 1 \; \; Jesus lives Gratit ude \;
Day 2 \; \; What is Gratitude? \;
Day 3 \; \; Psalms of Gratitude \;
< br>Day 4 \; \; But thanks in all \; \; \;
\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;&
nbsp\; \; circumstances?? \;
Day 5 \; \; Count your blessings! \;
Day 6 \; \;&nb
sp\;Learning Gratitude from \;
\; \; \; \; \;&n
bsp\; \; \; \; \; \; \; our Spiritual Teachers
\; \;
Day 7 \; \; \;Living Gratitude w ith Jesus \;
Day 8 \; \; Ps 66 \;
&
nbsp\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \
; \; A Thanksgiving Reflection \; \;
Note: This retreat w ill be offered online with a LIVE daily morning talk at 9:00am.
All r
esidential retreats commence 5:30pm on the first date and conclude with a 1
.45pm Eucharist on the final date
COST:
8 nights: 19-27 November \; $1160
Weekend: 2 nights: 19-21 November $290
F
or further details and application forms\, contact:
The Administr ator
St Mary's Towers Retreat Centre
PO Box 19A
Douglas P ark 2569
Ph. 02 4630 0233
Email: \;contact@towersretreat.org.au
LAST-MODIFIED:20211124T231335Z SEQUENCE:0 STATUS:CONFIRMED SUMMARY:8 DAY Residential Retreat "Living a Grateful Life" Michelle Vass (W eekend Option 19-21) TRANSP:TRANSPARENT END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220325 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220401 DTSTAMP:20260414T025338Z UID:2rt1i6b32rjpon1goqdsbfujvl@google.com CREATED:20220110T072411Z DESCRIPTION: