In the darkness, when we have nothing left, when we feel there is no God, God can begin to flow into us a pure way. Because our interior religious faculties are paralyzed we can no longer manipulate our experience of God, fudge it, project ourselves into it, or use it to rationalize divine permission for our own actions. Real faith begins at the exact point where our atheistic critics think it ends, in darkness and emptiness, in religious impotence, in our powerlessness to influence how God flows into us.
If you would like to learn more about this process, come and be a part of workshop. The teaching will feature the “Dark Night of the Soul: Failure of Faith or Imagination?” DVD Series by Fr. Ron Rolheiser, (President of the Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio) along with time for journaling and discussion.
Workshop Schedule:
9:30 am - Gathering, Intentions, and Opening Prayer
9:45 to 10:45 am First DVD Teaching
10:45 to 11:15 - Silence and Journaling
11:15 to 12:15 - Second DVD Teaching
12:15 to 12:45 pm - Silence, Journaling, Lunch
12:45 to 1:45 pm Third DVD Teaching
1:45 to 2:15 pm Silence and Journaling
2:15 to 3 pm - Discussion and Closing Prayer
*A working knowledge of dark night is helpful. If you are not familiar with the spiritual dark night, please contact Lil Smith for a list of suggested reading prior to the workshop.
While Retreat House offers spiritual education and all offerings at no cost, we are a nonprofit 501c3 organization. Your financial support helps us continue to serve the community.