Nazareth Retreat Center

Mindful Leadership:The Path of Contemplative DialogueA training...

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:05:23 -0400

Mindful Leadership:
The Path of Contemplative Dialogue
A training for creative collective awareness.

Led by Steven Wirth and Connie Schoen

The Center for Contemplative Dialogue

August 26 – 29, 2013

Nazareth Retreat Center
Main Avenue
Nazareth, KY 40048
(near Bardstown, KY)

REGISTER ONLINE AT:
contemplativedialogue.org

Second Sunday of Lent

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 10:01:14 -0500

The most striking reading this Sunday is the Gospel story of the Transfiguration. The immediacy of the divine presence is mystery and awe filled yet it draws us to itself. The presence on that mountain top of Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophet, culminates in the dissolving of them into Jesus the Christ, the reconciliation if you will of the strictures of the law and the promise of the prophets is found in the person of Jesus. Jesus tells us elsewhere I did not come to destroy the law but rather to fulfill it.

This revelation of the immanence of divinity in their midst engulfed in light was truly a mountain top experience. It was full of mystery, mystery which holds light and darkness. Mystery entices us “let us stay and build three tents.” Mystery leads us forth, changed forever, ever seeking more.

How gracious our God to give these three disciples this depth experience. Yet in reality, all of us at some time in our lives are invited to such mountaintop experiences and we are changed forever.

First Sunday of Lent

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:30:37 -0500

The Gospel from the First Sunday of Lent tells us of the familiar story of Jesus, returning from his baptism by John in the Jordan and filled with the Spirit, going into the desert, fasting for forty days and then encountering the devil with three temptations, focusing on bread, power and self-knowledge. As I have stayed with this reading this week I have come to realize that it is as much a reading on Jesus discernment as it is on temptation. We are not given how much time Jesus took to respond; only that he responded each time with a phrase from the Hebrew scripture. Each response began with “it is written” or “it also says.” How deep within his being must have been those sacred words. How formative the words of the sacred books must have been within his lifetime. Through these words Jesus was able to be in touch with his true self. He spoke out of the ground of his being.

For us, where do we go to get in touch with the ground of our being? Where do we have that quiet time apart, that desert experience in which we can listen to our knowing of the Divine within? How do we unite ourselves with the Word of God spoken to us through the scriptures, through our tradition, through all of creation and so importantly deep within our being?

Can we respond out of the depth of who we really are, as desired by God? How do we discern our choices for bread, for power, for control in the midst of this very tempting world?

So I invite you to consider, who are you in the depth of your being and how do you wish to respond to life?

Ash Wednesday - February 13, 2013 We have entered into the sacred time of Lent with the...

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:21:00 -0500

Ash Wednesday - February 13, 2013

We have entered into the sacred time of Lent with the celebration of Ash Wednesday. Celebration? Yes! Lent is a season to celebrate our participation in the Paschal Mystery….all that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus has done for us and is teaching us about the beauty of life and God’s call to us to have life to the full.

As has recently been suggested in a homily here at Nazareth, Lent is a time to “get unplugged”. Get unplugged from the many electronic devices that take up our every moment of every day. Lent is a time to step apart and reflect upon all in our lives that we desire to embrace more fully and all in our lives that we need to relinquish. What practices do we fall into that pull us down and what practices do we desire that might make us more whole….more holy.

Lent is not so much a time of “giving up” but rather a time of saying yes to those invitations of the divine we find within ourselves.

As Richard Rohr says in one of his Ash Wednesday meditations:

“You are the desiring of God. God desires through you and longs for Life and Love through you and in you. Allow it, speak it, and you will find your place in the universe of things.” (Wondrous Love)

Spend a few moments with these thoughts this week and notice where the Spirit of Lent, the Spirit of Spring is calling you.

Join us weekly for Lenten meditations here at Nazareth Retreat Center.

Sharon Gray, SCN

Labyrinth at Nazareth Retreat Center

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:54:03 -0500

Labyrinth at Nazareth Retreat Center

8-Day Intensive/Post-Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 10:47:03 -0500

Date: June 16-23, 2013
Presenter: Fr. Carl Arico and Sr. Jean Johnson, SL
Location: Nazareth Retreat Center, Nazareth, KY
Cost: $475. (includes $75. non-refundable deposit due with registration) Register by May 1, 2013Scholarships are available.
Contact: Doreen Josephs 502-239-3966 djosephs@insightbb.com

Photo of NRC. Ministerial group with Kentucky council members at...

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 11:01:58 -0500

Photo of NRC. Ministerial group with Kentucky council members at a statewide meeting.

Advent Retreat

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:52:35 -0500

An Advent retreat with Dianne Bergant, CSA, will be held December 7–9 at the Nazareth Retreat Center. Sister Dianne is an international scripture scholar. She will invite us to explore the scriptures of Advent, delving into their meanings and invitations for the 21st century. The retreat begins at 7 p.m. on December 7 and ends with the noon meal on December 9. The fee is $300 ($200 for commuters). The fee may be covered by Continuing Education funds available through the Nazareth Retreat Center. Contact Sharon Gray, SCN, for more information at (502) 348-1597or sgray@scnky.org.

Advent Retreat with Dianne Bergant, CSA Dec. 7–9 Dianne Bergant,...

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:39:55 -0500

Advent Retreat with Dianne Bergant, CSA

Dec. 7–9

Dianne Bergant, an internationally scripture scholar, will invite us to explore the scriptures of Advent, delving into their meanings and invitations for the 21st century.

Time: Retreat begins at 7:00pm on the 7th and ends with the noon meal on the 9th
Fee: $300 ($200 commuter)

November, the Month of Change How did we move so quickly, it...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:36:36 -0500

November, the Month of Change

How did we move so quickly, it seems, into the month of November. Halloween has passed us by. This month of November has always been special to me. We have so many special feast days such as All Saints Day and All Souls Day. We ponder this change into the new life of which these two feasts remind us. We ponder the loved ones in our life and the change their passing on has brought us. We rejoice in their love and trust in their unwavering caring. And we ponder our own changes.

Peace…comes within the souls of humanity when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the Universe dwells WakanTanka (God), and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.”

Black Elk
Oglala Sioux

The trees have changed, for some, the leaves hang on. Some leaves are radiant colors of gold and red, others brown, earth color shows their change. Other leaves form a blanket beneath the strong branches from which they came. We have much to learn from the spring, summer, fall , winter and then again spring seasons of leaves. They bud forth, grow, mature surrender and then provide nourishment, new life for the soil. We can resonate with these changes, changes of the seasons of our life. Are we willing to radiate the joy, the love, the dazzling colors of life and perhaps the more subdued but ever rich earth tones of life? Are we willing to let go of control and dance in the winds of life, eventually becoming that nurturing blanket at the very roots of our existence? Are we willing to be transformed so as to nurture and bring forth new life in unknown ways?

Yes, November invites us to take some time and reflect upon change. To what are we being invited? Is there anticipation in you, is there delight, is there fear, is there willingness to risk the unknown for the sake of life, for the sake of love?

November also brings us Thanksgiving. What a time of delight for many, a time of melancholy for some.

Gratitude can bring about change. Being intentionally grateful these days can open our hearts to healing of hurts, to renewal of friendships, to caring for others, especially those most in need.

Spend some time these days with the gift of gratitude and see what change it may call forth in you.

As November moves us from Autumn into the “Holiday Season” I invite you to consider what change do you hope to make in your entering into this sacred season of celebration. Perhaps you would like to look for simplicity. Perhaps you would like to be more aware of others, those beyond your closest circle of friends. Perhaps you would like to place Advent, a time of waiting and anticipation and preparation , a time of quiet prayer, place Advent back into your life.

Here at Nazareth Retreat Center we are surrounded by so many trees and are constantly reminded by them to ponder change. We are blest with the quiet space for reflection and meditation and we can walk in the midst of the crunch of leaves. And we know we are blessed.

We invite you to come and join us in whatever way you can. You are always welcome at Nazareth. Come walk with us amid the crunch of leaves and the colors of trees. You may want just a few days of what we call “Time Apart” to get back in touch with yourself and your God, to simply rest. You may want a companion to walk with you, a Spiritual Guide, to help you listen to your inner invitations to a deeper and richer life. You may want to join us for Mass or Taize Prayer.

We invite you to come to our Advent Retreat on the weekend of December 7 – 9.

We are so grateful to have Dr. Dianne Bergant, CSA present our Advent Retreat, starting on December 7. Dianne is a nationally known scripture and author as well as a dynamic speaker who will lead us to the voice of scripture as our guide through Advent.

Our prayer is that you may walk with gratitude and grace during this month of November, open to change, trusting in grace.

Sharon Gray, SCN
Director
Nazareth Retreat Center

Hermitages at Nazareth Retreat Center Give the gift of spiritual...

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 09:11:50 -0500

Hermitages at Nazareth Retreat Center

Give the gift of spiritual refreshment

Gift certificates available

A place apart, a hermitage provides solitude for prayer and reflection. It is a place where one can just be, following no time schedule. It provides an atmosphere for prayer and reflection.

Nazareth Retreat Center has two hermitages on its grounds. Both are in a wooded part of the campus.

Vincent Cottage is a two bedroom hermitage with a living/dining area, kitchen and screened-in porch. It overlooks a small lake called “Peter’s Puddle”.

Casa Maria is a single occupancy A-frame with a single bed, living /eating area and kitchen. It is surrounded by trees and is home to a variety of birds and flowers.

For more information…

cmckean@scnky.org
Nazareth Retreat Center
PO Box 7
Nazareth, KY 40048
(502) 348-1513

See the song “Earth Mama” performed from this past...

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:27:08 -0400

See the song “Earth Mama” performed from this past weekend as part of the series of concerts honoring the SCN bicentennial.

scnazarethky: Earth Mama concert this morning at the...

Sat, 20 Oct 2012 11:39:39 -0400

scnazarethky:

Earth Mama concert this morning at the Motherhouse (at Sisters of Charity of Nazareth)

scnazarethky: Earth Mama concert this morning at the...

Sat, 20 Oct 2012 11:39:17 -0400

scnazarethky:

Earth Mama concert this morning at the Motherhouse (at Sisters of Charity of Nazareth)

Autumn at the Nazareth Retreat Center

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:07:00 -0400

Autumn at Nazareth is my favorite time of year. The leaves here are turning their multiple colors and floating through the air in a freedom that defies description. I

went to “Wikipedia just for the fun of it, seeing what it has to say regarding autumn. As you can imagine it has much to say but here are a few lines that seem familiar to those of us from the U.S.

“In North America, autumn is usually considered to start with the September equinox…. According to United States tradition, autumn runs from the day after Labor Day (i.e. the Tuesday following the first Monday of September) through Thanksgiving (i.e. the fourth Thursday in November), after which the holiday season that demarcates the unofficial beginning of winter begins.

We do have our traditions, the football games are on the TV, the World Series teams are yet to be determined and pumpkins grace our front porches and fields.

Here at Nazareth Retreat Center Autumn is when we start our new schedule of events for the upcoming year (September 2012 – August 2013). We also find that the dampness which enters the air at this time of year invites many of us to step back, go within and reflect upon our lives, our hopes, our joys and sorrows, our expectations, our disappointments and our lives and relationships. So much happens over a year and yet there seems to be so little time for the sacred “Time Apart”.

Our very humanity is touched by autumn, it somehow gets in our bones and we begin to realize that there is something more to our precious lives than the daily treadmill. We have relationships to nurture, sacred desires to honor and a true self to be reverenced. Our God of Creation spreads out the mantle of glory these days if we but notice.

So, I offer you a few thoughts to consider during these enticing days of autumn.

“Let us let go of yesterday and look to the future (Maria Smith Jones)

“The sacred in Nature is finding a voice audible and intelligible to our moment. We can grow whole in an emulation of nature’s disinterested generosity.” (Stephanie Mills)

“Peace is every step. It turns the endless path to joy.” (Thich Nhat Hanh) So come and walk our new labyrinth

“The secret of my identity is hidden in the love and mercy of God.” (Merton)

—

Come Join us in October

“Sacred Time Apart” an individually scheduled private retreat with optional spiritual direction. Times available during the week and weekend.

God’s Abundant Love: Finding Healing in the Midst of Pain October 5 - 7, 2012

Presented by: Emily Cash, Psy.D. of Saint Luke Institute

For women who have survived sexual abuse, finding healing is a necessary process for living a life that is whole, joyous and free. This weekend retreat will help women cultivate emotional, physical, and spiritual touchstones for healing. The focus is not on re-visiting traumatic events but on coming together for community, education, and healing within a safe and sacred circle of survivors. (Female participants only)

Tai Chi: A Contemplative Experience. October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and Nov 7

Paula Duane, SCNA, offers a series of six basic Tai Chi classes. During this time the participants will not only learn some basic movements, but will be introduced to the contemplative spirit and practice of Tai Chi.