"Either go crazy, or turn holy..."

PORTIUNCULA CENTER FOR PRAYER October 2024

I was driving to work on a sunny:( late summer, September day that was forecast to be hot like August not mellow like September should be. But the word promise emerged as I drifted past the golden stalks of corn. The progression from those early June green sprouts to the now crinkly stick like figures is all about promise. Each phase is a promise to the next. The first delicate emergence becomes a towering green giant and then still standing, but doddery, stick that in the end holds all of the promise in the beautiful ears of corn clinging to it. It was a powerful awakening for me to remember the idea of promise. The assurance we see in a loved one’s eyes, the strength we hear in our words, and in the idea that we will be all right. It was reassuring to see promise manifested in the upcoming harvest. It is mirrored in the mounds of pumpkins at the road side stands. It is reflected in our beliefs that there is good in everyone and it is our responsibility to find it, or at least try. (Believe me, try is the best I can do some days)

In a world where promises are verbalized and then not actualized it is not a surprise that we value the promise in the turning of the leaves, in the briskness of the wind, and the fields newly divested of their treasures. Perhaps one day we humans will truly learn from nature as it continues to take care of us, even when we don’t reciprocate. So my friends, notice the beauty of the fall mums, the freshness in the air, and the gold in the falling leaves. For we should not abandon the idea of promise, it is sustaining. And in case you need literal sustenance, see below:) Mary Lou Nugent

In a poem Serenade, Brazilian poet Adelia Prado speaks of a painful ache we feel inside us as we forever wait for something or someone to come and make us whole. What are we waiting for? Love? A soulmate? God? No matter, the frustration eventually pushes us towards a choice, go crazy or turn holy:

I am beginning to despair

And can see only two choices:

Either go crazy or turn holy.

And when that someone or something finally does come:

How will I open the window, unless I’m crazy?

How will I close it, unless I’m holy?

Go crazy or get holy! Richard Rohr offers us a third option, get bitter. He submits that once we get to a certain age, we have only three options left open to us: We can become a pathetic old fool; or we can become a bitter old fool; or we can become a holy old fool. Notice what’s non-negotiable. We will all eventually become old fools. We have the choice only as to what kind of old fool we will be – crazy, bitter, or holy.

Ron Rolheiser, OMI

PRIVATE RETREAT DAY - AUTUMN!

A Time of Leaping Into Leaves

Monday, October 7 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. $50

“Autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and, best of all, leaping into leaves!” — Winnie the Pooh

Remember the fun of leaping into piles of raked leaves as a child (young-at-heart adult)? Memories of those simple pleasures can bring us joy. Come for a day that can reconnect you with simple pleasures that can refresh and revitalize you – watching the colorful leaves dance on the breeze, looking for shapes in clouds, breathing deeply of crisp autumn air, or quietly taking in the beauty around you. This retreat day offers you peaceful, private, contemplative space, and time at the Port. Each participant has access to a private room in addition to the grounds. The day includes an opening prayer, handouts to reflect on the day, time for individual reflection, lunch, and a closing service.

Facilitator: Janice Keenan, OSF, is Retreat Program Manager and a Spiritual Director at the Port.

A MINDFULNESS HOUR FOCUSED ON SELF-COMPASSION via Zoom

Monday, October 14

7:00 – 8:00p.m. Donation

Mindfulness is being aware and present in the moment, paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judgment and with acceptance. In this mindfulness hour, the speaker will focus on self-compassion, treating yourself the way you would treat a friend who is going through a difficult situation. Aspects of self-compassion will be explored, and a meditation will be offered, along with a discussion on how that practice can be implemented into daily life.

Facilitator: Debra Vinci Minogue, an Associate Professor at Dominican University, is trained in Mindfulness Meditation (with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach), chair and laughter yoga, and facilitating Veriditas Labyrinth. She is also trained in Heartwork Journaling and is a forest therapy guide.

AN AFTERNOON WITH FR. RON ROLHEISER OMI WRESTLING WITH GOD AND WITH LOVE – RESISTANCE AND SURRENDER WITHIN OUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

via Zoom

Sunday, October 20 1:30 – 4:00 p.m. Central time

Donation

What do God and love ask of us? That can be answered in a single word, “Surrender.” But much inside of us resists, wanting its own way; so goes the journey. Jacob wrestled an entire night with God; the great prophets often said to God, “Thy will be changed”; Jesus himself sweated blood in Gethsemane, asking God to change his will; and even in our most intimate relationships we still resist losing our independence. Our journey in faith and in love is a constant struggle between resistance and surrender. What drives this? What is healthy and what is not? Understanding God, understanding ourselves, understanding our struggle, and understanding love.

Facilitator: Ron Rolheiser, OMI, is a priest of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He is President Emeritus of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas, and a Professor of Spirituality there. He is a community-builder, lecturer, and writer whose books are popular throughout the English-speaking world and have now been translated into many languages. His weekly column is carried by more than 80 newspapers worldwide. Prior to this present position, he taught theology and philosophy at Newman Theological College in Edmonton, Alberta, served as Provincial Superior for six years, and on the General Council in Rome for six years. Along with his academic knowledge in systematic theology and philosophy, he is a popular speaker in the areas of contemporary spirituality, and religion and secularity. Oblate Communications and Franciscan Media have produced 15 DVDs of his retreats His many books include Wrestling with God: Find hope and meaning in the daily struggles to be human, and Holy Longing.

CPR FOR THE SOUL

Tuesday, October 22 9:30 a.m. – Noon $25

InterPlay® is a creative, improvisational, arts-based system to unlocking the wisdom of the body. We play and relax with storytelling, movement, vocalization, connection and stillness. We have the opportunity to reconnect our body, mind, heart, and spirit together. BodySpirit is a term used in InterPlay to express the totality of each of us, the essential integration of parts of ourselves that are often conceptualized as being separate. Treat yourself to this transformational opportunity, receive support and encouragement from others and make it an intentional effort to self care. www.InterPlay.org Facilitator: Wai-Chin Matsuoka is Singaporean Chinese, who was transplanted to the U.S.A. when she came to do her graduate studies. She has over 20 years as a spiritual director. She is particularly experienced in bringing forth new life from the ashes of change and transitions. Wai-Chin is a seasoned retreat and workshop facilitator who weaves together spirituality, somatic practices, soul-tending, and InterPlay®.