Dear friends

Seems it has begun – as I travelled from Sydney to Brisbane this morning for a World Youth Day event organised by the Franciscans the airport was crowded with swarms of ‘pilgrims’ from many different countries en-route to here and there chatting excitedly about the week ahead.

For those of you in Sydney who have succumbed to the inevitability of this extravaganza and want to get something back for your tax dollar - not to mention the traffic delays – here’s some suggestions for events you might like to attend. For anyone on this list coming from overseas or inter-state, I’d love to catch up somewhere!

Firstly, at the link below you will find a list of all social justice-related events, there’s about 25 there and some look very interesting with various top-notch international speakers: 

http://www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au/Events/WorldYouthDayevents/tabid/473/Default.aspx

If you’re in Brisbane this weekend and would like to pop in to the Franciscan event, I think it will be well worth your while. My co-speaker is Brother Bill Short, Franciscan theologian from the U.S. It’s a great program, come along. Details on the link below:     

http://www.franciscans.org.au/wyd/wyd.htm

Other events I’ll be speaking at are:

A social justice event organised by the Dominicans on Monday 14^th at Strathfield, see: http://opeast.org.au/wyd08/index.html

Also the Marists are having a “Spirituality in the Pub” type arrangement except it will be in a tent! Location is St Pats Church courtyard in The Rocks. I’ll be doing two sessions one on Tuesday 15^th at 1pm, then Friday night 18^th at 9pm. See:

http://www.stpatschurchhill.org/youngadults/calendar.pl

The Peacemakers event is Thursday night at Paddington Town Hall from 8pm-10pm, see flyer. http://www.icanw.org/files/Peacemakers_Double_sided.pdf

BUT…

I’ll be spending most of my time in a quiet place in the city. How is that possible during World Youth Day I hear you ask? Well, the young meditators of the Christian Meditation community have organised a special “quiet city oasis” so that pilgrims can experience silence and contemplation and learn about the practice of Christian Meditation.

This is where I’ll be hanging out, and considering the fast-paced world we live in, I reckon it will be a very important place to be. Please come along and bring your friends for what will be a special experience. Fr Laurence Freeman, head of the World Community for Christian Meditation, will be there leading talks and meditation sessions, there’ll also be some Yoga type body work, and the chance to walk through the ‘stations of contemplation’ which include a labyrinth. It will all be held in Paddington Uniting Church, Oxford St Paddington, refreshments available. Details in the link below; and more info in the media release pasted below.

http://www.christianmeditationaustralia.org/wyd.html

hope to see you there,

your pilgrim (amongst pilgrims)

Donna

PS: Some of us also plan to make a ‘statement’ of sorts about the draconian anti-annoyance laws imposed by the state…stay tuned.

A QUIET CITY OASIS FOR WYD PILGRIMS

More than 225,000 excited pilgrims and the usual city hustle and bustle will make Sydney an intense celebration venue for World Youth Day. Yet there will be one place, an oasis in the city, set aside for young people to experience silence and contemplation.

Pilgrims will have the chance to slow down in the quiet haven of an inner-city church and learn about Christian Meditation – an ancient form of prayer.

Young meditators from the Australian Christian Meditation Community have organised the program in Paddington Uniting Church, a beautiful sandstone church on Oxford Street, to run during the WYD week.

A Sydney young meditator, Clare Walsh, said the setting will provide an atmosphere of quietness while at the same time give pilgrims the chance to hear and discuss the teaching of Christian contemplative prayer.

“In a world that is so noisy, generation X and Y rarely find the time to slow down and experience silence and stillness,” she said.

“We want to provide that opportunity in a beautiful setting where pilgrims can spend time in silent reflection as well as learn about Christian meditation, an ancient spiritual tradition dating back to the Desert Fathers, now widely practiced around the world.”

Clare said Christian Meditation, also called the prayer of the heart, has been revived in recent years through the teaching of the late John Main, an Irish Benedictine monk. It is now practiced by people of all ages and varied backgrounds in 110 countries world-wide. In Australia, 386 Christian Meditation groups meet in towns and cities across the country every week.

“This form of prayer allows a person to connect with God within, through silence and stillness.  It teaches the use of a mantra, or sacred word, to come to the stillness that opens us to the divine,” she said.

“Meditation allows a person to ‘be’ in the present moment and over time to develop a deeper sense of self-awareness. John Main said: “in meditation you know who you are because you are who you are”. 

“This is a great gift for young people who are embarking on a journey to discover who they really are, but perhaps never slow down enough to find out.

“It is a deep, pure form of prayer that so many Christians are seeking today. By taking our attention away from the distractions of the modern world, it allows us to experience the words of the Psalmist : “Be Still and know that I am God”.”

Ms Walsh said the contemplative tradition is relevant to everyone today, young and old because it helps us experience God in all places and dimensions of life.

“It creates a heightened sense of love, compassion and justice. Contemplation goes hand-in-hand with action,” she said.

The WYD Oasis in the City will present a continuous program including a short film about meditation, talks, sessions about the body in prayer, reflection on scripture and silent meditation together.

Fr Laurence Freeman, an English Benedictine monk and Director of the World Community for Christian Meditation will be present throughout the day to lead talks and speak with pilgrims. Fr Laurence is a well-known and sought after international speaker and writer on spirituality and contemplation, and is author of Jesus the Teacher Within.

Giovanni Felicioni, is a member of the World Community for Christian Meditation Guiding Board and, as a member of the International Rolfing Institute in Munich and a teacher of yoga, is an expert on relationship of body and spirit. He comes to WYD from his practice in London.

website: www.christianmeditationaustralia.org/wyd.html

DETAILS:

What: An Oasis in the City - a quiet space, learn to meditate in the Christian tradition

Where: Paddington Uniting Church, 395 Oxford Street Paddington

Who: Laurence Freeman osb, Giovanni Felicioni and young meditators

When: 13-19 July, throughout WYD week