St. Catherine's Spiritual Practice Group

This past Tuesday evening some of St. Catherine’s Spiritual Practice Group met for our summer social. Some due to travelling and summer activities could not join us.  We meet primarily online (zoom), which opens the opportunity for people who live at a distance and others locally who find evening travel difficult. Hence we find occasions to come together in person to socialize; and we have two in person quiet day retreats a year (Advent and Lent).

We work with Christian Contemplative Spirituality, a path integrating the 2000-year-old inner path lived and taught by Jesus and Christian mystics, with contemporary depth psychology, a very rich integration. This is a process that develops inner awareness, growth and healing. This is a path for our times. We learn practices that develop mindful awareness and presence, deepening our capacity to hear ourselves and to listen for the guidance of Holy Spirit who companions us as wisdom and compassion. 

Contemplative Christianity is a path of service. As we heal our inner lives, we change, our relationships change, we bring that healing with us into the world. This is a challenging aspect of our faith, opening our lives to experience directly the living presence of Christ relating to us.  Encountering the risen Christ uniting with us is a journey deep into our heart, so we need community to keep us grounded, and we need wise and experienced guides. Hence we choose study materials that support our daily walking the path.              

For our 2023/2024 term we are working with Joyce Rupp’s The Open Door: A Journey to the True Self.  The Door she quickly identifies is our human heart, which is tender and tough, vulnerable and vital. Joyce is a respected spiritual teacher and director. Here is our website if you want to get to know more about her www.joycerupp.com.               

Our meetings in the Fall will begin on Tuesday September 12th, 2023, 7-9 pm. If you are interested in learning more about the Christian Contemplative path, and St. Catherine’s Spiritual Practice Group, contact the church office and Rev. Sharon will be in touch with you. Email Natasha at scadmin@shaw.ca.   

Written by D.A. Foster