Meditatio Newsletter December 2017 www.wccm.org 1

www.wccm.org Registered Charity No. 327173 - I N T E R N AT I O N A L E D I T I O N , Vol 41 No 4; December 2017

The birth of a new sanity The Blessing of Laurence Freeman reflects on how attention and stillness can help in the recovering of the art of a balanced life Bonnevaux

The new international home of our Community hosted a cer- emony on the 21st of November with the installation of an icon of and the blessing led by the Archbishop of Poitiers, Msg Pascal Wintzer. It was the begin- ning of a new journey for WCCM. Read more at p.6 Fr Laurence meditating with a student in La Florida School, Mexico City

7 News 8 News 11 Infocus

Comments on The Fourth Laurence Freeman in a truly Vladimír Volráb from the Czech International Oblate Meditatio Tour in Trinidad & Republic shares on how John

This issue This Congress in Rome Tobago Main changed his path 2 www.wccm.org Meditatio Newsletter December 2017

A letter from Laurence Freeman, OSB

Dearest Friends where 305 worshippers were massacred ‘Sanity’ comes from the Latin ‘sanus’ recently by Islamist militants. The victims meaning healthy. In good health we I have just returned home from a trip were Sufis, the contemplatives of Islam, feel whole, balanced, sound in body and to Mexico. My first morning there gave the most peaceful and gentle in their mind – even if we are suffering or dying. me the challenge and delight of medi- teaching and lives. Anthony’s words Sanity means accepting and making tating with a thousand children in a large and the madness of our times remind sense of the whole spectrum of life, the school auditorium. I spoke to them in us how urgent is the need to recover the painful as well as the pleasurable. This two groups, younger and older, but the contemplative perspective that we have total acceptance and clarity allows us to quality of the silence we shared was the somewhere lost on our global march of live and to die healed. same for both sessions. They have been progress. John Main said that sanity and balance blessed with a school and teachers who understand the value of meditation for the young and who have not only added it to their daily schedule but allowed it to pervade the life of the school. The fruits are very evident. On my last morning in Mexico City I met and meditated with a group of business leaders at a breakfast session in an elegant club. I think they were more surprised than the children at the idea of meditating together but they responded well: there is nothing like the experience itself to make one see how normal and sane meditation is. I told the children that they are the leaders of the future and will soon be inheriting the grievous mistakes of their parents’ generation. The consciousness Children meditating at La Florida School, Mexico City and balance they are already finding in But such has it always been. The Na- mean ‘knowing the context in which we the contemplative experience will be es- tivity story evokes not only the joy of the live’. That is why we are obliged to know sential to their way of dealing with the birth of the Jesus who is still changing what is going on around us. Like many global and personal problems of their human existence but also the madness perhaps, I have been tempted recently lives. I told the business leaders what I into which he was born and in which we to opt out, to stop listening to the news, have come strongly to believe, that no still live. The massacre of the innocents the failures of self-seeking politicians, greater responsibility sits on their stress- by the tyrant Herod and the witness of the shadow side of humanity spilling its ful shoulders than that of leaders recov- the first martyr, Stephen, are both re- raging darkness over the innocent, the ering their childlikeness in the experi- membered close to Christmas. They stop greed and corruption of corporations, ence of contemplation. us from seeing Christmas in the senti- the Mexican cartels who give schools The prototype Christian monk Antho- mental light which modern consumer- and social services to poor villages and ny of the Desert speaks to both young ism confects around us at this time of the towns and ruthlessly kill those and their and old today across seventeen centuries year. A newborn child fills the world with families who resist them. But, to be sane of human evolution. ‘The time is coming’, happiness even if the world has gone we have to recognise and confront both he said, ‘when people will go mad and mad. It also evokes the protective con- our own insanity and that of the world. when they see someone who is not mad cern of parents and family for the health Understanding contemplation helps they will attack him saying ‘you are mad, of the child. When we are most vulner- us to see this in more immediate, expe- you are not like us’’. Anthony spoke these able we are most in need of understand- riential terms. If we are to be attentive words not far from the mosque in Sinai ing what health really means. to reality, we need to see, to be aware Meditatio Newsletter December 2017 www.wccm.org 3

of our inattention and all the disorder it dent learning meditation, who told me personality by contrast is most of the creates around us and between us. This he did not ‘have a religious bone in my time only too visible. We look at it in the helps to bring the idea of God down to body’, asked if he could write his first es- mirror of the mind all the time. But we earth. To ‘seek God’, as St Benedict says, say on the Dark Night. I wondered why cannot see consciousness. Conscious- means more than thinking or imaging and where an irreligious person would ness is seeing. In the dimension of real- God. It means, more purely and simply, even find out about this term, let alone ity we call contemplation we know what to pay attention. The life of attention is be interested in understanding it. Medi- is beyond knowledge through a work a godly life. It reverses disorder and re- tation had taught him quickly by direct of unknowing, the laying aside of the stores order and harmony to ourselves experience. His conclusion, comparing conceptual and image-making mind. and to the relationships that compose mindfulness and meditation, was that We learn that we can know without al- ourselves. To be devoid of attention, un- mindfulness would be unlikely to lead ways being stuck as an observer. More aware of our selfish mindlessness, is a you into the dark night but that medita- than self-awareness, which is necessary state of sin from which we are redeemed tion surely would. for accomplishing mechanical tasks effi- by the experience of love, which hits us In the science fiction film of the -fu ciently, self-knowledge is born amid the when we are awakened by a source of ture, Interstellar, there is a dramatic labours of consciousness and awakens attention directed towards us in all our scene where the astronauts plunge their us to the fact of our being on a journey. unworthiness and insanity. craft into a black hole. The very name we This journey spans dimensions of reality Awakening to a more attentive and give this phenomenon indicates our ig- and the stages of human development. conscious life is an initiation into self- norance about it and the fear that igno- Yet, however different these dimensions knowledge and so into the knowledge rance produces. In the film, however, the and stages, the journey is one and its ir- of God. Self-knowledge, the contempla- black hole, while admittedly a bit terrify- reducible oneness is the meaning of the tive tradition teaches us, is more than ing, leads into new dimensions of real- self. self-esteem or just feeling good about ity. The human concerns and emotions, Attention requires what our world has ourselves. It is feeling good because we love and gravity, survive the transition sacrificed to the acquisition of speed: can see ourselves as we truly are. Humil- but the ways in which we see reality and stillness. It is possible to be moving fast ity like this is a great resource for getting undergo all experience are utterly trans- and remain still, in a state of attention; St through madness. Mere self-esteem of- formed. Benedict tells us to ‘run along the way of ten hides dependency on others. When This same transformation happens the Lord’s commands’ and that ‘idleness they reject or despise me, I withdraw, re- through the far less terrifying practice is the enemy of the soul.’ The contempla- act, twitter my feelings to the world and of meditation. There we discover that tive life is not about inertia. Of course the violently reject the rejection I feel. Con- the radical poverty of spirit we enter speed at which one runs and remains templative wisdom exposes the insanity through the loss of ‘all the riches of busy will vary with individual tempera- of this response. Even more (this makes thought and imagination’, as the desert ments and even the most resilient and it seem insane to many), it recognises monks called it, enables us to awaken to energetic need times of slowing down the advantages of suffering rejection. the new dimension that Jesus called sim- to a still point - just as we all need some The ego is purified and reduced and the ply the ‘kingdom’. The kingdom, like the space for emotional solitude. But mod- space it excavates in us allows the spirit human self, is unobservable. It is found ern life, hijacked by our technology at to expand. No one likes the Cross yet we in a dimension of reality beyond the the ransom of our spirituality, has lost have to learn to embrace it. confines of ordinary self-consciousness the art of the balanced life and the wis- It feels like an entry into a nothingness and our persistent illusion of ‘objectivity’. dom to know what this means. which is easily mistaken for death simply Although this may sound abstract and Surprisingly for the fast-moving types, because we misunderstand the nature over-subtle it is without doubt children stillness is energising for body and mind. of death, failing to see it as the combin- who experience and can even under- Early in this journey, almost from the ing of loss and transformation. Enlight- stand it more easily than we with our beginning (though there can be a hon- ened ones, even as different as Francis of business-oriented minds. eymoon phase), it becomes clear that Assisi and Simone Weil, understand the The self is always invisible – that we are not just into relaxation or stress- advantages of the Cross. An MBA stu- which ‘no one has seen or can see’. Our control. We need to deal with the inner 4 www.wccm.org Meditatio Newsletter December 2017

conflicts and contradictions that the dis- sense it is. But it will take time to appreci- itself. The meditating mind is bound- tracted life keeps undercover. Soon we ate the meaning of the experience: and lessly spacious and yet always capable of see that there is no one to blame except then one sees that no where is now here. acuity and focus. Structures rise and fall, ourselves. Even those who have suffered So, we can become sane again and just as thoughts and certainties come injustice are denied the luxury of re- helps others to do so. Even with the and go. Spaciousness is the Spirit and, maining a victim. This may sound harsh world continuing in madness sane peo- when we are in it, we are detached from but it is what all therapy is designed to ple can make a difference, especially if whatever physical or conceptual struc- show, including the powerful therapeu- they remember what it was like to be tures may occupy the space for the time tic influence of a daily contemplative insane. In Christian wisdom, contempla- being. There is always an inbuilt ten- practice. tion is felt to be gift or grace, not the re- sion between a structure and the space Similarly, we must forego a prolonged sult of will power, scholarship, imagina- which it occupies. So, there is a timeless state of discouragement (acedia) as this tion or spiritual technology. Yet, because tension between contemplation and re- would lead eventually far away from the contemplation involves an ever fuller ligion. When it is in balance, this tension revitalising experience of stillness and participation in reality, not an observer’s protects sanity. Its collapse presages straight into the sidings of stagnation. distance, it does ask for ‘right effort’. We madness. Loneliness, too, one of our age’s most need to do something in order to learn The capacity for contemplation is in- corrosive illnesses of the soul, needs to what it is to be. Then being shows itself nately human. Even those who convince be faced and re-evaluated. Meditation as pure action and we return to the mun- themslves ‘I can’t meditate’ have the gift turns it back into the solitude out of dane world of work with new motivation of this capacity both to enjoy the present which every conscious and living rela- and insight. and to transcend. Children and atheists tionship is generated. Loneliness is the We meditate in order to be contem- testify to the universality and uncondi- failure of solitude. plative, which is an end in itself. Nearly tionality of the gift of contemplation. These and many other elements of everything in our world has become an It is, Jesus knew, a truth often hidden the work of contemplation show us that instrument, a tool for achieving some- from the learned and the clever and re- the work is a constant intertwining of thing else whether it is fame, money or vealed to mere children. It is never the repentance and growth. Metanoia is the self-gratification. All streams of human possession of the religious. In a world narrow path into the kingdom, a turn- wisdom agree that contemplation is gone mad such a resource has immea- ing around of our attention and so of all an end in itself and justifies itself. What surable significance. The contemplative mental states. This pivoting is continu- person channels anger into healing and ous. It demands tough self-awareness of re-constructive action. It purifies and re- our faults and failures but frees us from Even with the world continuing forms religion and so helps us see what lingering guilt or self-rejection. Out of in madness sane people can new role religion is meant to play in the self-criticism comes a truer sense of our future. It corrects and heals; it does not, potential and essential value. We come make a difference like many remedies on offer today, make to see our real potential in the light of us madder. our accepted failures rather than in the flows from it – compassion and wisdom To appreciate the gift of contempla- light of fantasy. – need to emerge from this non-instru- tive practice (like meditation) in one’s Without a strong capacity for atten- mentalist attitude. Contemplation then own life will eventually make one aware tion the centre is lost and things begin turns the toxins of madness into medi- of its social value as well. Its capacity to to fall apart. More and more energy is cine. It is always open-minded and open- change the world is proven by its ability then needed to hold the disintegrating hearted and turns away from ideological to transform us personally. A nine-year elements together. Life begins to feel, or sectarian options. In this, religion and old meditator, a little girl told me re- as it does to many today, like an endless science agree in the value of the con- cently, when I asked her when she medi- struggle with no worthwhile meaning. templative mind. tated at home. ‘whenever I have a big Attention, however, quickly changes all ‘Contemplation’ contains the word fight with my sister’. To recognise that this. It awakens the undiluted and un- ‘templum’. But templum originally re- anger is unpleasant for the angry person distracted experience of being. To the ferred to the space in which a ritual was to feel but that it can also be internally distracted person this experience feels performed or a structure (like a temple) cured is wisdom. Wisdom for a violent at first like nothing leading nowhere. In a might be built, not the physical building world. The symptoms of contemplative Meditatio Newsletter December 2017 www.wccm.org 5

consciousness affecting the body poli- is a partial manifestation of something, The humble, imperfect work of con- tic and the financial structures of society a movement of consciousness, a wave templation – as ordinary as daily medita- can be expressed in the classic formula of contemplation, that is sweeping the tion – awakens and transforms our sense of the secularised French Revolution: world and that we can confidently affirm of self. It sheds an illuminating light on liberty, fraternity and equality. Without can pull us out of madness into a new the scriptures of our own tradition as a transformed mind these ideals quickly sanity and a new kind of sanctity. well as on the wisdom texts of others. It deconstruct and there is no quicker pas- On any long journey like this, a com- renews the language which we need to sage to violence than to have one’s ide- panion is a blessing, at times a necessity. express and share our human journey als exposed as illusions. What is considered the first work of lit- of faith. Loving God then means more A mind liberated from its own struc- erature, the Gilgamesh epic, composed than agonising about God’s will and tures and its illusions gazes on other more than four thousand years ago in a ‘doing what He want’s. It evokes the hu- people with fraternal and sisterly love. Sumerian culture, the goal of the human man attraction to love that is powered To those we love we attribute value and quest is interwoven with the experi- by the capacity to turn from self-con- importance equal to our own. Families ence of friendship. Gilgamesh is a strong sciousness and focus our attention on and communities are the laboratory and young warrior who becomes proud and another. When this awakening is hap- the lampstand of this experience of the tyrannical. His subjects pray for relief pening we know that we are not asleep kingdom. And although they may gener- and it is sent in the form of Enkidu, a and that we cannot deny, reject - or for ate many failures and have all the faults somewhat wild man who becomes the long forget - the essential fact of being of the ordinary, these seminal social intimate friend of Gilgamesh after he has which is the true arbiter of the good. To groups are needed by society to testify been civilised and fought Gilgamesh. love is simply to be awake in all we are to a necessary redemptive hope even in They go off together on a great quest and do. the grim face of collective madness. in the course of which Enkidu is killed. Birth is the continuous present of real- As an idealistic young man I was Gilgamesh is grief-stricken and inconsol- ity. Christ, as the mystics down the ages drawn to the vision of community cre- able but also tortured by a sense of his have taught, is continuously re-born in ated by meditation as a ‘community of own mortality. He continues the quest us. He forms himself in the womb of con- love’. I have failed it many times and in alone and returns to his city a better man sciousness through the work of recogni- many ways but I have never lost the vi- and a far better leader. tion and acceptance. To know that we sion or the conviction that it is achiev- This epic awakens and portrays the are recognised and known awakens our able. From being a vision held by me major themes of human consciousness. ability to recognise and know. The more and a very few, it has grown, through the It shows us, for example, that we can- we grow in attention, the more humble community, as one that is now embed- not mature alone and that we must suf- becomes our desire to be conscious. ded in many singular lives, meditation fer the loss of what we love in order to Christ’s self-formation in us is our trans- groups, friendships and national com- achieve transcendence and wholeness. formation and our progressive divinisa- munities. Such a vision lives or dies in the One might see in both these ancient tion. As we become truly ourselves we individual but it is realised in the body of friends, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, arche- can understand why the Christian says the community. typal elements of the Christ-mystery to ‘I live no longer but Christ lives in me’. At the blessing of Bonnevaux a few which the end and beginning of each The I that no longer lives is the old self, weeks ago I felt that we are already year, this sad-happy tipping-point of Gilgamesh before Enkidu. The I that can embarked on a new phase of this long time, invites to pay deep attention. ‘God say this knows that it is never alone but journey. It is a young, fresh and fragile became human in order that the human now lives continuously in the deepening phase. Like anything young and grow- being might become God’. This shock- solitude of its uniqueness. ing it needs much nutrition and care in ing revelation, repeated by the earliest order for it to mature well. Whenever teachers of the Church, from the Alexan- With much love Bonnevaux becomes the centre of peace drians to the Cappadocians, plunges us and for peace that we pray it will, a place into the twinned mystery of the incar- of creative thinking as well as deep con- nation and divinisation revealed by the templative practice, I think all the sacri- birth of Jesus of Nazareth. In him we see fices we have made for it will be justified. both ourselves and the friend who is al- Bonnevaux cannot save the world. But it ways another one’s self. Laurence Freeman OSB 6 www.wccm.org Meditatio Newsletter December 2017

News

The Blessing of Bonnevaux The beginning of a new journey

Our gratitude to Marie O’Leary from Australia Our Community has entered into a new Marie O’Leary, of Perth, Australia, was and special stage in the past months. (and remains since her death earlier The purchase contract for Bonnevaux this year) a beloved member of our was officially signed in October: WCCM community. She suffered chronic became the new “owner-stewards” of pain for decades with deep faith and the place, as Fr. Laurence said in his unfailing love for others. Although blog. Andrew and Delyth Cresswell, she was mostly housebound, she fell who had given up their jobs and sold The icon was ‘written’ for Bonnevaux in love with the Bonnevaux vision their house in Wales in order to be part by Odile van der Hoff, a meditator from and wanted to be part of it. To help of the community and its work from The Netherlands. Another important achieve this, she left a very generous the beginning, moved into Bonnevaux moment was the blessing of the pro- legacy which will help move the proj- the day the contract was signed. They fessionals involved in the renovation ect forward. As she was a special sign will care for the property, and prepare work at Bonnevaux. The National Co- of grace to others, so is this generous it for the transformation which is now ordinator for Belgium, Jose Pyper, read gift. Thank you, Marie! We know you under way. messages from WCCM communities hope your example will inspire oth- On the 21st of November a blessing from different parts of the world. ers to remember Bonnevaux in their ceremony was held at Bonnevax with wills. Fr. Laurence and the Archbishop of ONLINE: See audio slideshow of the Poitiers, Msg Pascal Wintzer. The blessing day and listen to the speeches Walk For Bonnevaux of Liguge Monastery Dom André-Ju- by Fr. Laurence and the Archbishop of See a photo gallery of the “Walk For nien Guérit, was also present and took Poitiers here: http://tiny.cc/bbnvx Bonnevaux” pilgrimage made by part in the installation of an icon of Visit the Bonnevaux website: Henriette Hollaar in Italy in Novem- John Cassian in the Bonnevaux chapel. www.bonnevauxwccm.org ber here: http://tiny.cc/wlk4bonnvx Meditatio Newsletter December 2017 www.wccm.org 7

News

The Fourth International Oblate Congress in Rome (4 – 10 November) Read comments from WCCM participants Resident Oblate, Meditatio House) A mind and heart opening vision for the future, 200 people from the world over – monastics and Oblates called to be true ‘Friends,’ to share St Benedict’s aim of peace and harmony in community. Fac- ing diminishing vocations, it was said that Oblates are the future: what happens to the oblates will happen to the Order. We must have a vision bigger than our- selves. We mustn’t ‘hide and horde’ – we must give what we have, what we can, The theme of the Congress was, ‘A Way Benedictine orientation means modera- to bring new life, depth and strength and Forward: the Benedictine Community in tion between meditation and evangeli- ‘take a monastic heart into the troubled Movement.’ The presentations – not least zation – Ora et Labora. (Augustine Xiao world.’(Raymond Lamb, UK) that given by Joan Chittister OSB – were Xiao, China) inspirational! It was good to hear about Each day was interesting and motivating. the different ways Oblates are actively The Congress emphatically illustrated a It was stimulating to meet Oblates from involved in supporting their monastic shift from the restrictive idea that only all over the world. They all had their story communities and sharing the spirit of vowed religious were called to a com- to tell which was fascinating to hear. We Benedict in places of work, parishes and mitted life to one that expressed a more took turns to give a brief meditation in the local communities. The Congress cer- inclusive understanding of one’s potential church at 7 am each morning and asked tainly provided me with much food for and relationship with the mystery that is all those who were interested to join us. thought as I listened to the struggles fac- God. One can also argue this shift from (Vicky Lamb, UK) ing oblates and their monastic commu- an elitist view of spirituality is reflected nities in other parts of our world. (Eileen in the dynamic life of WCCM through There were plenty of opportunities for si- Dutt - International Oblate Coordina- its inreach and outreach programmes. lence, acts of service and kindness. Several tor) (Gloria Duffy Australian Oblate Coor- members of The WCCM offered morning dinator) meditation sessions. Others were facilita- TThe keywords which I submitted to the tors or translators. It was a joyful experi- Congress questionnaire were: rule, stabil- Each morning we meditate at 7 am and ence to have become translator for the ity and mission. I hope to be stable in the one of our nine Oblates would introduce Lusophone community at the eleventh Benedictine Order through WCCM. Sister the meditation. One morning in Spanish hour so they could feel at home. During Joan Chittister said that the future of the but the others in English. After medita- breaks and communal times there were Benedictine Order lies in Oblates. I expe- tion, I could not believe how the chapel opportunities to learn about the different rienced a deep blessing of Oblate identity had filled up! Three mornings there were oblations around the world. (Elba Rodrí- and I understood clearly that Augustine’s about 80 people. (Henriette Hollaar, guez, Colombia)

The spirit that is a healthy spirit is the spirit of an explorer: We are not terrified by the beyond, we are not too tired to seek what is ahead.(John Main) 8 www.wccm.org Meditatio Newsletter December 2017

News

A Truly Meditatio Tour in Trinidad & Tobago

tre. The moment was also an opportu- nity for Fr. Laurence to receive Michele Ayoung-Chee as an oblate novice. For the first time, a Meditation and Health Seminar was held on 19 No- vember at a medical complex in Trini- dad. Again Sister Ruth comments on the seminar: “It turned out to be a very success- ful event in spite of the rain and flood- ing that descended on Trinidad that day, virtually cutting off the south of the Island, which was under water. Some 120 people braved the weather to at- tend and the feedback was positive from The Community in the Caribbean ter Ruth describes a tour to the Caroni all quarters.” led by Sr. Ruth Montrichard organized Swamo, one of the majors attractions The seminar included a very enthusi- a truly Meditatio tour with Fr. Laurence in Trinidad: astic group of doctors and panelists who in his recent visit to the region (last “A flat-bottomed boat took us many were meditators from various traditions. October). The first event was in San miles down the river and into the Fr. Laurence was the featured speaker, Fernando: a session with 500 young swamp where the famous scarlet ibis followed by the panelists. A short vid- people at Presentation College, a boys came in to nest at sunset. It was an ex- eo by Dr. Barry White (Dublin) on the secondary school. That evening there perience of the silence of nature, as we meaning of Meditation and Health was was a Contemplative Mass with 170 shown. A video recording of the session meditators. After that, during dinner, will soon be available. Fr. Laurence met with members of the In the last day Fr. Laurence visited an- medical profession, spoke about Bon- other school, this time meeting with 200 nevaux, and received a donation from students (13 to 16-year-olds) from Provi- the Caribbean for the new Centre. dence Girls Catholic School. This school The next day Fr. Laurence delivered had already introduced meditation into a lecture on “Consciousness and Lead- the Religious Knowledge curriculum and ership” at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate many of the girls acknowledged hav- School of Business to post-MBA stu- ing meditated at their primary school dents and members of the business where meditation was introduced. A community. It is hoped that this in- waited for the birds to fly in - the scarlet quick visit to the retiring Archbishop of stitution will eventually adopt the ibis and the white egrets… all heading Port of Spain, Rev. Joseph Harris C.S.Sp, Meditation and Leadership Course home.” brought the journey to an end. He will developed at Georgetown University The 18th of November was a bank be replaced by Bishop Jason Gordon, in Washington DC. holiday in Trinidad (Hindu Festival of a patron of WCCM Caribbean who will The visit was also an opportunity Lights). This was a perfect opportunity become the new Archbishop of Port of to be close to nature. This is how Sis- for the blessing of the John Main Cen- Spain in December of 2017. Meditatio Newsletter December 2017 www.wccm.org 9

News

Meditatio Seminar in Ireland John Main: A Hunger for Depth and Meaning Health), all reflecting on John Main’s influence on modern consciousness. ONLINE - Watch the videos here: http://tiny.cc/JMhng2017

Bere Island Meditation & Healing Retreat The Meditation & Healing Retreat was held in Bere Island from 17 to 23 Sep- tember, led by Laurence Freeman and Dr Barry White. You can listen to the The Seminar John Main: A Hunger College where he had been a professor talks here: http://tiny.cc/MedHl2017 for Depth and meaning was held at of Law. The present Director of Gradu- Trinity College in Dublin, in 15-16 ate Studies introducing the Seminar September. This was a conference on thanked the participants for contrib- the life and legacy of John Main or- uting to the ethos of the university as ganized by the Community in Ireland a place for depth and meaning. The in association with the Loyola Insti- keynote speaker was Prof Bernard tute of Trinity College and Meditatio. McGinn (who led the John Main Semi- The conference was a huge success nar the previous month in Houston). and sold out weeks in advance of the The programme’s speakers included event. Laurence Freeman, Mark Dooley, Noel This was also a special recognition Keating (Meditation with Children) of John Main’s connection with the and Dr Barry White (Meditation and

Ask the Guiding Board: send your questions and suggestions

Part of the mandate of the Guid- ments should go on our agenda, it Board oversees the service provided ing Board is to provide an account- would be helpful to have them by, say, to the national communities by the ability and communication point to 21 February. After our meeting, the International Team, Meditatio and the general membership. We have Board will share responses for some of the London International Office, new therefore created a simple way for the questions through our website and initiatives and outreach. The Direc- the Community worldwide to com- newsletter. tor of the Community is a member of municate directly with the Guiding The Guiding Board gives direction the Board, which also oversees suc- Board. Now you can send your com- on matters of broad concern within the cession and continuity in all the main ments, suggestions or questions to Community. These include major new leadership roles in the Community. [email protected]. We have our initiatives but also the simple integrity The Guiding Board thus provides next meeting in London from 21 of the teaching which is the heart of overall direction and vision to the life March 2018. So if any of your com- the Community’s life and mission. The and mission of the Community. 10 www.wccm.org Meditatio Newsletter December 2017

News

Meditating with those on the margins: a Time of Encounter Terry Doyle, a UK oblate recently defences came down and hearts were the silence and stillness of the present took part in a retreat-day with 22 opened. People from the streets of an moment, none of the outer differenc- people helped by charities that work urban town some born in the area, es of age, colour, wealth, background in the John Paul Centre in Middles- others dispersed there from various matter anymore. In the sacred space brough. The retreat was held at a re- countries in Africa and Afghanistan, of the Crypt it felt as if we all met each treat centre in Ampleforth (40 miles sharing stories with young people other’s Soul there in the silence and away from Middlesbrough). Below are from more privileged backgrounds what a sacred encounter that was. some observations from Terry: but all meeting as fellow human be- So thank you Pope Francis for re- We should never underestimate ings sharing and learning from each minding us of how Jesus showed to- the healing power of genuine and au- other. One particularly beautiful ses- tal commitment and solidarity with thentic listening to a person’s story as sion was held in the Crypt underneath those on the margins. And thank you it affords the person being listened to the Abbey with the darkness illumined to all those wonderful staff and stu- the power of dignity which can go a by an array of candles in the shape of dents from Ampleforth who made our long way to healing wounds and rais- a cross as well as the smiles of every- group feel so very genuinely welcome. ing self worth. So, our meal times were one gathered there. A beautiful medi- ONLINE - Read the full article by spent sharing stories and laughter, tation followed there proving that Terry on this retreat here: and as people began to relax more, when we become simple and enter http://tiny.cc/art_encount2017 In memory of Lucy Palermino (1924-2017) In memory of By Mary Robison, US Oblate Coordinator Fr Arnaldo Dias (Brazil) in the words of some of her friends, below. Fr. Arnaldo Lima Dias passed Lucy was well named as a vehicle away on November 3rd at the age of light. Deeply rooted in her faith and of 72. A spiritual director and a the body of Christ she continued to poetic composer from the state of grow and spread the light in new and Bahia, he had been a missionary courageous ways. She was an exem- in Africa and Brazil. He had a spe- plary oblate, meditator and disciple cial gift of grasping the meaning of Jesus. We are blessed to have trav- of whatever was going on and to elled with her. (Fr Laurence) putting it into words on a string of She has not left us. Lucy is very rhymes in a humorous, concise and much a part of who we are and have poetic way. While participating in become. Her loving care continues. silent retreats he frequently concel- (Mary Ann Gould) ebrated Mass with Fr. Laurence and It is with great sadness that Ishare Lucy was a woman who never had read to the participants his always- with you news of the death of our children but was mother to so many. A joyful poetry which, in key phrases beloved Oblate, Lucy Palermino, on woman who belonged to no one and and aphorisms, synthesized the October 14th, after enduring the ef- to everyone but above all to her God main teachings of the ongoing fects of a stroke. Her extraordinary who she knew she “belonged to since conferences by Fr. Laurence and transparency of spirit, firmness of the age of 7.” She always loved God the events of the day. Let us pray faith, and love of the Oblate com- first and from that central place her for his happy and loving passage munity of WCCM are all reflected love for all humanity. (Anne Dillon) after this fully-realized life. Meditatio Newsletter December 2017 www.wccm.org 11

In Focus

Vladimír Volráb from the Czech Republic Priest in Hussite church (reform), National Coordinator for the Czech Republic

prised when the reading of them see the story of my life as connected gave a deep and direct meaning and with the Gospel narratives, I under- sense to my life. I am convinced that stand that I am not the central focus this was because of the experience of in this story. God is the focus, not as silence that I had already had within an intellectual idea or image. the Zen tradition. The Gospel’s narra- I’m grateful that I was invited to tive reflected my own story of life. I the meeting of young contempla- felt I was ready to hear them at that tive teachers and scholars this year, stage of my life. I received baptism, which took place in Snowmass, Colo- entered the church and started to rado. We discussed many problems study theology soon after that. I had of the today’s world and churches. Al- found a place to belong within the though we were people from differ- religious life of my own culture. ent Christian backgrounds, we have My spiritual journey began when Nevertheless, I had entered into shared an understanding that the I was about sixteen years old. I grew an environment where spiritual- up in a non-religious family but dur- ity was more of a conceptual under- If I can really see the story ing this time I started to be naturally standing than experience. I still felt a of my life as connected attracted to spirituality. After a peri- great desire for the experience of si- od of searching I became a Zen Bud- lence so I started to look for referenc- with the Gospel narratives, dhist student in the Korean tradition es to meditation in the Christian tra- I understand that I am not and I was trying to keep up a regular dition. One day I finally found a book the central focus in practice and also attend meditation by John Main: Moment of Christ. Af- retreats. ter reading a few pages I understood this story. A few years later I became friendly that I was really “at home”. Especially answers should come from our ex- with a reform priest. He gave me the John Main’s idea of meditation as perience with God’s presence in our Gospels to read because he wanted a process of “smashing the mirror” hearts. The process of “smashing the to discuss them with me and also he which deeply resonated in me. Every mirror” is able to bring God into our wanted to know my thoughts about time as John Main says, we look into lives as the source and purpose of all them from a Zen Buddhist perspec- the mirror which is between us and our efforts. I believe that this is what tive. Actually, I had never read the God, we see ourselves, our past, and Christianity and the world desper- Gospels before and was very sur- the things around us. If I can really ately needs.

Meditatio Newsletter is published four Editor: Leonardo Corrêa times a year by the International Office of ([email protected]) The World Community for Christian Graphic Design: Gerson Laureano Meditation, St Marks, Myddelton Square Would you like to contribute to the London EC1R 1XX, London, UK. Meditatio Newsletter? Our next Tel: +44 (0) 20 7278 2070 deadline is 10 March. 12 www.wccm.org Meditatio Newsletter December 2017

Events & Resources

Books Meditatio Talks Series Photo Calendar 2018 Meditation with Children: Finding Oneself 2 Photos by Laurence Freeman A Resource for Teachers and Parents Laurence Freeman OSB and quotations by John Main Noel Keating

These talks present meditation as the way to self-knowledge, to finding oneself. The book encourages adults to expe- ONLINE - listen to the talks : ORDER ONLINE: rience meditation for themselves and http://tiny.cc/Med2017D http://tiny.cc/MedCal2018 equips them with the tools needed to introduce the practice to children, in- Upcoming events cluding simple lesson plans that can be implemented at home, in the classroom 19 February 2-9 June or on a whole-school basis. Noel Keating Meditatio Seminar on Meditation & The Monte Oliveto Retreat explores what the wisdom traditions and Business/Values - London, UK More info: http://tiny.cc/MO2018 religions of the world say about medita- Contact: [email protected] 25-31 August tion and identifies the practical rewards 21 - 24 March Health & Meditation Retreat and spiritual fruits that arise from regu- The Guiding Board Meeting Contact: [email protected] lar meditation. Featuring excerpts from 25 March - 1st April: 17 - 23 September interviews with Irish primary school Bere Island Easter Holy Week Retreat The John Main Seminar in Bruges children who have practised meditation Contact: [email protected] Contact: [email protected] regularly in the classroom, the book also 28 April - 5 May: ONLINE - check our 2017/2018 events gives voice to their first-hand experiences International School Retreat calendar here: of its benefits, both psychological and Contact: [email protected] http://tiny.cc/wccm_cal1718 spiritual. MORE INFO: Meditatio Centre Programme 2018 http://tiny.cc/NewMedBook Download here: http://tiny.cc/MedPROG2018 To order: contact the resource centre nearest to you. Our centres are listed below

VISIT THE PAGE AT AMAZON: http://astore.amazon.com/w0575-20

UK and Europe CANADA: www.wccm-canada.ca www.goodnewsbooks.net email: [email protected] NEW ZEALAND: email: [email protected] Tel: +1-514-485-7928 www.christiansupplies.co.nz AUSTRALIA: Tel: +44 (0) 1582 571011 email: [email protected] [email protected] Tel: +61 2 9482 3468 ASIA Tel: 0508 988 988 USA: www.contemplative-life.org email: [email protected] (Within NZ Only) [email protected] Tel: +65 6469 7671 Tel:+1-520-882-0290 Chrıstıan Medıtatıon Newsletter of the Canadian Christian Meditation Community

40th Anniversary of Fr. John’s Arrival in “What we are talking about is beyond words” See page C4

WINTER 2017 ISSUE

Gregory Baum obituary...... C2 Twelve tips for meditation ...... C5 Remembering John Main...... C2 Retreat in PEI / Calendar of events...... C6 Reflections from the National Coordinator...... C3 Publications...... C7 40th anniversary of John Main in Montreal...... C4 Polly Schofield on John Main’s legacy...... C8 Theologian and medItator Gregory Baum 1923-2017 “ ‘Christ is Risen’ is a good note on which to close”

Gregory Baum, one of the most influential theolo- Perhaps it is not too bold to suggest that Gregory gians of our time, and the author of twenty books Baum – the great thinker, intellectual and theologian on the renewal of Christianity following the Second – found, in the final years of his life, “the other half Vatican Council, died October 18 in Montreal. He was of his soul”, in the contemplative practice of Christian an advocate for social justice, liberation theology, and meditation. Perhaps he had taken to heart the famous the preferential option for the poor. In 1990 he was words of the 4th-century spiritual writer Evagrius, named an officer of the Order of Canada, which recog- who wrote: “If you are a theologian, you truly pray; if nizes recipients for a lifetime of outstanding achieve- you truly pray, you are a theologian”. ment dedicated to the service of Canada. On Sunday November 5, 2017, a well attended Memo- Baum was a theological priest expert at the Second rial Mass and social event honouring the life of Vatican Council (1962-1965). He was one of the Gregory Baum was held at Regis College in Toronto. drafters of the Council document Nostra Aetate, Towards the end of his life Baum wrote a semi-auto- which repudiated anti-Semitism and radically helped biographical book entitled The Oil Has Not Run Dry: change the relationship of Catholicism to Judaism. He The Story of My Theological Pathway. In this book he also contributed to the Decree on Ecumenism, which writes about his oncoming death: “I hardly ever think launched the ecumenical movement after Vatican about what happens to me after I die....I leave this II. Many observers place Baum in the highest rank of to God... . I have had a life of light and happiness in theologians, even in that astonishingly rich era – with the darkness of an unjust world.... ‘Christ is Risen’ is Hans Kung, Edward Schillebeeckx, and Karl Rahner. a good note on which to close my theological path- Together these men helped to “update” and renew ways”. the Catholic Church, in its social teaching, interreli- gious dialogue and openness to non-Christian reli- As a friend of Gregory’s for over 50 years I would gions. In the 1960s he gave four lectures at the Cath- like to offer this tribute. Thank you, Gregory, for olic Information Centre in Toronto on the progress your kindness, generosity and love to all you have and meaning of the Second Vatican Council. touched. Thank you for a raft of books, articles, talks and essays, and your editorship of the magazine The In the last years of his life Baum sought out John Ecumenist. Thank you for your sensitivity to all forms Main’s teachings on Christian meditation. In a 2015 of injustice. Thank you for stretching our minds, and letter to me he said, “I have just read and enjoyed your opening our hearts to a faith centered on Jesus in article in the National Catholic Reporter on Christian the Gospels, and directed to social justice in its many meditation. It is a great movement you are fostering. forms. To sum up, Gregory, thank you for a life well I have discovered quite late how deeply sustaining lived. meditation is.” Paul Harris Ottawa Memories of John Main Creating a community of love How time slips by – through the changes of 40 years The lasting memory I have of Fr. John is his unques- ago that mark the ministry of Fr. John in Montreal. tioning acceptance of everyone who came to the I think it was the fall of 1979 when I met Fr John Main Priory. Many different people arrived, seeking a and Br Laurence Freeman at a lecture series, after pathway to meditation in the Christian tradition, and which they invited everyone to come to the Priory that Fr John was true to the values of ecumenical and was moving to Pine Avenue. I joined in the evening interfaith practice. He never questioned or judged meditation groups, and other community functions. anyone, and offered unconditional love to all in this It was especially memorable to meet Bishop Henry community of love. Hill, who encouraged me to find spiritual support Carol Peterson in meditation practice, and a return to the roots of Bellwood ON my Anglican faith.

C2 Reflections from Our National Coordinator Faithfulness To Small Tasks We often think of our world as being in complete think so, we are not called to save the world, solve all turmoil. So many terrible things happen every day its problems, and help all people. We do not have to that we start to wonder whether the few things we do be saviours of the world! ourselves make any sense. We need to remember that each of us has our own It happens when we can see people who are starving unique calling. It may be with our families, in our just a few thousand miles away; when wars are raging work or in our world. in different parts of the world; when countless people What will keep us moving forward is to keep asking in our own cities have no home to live in, and struggle God. just to get by every day; and when we live with the continual threat of terrorism. We need God to help us see clearly what our calling is, and to give us the strength to live out that calling In such moments, our own activities can look futile. with trust and compassion. Fortunately, if we ask, and It is a question that I regularly ask myself – and often I if we are patient, God will always give us enough light have trouble finding a satisfactory answer. to see the next step in our journey. However, we have to be careful that such thoughts Over time we will discover that our faithfulness to the don’t paralyse us, and lead to despair. small tasks in our lives is our most healing response As Henri Nouwen once said, “Here the word call to even the greatest illnesses of our time. becomes important.” Even though we may like to Jack Murta Ottawa Be open to the Presence 12 practical tips for Christian meditation • Try to meditate around the same time each day. • Use some kind of timer so you don’t have to keep Regular meditation times help your mind and body looking at your watch to see if your time is up. Choose begin to quiet down. Before a meal is better than one carefully. A ticking timer can ruin your focus. after – our brains are less alert when the body is busy Timing CDs are available for sale. Download a timer digesting food. app for your smartphone from wccm.org. You can • Set aside a place that’s reserved only for meditation. also make your own timer if you have the dubbing Your mind and body will come to recognize that this ability – you can add your choice of music for the is the place to be quiet. After a while, simply entering beginning and end of your meditation. that place will have a calming effect. • Make your meditation period a priority. Schedule • Select a chair that helps you keep your spinal it into your day just as you would a doctor’s appoint- column erect during meditation. If your head, neck, ment or a hockey game. and spine are aligned, you won’t be tense. The back of • There are many ways to begin your meditation your chair should come no higher than mid-back – if period. Some light a candle. Some read the day’s it’s too high, you will tend to slump forward and fall psalm or Gospel passage. Some simply breathe deeply asleep. A special chair used only for meditation will let your mind and body know that your time of still- Continued on page C5 ness is beginning.

Canadian Christian Meditation ­Community Editorial Team National Resource Centre Phil Barnett, Joseph Clarkson, Jack Murta, Mark Schofield, Jeff Ewener and Denise Connors P.O. Box 52, Station NDG Montreal, Quebec H4A 3P4 Send submissions to newsletter coordinator Jeff Ewener at [email protected]. 514-485-7928 échos du silence and the French version of Meditatio are [email protected] available from Méditation chrétienne du Québec, www.wccm-canada.ca 105 ch du Richelieu,bureau B, McMasterville, QC J3G 1T5, 450-446-4649. [email protected]. Page design and layout: www.katemcdo.com C3 Fortieth Anniversary of Fr. John’s Arrival in Montreal “What we are talking about is beyond words” On a cold winter night in 1979, Neil and I trudged back of my head had opened up. And I knew with up Vendome Avenue to the old Decarie House that complete certainty that I was held and I was loved. had been given to John Main. Neil had heard about I was also delighted with Fr. John’s ability to deal him from a former Jesuit colleague a couple of years with my beloved and complicated bipolar husband. earlier. Finally, Neil telephoned and had a conver- Neil would formulate the most challenging and sation, mostly about the fundraising Neil had done complicated questions he could think of. One time Fr. during his time in the Jesuits. John said at the end of his talk, “You asked an inter- I come from a Protestant family with roots in esting question last week, Neil, in spite of yourself.” Northern Ireland, had never met a monk before, I cheered. Other times the phone would ring and Fr. and wasn’t sure I wanted to now. I was thoroughly John would ask, “Did I fully answer your question?” enjoying the social life that went along with being the We were privileged to be part of a time when Fr. John wife of a well-known radio host. was evolving the fuller articulation of his insights. Once inside the house, I found myself sitting on a The move to the Pine Avenue house in 1980 provided sofa with sprung springs that had been bought from a new setting for the spaciousness of Fr. John’s vision. the Salvation Army for $25.00. I did my best to avoid Gradually, the pattern of our week began to change. sliding toward the centre and into my neighbour. We started coming to the five o’clock meditation on Friday to end the work week, then Sunday mass and Because of Neil’s Jesuit experience we were put in also the occasional weekend. Fr. John had a beau- the advanced Tuesday group. Lacking the beginner’s tiful voice, and the sung Compline was memorable. introduction to meditation on Mondays, I had no idea The people who turned up on these occasions were what to expect. Fr. John sat silently in his chair at the a motley crew, “like the inside of a Montreal bus” as front of the room as people began to arrive. Promptly Fr. John described it. They also included Pierre Elliott at eight o’clock, he began to speak. You could hear a Trudeau, who lived across the street. pin drop. Fr. John was a commanding figure as he came down Gradually I began to relax. I realized I was hearing the staircase in his long monastic robes. I felt quite about a spirituality akin to that of my grandmother’s, intimidated. Then one day we arrived for Sunday who had been involved with medical services for mass, a few minutes early as usual. There was Fr. women in India and had given me unconditional love John in his shirt sleeves to greet us muttering some- during my childhood. thing about “washing the windows, you know.” We Initially I assumed any fool should be able to repeat a stood talking in the sunshine. It was only years later single word for 20 minutes. Well! I was embarrassed I realized that monks don’t wash windows on Sunday. to discover how wrong I was. Two years after Fr. John’s death, Neil left his radio I was on the verge of giving up, when I heard Fr. career at its peak, with 76,000 listeners, to complete John say, “You’re on the way, so you might as well his biography of Fr. John. It was a decision neither continue.” That sounded manageable, I thought. And of us ever regretted. It put us both in touch with rich I was riveted by his further insight that “we are made aspects of Fr. John’s life we would otherwise never for a limitless expansion of spirit.” have known, as well as with our own Irish heritage. That brought me back in touch with a childhood expe- The English edition was widely reviewed, and a brand rience – one summer evening in my grandmother’s new American edition is now available from Light farm home, when I was communing with a magnifi- Messages Publishing. cent elm tree outside my bedroom window. The sound All of Neil’s years of training, and his skill at looking of summer insects filled the air and the smell of petu- at a question from different angles, went into the nias wafted up from the flower beds below. I could creation of that book. He must have interviewed sixty hear calves bawling in the distant barn. Gradually a people in those first weeks in London. During the war whole universe began to expand in my consciousness, Douglas Main, as Fr. John was christened, travelled in up, up to the stars and beyond, almost as though the the back of a used ambulance behind the advancing

C4 army, tuning in on signals from enemy agents left I am eternally grateful for all the friendships that behind – an image he would later use to describe our developed between people from the far corners of focus on the mantra. the globe who have found their way to this path. And The only paper we had to go on was a simple address I marvel at the ripple effect of this one man’s life, book with 40 names in it. One of them was Tudor combined with the fresh insights and imaginative Jones, a young Scot who had been in that ambulance work of Fr. Laurence Freeman. I thank him again, as with Douglas. He had no phone, but I was able to track Neil certainly did, for his gift to us of asking Neil to him down, sitting in our one small bed-sit apartment write that biography. It was the privilege of a lifetime. dropping coins into a payphone. Tudor used to go for Catharine McKenty long walks with Douglas, and confirmed that the spiri- Montreal QC tual calling had always been with him. Editor’s Note: See the Publications page of this issue, Neil was also able to weave together key insights, overleaf, for information about how to order the new which evolved within Fr. John’s teaching. Yet always edition of Neil McKenty’s biography of John Main: In Fr. John would say, “What we are talking about is the Stillness Dancing. beyond words.”

12 Tips for Meditation continued from page C3 several times, while tensing and releasing different us to overcome our self-centeredness. Can we meditate muscles, to trigger the “relaxation response.” They without concern for where God is leading us? Can we let their breathing slow down and become regular, as meditate faithfully when distractions bombard us? Can they integrate it with the rhythm of the mantra. Some we meditate when nothing “happens”? Jesus asked his people splash water on their faces, to make themselves disciples, “Could you not watch one hour with me?” completely alert. Some take off their shoes. All of these In our daily meditation, we watch this one hour with are personal choices; whatever you choose to do is OK. Jesus. We surrender ourselves and rest in God. • Stick to your allotted time: Don’t extend your medita- • In addition to the spiritual effects of Christian medi- tion period if it is going “well,” and don’t cut it short tation there are physiological effects as well, if we if it’s going “poorly.” Be faithful, and be gentle with can persevere over the years. These benefits can yourself. include less stress, less anger, anxiety and depres- • “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” In sion, increased energy, greater creativity, emotional other words, do what you are able to do NOW. Don’t wellbeing, self-confidence, patience and self-esteem, wait for the perfect time, place, mood or circum- not to mention anti-aging benefits. St Paul hints at stances. Just make a new start each day. some of these fruits of the Spirit. Since we are one entity – body, mind and spirit – these side effects of • Don’t get upset at continual distractions. The mind meditation can be accepted graciously with thanks. wants to be in control in meditation. Thoughts, images, However John Main felt we should keep our priorities insights, emotions, hopes, regrets and even brilliant straight. Meditation is primarily a faith-filled spiritual ideas can arise and distract us. Don’t use any energy to discipline of prayer. Any health side effects should be dispel them. Simply ignore them and say your mantra. considered secondary. We cannot force this way of prayer through sheer willpower. No matter how distracted we are when • Let’s leave the final words to John Main. In one of meditating, our will remains tuned to the presence of his talks he says: “To meditate you must learn to be God. To handle distractions, we need a gentleness and still. Meditation is perfect stillness of body and spirit. patience that will reveal the Spirit, working silently In that stillness we open our hearts to the eternal within us. silence of God, to be swept out of ourselves, beyond ourselves, by the power of that silence. Where are we • Lay aside expectations, goals and results. Be as open when we meditate? We are in God. Where is God? He as you can to whatever happens in your own medita- is in us. The presence in our heart is that of the living tion experience. There is no such thing as a right or Christ, and the supreme task of every life that would wrong, good or bad, meditation. Meditation challenges be fully human is to be open to that presence.” u

C5 PEI: Christian meditation and yoga retreat Prayer in Motion “Grace and Gratitude” – this was the theme for this year’s annual PEI Chris- tian meditation and yoga retreat, inspirationally led by Sister Kathleen Bolger, Teri Hall and Rachel Leslie. More than twenty participants gath- ered at the newly built Our Lady of Hope retreat centre, situated in Stanley Bridge. The centre overlooks the bay with its surrounding dunes, and the view was framed in the changing colours of the fall trees and the red earth of the fields. The setting was ideal for reconnecting with nature and the teachings of meditation and yoga. The centre’s administrators, Earla and Martin Avery, and their able staff prepared delicious meals from scratch, and went above and beyond TERI HALL in their consideration for each guest. Laughter, tears, joy and peace Most of the retreat was held in silence – so that each love for prayer in motion, body uniting with soul. person could have the experience of journeying Throughout the weekend, there was laughter, tears, deeper into his or her own stillness. joy, and an overall feeling of peace. In her sessions, Sister Kathleen weaved seamlessly Next year’s retreat will be held on the weekend of together the interconnectedness of science, creation September 7-9, 2018. It will certainly be another and meditation. Teri and Rachel’s yoga sessions enriching journey into stillness. complemented this experience by sharing their Rachel Leslie PEI Calendar of Events British Columbia Winnipeg Saturday, March 24, 2018 Saturday, February 24 10:00 am–2 :00 pm Meditation Silent Retreat Day: Introduction to Christian Meditation Be still and know that I am God Saint Mary’s Catholic Church 9:45 to 3:30: 2 periods of meditation 956 Gibsons Way, Gibsons, BC videos • times for stillness (Sunshine Coast) St Paul’s Anglican Church May 25-27, 2018 830 North Drive (at Point Rd.) Essential Teaching Weekend Contact [email protected] Little Flower Monastery at Carmel Hill, Deroche, BC. Contact for both events: JoAnn [email protected] or 604-922-8856 C6 PUBLICATIONS

The Good Heart $20 This book explores passages from the Gospels with the Dalai Lama and participants at the 1994 John Main Seminar. In addition to capturing the proceedings of the Seminar, this book has been augmented with additional contextual materials on the Christian and Buddhist traditions, to enhance its use as a tool for future interreligious dialogue. Recommended reading by Father Laurence Freeman.

Christian Meditation Reflections $15 In October 2014, Christian meditation was introduced to students of Ontario’s Brant‑Haldimand-Norfolk Catholic District School Board. This ancient prayer has a long lineage in our Christian faith tradition dating back to the and Mothers of the 4th and 5th centuries. This book presents some of our students’ experiences.

In the Stillness Dancing $23 New edition, revised and edited by Catharine McKenty As author Neil McKenty said of this book in 1986: “Perhaps the story of John Main OSB would not have been published at all without the co-operation of Father John’s successor as Prior, Laurence Freeman OSB. It was his idea that a biography should be written. He discussed it with me, and I agreed. Since I began research in May 1983, in Ireland and England (with my wife Catharine), Father Laurence has been a tower of strength. He has given us material and insights associated with Father John. He has provided both encouragement and caution when these were required. He has never interfered with the integrity of the biography even when, I feel sure, he would have written a passage differently or omitted it altogether. Working with Father Laurence on Father John’s biography has been an enriching part of our pilgrimage.”

Canadian Christian Meditation Community P.O. Box 52, Station NDG. Montreal, QC. H4A 3P4 514-485-7928 • [email protected] • www.wccm-canada.ca I wish to: receive/renew the printed Newsletter – suggested annual contribution $15 receive the electronic version – suggested annual contribution $10 (A tax receipt will be issued for donations /contributions)

Name PUBLICATIONS ORDER AND DONATIONS Quantity Title Price Total Address Christian Meditation Reflections $15.00 The Good Heart $20.00 City Province Postal Code In the Stillness Dancing $23.00

Telephone Email POSTAGE (Price + 10%) PLEASE MAKE CHEQUES PAYABLE TO CCMC TOTAL Or by credit card: DONATIONS / NEWSLETTER Card #: Expiry: / TOTAL AMOUNT C7 John Main in Montreal A legacy and a way of life

It was forty years ago that Dom John Main arrived To be here in this place, the Saint Anthony of Padua in Montreal from the UK with little more than what Centre and the former home of Unitas, is poignantly was in his heart – which was the absolute knowledge meaningful for me. It has come full circle, as if it were of the sustaining primacy of love. He came to open a compass, a pointer to the real meaning of things. a monastery – to establish a community – to teach We owe a deep gratitude to Fr Laurence Freeman, prayer in the Benedictine tradition to the people of who sends his love from Ireland’s Bere Island. We are Montreal. grateful for his tireless work in bringing the teaching Always ready for adventure, this for Father John was of meditation to the ends of the world. the one that his whole life had prepared him for. So, tonight let us celebrate our Teacher, who has left For the five years or so that we knew him, Dom John us such an enduring legacy – a legacy that each of taught us to meditate – the prayer of the heart – the us must take to their heart, and make into a way of prayer of the Risen Christ – to recognise Christ within life, and in this way to pass this tradition on to our ourselves, and within one another. contemporaries. Father John was himself transformed during those If you want to really get to know Dom John, and if last years of his life. He lived with such a sense of you really want to learn how to meditate, listen to urgency, such passion, as he went deeper and deeper his talks. Here, as nowhere else, will you find the real into silence – the one reality that does not cease to teaching on Christian meditation. change. Do not embellish, do not complicate the teaching One is made aware of this growth in his recorded – keep yourself out of it. The ‘naked intent’, as the talks, given on Monday and Tuesday evenings at the author of says, is all you Priory, from the earliest ones to the sublime affirma- need. Do not proselytize. Just say your mantra, and be tions in the ‘Last Conferences’. a light in this world. As for so many, as well as for me, Father John’s dying In meditation, in the forgetting of self, you will find was his greatest gift – his final and greatest adven- that the Teacher, the Teaching, and you, the Disciple, ture. This is what we are celebrating today. are one. Much water has flowed under the bridge since those Polly Schofield early years. Yet, one of the gifts of age is to clearly see Coordinator of the Montreal Centre how marvellously logical and meaningful a progres- December 30, 2017 sion there is in life’s seemingly random events. What we did not see then, we see now.

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Publications Mail Agreement No. 40007931 Canadian Christian Meditation Community P.O. Box 52, Station NDG Montreal, Quebec H4A 3P4 Email: [email protected] Tel: 514-485-7928 www.wccm-canada.ca Past issues of the Newsletter can be found at: The Medio Media Canada Bookstore: www.mediomedia.ca

C8