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Fr. Thomas looked at me with his wide-open, twinkling eyes and said, “What do you think?” Practically speaking, what went through my mind was, “I’m working as an art therapist/special educator (for which I had just received a master’s degree that year); my career path is set and I am on my way to achieving my life’s goal.” So, the response that came out of my mouth was, “I don’t have a degree in business administration and I’m not certain how to do this particular job … it is not what I was trained to do.” Fr. Thomas’s response was, in essence, “A degree is not necessary. The question is: are you willing to serve in this way?” I repeated, “I don’t know how to do this particular job.” Fr. Thomas replied, “Well, that’s just what we need – someone who doesn’t know how to do it!” For me, in the moment, there was an inexplicable inner movement of YES. I made my first consent, despite my state of not-knowing and lack of preparation. I was so moved, I felt called to say that ‘yes’ out loud! I was so moved, I felt called to say that ‘yes’ out loud! Taking the next steps … The executive director was a part-time volunteer position at that time, so I was able to do it while I kept my teaching/therapist position. As a single mother of three growing children, I needed the salary and benefits. The budding “organization” was tentative and none of us knew what God had in mind for us. We agreed to take it one step at a time. The first offering was an in-city retreat on Centering Prayer at St. Ignatius Church in New York, followed by other introductions at St. Jean the Baptist, and St. Francis of Assisi churches. The external form of Contemplative Outreach was very humble – a one page newsletter, a small shoebox filled with receipts and a checkbook. We eventually “invested” in an answering machine. We received one or two calls a week, mostly from people who had attended one of the events mentioned above. We were amazed and excited that people wanted to know about Centering Prayer groups that were forming in the city! More consent … and one more step. We were a transient group moving from one location to another as we were unable to pay rent. We looked 6 CONTEMPLATIVE OUTREACH NEWS DECEMBER 2009
for free space offered by religious communities, parishes and eventually the whole thing landed on my dining room table in early 1987. We graduated from a shoebox to a filing cabinet, an electric typewriter and our trusty old answering machine. Later that year, Fr. Thomas asked me again, with a twinkle in his eye, “You know we could really use you as a full time executive director, but we don’t have any money to pay you.” I said, “Well, I have my family to consider; they are growing and need food, shelter and benefits.” He said, “Well, I know that, but maybe we could try to give you something. Why don’t you figure out what you need in order to do this full time.” So I called my brother who was a financial advisor at the time, and I asked him what to do. He asked me several questions, “How long did it take you to get through graduate school?” I replied, “About seven years or so.” He asked “How much did it cost?” I replied, “$100,000.” He continued on with ‘how much money was I making at the time?’ … and many more questions. And finally he said, “Look, is this something you can give 200% of yourself to?” And without hesitating, I said ‘Yes!’ And he said, “Do it! You can always go back to teaching school, but if this is something that is really in your heart and you’re being called to – just do it.” Once more the spirit in me and the fruit of my Centering Prayer practice gave me the inner confidence to consent – Yes! Another consent … a movement to surrender Consent leads to commitment and commitment to another consent. In those early years, each person at Chrysalis House would make annual commitments to service and although Fr. Carl Arico and I didn’t live in the community, we felt very much a part of it, and we would gather with them and Fr. Thomas to make our annual commitments to service. We didn’t do a strategic plan. We made personal commitments to serve God through the work of Contemplative Outreach each in our own capacity. We would pray, discern and write our personal commitment statements. I’ve always felt that my call to service was a vocation to live a contemplative life and I would annually recommit to this. I still do this in my own private way. I believe God has called me to this work – and my Centering Prayer practice has given me the strength to deepen my commitment to consent … which moved more deeply into surrender with every consent. Consent transforms. Consent is love. Thy will be done! CONTEMPLATIVE OUTREACH NEWS DECEMBER 2009 7
Page 1 and 2: VOLUME 25 • NUMBER 1 • DECEMBER
Page 3 and 4: As I said, she became the epitome o
Page 5: From the President Gail Fitzpatrick
Page 9 and 10: The abbot said our intellect was al
Page 11 and 12: Fr. Carl J. Arico's S c h e d u l e
Page 13 and 14: Many of you are probably already pr
Page 15 and 16: eader contributions Opening Prayers
Page 17 and 18: eader contributions I was first int
Page 19 and 20: Prayer for Living w Prayer for Dyin
Page 21 and 22: Ordinary Level of Awareness Spiritu
Page 23 and 24: events Calendar of Events JANUARY-
Page 25 and 26: events Deeper Center, Living Prayer
Page 27 and 28: directory Directory For a complete
Page 29 and 30: directory Springfield Mary Loraine
Page 31 and 32: directory Sherbrooke, QC Fr Bernard

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