CANDLEMAS 2016
Over the next few weeks I will be helping with a ‘Crowdfunding’ Appeal for the #Oratio Project on a fundraising platform called Indiegogo. The appeal is for help to build a Sanctuary of Peace (see illustrations). The project needs £350,000, which is a lot of money, but it is a worldwide appeal for a great cause. I am asking everyone I know (family & friends and associates) to support it because the more people support it the greater the possibility of success. The link at the bottom of the page will take you to the Oratio Page on the Indiegogo site, which will explain it the project in detail.
Some of you already know that this appeal by the Order of Dionysis & Paul is to raise funds to build the first of a network of spiritual houses (Sanctuaries of Peace) that will facilitate a new model of monasticism that consists of men and women living the #contemplative life whilst dwelling in the secular world.
To those who do not know what this Appeal is about, the ‘new model’ of monasticism is neither new nor is it a radical departure from what we already know; but it is revolutionary – indeed it always has been – because it is for everyone, without exception, an alternative to the perpetual merry-go-round of a secular culture driven by consumerism. It applies equally to men and women, to young and old, to rich or poor, to those who are either pursuing a busy secular career or running a busy household.
There is no requirement of membership other than a willingness to engage with the ‘interior life’, because the monastic ideal has embodied from its beginning more than seventeen hundred years ago, and continues to embody today, the principle of ‘spiritualising’ one’s life, which is an interior objective that is achievable whether we live in the wilderness or in an urban environment.
In either case it entails entering into the interior ‘wilderness’ of the soul – a solitary endeavour that is the essence of monasticism – to engage in the daily observance of Prayer and Meditation through which we may learn something of our own spiritual nature and become aware of the Divine Presence not only within ourselves but within all living things. Such a way of life enables us to accept the challenges we encounter as opportunities to transform our own unruly nature (the wilderness), and ‘make a difference’ every single day of our life.
It is this change of focus that constitutes the new model of #monasticism, a change capable of uniting the secular and the spiritual dimensions of our life thereby empowering us to bring meaning and purpose into our lives and the lives of our families and friends; linking us with a growing community of people living the contemplative life – the greatest of all undertakings.
What you will be funding
#The Order of Dionysis & Paul, a Christian religious order of men and women who have followed this model for more than fifty years is seeking to raise £350,000 to build the first Sanctuary of Peace, a spiritual centre based upon traditional patterns of the ancient British Church that will provide the space and opportunity for people following this path to periodically withdraw from the world to spend time in silence, prayer, meditation and spiritual discourse.
Run by members of the Order of Dionysis & Paul, the #Sanctuary of Peace, will;
a) Enable men and women to explore the spiritual way of life as part of a wider community of people interested in the contemplative life;
b) Provide the opportunity for people to withdraw from the world to spend time in the silence, in prayer, in meditation and in spiritual discourse, following the example set by the spiritual communities established by the ancient British Church and lived today by the members of the Order of Dionysis & Paul.
The monies raised will purchase the land and pay for the build of the Sanctuary of Peace, which will be constructed using low-tech, low-impact straw-bale technology, resulting in an organic structure that harmonises with the environment and minimizes the energy used and carbon dioxide generated in its construction. This low-tech approach will significantly reduce the amount of energy required to construct the building, and, because of the insulating properties of the materials used, will save energy and minimise carbon dioxide in heating and cooling. Energy will be generated using solar panels for both hot water and electricity.
To make this project happen it needs your support!
http://igg.me/at/oratioproject/x/12787565
Ways in which you can help
- Contribute to the Project fund, every little helps.
- Find us on Facebook, like our page and share with your friends.
- Tell others about about our campaign.
http://igg.me/at/oratioproject/x/12787565
