Sisterhood of St. John the Divine
May 2019
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We have many amazing weekend retreats, quiet Saturdays and special opportunities coming up!
Click on any of the poster images below to download the poster
to share with your church, family and friends!
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Compassionate Chair Yoga
Tuesdays - 10:30am - 1:15pm
- May 7 & May 21
- June 4 & June 11
Join us in a practice of compassion for your body, mind and spirit. Wear loose comfortable clothing suitable for the Yoga practice.
10:30 am to 1:15 pm - 1 hour of Yoga practice followed by service of Holy Eucharist at noon and dinner in the refectory.
Recommended donation for each session: $35 ($20 for Yoga practice, and $15 for dinner: the portion for the Yoga practice will go as an unreceipted donation to the Sisterhood.) Payable by personal cheque or cash only.
Led by
Barb Rosen
, a certified Kripalu (Compassionate) Yoga Teacher
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What Trees Teach Us About Love
Saturday May 18
Registration must be RECEIVED by May 11
As we grow in an awareness of our relationship with all of creation and the presence of the Divine in all of creation, this day will focus on trees as a sacred part of creation, and on their lived wisdom in embodying and sharing Love.
We will reflect on how they have witnessed, and continue to witness to us, call us, to a greater capacity to love. With images, poetry, quotes from those who have had a deep relationship with trees, our own entering into the life of trees, as well as embodying our experience, we will open our hearts to draw inspiration for our lives as lovers.
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Led by
Sister Mary-Ellen Francoeur
,
a Sister of Service, with a background in psychology, spiritual direction and contemplation of the Universe Story who looks for the Divine Presence and Wisdom in all of creation. From this she receives guidance in her further ministry in nonviolent peace and justice and in all her relationships.
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Stepping out on the Contemplative Path: A Silent Themed Retreat
May 31 - Jun 2
Registration must be RECEIVED by May 24
What does it mean to live a more contemplative life?
It means living with a deeper, loving awareness of God in this moment and in all things. It invites us to a greater inner simplicity, a greater sense of being loved and belonging in God and creation, a sense of our relatedness to all things, and a heart more open to mystery and gratitude.
During the retreat we will engage in silence in the Guest House but will also gather 6 times for half-hour introductory presentations about the path towards living more contemplative lives.
You will receive suggestions for personal prayer and guidance in ways of praying. You will also be able to join the Sisters in the main chapel during community prayer and Eucharist.
We will gather as a small group for brief sharing and closing prayer at the end of the retr
Led by
Barbara Sheppard
, Oblate of SSJD.
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Saturday June 22
Inspired by the Quiet Garden Trust in England, these are days to relax, renew, and rest in the beauty of God’s outdoors, as well as to enjoy the Sisters’ chapel and library.
In case of rain, there is plenty of space indoors to wander, sit, dream, and pray.
We begin with a brief time of prayer; then a Sister will offer suggestions on how to use the day. The rest of the morning is yours.
The Eucharist is celebrated at noon, followed by dinner, and the afternoon is again free, with a brief gathering at 3:30 pm when you will have the option of sharing the fruits of the day followed by a closing time of prayer.
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An Evening Talk:
The Making of an Icon
Sunday June 30 at 7pm
In advance of his popular Icon Writing Workshop here at St. John’s Convent from July 1-5, iconographer Symeon van Donkelaar, from the village of Conestogo, north of Waterloo, Ont., will tell us what goes into the making of an icon – how it weaves together theology, history, style and materials from the natural world.
Beginning with the making of a wooden panel, he will follow the progression of harvesting a tree to the naming of the finished icon of Christ the Pantocrator, explaining the significance of each step and the vision of the Kingdom of God that it reveals.
Taught by
Symeon van Donkelaar
, an iconographer, who after completing a traditional apprenticeship in a Greek Orthodox monastery, has been working for the last twenty years to create a contemporary iconographic vision for prayer in Canada.
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Icon Writing Retreat
Monday - Friday July 1 - 5
SORRY - RETREAT IS FULL. WAITLISTING ONLY.
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Two Retreats with
Margaret Silf
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Born to Fly
September 20 - 22
The story of the caterpillar’s metamorphosis into the butterfly is a remarkable model of how an all-consuming garden pest transforms into a creature that brings life to the plants it pollinates and joy to all who encounter it.
If this can take place in the humble caterpillar, how much more so for the human family, engaged on a journey of spiritual evolution towards the best that we can become.
During this retreat we will explore something of this ‘great work’, especially in the context of our own troubled and turbulent times, and how we too are in process of transformation, birthing an inner butterfly, and invited to be co-creators of a different kind of future for humanity.
Led by
Margaret Silf
, author, speaker and retreat leader. She has written
over 40 books
for contemporary pilgrims searching for a spiritual way in a confusing and turbulent world. Margaret travels extensively, and describes herself as a ‘boundary dweller’, discovering deep spirituality in those both within and beyond the traditional “church”. She is passionate about making Christian spirituality accessible and attractive to modern pilgrims and relevant to everyday life in the 21st century.
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Sacred in the City
September 24 - 26
Tues to Thurs
It’s easy to think of our spiritual lives as belonging to special places and special times.
For many people it comes as a surprise to find that the “holy” is all around us.
Jesus lived out a great deal of his ministry among ordinary situations and with ordinary people, and taught them – and us – that that is where the Kingdom of God is to be found.
Where do we discover this treasure in our busy 21st century lives?
This retreat offers the opportunity to look with fresh eyes at our everyday, urban and suburban life, and to find God’s transforming presence precisely there: in our homes, at our places of work, on the move, in the marketplace, and in all the places where we gather.
Led by
Margaret Silf
, author, speaker and retreat leader. She has written
over 40 books
for contemporary pilgrims searching for a spiritual way in a confusing and turbulent world. Margaret travels extensively, and describes herself as a ‘boundary dweller’, discovering deep spirituality in those both within and beyond the traditional “church”. She is passionate about making Christian spirituality accessible and attractive to modern pilgrims and relevant to everyday life in the 21st century.
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Quiet Garden Days
Saturdays - June 22, July 13, August 10, September 14
see here »
Individual Directed Retreat
Tuesday-Thursday, September 10-12, 2019
see here »
Born to Fly
Friday-Sunday, September 20-22, 2019 (
Margaret Silf
)
see here »
Sacred in the City
Tuesday-Thursday, Sepember 24-26, 2019 (
Margaret Silf
)
see here »
Click here
to see all scheduled upcoming opportunities!
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Read the latest edition of the
EAGLE
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