SPRING 2024

How exciting to feel spring approaching in our amazing home state. In the Valley of the Sun, the mountains have a fuzz of green and desert bushes are blooming. At higher elevations you might still get snow! The Post Intensive Retreat at Santa Rita Abbey finished in a thick, heavy snowstorm that covered cars and roads and the nearby Santa Rita peaks. It felt miraculous.

 
This edition of our twice-yearly newsletter brings you some endings and some beginnings. Sometimes it’s hard to sort out which is which. We remember a beloved member of the St. Theresa Catholic community, Dorothy Burns. We celebrate Rector Jim Clark who is retiring after twenty years of shepherding his congregation at Saint Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church on a contemplative journey.

We answer the question, “What If I Want to Teach Centering Prayer?” We give information in the article on how to call us if you feel that invitation within you.

You will find a review of the Centering Prayer Summit 2024 which honored the 40th anniversary of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd, with an emphasis on the profound spiritual kinship between Contemplative Outreach and 12 Step Programs.

Finally, we include an introduction to our presenter for this coming Fall Enrichment Day, Fr. Philip Chircop, SJ. He is an artist, lover of beauty and beloved retreat leader around the world. Surely, beauty is one of the heart-paths to God. We will keep you posted as we finalize a date and a description of the day.

Our faithfulness to Centering Prayer helps to heal the world. Have no doubt about that. God in Christ is with each of us in love that has no bounds and no ending.

In Silence, Solitude, and Service.

Your Chapter Service Team

Contemplative Outreach contact numbers for Arizona are as follows:

• Rick and Kathy Kramer-Howe, Phoenix (602) 421-0444

• Robert Johnson, Prescott (602) 589-8148

• Margaret (Rusty) Swavely, Sedona (928) 300-2949

-------------------------------

Fall 2023

“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile…” Mark 6:31

These evocative words speak to the soul, don’t they? In a world with ever more temptations to be distracted by the important but nonessential, we must keep choosing what is truly life-giving. Fr. Thomas Keating once said that God gave us freewill, but it is good for only one thing: seeking God over everything else. He would joke, “How is free-will working for your diet, your plan to go back to the gym, your resolutions to be kinder?”

Many of us have had the experience of losing sight of our contemplative path all too easily. An inspiring book, webinar, or conversation with a spiritually mature friend can be so compelling, yet within a day or two we forget the details. It’s not hard to see why the monastic life was structured to call its members back to God throughout the day, during work, rest, chanting and silence. Unless our hours are continually centered in God’s love, they tend to get stolen by the demands of everyday life.

This newsletter contains several articles about the contemplative retreat experience. Every time we sit in Centering Prayer, we give ourselves a miniretreat, to be sure. When we pray in a group, the sense of resting in God grows stronger. But there is no substitute for longer, more intentional times of prayer in community. We hope you enjoy these reflections from members of our community.

Another deep experience offers itself on Saturday, October 14, 2023 at Shepherd of the Hills UCC in Phoenix when Fr. John Auther, SJ, will visit us to talk about “Christian Mindfulness – Meditation Lived Daily.” For help in our planning, we urge you to register for this event soon, at www.contemplativeoutreach-phoenix.org.

We continue to receive invitations to present the Introduction to Centering Prayer program. This is a Saturday presentation from 9 am to 1 pm. It is followed by six sessions scheduled at convenient times for the community. People new to the prayer as well as seasoned communities benefit from going back to the basics: the simple, profound method developed by Fr. Thomas Keating and others in the 1980’s. Contact us if you are interested in an Intro program. This can be done from the website or by using contact information within.

May our hearts stay centered in our beloved Creator so that we may radiate the gifts of the Spirit into our needy world. And…Happy Fall at last!

In Silence, Solitude, and Service.  

Your Chapter Service Team

Contemplative Outreach contact numbers for Arizona are as follows:

• Rick and Kathy Kramer-Howe, Phoenix (602) 421-0444

• Robert Johnson, Prescott (602) 589-8148

• Margaret (Rusty) Swavely, Sedona (928) 300-2949
  

Spring 2023

Dear Centering Prayer Community of Arizona,

We welcome the slow and certain return of spring with its ardent investment in new life. Trees, flowers and bushes are mustering their stored energy reserves to burst into flower soon. Birds are pairing up, or trying their best to find a mate. We too respond to more sunlight and the reassurance that nature still reflects the glory of God, and that all of it – including us – is Good.

Many of us are eagerly returning to in-person connections. The Chapter Service Team presented its first live Introductory Workshop to Centering Prayer in three years on Saturday, January 28, at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Sun City West. We were invited by the established prayer group there, led by Steven Gill, to refresh the members and attract some new ones. Thirty-six people attended!

We held the annual Post Intensive eight day retreat at Santa Rita Abbey in February with 7 retreatants and three facilitators (and marvelous cooks!) We were the first visitors to return to the abbey in three years, and the delight was palpable.

St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church in Scottsdale is bringing back Dr. James Finley on Saturday, March 18, 2023. He will be live-streaming in the sanctuary from his home in California, but requests that the audience be present and in-person. We all need to meet and see each other again after this long drought!

On March 3rd and 4th, the international headquarters of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. will host the United in Prayer Day. This is a globally-hosted 24 hour day of prayer accessible via zoom. Each hour, often in a different country, will feature 20 minutes of Centering Prayer and a special program. You will find more in the newsletter about this exciting event.

Our Fall Speaker Series this year will bring back Fr. John Auther S.J. on the subject of “Christian Mindfulness – Meditation Lived Daily.” Again, this event will be live and inperson at Shepherd of the Hills UCC on Saturday, October 14, 2023. We hope to see many of you there.

We would be thrilled to schedule an introductory workshop to Centering Prayer or the Welcoming Prayer in your worship setting. It seems people are eager for Christian practices that bring new meaning to our faith. Just email or call one of the contacts below for more information.

In the meantime, we send this newsletter, full of tender reminiscences and invitations, with our encircling love.

In Silence, Solitude, and Service.  

Your Chapter Service Team

Contemplative Outreach contact numbers for Arizona are as follows:

• Rick and Kathy Kramer-Howe, Phoenix (602) 421-0444

• Robert Johnson, Prescott (602) 589-8148

• Margaret (Rusty) Swavely, Sedona (928) 300-2949
  

Fall 2022

Dear Centering Prayer Community of Arizona,  

As you read this we will be over the summer hump and heading into more temperate weather. Advent and Christmas are in the not-too- distant future. As we endeavor to stay grounded in the present we give thanks for our desert (and North Country) homes which teach us about endurance and patience.

New variations of COVID-19 continue to cause caution about meeting in person. Many faith communities struggle to bring people back from the safety and convenience of virtual attendance. How are you doing? Has your prayer group assumed a hybrid format, in-person with safety measures or entirely on-line? Do you still feel well connected to others on this contemplative journey?

One unexpected and thrilling result of going virtual is that the global Contemplative Outreach family has never been closer. News from the national headquarters, in its several formats during the year, is full of stories and reports from all over the world. Did you know that, according to The Voice: A Quarterly Newsletter for Volunteers, web pages as well as YouTube videos are translated into several different languages? A treasury of YouTube videos is available on the national website. Individuals and Centering Prayer groups looking for enrichment have these resources to explore.

We are anticipating with excitement our fall Speaker Series, featuring Veronica Mary Rolf. She is in demand as an expert on Julian of Norwich, and as a scholar with a contemplative perspective on the Bible. The zoom format has allowed her to appear at a conference for the Centering Prayer communities of South Africa, as well as elsewhere. Be sure to register for this online retreat day, October 29, 2022 from 9 am to 3 pm. 

We hope you find much to enjoy in this newsletter, sent to you with love.  

In Silence, Solidarity, Solitude, and Service,

Your Chapter Service Team

Contemplative Outreach contact numbers for Arizona are as follows:

• Rick and Kathy Kramer-Howe, Phoenix (602) 421-0444

• Robert Johnson, Prescott (602) 589-8148

• Margaret (Rusty) Swavely, Sedona (928) 300-2949
  
  

Spring 2022

Dear Centering Prayer Community of Arizona,

As spring approaches one can certainly feel that we are moving one step forward and sometimes four steps back! For those of us committed to a lifetime of spiritual growth this has a familiar ring, doesn’t it? It echoes the pace of dismantling our self-reflective selves and allowing more room for our in-dwelling God. As we share our experiences with others on the journey this could be a time for reflecting on how our many frustrations and losses have brought hidden gifts. We don’t run around to shop, entertain or see a movie as we once did, or book travel to far-away places. What has taken the place of those many activities? How is God seeking to transform us? How can we cooperate with gratitude and patience?

Some prayer groups have resumed meeting in person or in a hybrid way. On-line prayer groups and events world-wide still continue to be freely available. As never before we can be in a setting with others living in Ireland or Australia or other countries united in our common love of Centering Prayer. This year on Saturday, March 5, United in Prayer Day will once again consist of 24 hours of communal prayer all over the world on zoom. More details will be emailed to you once they are finalized at the national office. 

The two eight-day fully-booked intensive retreats at Santa Rita Abbey were canceled due to caution around COVID-19. We pray that by next winter these can once again be offered. The day of enrichment with Fr. Vincent Pizzuto on November 6, 2021 was very well received. The link to the day’s recording was emailed to you during Advent and is included in this newsletter on page 2. It is well worth viewing again. Some prayer groups have begun reading slowly aloud from his book Contemplating Christ: The Gospels and the Interior Life. Like most of Fr. Thomas Keating’s writings, this too deserves to be savored in small portions.

On Saturday, October 29, 2022, our Fall Speaker Series will feature Veronica Mary Rolf on the topic Suddenly There is God: Finding Christ in the Crisis. This will be on zoom, but perhaps by then many of us can gather to watch it together. There is more on this in this newsletter, plus a link to register on our website www.contemplativeoutreach-phoenix.org. Veronica Mary Rolf is very much in demand as an author, podcaster and meditation teacher. We are excited to have her on our calendar. 

Opportunities to grow and deepen our prayer life abound on the internet. Where do we find ourselves growing? Where do we need more quiet and rest? What is God speaking in the Silence of our innermost beings? May we listen with ever-more sensitivity to the quiet stirrings of the Spirit and bravely follow them, trusting with Julian of Norwich that “all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be exceedingly well.

In Silence, Solidarity, Solitude, and Service,

Your Chapter Service Team

Contemplative Outreach contact numbers for Arizona are as follows:

• Rick and Kathy Kramer-Howe, Phoenix (602) 421-0444

• Robert Johnson, Prescott (602) 589-8148

• Margaret (Rusty) Swavely, Sedona (928) 300-2949
  
  

 A Special Message as We Return to Normal:

Dear Centering Prayer Community,
Many of us are now vaccinated against COVID-19.  Churches are beginning to welcome in-person worship and some small group meetings.  Prayer groups are looking closely at options, wanting to be together again yet not lose some of the convenience of on-line gatherings. Please let us know as your prayer group makes changes so that we can post them on this website. You can email Kathy Kramer-Howe or send a message through this website.  Thanks be to God that many of us are able to return to the irreplaceable intimacy of gathering in-person.  Of course, we continue to follow CDC guidelines and those of our church community.

There are many ways to connect electronically and by phone. We can recommend the Meditation Chapel, where groups pray together in a virtual setting.  In addition, existing groups may consider having “prayer buddies” who call each other at your normal group time and pray together (hanging up during the prayer period but connecting at the beginning and end.)  The national website has many rich online courses and programs. This bulletin from the national office has some relevant and wonderful resources.

Will you share other ideas and responses you have?  You can email via this website or call/email any of your state contact persons and we will share your thoughts with others, should you desire.

Love and blessings,
Your chapter service team

Kathy and Rick Kramer-Howe  
Phoenix  (602) 421-0444
kramerhowe@gmail.com

Robert Johnson  
Prescott  (602) 589-8148
Robt_Johnson@msn.com

Margaret (Rusty) Swavely   
Sedona  (928) 300-2949
mbswavely@gmail.com

Spring '21 Letter to the Community

Dear Centering Prayer Community,

We come together with hope that each of you has stayed safe and healthy during these months of deadly pandemic. We pray that your loved ones have also made it through to this time of hope brought by new vaccines and treatments. 

We offer gratitude for the practice of Centering Prayer, which has helped us to experience our connection to God and to each other. Never doubt that this prayer of Silence heals and nurtures the whole world. In our prayer, we hold the center.

In this newsletter, we remember a dear member of our community, Kathy Hibbets, who passed away on October 7, 2020. Bob Brooke reflects on Old Age, Creation, True Self and Zoom, and has contributed a poem about a mouse who joined a post-intensive retreat one recent winter. You will find an introduction to Fr. Vincent Pizzuto, our keynote speaker for November of 2021. And we invite you to register for a virtual gathering of our state-wide community on February 5-6 entitled Community Connection, Sharing and Reflection.We close with Fr. Thomas Keating’s final revelation. Thirteen days before his death on October 26, 2017, he emerged after days of silence to give us this inspired vision. May we keep it close to our hearts.

Fr. Thomas Keating’s Last Words

(as recorded by Erik Keeney)

“Dear Friends, in the universe an extraordinary moment of civilization seems to be overtaking us. Through the great discoveries of science and spirituality, we find ourselves in essentially a new and different place than ever before in history. It’s a time of enormous expectancy and possibility. We are called to start not with the old world contracts – now that we know that they were all lies – but what we know is the truth as proved by silence and science. So I call upon the nations to consider this as a possibility, that we should begin a new world with one that actually exists. This is the moment to manifest this world by showing loving concern for poverty, loving appreciation for the needs of the world, and opportunities for accelerated development.

We need to find ways to make these really happen. I make this humble suggestion that now arms-making is of no significance in the world. It hinders its progress. This will allow and offer the world the marvelous gift of beginning, creating, of trusting each other, of forgiving each other, and of showing compassion, care for the poor, and putting all our trust in the God of heaven and earth. I leave this hope in your hands and hearts coming as a real inspiration from the heart of God. What does God care about who has this or other lands when the power to begin with the truest history is coming from religion, as an expression of the source that has been realized for centuries? Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism, Indigenous, and Christianity, all religions -- oneness is their nature. Amen.”

Your Chapter Service Team

Contemplative Outreach contact numbers for Arizona are as follows:

• Rick and Kathy Kramer-Howe, Phoenix (602) 421-0444

• Robert Johnson, Prescott (602) 589-8148

• Margaret (Rusty) Swavely, Sedona (928) 282-2080
  

Centering Prayer Alive and Growing in Tucson

by: Kathy Kramer-Howe, Phoenix Chapter Team

Recently, Cynthia Bourgeault gave a weekend global Zoom retreat on Fr. Thomas’ final published work, a slim book of poetry, The Secret Embrace. That event sparked many inquiries from people seeking to learn about Centering Prayer or to find a group.  Some of these were from Tucson.  The Chapter Support team leader for Contemplative Outreach, Ltd, Ruth Hofmann, connected with the Phoenix team.  Her volunteer duties include supporting areas of new interest in Centering Prayer, and supporting existing chapters.  Together, we began reaching out to our Tucson prayer group leaders. There are currently six on-going prayer groups in that region, plus interest in starting others.  Ruth and I have been exploring whether that area might want to take the first steps toward becoming a chapter in its own right.

Contemplative Outreach Ltd. is still in a period of growth and transformation from a largely hierarchical organization (which makes sense since the founder was a Trappist abbot!) to a more organic, circular and inclusive structure.  This paradigm change needs time to filter throughout a large international and ecumenical community.  However, the basic structure that supports the practice of Centering Prayer remains: when there are several groups in an area, it usually moves on to a Presenter Training.  This teaches people how to give the Centering Prayer Introductory Program, leading to more groups and wider community.  A volunteer service team typically comes together in order to enrich the area with resources, retreat days, Introductory Workshops and even retreats. C.O. Ltd. supports these chapters with biennial international conferences, newsletters, You Tube programs, a book and resource store, and proven programs to further our growth and transformation in Christ.

During this time of pandemic, Ruth and I have been able to meet (via Zoom) with a number of prayer group leaders from Tucson/Oro Valley, even some who are out of state right now.  We start by doing lectio divina with one of Fr. Keating’s Theological Principles, in which he articulated the vision of Contemplative Outreach.  For example:

N0.2 :  A commitment to the practice of Centering Prayer is the primary expression of belonging. (The daily practice of Centering Prayer is the essence of belonging to the community.) 

The experience of this prayer is quite solitary, especially during the daily times in which we sit with our God in silence.  It is tempting to overlook the truth that, as this prayer holds us in the heart and mind of Christ, we are also in the company of all living beings and the community of saints.  There could hardly be a larger tent than that! Wherever we might travel, even to many other countries, we would be welcome to sit down in a group of those who practice Centering Prayer.  We seem to be united at a mystical level of honesty and unconditional regard, guided by the Holy Spirit.  Thus our individual practice is actually always a communal practice of belonging and of unity.

At this point in Tucson we are getting to know each other, our paths to finding Centering Prayer and the origins and structure of our groups.  One person has expressed interest in becoming a commissioned presenter of the prayer practice.  A church has asked for such a program in the fall.  There is an excellent recorded Centering Prayer Introductory Program on You Tube that can be used during these months of physical distancing. We are enjoying forming community with each other, and, the Holy Spirit consenting, the community will grow, connections will enrich us, and a new chapter may form in the future.

Fall '20 Letter to the Community

Dear Centering Prayer Community,

We send our warm greetings, praying that you and your loved ones are safe and well during these anxious times. Who would have thought that our daily lives would be so deeply changed by a tiny, highly contagious novel virus? For all its deprivations and worries, this time has also brought about a realization that we are a world-wide family, and that humans have deep wells of caring, sacrifice and compassion.

We hope you have found ways to stay connected to each other. This has rarely been so precious. Many groups are being held online (on Zoom video conferencing). They are listed on our group page at www.contemplative-phoenix.org. The Meditation Chapel is another reliable group prayer experience. For those who don’t care for video conferencing, telephone calls are still wonderful ways to reach out.

Please know you can reach out to us any time. Contact information is listed in the newsletter. We are here to respond to and enrich our prayer community. Keep praying. Stay safe. Know that you are uniquely precious to Christ, precious and beloved.

Your Chapter Service Team

Contemplative Outreach contact numbers for Arizona are as follows:

• Rick and Kathy Kramer-Howe, Phoenix (602) 421-0444

• Robert Johnson, Prescott (602) 589-8148

• Margaret (Rusty) Swavely, Sedona (928) 282-2080

Spring '20 Letter to the Community

Dear Contemplative Outreach Community,

Welcome to a new year and a new decade. Chronological time relentlessly moves on. We are grateful that our centering practice places us in “vertical time,” “Kairos,” “God’s time,” on a daily basis. In that eternal space, all is refreshed and we sense the promise that everything is held in God. We have the opportunity to wake up to the present moment where we share in eternity. We are so thankful.

This year, here in Arizona, we hope to build on the fruits of our meeting with the national Board of Trustees last February. For that to happen, we will need to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and to listen to each other. Throughout the year, we will prepare for a community gathering day in the fall by asking for prayer intentions and discernment. We want to hear from you what is working in your prayer life or group, what is challenging, what is possible. There are new and fascinating resources available from the national office, and we will share them throughout the year and at our fall gathering.

We spend time in this newsletter reflecting on Fr. Michael Fish’s retreat day last fall. There is much spiritual richness there. Also, we asked a newer member of the community to share his path to Centering Prayer. These days there are many teachers and practices that prepare the heart for Centering Prayer. What is your story? What about those around you?

Contemplative Outreach supports the Centering Prayer practice and Lectio Divina (receptive reading of scripture for personal transformation). Other vital practices are the Welcoming Prayer and the Prayer of Forgiveness. We will offer a workshop on the Welcoming Prayer in April, and would love to be invited to your church to present this practice.

On Saturday, March 21, 2020 we hold our annual International United in Prayer day at Shepherd of the Hills UCC from 9:30 am to 1 pm. For those of you in other locations the materials and program will be available on the national website. You can plan your own event, hopefully, bringing members of various prayer groups together in one location. Just let us know if we can help.

You are the reason we meet each month as your Chapter Service Team. We are eager to hear from you, and to hear your own thoughts about how we can nourish the organism that is Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. Centering Prayer is our hearts desire, our peace, and our sanity. We invite you to think outwards. How can we bring this practice into our twenty-first century world?

In peace, silence and service,

Your Chapter Service Team

Contact Persons/Coordinators

Contemplative Outreach contact numbers for Arizona are as follows:

• Rick and Kathy Kramer-Howe, Phoenix (602) 421-0444

• Robert Johnson, Prescott (602) 589-8148 

• Margaret (Rusty) Swavely, Sedona (928) 282-2080    

 

To the worldwide community of Contemplative Outreach:

After a prayerful process of selection, interviews and discernment, we are delighted to announce the hiring of our new administrator, Mary Jane Yates. She comes to us from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She has been a part of Contemplative Outreach for 12 years, serving our organism as a prayer group facilitator, Introductory Workshop presenter and retreat leader. She is well-versed in collaborative leadership and community development. While a Canadian citizen she grew up in Nigeria, West Africa and has a passion for cross-cultural and diversity issues. She is devoted to contemplative life through her Centering Prayer practice and as a nature therapy guide. We are blessed to have her joining our organism in a new way as administrator. Please join us in welcoming her.

Gratefully,
Your Governing Board

 

 

  

March 7, 1923 - October 25, 2018

To the worldwide community of Contemplative Outreach,

It is with deep sorrow that we share the news of the passing of our beloved teacher and spiritual father, Thomas Keating. Fr. Thomas offered his final letting go of the body on October 25, 2018 at 10:07pm at St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. He modeled for us the incredible riches and humility borne of a divine relationship that is not only possible but is already the fact in every human being.  Such was his teaching, such was his life. He now shines his light from the heights and the depths of the heart of the Trinity.

The monastic community from St. Benedict’s Monastery will join together with the Contemplative Outreach community for a memorial service in Denver, Colorado.  The location, date and time of the memorial service will be announced shortly. The Center for Action and Contemplation will live-stream and record the service so that anyone who wishes may join remotely.

Details will be forthcoming for a 24-hour, worldwide prayer vigil, as well as suggested schedules and enrichment for local gatherings.

 

Please respect the privacy of St. Benedict's Monastery and St. Joseph's Abbey and do not call with questions.

Fr. Thomas was born in New York City in 1923 and remembers having an attraction to religious life from a young age. He started college at Yale University and then graduated from an accelerated program at Fordham University. While in college, a spiritual director at a camp where he worked took the counselors to Our Lady of the Valley Trappist Monastery in Rhode Island, which he ultimately joined in 1944. He was ordained a priest in 1949. He first came to Snowmass, Colorado in 1958 as the appointed superior to help build and run the new monastery, St. Benedict’s. In 1961 he was called back to St. Joseph’s Abbey and served as the abbot for 20 years. During that time, he was invited to Rome in 1971, following the Second Vatican Council where Pope Paul VI encouraged priests, bishops and religious scholars to renew the Christian contemplative tradition. As an answer to this call, Fr. Thomas, along with William Meninger and Basil Pennington, drew on the ancient practice of Lectio Divina and its movement into contemplative prayer, or resting in God, to develop the practice of Centering Prayer. The initial idea was to bring the contemplative practices of the monastery out into the larger Christian community by teaching priests, religious and ultimately, laypersons. After 20 years as abbot, Fr. Thomas resigned and returned to St. Benedict’s Monastery. He became more fully immersed in bringing the contemplative dimension of the Gospel to the public by co-founding Contemplative Outreach in 1984.

Another outgrowth of Vatican II was that Catholics were given permission and encouraged to acknowledge the work of the Spirit in other religions. In God is Love: The Heart of All Creation, Fr. Thomas states, “No one religion can contain the whole of God’s wisdom, which is infinite.” One of Fr. Thomas' lasting legacies is that for over 30 years, he convened inter-religious dialogue at St. Benedict’s, which became known as the Snowmass Conferences.  It was an attempt to dialogue with and understand the contributions of the spiritual traditions of all religions and put to rest the cultural attitudes that lead to separation and violence.

As many of you know who have met him over the years, Fr. Thomas traveled worldwide to teach us about the Christian contemplative tradition and the psychological experience of the spiritual journey. He once told Mary Clare Fischer, a reporter for 5280 Magazine, that he thought the hardest thing about his commitment to monastic life would be the separation from the outside world because “I felt a great desire to share the treasures I had found in the way of a deeper relationship with God.” His seminal work on the Spiritual Journey Series is testament to his desire.

Within the last decade of his life, Fr. Thomas said, “I am at the point where I do not want to do anything except God’s will, and that may be nothing. But nothing is one of the greatest activities there is. It also takes a surprising amount of time! What time is left each day is an opportunity for God to take over my life more completely on every level and in every detail.” (God is Love: The Heart of All Creation).

Pat Johnson, a long-time friend and one of the founders of the retreat ministry at St. Benedict's Monastery, had a recent conversation with Fr. Thomas wherein he expressed his gratitude for her service to Contemplative Outreach over many years. She says, “Here is this man at the end of his life, in pain, and still giving his all back into the universe. If ever I had an example of what it means to love unconditionally, this moment in time was one huge example. The greatness of his giving, the greatness of his humility, left me with nowhere to go, nothing to do, and the recognition that doing nothing takes a long, long time. … What an amazing model he is for all of us as we attempt to move through our lives with grace and strength!”

Fr. Thomas is now entrusting us to bear his message of love and transformation, to continue to pass on the wealth of the contemplative dimension of the Gospel and the method of Centering Prayer to the next generation. Just before Jesus was taken up from the disciples after his passion and resurrection, he said to them:

“It is not for you to know the times and the seasons, 

which the Father has put in his own power. 

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you: 

and you shall be my witnesses ... to the ends the earth. 

And when he had said these things, while they beheld, 

he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.” 

- Acts 1: 7-9

Fr. Thomas is now taken from our sight. Let us open ourselves more than ever to the indwelling presence of the Trinity as we deepen our unity in prayer and service. Let us continue to persevere in our consent to the presence and action of God within us and among us and allow the inspiration and the breath of God to move us and guide us as we seek to embody and pass on the gifts we have been so privileged to receive.

With deep gratitude and hearts broken open,

The staff and governing board of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd

 - Image courtesy of Cynthia McAdoo

https://mailchi.mp/coutreach/thomas?e=eb535b19cd

 

 

 

June 14, 1941 - October 21, 2018

Spiritual Father

Abbot

Priest

Monk

Friend

Servant

Son of God

Beloved

To the worldwide community of Contemplative Outreach:

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved Abbot Joseph Boyle, OCSO, of St. Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado, after a prayerful walk with cancer. He was a welcoming, humble, joyful presence to all visitors and retreatants, and a special presence during the opening and closing circle of most Centering Prayer retreats over the years, even up until this past August.  He called all by name.

A lover of stars and the night sky, he departed at 1:30am on Sunday, October 21.

In his own words, he affirmed, "I know God's love for me and I trust in His mercy." Please hold him in your prayers as his journey continues deeper into Christ.  And please respect the privacy of all the brothers at St. Benedict's Monastery.

https://mailchi.mp/coutreach/joseph?e=eb535b19cd