Program description

In this 5-week training, participants will be introduced to meditation and contemplative practices as a way of prayer, Christian joy, and compassionate action from a contemplative space. The contemplation training will be framed within the spirituality of Laudato Si’ and the Christian commitment to care for creation and our brothers and sisters. Meditation will be taught as one side of the coin of contemplation and action so that as "Saint Bonaventure teaches us ... 'contemplation deepens the more we feel the working of God’s grace within our hearts, and the better we learn to encounter God in creatures outside ourselves.'" (LS 233)

Beginning on May 30 through July 1, the training will have a hybrid structure with online lessons through the Thinkific platform as well as weekly Zoom calls on Thursdays. The weekly Zoom calls will have two different times in order to attend to the different parts of the globe, that way participants can join at the best time for them: 8 AM Manila or 1 PM New York. These Zoom calls will also be recorded and made available on the Thinkific platform.

This training is made possible thanks to the Trust for the Meditation Process.

What you will learn

  • Daily contemplative practice

    Develop a daily contemplative practice of silent, non-discursive meditation to open to deeper communion with God our Creator and all creation.

  • Interior peace

    Cultivate interior peace through deeper communion with creation to develop the attitude of the heart “which approaches life with serene attentiveness.” (LS 226)

  • Awareness

    Gain contemplative skills to hear the song and cry of the earth and the poor and bring more awareness of God’s presence in creation, daily news, daily life, and in others.

  • Gratitude and simplicity

    Cultivate gratitude & simplicity in day-to-day life to recognize and tame the inner compulsions that look outside to material goods to fulfill the heart’s desire.

  • Compassion and contemplation for public action

    Engage in compassionate & contemplative ecological public action to be fully present to the gifts and challenges present in our lives and world.

Respond to Pope Francis' call

“My wish for you is that you may nurture contemplation and compassion, indispensable ingredients of integral ecology." - Pope Francis, Audience to Laudato Si' Communities (12 September 2020)
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Course curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome and Course Info

  • 2

    Week 1: Cultivating a contemplative practice

    • Welcome to the first week!

    • Laudato Si' and Contemplation

    • What is contemplation?

    • This week's lesson

    • Practice: Breath Meditation

    • Practice: Meditating with the Elements

    • Some tips to develop a daily contemplative practice

    • Make your plan... and share it!

    • For further exploration
  • 3

    Week 2: Interior peace and gratitude

    • Welcome and this week's theme: being serenely present

    • Be still and know...

    • Cultivating Gratitude

    • Watch "A Grateful Day"

    • Gratitude practice and meditation

    • Noting what is arising

    • Session on Cultivating interior peace and gratitude

    • Practice: Eating meditation

    • Summary
  • 4

    Week 3: Awareness - Hearing the Song & Cry of Creation

    • Welcome to Week 3: Hearing Creation's Song and Cry

    • A Prayer for our Earth

    • Hearing Creation's Song

    • Communing with Creation: Listen, Linger, Love

    • Session on Cultivating Awareness of the Song and Cry of Creation

    • Hearing Creation's Cry

    • Praying with the News

    • Summary and Homework
  • 5

    Week 4: Cultivating simplicity in our daily life

    • Welcome to Week 4!

    • Awareness of food

    • Awareness of your ecological footprint

    • Prayer Practice: Ecological Examen

    • Session on Cultivating simplicity in our daily life

    • Consumer challenge: No purchases this week

    • Summary and Homework
  • 6

    Week 5: Integration - Contemplation and Action

    • Welcome to Week 5: Integration of contemplation and action

    • The Contempl-action Paradox

    • Invitation: talk about climate change

    • Session on integrating contemplation and action

    • Discernment: Your personal response to the climate crisis

    • Resources on Contemplation and Action

    • Reflection and evaluation of the course

    • Next steps...

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Thank you!

When?

May 30 - July 1, with online lessons and weekly Zoom calls

This is a hybrid program, consisting of online content as well as Zoom calls for community engagement. Starting on June 2, participants may choose the best time that works for them to participate in the weekly Zoom calls: 8 AM Manila or 1 PM New York.

Instructor(s)

Associate Director

Christina Leaño

Christina Leaño is a retreat leader, spiritual director, and meditation teacher who brings over 15 years of experience of facilitating spiritual and contemplative programs to diverse audiences. Christina's work is grounded in her Catholic contemplative background, including 3 years in a Catholic Cistercian monastery, and lifelong commitment to ecological and social justice. Christina is trained in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction through the University of San Diego Center of Mindfulness. Christina also serves as Associate Director of the Laudato Si' Movement. She holds a B.A from Yale University and M.A. in Systematic Theology from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA.

Coordinator of Eco-conversion Programs

Suzana Moreira

Suzi is a Laudato Si' Animator, a socioenvironmental activist, a zero-waste ambassador, and a music and stilts enthusiast. She also holds a Master's degree in Systematic Pastoral Theology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and worked for 10 years as a freelance translator and interpreter in English, Portuguese and Spanish. She was raised in a family that had strong spiritual practices, combining Franciscan and Catholic charismatic approaches, which grounds the foundation for her own spiritual and contemplative practices today. Her experience with contemplation and meditation is influenced by Catholic charismatic groups from Brazil, Ignatian spirituality, ecclesial base communities in Latin America, and studies around Latin American and indigenous theology, ecofeminist theology, theology of the body, and mysticism in prophetic voices of the 20th century.

Be part of a learning and supportive community to learn and deepen in a contemplative practice to care for our common home

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