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Living Prayer Lecture Series

The Contemplative School of Mary – Fr John Grennan, OCD

Saturday 2nd April 2022 – 10am- 12 noon – in person lecture Boars Hill

“The devotion of Mary is one of the most delightful flowers in Carmel’s garden. I should like to call it a sunflower… It is characteristic of this flower to turn itself towards the sun and moreover it is an image of the son…. the flower itself represents the soul created after God’s image in order to absorb the sunlight of God’s bounty… Such a flower was Mary.

Blessed Titus Brandsma

The scriptures and Christian tradition have always proposed particular individuals as models to emulate (cf. Matthew 11:29, 1 Corinthians 4:16, 11:1,1 Peter 2:21). Mary, the mother of Jesus, is one figure in biblical history and in Christian memory who is revered as a model of the contemplative. In Carmelite spirituality, she is the archetypal figure who engaging with the word of God and docile to the Holy Spirit allows God to transform her in divine blessedness and beauty, the marvels, for which she magnifies God (Luke 1:49).

This weekend’s theme will explore the figure of Mary as ‘Blessed and Beautiful’ who’s life can be a model for those who seek a deeper relationship with Christ through praying in the spirit of Carmel. Reflection from the Gospels that highlights Mary’s experiences in the life and ministry of Jesus will help towards a deeper appreciation of our own blessedness; give insight on how to pray like Mary the perfect contemplative; and help us understand God’s unrelenting desire that will be reflections of divine beauty.

Registration includes:

• two hours of live presentation.
• a month’s access after the live-presentation of the recorded video.

Meet your Presenter

A new Provincial of the Discalced Carmelite Anglo-Irish Province – Father John Grennan, O.C.D. – was installed at their Provincial Chapter held at Avila Carmelite Centre in Dublin between 27th and 31st July 2020. Father John previously served in this role 2002-08. In 2009 he was elected to the General Council of the Discalced Carmelites in Rome where he served for six years. From 2015 he served in the Derry community of his Province.