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THE REALITY OF THE UNSEEN: Looking at Mysticism and Religious Experience as a Gift of Being Human
Monday, March 20- Wednesday, March 22
This retreat will reveal and illumine our inner experience of God, in its subtle and dramatic forms. Being human is acknowledging our dependence on the Unseen, the Transcendent, the Creative Source — God. Made in God’s image and likeness, mystics experience this more-than-human knowing and loving that comes from their Creator. Are we not all called to be in mystical communion with God? Paying attention to God’s interventions in saintly lives can illumine our personal path of religious experience that draws us closer to God and to our true selves. The works of William James, Evelyn Underhill, and Bernard McGinn will be a few sources in our explorations.
Presenters:
FR. FRANCIS BENEDICT has been a monk of Valyermo since 1967. He earned an MA in Philosophy from Loyola-Marymount University and an MS in Theology from Mt. Angel in Oregon. He was ordained a priest in 1976. He served as the Abbey’s abbot for 16 years. His special areas of ministry include spiritual direction, preaching retreats, and working with 12-step recovery groups. In addition to many responsibilities at the Abbey, he now serves as the Director of Oblates
TONY VERHALLEN is a retired high school teacher. He taught courses on Ethics, Church History, and Scripture at Pius X High School in Downey, St. Bernard High School in Playa del Rey, and Servite High School in Anaheim. He does volunteer work for the Western Service Workers Association, an organization that assists low-income families, and weekly conducts discussions and reflections on the Scriptures at St. Boniface parish in Anaheim.
