Spiritby The

Volume 23. Number 1 December 2007 Breathed SpiritBy The By Thomas Keating Jesus breathed on his disciples on the evening of his resurrection saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit”. There is thus no doubt of Jesus’ intent and ardent desire to communicate the Holy Spirit to us. Earlier Jesus had taught, “How much more (than ordinary parents who give good gifts to their children) will the Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Lk.11:13). Thus there is no doubt regarding the intent and ardent desire of the Father to impart the Spirit to us. Continued on page 10. FROM THE PRESIDENT Vedanta Presentation Love, The Free Flow of Grace beautiful, park-like environment for this special occasion. Swami Yuktatmananda of St. Petersburg, Florida spoke on a sim- Photos Provided ilar topic from the Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler, Swami Prabuddhananda, Swami Yuktatmananda, standpoint of Vedanta. and Swami Aparananda This article was excerpted from “The heart of the my keynote presentation at the Christian message is Love—to annual Vedanta Society love one another as Christ has Memorial Day Inter- loved us and to love our neigh- Faith Retreat held in bor as ourselves.” Olema, California. For Love is the energy that relates almost thirty years this us one to another as human retreat has featured an beings. It unites each of us to inter-faith dialogue. the center of ourselves and, Spiritual seekers from beyond that center, to the all faiths are invited. Indwelling Spirit. The love that Over the past thirty we share is fueled by God’s love Editor’s Note: years, the group has increased Vedanta is one of the for us. It is an endless supply of world’s most ancient to over 1,000 persons in atten- love flowing through us. As religious philosophies, dance. affirming the oneness Christians, we call it Grace. of existence, the Fr. Thomas was the keynote divinity of the soul, We can’t isolate ourselves from and the harmony of speaker in the late 80’s and this interacting with others; our religions. year it was my pleasure to pres- families, friends, neighbors, any- ent Centering Prayer and the one we meet in our daily Christian contemplative dimen- encounters. Unless we behave sion of the Gospel under a in a loving way—starting with large tent that was erected in a loving ourselves—we are not 2 C.O. News December 2007 The heart of the Christian message is Love. allowing the love of God to flow. We can’t say, “I love God, but I don’t love my neighbor.” Contemplative living cultivates the freedom to say and do what the Spirit prompts us to say or do, without exceptions or conditions. unites us is our Keeping an open human condition. heart, mind and We can’t say, “I love God, If we let go and let intention, God live our lives refreshed daily but I don’t love my neighbor.” for us and act from by our Centering a place of love, Prayer practice, is vitally important. We begin transformation is possible. We find that dif- to grasp that, as we sit in silence each day, we ferences can be resolved and peace can be are holding and supporting one another in part of our lived experience. Grace, then, is the energy of love. the recognition that there is no separation between us and all that is good and true. It is an approach from “the ground up” to being human, to being lovers of God and Contrary to popular opinion about the nature lovers of one another. of contemplation—that it is simply a with- drawal into oneself—contemplation is both In the silence the only thing we have to do is silence and action. Contemplation places us to be present and open. The Spirit does the in the immediacy of open presence, which is work. The Spirit binds us to each other and living life as it is one moment at a time. we let go of our thoughts that separate us. That is to say, we let go of judgments, The humble giving of ourselves, one to the assumptions and opinions of who we are and other, in order to understand the movements who others are, and remain open to find out of love and the free flow of Grace with open the truth of who we really are in God. heartfulness is the joy that is lying in wait for us through the contemplative life. Whether we are Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, or Hindu is not important. These words label Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler, President our belief systems. What we share and what 3 C.O. News December 2007 READERS’ REF LECTIONS Editor’s Note: Fr. Thomas Keating considers Mary Mzrowski to have played a most important part in the beginnings of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. Most of the prayer practices now available within Contemplative Outreach were developed by Mary out of her own spirituality. Frequently, as I travel around the country, to meetings, and presenting Contemplative Outreach Programs, a discussion begins among the group about our varied experiences of the Spiritual Journey—-a sharing of our “roots” in Centering Prayer. My “roots” story began when I met Mary Mzrowski, Remembering Mary one of the founders of by Anne Mazza Contemplative Outreach, at a Divorced and Separated Catholics meeting in Westbury, Long Island, think and pray about. One of which was “to Let New York. Go” of attachments. That was upsetting enough! Then she gave us a “lived experience” by leaving Mary was recruiting people to join her Bible job, family and friends on Long Island and Study Group. It caught my interest—so I joined. moving to a “Contemplative Live-In Gradually, Mary would introduce us to new ideas. Community” in Connecticut, later named First it was “sitting quietly” for a few minutes Chrysalis House. By this time, there were quite a before reading Scripture, then Centering Prayer. few Centering Prayer groups on Long Island and We learned and practiced whatever she taught. Queens, and we all were somewhat stunned at Mary’s leaving. But, inspired by the Holy Spirit, Soon, I was invited to join Mary’s prayer group. we continued on the “Journey” and our prayer Every Sunday night, we gathered in Mary’s living groups grew and multiplied. room, prayed, read the “Life of St. Catherine of Sienna” and shared our problems, which were Mary’s untimely death, while in Colorado, many, since we were mostly single parents of presenting a “Welcoming Prayer” workshop, was teenagers. a shock to me and our groups on Long Island. But, her influence in my life has been an Many times, I didn’t agree with the solutions that important part of my growth along the Spiritual were offered, and I definitely didn’t “get” Journey. Her acceptance of God’s will helped me Catherine of Sienna, so I vowed never to return. to stop asking “Why?” and “How?” Instead, I’m But the next Sunday, I found myself in weekend learning to surrender to God’s action, not only in traffic, traveling east on Long Island for “Prayer the Centering Prayer period, but in my life—to Group”. simply ask for God’s help without adding instructions. Each week Mary left us with many things to 4 C.O. News December 2007 Safari And become his In a wondrous The meaning never-ending prayer. wordless way, of Safari is In a to go on a journey. This So unable to find That only God can Wordless proper words to pray poem was understand anonymously Prayer written by a Becomes a blessing, And prayers, the hermit living in words we try to say the desert with the bushmen. After years of For the spirit helps us or do daily practice in our weakness, He has and devotions, published a Become prayer, book entitled And speaks for us the Word that “Safari of the The many words before the Spirit”. of prayers Father’s face, says it all for you. begin to fail. To continue as before becomes so painful that the sole solution seems to be Give up, abandon prayer! But listen as the Spirit calls Deep into the wordless dark. Make safari to the silent heart, Where the midday mind is left behind. Surrounded by the stillness, Awed by Presence in the night, Share the ever-living Word of Christ, Photography by Susan Supak 5 C.O. News December 2007 READERS’ REFLECTIONS A Letter Received by the International Resource Center A Lucky Woman I am at the beginning of a six- year prison term. To many this last statement might sound tragic, but the fact that I spent a year fighting a life sentence puts it all in a much different perspective. The reason for my letter is to share with you how contemplative prayer has completely turned my life around, with the incredible help of a prison chaplain, who donates countless hours to the women at this detention facility in California. When I met him I was a third strike candidate facing a term of no less than 30 years to life. I was angry, lost and terrified at the very real prospect of a life sentence. Like I had for more years than I care to count, I channeled all these feelings into one I was far more familiar and comfortable with—RAGE—and I stomped around the housing unit where I was assigned like a Big Class Bully. The chaplain walked in one day and set up for his weekly meditation.

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