Tuesday Morning Contemplative Prayer - Learning to Enjoy the Presence of God

You are invited to pray with the contemplative prayer group every Tuesday morning at 9:30 am in the Holy Family Room in the Adult Education Wing. The programs during our first few weeks together are ideal for the new seeker, because we will hear introductory teachings about the two main prayer practices that help us have a closer relationship with God. The first practice is Lectio Divina, a way of gently and slowly pondering a passage from Scripture, and the second is the quiet prayer called Contemplative Prayer. Contemplative prayer is the still & quiet enjoyment of the presence of God.  It is based on the teachings of Jesse (Matthew 6:6) and the mystics of the church who proceeded him.  These mystics include the Desert Fathers and Mothers, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila and Thomas Merton. Contemplative prayer goes beyond asking God for help, or offering praise, or repentance. It invites us into an even deeper relationship with God because we put aside all our thoughts and needs and simply BE with God who made and sustains us, with our presence being our gift to God at that moment. Please arrive 10 minutes early in order to be settled by 9:30 am. Total time in prayer is 25 minutes with a short video teaching to follow allowing us to end by 11:00 am.