A Day of Grace - A Contemplative Prayer Experience
A Day of Grace - A Contemplative Prayer Experience30may9:00 am5:00 pm
Event Details
A Day of Grace
A Contemplative Prayer Experience
San Damiano Retreat Center
A day of reflection, renewal, and learning for experienced and new practitioners and leaders
Led by
Michael Cunningham, OFS
Executive Director, San Damiano Retreat Center
Steve West. East Bay
Contemplative Outreach
About This Day
This retreat brings together the ancient wisdom of Centering Prayer with the emerging practice of Sacred Noticing to offer participants a rich, integrated contemplative experience. Whether you are new to contemplative prayer or a seasoned practitioner, this day is designed to deepen your awareness of God’s presence in every moment and to explore what it means to leave a conscious spiritual footprint in the world.
Through teaching, guided practice, silence, sacred seeing, contemplative reading, and spiritual direction, you will encounter multiple doorways into the contemplative life—each one honoring the truth that thin places are not rare mystical events but the ground of ordinary life, available whenever we stop long enough to let wisdom catch up with our racing minds.
“Between what happens to you and what you do about it lies a space. This practice teaches you how to find it, expand it, and use it.”
Retreat Schedule
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
| 9:00 AM | Gathering and Opening Prayer
Michael Cunningham & Steve West Arrival, welcome, and settling into the rhythm of the day. We open with a brief prayer service, introductions, and an overview of the contemplative practices we’ll explore together. Participants are invited to set an intention for the day. • Welcome and prayer in the Chapel • Introductions and setting the container for the day • Overview of the contemplative practices: Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, Drifting Prayer, and Sacred Noticing ✦ Participants are encouraged to silence devices and enter into the spirit of the retreat from this first moment. |
| 9:30 AM | Introduction to Centering Prayer
Steve West – Contemplative Outreach An introduction to the prayer of consent—learning to rest in God’s presence without agenda, purpose, or intention beyond simply being available. Drawing from the teachings of Father Thomas Keating, this session offers instruction and a guided 20-minute Centering Prayer sit, followed by reflection. • The method of Centering Prayer: choosing a sacred word, sitting in silence, gently returning • Understanding the prayer of consent versus the prayer of petition • Guided 20-minute Centering Prayer period • Brief sharing and questions ✦ “God is within us, so why not let God do the praying?” — Thomas Keating |
| 10:45 AM | Morning Break and Silent Walk
A contemplative pause—refreshments and a silent walk in the San Damiano gardens. This is not a break from prayer but prayer in a different form: a “drifting prayer” where the encounter with God happens without agenda, purpose, or timing. Walk without destination. Let the grounds speak. ✦ Consider this a contemplative “sandwich”—the silence between two prayer sessions deepens both. |
| 11:30 AM | Lectio Divina: Contemplative Reading as Prayer
Steve West & Michael Cunningham An introduction to the ancient art of sacred reading—approaching Scripture not with analytical minds but with the ear0.4 s of the heart. Participants will be guided through the four traditional movements of Lectio Divina using a selected passage. • Lectio (Reading): Slowly receiving the text, listening for the word or phrase that shimmers • Meditatio (Meditation): Sitting with what has been received, allowing it to interact with your life • Oratio (Prayer): Responding to God from the heart—thanksgiving, petition, or simple presence • Contemplatio (Contemplation): Resting in wordless communion, beyond thought and image ✦ Lectio Divina teaches us to read all of life contemplatively—a skill Sacred Noticing extends into every moment. |
| 1:00 PM | Lunch and Silence
A shared meal taken in a spirit of mindful presence. Participants are invited to continue the contemplative atmosphere through the lunch hour. This is an opportunity to practice what Brother Lawrence called “the practice of the presence of God”—discovering that washing dishes can be as sacred as celebrating Mass. ✦ Those who wish may continue silent reflection in the gardens or chapel during the remainder of the break. |
| 2:00 PM | The Practice of Sacred Noticing
Michael Cunningham An introduction to Sacred Noticing—a contemplative practice that weaves mindfulness, contemplation, and conscious response into one flowing movement designed for everyday life. Unlike practices that focus on awareness alone or contemplation in isolation, Sacred Noticing completes the cycle from noticing through wisdom to action. • Notice: Bringing contemplative awareness to what is actually present, seeing beyond • Pause: Creating sacred space—the Three-Breath Method or simply resting in the • Respond: Acting from integrated awareness with wise, heart-centered action • Your Spiritual Footprint: Understanding the trace your presence leaves in every interaction ✦ “We don’t find thin places—we create them through the quality of attention we bring.” |
| 3:30 PM | Afternoon Break
A brief pause for quiet conversation before our closing sessions. |
| 3:45 PM | CONTEMPLATIVE COMMUNITY SESSION Spiritual Direction Interlude and Small Group Reflection |
Michael Cunningham & Steve West
An opportunity to integrate the day’s experiences through the ancient practice of spiritual companionship. Facilitators will offer brief spiritual direction prompts in small groups, creating space for participants to share what has emerged, what surprised them, and where they sense the Spirit’s invitation.
• Guided reflection prompts drawing from the day’s practices
• Small group sharing in triads or pairs • Discernment questions: What gave you life
today? Where did you encounter resistance? What is the Spirit inviting?
✦ This is not therapy or problem-solving—it is the contemplative art of listening for God’s movement in lived experience.
| 4:45 PM | Closing Prayer: and departure with Blessing
Michael Cunningham & Steve West A final gathering and prayer to weave together the threads of the day. ✦ The contemplative journey doesn’t end when the retreat ends. It begins again in every ordinary moment you choose to approach with sacred awareness. |
| 5:00 PM | Departure
Go in peace. Notice. Pause. Respond. Repeat. |
The Practices at a Glance
| Centering Prayer | The prayer of consent to God’s presence and action within. Choose a sacred word, sit in silence for 20 minutes, and gently return to your word when thoughts arise. The practice is in the gentle return, over and over, to your intention to be present to God. |
| Lectio Divina | Sacred reading through four movements: Lectio (reading slowly), Meditatio (sitting with what shimmers), Oratio (responding in prayer), and Contemplatio (resting in wordless communion).
An ancient practice dating to the 3rd century, formalized by St. Benedict. |
| ßSacred Noticing | A contemplative practice for daily life integrating awareness, reflection, and wise action: Notice what is present, Pause to create sacred space (using the Three-Breath Method or simply resting), and Respond from integrated awareness. Rooted in Franciscan spirituality and designed for everyday mystics. |
| Spiritual Footprint | The accumulated presence you leave behind in every interaction, every decision, every moment of your life. Like a stone thrown into a pond, the ripple effects of your spiritual presence touch everything around you. Everything we do has a spiritual cause and effect—the question is whether we are aware of it. |
Preparing for the Day
- Wear comfortable clothing suitable for both indoor sessions and walking the grounds
- Bring a journal or notebook for personal reflection
- Please silence all electronic devices upon arrival
- Come as you are—no prior contemplative experience is required
- Lunch and refreshments are provided
✞
“The contemplative journey doesn’t end when the retreat ends.
It begins again in every ordinary moment you choose to approach with sacred awareness.”
San Damiano Retreat Center
sandamiano.org
spiritualbreak.com
contemplativeoutreach.org
