Next YCG Meeting
Saturday 28 January 2023
There are more on our side of the grille, but we are having very deep and reflective conversations about St Teresa's stages of prayer. In December we studied the second way of 'watering the garden' - that is, of a water wheel, which yields more water with less effort: the beginnings of the 'living water' promised by Jesus.
In October we began a series on St Teresa's teaching on prayer using her image of four ways of watering a garden. The first way - drawing water in a bucket from a well - is very laborious. When a person begins to pray, it is necessary to apply oneself to meditating on the life of Jesus.
On Saturday 27 February 2021 we resumed our YCG meetings after the long break due to the pandemic. Our topic was: 'And It was very Good': Asceticism for the Lenten Season
We discussed some insights from our Carmelite Sister Ruth Burrows
February 2020
Following the recent visit of the Relics of St Therese and her parents, Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, we began with an audio visual presentation on Therese and a reflection
on Therese's prayer for priests. Those who had spent time with the Relics,
either here or elsewhere, also shared their impressions.
Saturday 30 November 2019
Our topic was 'A Humble Heart' - the third prerequisite for a life of prayer
as explained by St Teresa in 'The Way of Perfection'
Our topic for October was 'A Free Heart'
St Teresa tells us there are three things that are absolutely essential for anyone wanting to live prayerfully. In August we studied the first: a loving heart. This is the second. The NET UQ Chaplaincy Team bolstered our numbers and we had some really engaging discussion.
13 April was the eve of Palm Sunday, so we took St. Teresa's 'Way of Perfection' chapter 26 to help us stay close to Jesus in his suffering and death, the topic being:
'Praying with St Teresa - Walking with Jesus through Holy Week’
Our 2019 meetings began on the feast of the Presentation with the topic
'Praying the Scriptures with Mary: an Invitation to Lectio Divina'
Our topic on 6 October was 'Back to the Gospel - The Message of Thérèse of Lisieux' and we had a big group from UQ joining us. Several didn't make it into the photo. We said good-bye to Katherine and Michael who are finishing up with NET and returning home - Katherine all the way to the USA.
Our August topic was 'The Loneliness of Jesus: Insights from St Teresa
and the Gospel of Mark
Our topic in June was 'St Therese of Lisieux - Her Discovery of Love'
Notice Ariel has leaped through the grille? She entered Carmel in February.
On 3 February 2018 we continued our themes from 'The Spiritual Canticle'
of St John of the Cross with the topic: 'Immersion in God's Beauty'
We said goodbye to Hien who is entering the Benedictines at Jamberoo next weekend. She is starting to feel a little nervous, but looks very peaceful and happy. We will keep her in our prayers.
It was also Aushra's last time with us, before she returns home to Lithuania.
We remember all those who have been part of our YCG and hope they have come a little closer to God through our Carmelite spirituality.
At present we are reflecting on some themes from the 'Spiritual Canticle'
Our first meetings in 2017 focused on different aspects of the spirituality of St Therese of Lisieux. Then we started looking at St. John of the Cross's poem: 'The Spiritual Canticle'
During Advent we reflected on 'Waiting in Silence and Prayer with St Elizabeth of the Trinity'
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