Latest Space #22
The Newsletter of SacredSpace.ie
Saint Patrick's Day greetings from Dublin. The first quarter of the year has been a busy time in Sacred Space. While the site has kept its central role in helping the daily prayer of thousands, there was a lot of activity behind the scenes. I took on the role of Editor from Gerry Bourke, whose work for Sacred Space goes on, however, as I've relied on him for direction on what needs to be done next. Gerry continues to correspond with many emails and making a selection for the Feedback page.
The last edition of Latest Space let you know that a survey was about to take place. What followed was a marvellous experience for us, both in the willingness of people to volunteer for the poll (1000+ emailed us in January) and in the care and time that was taken in telling us about Sacred Space experiences when 700+ completed the questionnaire. We at Sacred Space are indebted to Loyola Press and their Spirited Talk for their help and encouragement to us. You'll find further references to the Survey in this newsletter, but the results we have just received deserve more attention than we can give them now - they recommend themselves to an Easter Special of Latest Space!
There is a 'Retreat' theme in this edition of Latest Space. Brendan McManus, writer of the recent online retreats, offers his reflection as does a retreatant, Sylvia Gallagher. In the light of the comments made by many who undertook our survey, we are glad to be able to offer details of some retreats. You may be able to fit one into your plans for the coming months.
Guímís gach beannacht oraibh, ár gcairde,
beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig.
We wish you, our friends, every blessing
this Saint Patrick's Day.
Piaras Jackson SJ
Editor, Sacred Space
In this issue of Latest Space
- Sacred Space - in touch with you
- Noticing the action of God's Spirit
- Richard's journey of forgiveness
- Lent - a time to Retreat
- Young adults give thanks for all the graces
- Come pray with us in Ireland
- Discover the God of Surprises in Spain
- Sacred Space for Lent 2007 - the (little) book
- Spread the word about Sacred Space
Sacred Space - in touch with you
May this season of Lent be a time of many blessings for each and every member of the Sacred Space community. We have already been blessed by the recent appointment of Fr Piaras as new Editor for our website and this newsletter. In the Christmas issue of Latest Space, he wrote as new Assistant Manager of the Jesuit Communication Centre here in Dublin: "I look forward to working with the team here to support and resource the daily tide of prayer that Sacred Space generates around the world." It is a joy for me to welcome him as Editor, and to assure him of my support as I continue on the team with the rewarding ministry of coping with the letters that come in daily, especially from new visitors to the site.
The feedback from the recent survey has also been very reassuring. The 712 people who filled in the rather lengthy survey is a good representation of the many from all over the world who pray at our site. There were 389 from the USA, 125 from the UK, 64 from Canada, 36 from Australia and 31 from Ireland. From 24 more countries others in smaller numbers took the survey. The many comments made were very much in line with the letters that come in daily. When asked about "recommended changes or improvements", one person wrote, "No changes. I trust you will continue to improve!" And another wrote: "If changes are made please be sure to keep things easy to read and easy to find. Too many other religious sites have far too many options. In my opinion, keep Sacred Space a Spiritual direction and Prayer site exclusively. If you want to add other options, create a new website and let Sacred Space link to the new site."
I look forward to hearing from you and to sharing some of the feedback with all our worldwide Sacred Space community. One person commented in the survey: "Many times I have received as much inspiration from the Feedback section as from the regular Sacred Space presentation, and that is not meant as any diminution of Sacred Space. Many a time the Feedback has left me in tears." May Lent and Easter be a time of many blessings for you and yours.
Gerry Bourke SJ
Editor of Sacred Space until December 2006,
Gerry continues to deal with much of the site's correspondence
Noticing the action of God's Spirit
Dear pray-ers in Sacred Space,
May I offer my warm appreciation to those who filled in the recent survey of Sacred Space. It is extraordinary that a demanding questionnaire could win such a generous response. I’m enormously encouraged by your comments. It brought home to me the blessings of our format, which is neither preachy nor coercive, and which can be accessed even in the small hours of the morning when the black dog of depression may growl into our sleep.
It was a joy to know that this praying community embraces so many Christians of all churches and none, lay and clergy, lapsed and practising, and those who are scrambling to return to the faith through what one describes as a desperate attempt to live by God’s word. We may imagine we are active in producing the website – but the survey reveals how much more active the Holy Spirit is in human hearts across every continent. Thank you, all who filled in the recent survey of Sacred Space.
- Paul Andrews, SJ
Paul writes many of Sacred Space's texts
and contributes to a number of other publications in Ireland and beyond
Richard's journey of forgiveness
On Ash Wednesday this lent I read a piece from Isaiah saying that if we truly repented then, the Lord would heal our wounds. I was touched by the prophet’s words as I often feel the need of healing in my heart particularly in these Spring months when new life is bursting out all around me, young and fresh ,full of energy and hope.
Just a few weeks later I was privileged to have such a healing experience when I met and interviewed Richard Moore, the founder of the international charity 'Children In Crossfire’.
Richard is from Derry in the north of Ireland and when he was ten years old he was blinded by a British soldier who fired a rubber bullet at him at point blank range. He was on his way home from his local school. His teacher found him lying on the ground and didn't even recognize him, his face and eyes were so badly injured. Although he was a completely innocent young boy whose life was irrevocably changed on that day he was never bitter and he says the faith and prayers of his parents saw to that. But for as long as he could remember he wanted to meet the soldier who shot him and recently, thirty years later he did just that. He got help to find out who the soldier was, and where he lived. He wrote to him and then travelled to the soldier’s home town to talk to him face to face. He tells the whole story wonderfully and it’s all very moving but what struck me most deeply was what he said about forgiveness.
Richard said that he wanted to meet the soldier to tell him he forgave him and when he met him that’s what he said. But after he did something in him changed and something paradoxical happened. He came to realize that the gift of forgiveness he thought he was bestowing on the soldier was actually a gift from God to himself. It didn’t even matter whether the soldier wanted or needed forgiveness; the gift freed Richard, leaving him with a sense of serenity and blessedness in his life. All through his boyhood his mother had wanted the impossible for him, that he would be given back his sight. He even woke up one night to find her on her knees by his bed pleading with God. When he met the soldier and forgave him, he believes his mother’s prayers were answered. He was given, as he says ‘a new vision’, his wound was healed. As he spoke to me I received a share in that vision and that healing power of forgiveness as a gift to the one who gives it. It’s there as a free gift for all of us, and I suppose, like Richard we really have to want it.
The interview became a two part series which will go out on local radio stations all over Ireland during Lent. It will be available as an audio file on Sacred Space. ( http://www.sacredspace.ie/lent/audio.htm ) so you can listen to it there.
For me, this is an experience of the healing God, working through the brokenness of our world the God so familiar to the prophet Isaiah and to all who suffer and struggle, seeking the face of a Risen God, on their Lenten journey.
- Pat Coyle
Pat is Manager of the Jesuit Communication Centre, Dublin
Lent - a time to Retreat
Thanks to those people who wrote back on their experience of the Sacred Space Lenten retreat. In particular, the exercise of writing down things that are not life-giving, and then the things that are life-giving and helpful, seems to have been useful. This is the essence of 'discernment' in Ignatian Spirituality, that is, how God is actively working within our life experience and indicates which way to go. Lent is about preparing people for Easter, that is, the Paschal mystery: the celebration of the death and Resurrection of Christ. Easter and Lent hangs upon understanding the depths of God's love for us in Christ's sacrifice on the cross ("no greater love.") and our response of humble acceptance (we don't really deserve it), self-examination and new life inspired by God's free gift. Realising that God always reaches out to us in love, frees us up to overcome any hurt or disappointment, allows us to make a new start and especially, make better decisions. This retreat is still available on: http://www.sacredspace.ie/lent/lent07
- Brendan McManus, SJ
The Sacred Space Advent Retreat 2006
and Lent 2007 Retreat were written by Brendan
Young adults give thanks for all the graces
Following an invitation at the popular Gospel Choir Mass in Dublin's Gardiner Street, Sylvia Gallagher was one of a group drawn together in Dublin by Slí Eile - a Jesuit young adult ministry. Here she writes about the experience of taking time out with others.
On the first Sunday of Advent 2006, I attended the Gospel Choir Mass in Gardiner Street. We received an unexpected invitation “This Advent let's prepare together and on-line!” .We were asked to pray daily using both the Sacred Space Advent Daily Reflections and Online One-Day Retreat. We were then invited to come together to share our prayer experience on Sunday 17 December 2006. The idea of taking time out of the Christmas rush to enjoy some Advent Reflection and sharing my Sacred Space prayer experience in friendly atmosphere really appealed to me.
A group of 22 of us gathered in Slí Eile Gardiner Street at 3:00 p.m., curious of what lay in store for us. Brendan McManus SJ welcomed us warmly and the group relaxed quickly following some warmup/centering exercises. A stillness descended on the group as Brendan led us through a summary of the major themes of the one-day Sacred Space Advent retreat through a slideshow presentation projected onto a large screen. We, who had had the opportunity to pray over the individual readings beforehand, revisited those places that had a special personal significance. Others who still had the retreat on their 'To do list' equally benefited from the inspirational, thought provoking summary.
Following a coffee break, we were invited to break into smaller sharing groups of about eight people. Here we were given the opportunity to share a little about what had come up for us during our Advent Experience today. It was lovely to have the opportunity to share with others who had equally been touched by the Sacred Space retreat.
Fernando Galligo SJ led our final session. We were invited to prayerfully accompany Mary during Advent as we journey towards Christmas. I was particularly challenged by Mary’s Advent of service as she served her cousin Elizabeth. During this prayerful session, we were treated to a lovely reflective slideshow, reflective guitar music etc and some time for silence and shared prayer.
We shared a lively, chatty, pizza tea catching up with old friends and making new. The group then joined the congregation at the Gardiner Street Gospel Choir Mass. Jimmy Blake, from our retreat group was invited to share a prayer of Advent blessing with all congregation on our behalf. Attending the Gospel Choir Mass together was the perfect way to gather and give thanks for all the graces we had received from the Advent retreat.
Come pray with us in Ireland
Retreats have been a popular part of Sacred Space, many people tell us how they benefited from taking time apart. We are glad to offer to Sacred Space pray-ers a chance to come together on retreat. We invite you to consider taking time with the Lord in the company of other people who use Sacred Space, directed by some of the Sacred Space team.
We have organised two dates with Manresa House in Dublin, Ireland.
- Monday 24 September to Friday 28 September 2007. Cost approx €250.
- Friday 28 March to 30 March 2008. Cost approx €150.
If you are interested in either of these dates, please visit this page where you will find further details.
Manresa House is a Jesuit Centre of Spirituality in north Dublin, situated on the shore of Dublin Bay. It offers en suite accommodation on extensive grounds. http://manresa.ie/
Discover the God of Surprises in Spain
Please note that this retreat is now fully booked.
Gerard W. Hughes SJ, author of God of surprises and God in all things, is organising an eight-day, ecumenical, inter-European retreat at Loyola, Spain. The retreat will be based on the Spiritual Exercises and is open to all 'searchers'. Gerry has in mind an individually directed retreat that will shape itself to the needs and desires of each participant. The common language will be English, but individual direction will be available in French, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish. There will be talks to the whole group on the first and last days, but otherwise the retreat will be silent. Cost €540. Contact: Loyola Retreat Secretary, Jesuits, 28 Lauriston St., Edinburgh, EH3 9DJ, +44 131 4775784, gwhughes[at]lauriston.org.uk
Sacred Space for Lent 2007 - the (little) book
Lent 2007 saw the publication of the first Sacred Space for Lent book. The pocket-sized publication proved to be immediately attractive to thousands and was soon into a third reprint.
We have noticed that the website and the book are not mutually exclusive. Many people who are regular users of the website find the book helpful and a number of visitors to site arrive because they have seen the reference in the print publication.
A very helpful addition to the Sacred Space 'library' has been a Readers' Guide developed by Emily Sipos-Butler and published by Ave Maria Press. You can download a copy from the Ave Maria Press Sacred Space for Lent 2007 page.
The Sacred Space 2007 book can still be ordered from Messenger publications www.messenger.ie. Orders for delivery within Europe will be made via secure online ordering on the website or by calling Vera at +353 1 6767491. Copies can also be ordered from the publishers Michelle Anderson Publishers, Ave Maria Press or Veritas or from your bookshop.
Spread the word about Sacred Space
To help in spreading the word about Sacred Space, you might:
- Check the web site of your local diocese, parish, or other similar organization. Do they have a link to Sacred Space? If not, why not recommend a link? To find out about linking to Sacred Space, click on one of the icons to the left to visit our Linking to Sacred Space page.
- Include a link on your homepages or blogs? Ask your friends to include a link to Sacred Space.
- Propose that your local newspaper (diocesan or otherwise) carry an article on Sacred Space? If you think they might be interested, do not hesitate to write and suggest one. There is plenty of material in past issues of Latest Space, or in the feedback of past years, archived from as far back as the year 2000. If you need more information, you might suggest that they contact us at feedback@sacredspace.ie.
- Consider a financial contribution to Sacred Space. This Lent might be a good time for you to support this international work that is appreciated by so many, as a look at the Feedback page will show you. You will find a number of options on 'Support Sacred Space' page including a recently introduced PayPal facility.