Lenten Day Apart Retreat

Contemplative Fire Niagara welcomes you to a Lenten Day Apart
26th March 2011 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 P.M.

Awakening

You will experience ...

Stillness and space helpful to awakening to God
Community Life as we get to know each other
Agape meal with Lenten reflections
Vision sharing and questions: What is Contemplative Fire?

Details

Saturday, 26th March 2011
Location: St. Luke's Parish Hall - 1382 Ontario St., Burlington ON
Free parking is across Elgin Street from the Church (1371 Elgin St.)
- Park in the lot and walk through the Church yard to the Parish Hall.

Suggested donation: $25 - including a hot meal - payable on the day by cash.
Please let us know dietary restrictions.

Please register online now by filling out the Orange sign up form to the right -->
Don't forget to click the grey "Register Now" button!

There is a suggested donation of $25 which includes a hot meal. Donations can be made in cash on the day of the event.

Embracing Silence

Chapel at SSJE, Cambridge Massachusetts

At some point in the contemplative journey, everyone must come face to face with silence. True contemplation happens within the spaciousness of silence. This can feel awkward to us who are used to the bustle and noise. Most people are trained to fill any spaces with something - anything to avoid silence. Do we perhaps run from the depths of our own true self?

There is a place where I go which cherishes silence, and invites anyone to experience it. It is my pilgrimage place: the Society of Saint John the Evangelist in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Please click on the following link to listen to and/or read the wonderful words of one of the brothers there - on becoming silence.

Brother Kevin Hachett - On Becoming Silence

Gathering - January 2011

We gathered once more on 16 January 2011 in Oakville.


God says to the Prophet - "I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."


We gather, attracted firstly as seekers. A light in the darkness forms us into a circle of people. Jesus says to us "Come and See." This is our invitation. We remember the darkness in our lives, but have come to see the divine light which changes us.

From seekers circled around light, we become finders who reflect that light for new seekers, being given as a light to the nations.

We gather as light seekers

- We Find-

We disperse as light reflectors.

We will Gather and disperse again in a rhythm like breathing.

"Here is the Lamb of God"

Come and See

"I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove"

Come and See

"I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God"

Come and See

"What are you looking for"

Come and See

"Come and See"

Come and See

"We have found the Messiah"

Come and See

Our transformation takes place in community. We become companions in that circle of light when we share bread and wine together.






We gather - seeking light - we share
We disperse - carrying light - we share
We breathe in - we breathe out.
Hallelujah!


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Newest Contemplative Fire Gathering

We invite you to St. Jude's, Oakville on Sunday, January 16th at 7 P.M.
What are you looking for?
Come and See.
Map to St. Jude's
For more info call Stuart Pike 905-634-1826
or email here

Become Astonished

I have read an excellent piece by Pegge Bernecker of Spritual Directors International and thought it would be something good to share with the Contemplative Fire Niagara group. It is the first piece in this newsletter called "Become Astonished". I wish you all an Advent full of expectation and hope, and joy at Christmas.

The article can be found here

First Gathering

We had a wonderful First Gathering in Niagara on Sunday, Nov. 21st in the Great Hall in Burlington. There were 42 participants and the Title of the Gathering was "Light for the Journey." Picking up from the Lectionary for the day we meditated on the Canticle of Zechariah and the quote from that:

⁷⁸ By the tender mercy of our God,
   the dawn from on high will break upon us, 
⁷⁹ to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
   to guide our feet into the way of peace.’

We started, sitting in darkness in chairs arranged in a random order. With silence and guided meditation we thought about where we experience darkness in our lives and how light "breaks" upon us. We moved to the other side of the room, each lighting a candle and sitting in a circle around the table of friendship. We placed our candles around the table of friendship and named a person or a need for our prayers and then moved into the story of Jesus' last supper, and shared in the bread and wine together. Periods of silence, instrumental music and Leonard Cohen's "The Anthem" were featured during our time together.

Our next Gathering is Sunday, January 16th at 7 P.M. at St. Jude's Church, Oakville.

Contemplative Fire Niagara's First Gathering

Looking for more depth in your spiritual Life? Contemplative Fire in Niagara will have its first gathering on Sunday, Nov. 21st at 7 P.M. at The Great Hall 1382 Ontario St., Burlington ON. Come and see. Call for more information at 905-634-1826.