What
topics does the course cover?
This
introductory course covers three key areas:
-
The first steps in the spiritual life: what
are these steps, how should we understand them and how might we best
accompany others in these stages. In particular, how can we discern
what is helpful to support spiritual growth through understanding the
person and the action of the grace of God.
-
What is covered by the term spiritual direction: what
it is and is not, the traditions and different schools of spiritual
direction and how they have evolved, the levels and types of
discernment and how the needs of the individual change as they grow
spiritually.
Where
does spiritual accompaniment and spiritual direction fit in:
responsibility
for our own spiritual life and the invitation to support others on
the journey, how this serves growth and what, from a practical
perspective, do we need to keep in mind.
This
course will draw on the teachings of the Desert Monks and those of
three doctors of the Church who wrote extensively on this topic - St
John of the Cross, St Teresa of Avila and St Therese of Lisieux.
Please
note that this introductory course lays the groundwork for the follow
up course on Spiritual Direction which we hope to run later in 2015
and attendance is therefore a pre requisite for anyone wanting to do
the follow up course.
Where
and when is the course taking place?
The
course will take place at St Mary of the Angels, Moorhouse Road,
Bayswater, London, W2 5DJ on Saturday 13th, 20th and
27th June from 10am - 4:30pm.
The
course will be taught by Jean Khoury, a theologian who has studied
and taught Spiritual Life in the Church for over 20 years. As well as
lecturing world-wide on spiritual life and meditation, Jean is the
author of several books, articles and studies on spiritual life and
the founder of the School of Mary, a 3 level formation in spiritual
life
(www.amorvincit.com).
Jean obtained a degree in Philosophy and a Masters in Spiritual
Theology from
the Institut Catholique de Toulouse (France) and holds a Licence in
Theology from the Teresianum (Rome). He is currently completing his
PhD in Spiritual Theology at the Angelicum (Rome) with Monsignor
François-Marie Léthel. Jean is based in the Archdiocese of
Westminster, London, UK.
Costs
Fees:
£75.00 for the full course. £50 deposit to book a place before the
course starts with remaining balance to be paid on 13th June.
Any
pre requisites?
In
order to get the most from the course, participants will need to have
a reasonable understanding of the goal and stages of the spiritual
life. As such, the course is open to:
Participants
who have already attended the School of Mary course on "Introduction
to the Spiritual Life".
Participants
whose background has given them a basic appreciation of the key
concepts needed. If you are in this latter group, we will ask you to
send us a short (1-2 paragraph) summary of what you would like to get
out of the course and any previous experience you may have in
accompanying others in the spiritual life so that we can make sure
the course is a good fit for what you need.
How
do I sign up?
As
the venue can only accommodate 25 and we expect demand for this
course to be high, participants will need to register and pay in
advance:
Participants
who have already attended the School of Mary course on "Introduction
to the Spiritual Life" should register for this course by
emailing schoolofmarylondon@gmail.com
and we will be in touch to provide details on how to pay.
Those
who would like to attend but who have not completed the "Introduction
to the Spiritual Life" course should email
schoolofmarylondon@gmail.com
with a short (1-2 paragraph) summary of what you would like to get
out of the course and any previous experience accompanying others in
the spiritual life so that we can make sure the course is a good fit
for what you need, answer any specific questions you may have and, if
appropriate, register you for the course.
Contact
: Should
you have any questions about the course then please contact
schoolofmarylondon@gmail.com
or
call Fiona on 07702 37 17 57.
