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Manresa Jesuit Spiritual Renewal Centre in Pickering. Manresa is
not a thing but a place – a small town in Spain near Barcelona where St.
Ignatius of Loyola stopped to meditate and pray in 1522. He had already laid
aside his sword and his worldly ways but his path to conversion was still
incomplete. He spent several months in a small cave doing battle with his
fiercest opponent: himself. He struggled with feelings of worthlessness and
despair as well as scrupulosity. In his autobiography he made it clear that he
was near collapse. But he weathered the storm and having achieved a
breakthrough he set off on the rest of his spiritual journey. The rest of his
life would be marked by this experience. It was characterized by a sense of
balance and the avoidance of extremes as well as the ability to see God in all
things. Today one can visit the small cave where he passed those difficult
months. It is now part of a large Jesuit church. During an Ignatian pilgrimage
to Spain led in May by Fr. Scott Lewis S.J., director of Pickering’s Manresa,
the pilgrims were able to celebrate Mass in this very cave.
But a trip to Spain – though very desirable and rewarding – is not
necessary to appreciate Manresa. Many Jesuit retreat houses throughout the
world take their name from this sacred place so it has come to denote an
experience of spiritual awakening. The retreat is about deepening one’s
relationship with God. Manresa has two very important tools for this quest. The
first is the beauty of God’s creation manifested in its 21 acres. The second is
something that our own culture cannot provide – silence.
Unplugging from a frenetic and noisy environment can refresh and renew the
body, mind, and spirit. Many who come for retreats wonder what two days of
silence will be like and whether they are up to the challenge. Most agree that
it was one of the richest and most consoling aspects of the retreat. The silence helps to create the conditions for
listening to the inner voice of the Spirit. It is in these serene surroundings that
Fr. Joe Pereira conducted a Meditation and Yoga workshop “ Loving the body back to life” through Intense Kripafoundation
Iyengar Yoga®. The programme
consisted of a talk and a practicum on using the body for Meditation. This workshop
was arranged with the help of Ms. Liz King WCCM co-ordinator, Ms. Grace Seroka-
Yoga teacher at Manresa retreat Centre and Mr. Donald D’Mello, and supported by
Fr. Gregory Hyde- Director Manresa Retreat Centre.
Fr.
Joe also met many prominent personalities and Friends
of kripa, especially Chief of Police Mr. Richard Matott city of
Bloomfield Hills in Michigan, prominent lawyer Mr. Patrick Cleary of Bloomfield
Hills and three girl students of theology who were particularly interested in “Contemplative
Prayer”
The
workshop was a grand success with participants returning home soaked in “The Silence of the Spirit” taught through
prayer and meditation by Fr. Joe, many looking forward to his next visit to
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Photographs
and Inputs submitted by
Donald D’Mello
Michigan, Detroit.
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