Blessed are the peacemakers
for they will be recognized as children of God.
— Matthew 5: 9
You are invited to take part in the 26th annual Contemplative Outreach United in Prayer Day on Saturday, March 17, 2018. This special vigil is dedicated to healing violence in ourselves and in the world. Contemplative life calls us to our own transformation and evolution — a call that's ever more urgent as news from all corners of the planet highlights the heartbreak of the human condition.
There are three ways to participate:
- Sign-up for a 30-minute prayer segment as part of a 24-hour worldwide prayer vigil;
- Search for local events near you on these websites;
- Create your own in-home retreat day with this suggested schedule.
You can learn more on this page.
"A creative vision releases an enormous amount of energy and can transform society beyond our wildest dreams. Divine empowerment is present. ... The power of the stars is nothing compared to the energy of a person whose will has been freed from the false-self system and who is thus enabled to co-create the cosmos together with God. God’s top priority is the creation of a world in which the goods of the earth are equitably distributed, where no one is forgotten or left out, and where no one can rest until everyone has enough to eat, the oppressed have been liberated, and justice and peace are the norm among the nations and religions of the world. Until then, even the joy of transforming union is incomplete. The commitment to the spiritual journey is not a commitment to pure joy, but to taking responsibility for the whole human family, its needs and destiny. We are not our own; we belong to everyone else."
— Thomas Keating in The Mystery of Christ
"Violence has an insidious grip on us ... and through prayer and practice, we can, even in the midst of violence, experience a calmness and peace, and the gentleness of God."
— Mary Margaret Funk, in a recorded interview, February 1, 2018
(Image credit: The Vulture and the Dove by William Congdon)