April 2022

Transfiguration Spirituality

Center

Newsletter

513 771 2171 [email protected]

and ctretreats.org

Welcome Spring!

Buds emerging from the ground, birds and animals chirping and scurrying around, all signs of new beginnings. Walking or sitting and listening to it all is amazing. Being present in this brings to me a sense of calm, reminding me of the beginning of crocheting a granny square. One of my prayerful practices is making afghans. It starts with pairing the crochet hook size to the yarn and a row of single chaining. This turns into a small pattern of double crochet that create a single circle. The next row around turns the circle into a square and emerging out of this becomes a larger afghan. That's it, just a row of chain, a circle and a square. Like Spring, it transforms itself into what it will become. I am the catalyst selecting the yarn and offering prayerful time and space. Many years ago I read an article about Jonas Salk, the inventor of the polio vaccine. His habit was to sleep for about 4 hours, wake, work and contemplate for a couple hours and then return to sleep for a few hours. By being present we are able to allow space to transform.

Peace,

Kate Bower, Director Transfiguration Spirituality Center

For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mothers’ womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works.

Psalm 139:13-16

Retreat Registration Now Open!

April 29 - May 1, 2022

Having a Mary heart in a Martha world:

re-balancing our lives

with Julie Cicora

In-person limited availability for Associates in St. Mary's

(the convent remains closed to guests at this time)

[email protected]

Or call 513-771-5291.

In-person registrations end April 14^th.

Open to all Via Zoom – https://www.ctretreats.org/events/

(Outline of retreat is included on event page.

Registrants will have access to the archived video for later viewing.)

Julie Cicora is an avid knitter who believes in the power of prayer. After being ordained an Episcopal priest, Julie began studying prayer which lead to her first book All I Can Do is Pray, about her hospital chaplaincy. She started a contemplative prayer practice which she found difficult to sustain until she combined it with knitting. Knitting opened the door to a daily prayer practice for Julie and other knitters who participated in Julie's Lenten knit-along. This led to her second book, Contemplative Knitting.

Julie lives in upstate New York on Lake Ontario with her husband and afghan hound. Outside of work, she likes to ride her motorcycle, windsurf, knit, write and visit her five sons and twelve grandchildren.

Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43

Photo by Faith Lang