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Prayer Guides Course – AVILA CENTRE IN DUBLIN

ABOUT THE COURSE

The Prayer Guides Course is intended for those who desire to deepen their prayer experience and feel called to accompany others who turn to them for support on their spiritual journey. As part of the course, there will be experiential sessions in which aspects of prayer – forms of prayer, difficulties in prayer, aids to prayer, etc. – will be explored. Presentations on basic skills for leading prayer sessions in different contexts, and on listening skills and relationship dynamics will form part of the course. The Prayer Guides course is, therefore, suitable for a wide range of people: those who work in pastoral settings (hospitals, chaplaincies, prisons, spiritual direction and retreat ministries) and those who realise the importance of prayer in their lives and are seeking a deeper relationship with God and support and encouragement in their search.

The Prayer Guides Course is not intended as an academic programme; the course will be mainly experiential and formative. Participants will be invited to take an active part in spiritual conversation, workshops and small group sharing. It will also include essential reading, intended as a framework and support for the ongoing process of prayer, reflection and growth. For participants, it will offer the opportunity to be nourished by the rich treasures of Christian prayer with particular reference to the Carmelite tradition – and at the same time to explore their own prayer journey and share this experience with others.

VISION

To form people of prayer who are equipped to accompany those who may turn to them for support on their spiritual journey. The course acknowledges other Christian or Catholic traditions of prayer or spiritual formation but draws primarily from lived Carmelite spirituality in preparing course participants to be a prayerful presence in the world.

AIMS OF THE COURSE

  • To form people of prayer in a ten-week course over five months
  • To encourage an experience of living and praying with an online praying community
  • To encourage intimacy with God
  • To broaden an understanding of the variety of approaches to prayer
  • To enrich and deepen the prayer life of course participants
  • To equip the participant to be competent accompaniers for others in their prayer life and experience
  • To encourage learning, exploring and practicing forms of prayer in the Christian tradition

LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • All graduates of the course will have a deep and comprehensive understanding of the experience of prayer in a way that is enriching and empowering
  • An understanding of prayer as an experience of intimacy with God
  • The ability to accompany people and help people to grow in their prayer and spiritual life
  • A deep knowledge of the contemplative tradition of Christian spirituality
  • An appreciation of our core identity as Beloved of God, informed by insights from Carmelite saints
  • A deep knowledge of the history of Carmelite spirituality, its biblical roots and where it sits within the history of Christian spirituality and in particular contemplative Christian spirituality.
  • Gaining a deep knowledge of the life, writing and teachings of significant Christian mystics: Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Therese of Lisieux, Elizabeth of the Trinity and Brother Lawrence. The candidates will have appropriated the disciplines they illuminate so compellingly: silence, solitude, community, contemplation, presence, prayer, listening, discernment, hospitality and integration.
  • A portfolio of resources on prayer and spiritual formation which can be a source for personal spiritual enrichment, e.g., journaling, images, symbols, etc.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

The Prayer Guides Course is open to all who wish to deepen their experience and knowledge of prayer and to explore the journey of prayer with others. Requirements for the course are:

  • Commitment to one’s prayer life
  • Heartfelt desire to draw from the rich tradition of Carmelite spirituality in deepening one’s prayer experience
  • Attendance (we understand that life does sometimes get in the way)
  • Prepare a short reflection paper each month
  • Keep a learning journal
  • Keep a portfolio

Key Features

The following are the key features of our unique programme.

  • Hybrid Model: The unique combination of live-presentation sessions and online support through a phased release of learning resources makes it possible for people with various jobs and other commitments to have access to the programme without needing to give up these other commitments.
  • On-Demand: As the full course and all learning resources are accessible online, this makes it possible for people to participate on the course from anywhere in the world.
  • Focused in Structure and Approach: The course modules taught over a ten-month period by seasoned experts explore in depth the essential aspect in the topic of prayer and spiritual formation. They are delivered with sustained momentum which facilitates continuous learning while allowing dedicated time for exploring and experiencing the key features in the contemplative practice of prayer.
  • Contemplative in Focus: The programme is intent on introducing participants to, and immersing them in, formats of learning and the practice of prayer that will encourage them to grow in intimacy with God and in their own capacity for contemplative awareness, which is a way of being, living, seeing, listening and perceiving reality in an integrated and holistic fashion.
  • Authentically Catholic: Our Programme is based on an understanding of prayer in the Catholic Tradition rooted in Sacred Scripture.
  • Ecumenical in Outreach: Christians of all faith traditions are welcome on the Programme and our selection process deliberately encourages this diversity. Our Programme recognises that the Spirit is at work in all Christian traditions and so offers a forum where the mutual enrichment of Christians from diverse faith traditions, ministerial experiences, as well as educational and cultural backgrounds, can be made possible.
  • Carmelite Tradition as Foundation: Our Programme is founded on a tradition with an 800-year history from which has emerged a host of great saints and writers who have enriched the Church and guided countless pilgrims along the road of prayer. Saint Teresa of Avila is officially known in the Church as the Doctor of Prayer in recognition of her eminent teaching on prayer and the spiritual life. Her work and those of other saints in the Carmelite tradition such as John of the Cross, Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, Thérèse of Lisieux, Elizabeth of the Trinity and Edith Stein illuminate so compellingly the disciplines appropriate to the life of prayer: solitude, silence, community, contemplation, presence, listening and discernment.
  • Led by Seasoned Practitioners: All who contribute to our programme – speakers, mentors and facilitators – are experts in their fields with many years of experience in striving to lead a dedicated prayer life. Each member of the team has completed the required formation in the Carmelite contemplative tradition and is faithful to living a contemplative lifestyle (a mindful attunement to the Divine Presence and integration of prayer practices into their daily lives).
  • Accompanier-Guided: Throughout the Programme, personal and interpersonal care remain in view. The accompanier’s role is to support and assist course participants, both one-on-one and in a small group. Accompaniers help to facilitate participants’ engagement with the learning process, integration of the insights from shared guidance and discernment of the journey towards ownership of the gift of prayer.
  • Experiential and Practical Learning: Each course module facilitates experiential and practical learning by providing opportunities for growth and integration gained from personal reflection and communal activities.
  • Individually Guided Prayer: Online prayer guidance will be offered as an essential part of the Prayer Guides Course, and the Week of Online Individually Guided Prayer will be an integral part of the course.

Schedule

Saturdays 9:00am-5:30pm


9:00am – 9:15am   Welcome, Introduction and Opening Prayer

9:15am – 10:00am           Session One

10:00am – 10:30am         Break

10:30am – 11:40am         Session Two

11:40am – 12:15pm         Small Group Conversation

12:15pm – 12:35pm         Plenary/Discussion Session

12:35pm – 12:50pm         Guided/Silent Prayer

1:00pm – 2:00pm            Lunch

2:00pm – 3:00pm Emmaus Walk Prayer Exercise

3:00pm-3:15pm                Follow-up on the Main Theme of the Day

3:15pm – 4:00pm              Study Text – Way of Perfection Chap 11-22

4:00pm – 4:20pm              Break

4:20pm – 5:00pm              Workshop – Moving into Practice – In small groups

5:00pm – 5:20pm              Plenary Session

5:20pm – 5:30pm              Guided Closing Prayer


The second half of the in person session days of the course have a three-fold aim:

  • To ensure a firm grasp of the main themes, expanding and deepening them as necessary
  • To facilitate personal assimilation of the teaching that is presented, through the opportunity for prayer, through journaling and through spiritual conversation in small groups
  • To facilitate a capacity to articulate what has been assimilated and to practise it using the knowledge and insights gained to foster prayer in others, through spiritual conversation in small groups, practical sessions and preparatory work for these sessions.

On most days one topic raised on one Saturday will be the focus for the workshop of the following session so that there will be two weeks in which to think about it, read and prepare the required activity. Some activities will be modelled first by the tutors.

Registration and Next Steps

STEP 1:

To register please complete the registration form.
Any questions please email admin@carmelite.org.uk

STEP 2:

Proceed to payment

Cost

One off payment

£580

(For alternative payment options, please call us on 07849 596572
or email: admin@carmelite.org.uk)