Secular Spirituality Session 8 Going forth to Love And Serve

Spirituality Spirituality \Spir`it*u*al"i*ty\, n.; pl. [L. spiritualitas: cf. F. spiritualit['e].] 1. The quality or state of being spiritual; incorporeality; heavenly-mindedness or other-worldliness. (Eccl.) That which belongs to the church, or to a person as an ecclesiastic, or to religion, as distinct from temporalities. An ecclesiastical body; the whole body of the clergy, as distinct from, or opposed to, the temporality. Seeing all around us with different eyes and uniting the opposites by kenotic love

In the ordinary In the world What are your sacred spaces and places? Where do you encounter the holy Little clerics, we are not

Models of familiar Spirituality stem from – Monastic settings – Clerical settings, liturgies – Church settings Secular Spirituality/Sanctity requires us to look beyond the familiar

Christianity is forward looking, always seeking to Christify all of creation, the Cosmos, and through our active participation in Christian Life to make the love of God visible. We often prefer to be simply observers, to hold tight to the past, comfortable with what is know, afraid to risk becoming crucified love!

Shame-less plug Gospel to Life – Life to Gospel Listen to the Gospel, hear the words of the Eternal Word Contemplate Jesus “Is there any suffering like mine” the Mirror Put the Gospel into Action

The ultimate goals of Christianity To unify the temporal and spiritual world, living today, in the NOW and being an expression of kenotic love. Crucified Love. Seeking holiness in the every day ordinary world, the places made sacred by the Incarnation – God’s self-empting into fragile, messy humanity

By loving every facet of the world, to take it seriously, embrace it and transform it into the fullness of Christ. To actively participate with the Father’s co-re-creation of the world, by embracing the self-empting love of the Cross To actively bear God in us and bring him, like Mary to the world

Approach all life with: Gratefulness and Joy Different seeing eyes Sense of family Intrinsic goodness Openness Self-empting and joyful suffering

As we go back to our homes and fraternities, we can be spiritual guides and offer ourselves for our sisters and brothers. "Let us begin, for up to now, we have done nothing.“ St. Francis of Assisi