QUEZON City, March 7, 2015—Let nothing disturb thee!
Everyone, particularly those who have the courage to embark on a more mature spiritual life is invited to take part in the forthcoming Prayer Congress to be held on March 15, Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena, Pasay City.
Happy b-day, Teresa
Dubbed “Prayer, A Dialogue of Love,” the event set to mark the 500th birth anniversary of St. Teresa of Ávila, a genius of contemplation and first female Doctor of the Church, aims to “herald prayer as an experience of friendship and a deepening encounter with Christ.”
According to the National Commission for the Celebration of the Fifth Birth Centenary of St. Teresa of Ávila, the Spanish mystic consistently pointed out that the goal of contemplative life is apostolic and ecclesial.
Her sensibility invites the faithful to see and discern what is happening today in the secularized and post-modern world, with the relativism prevalent in the West fast becoming a global reality, said the event organizers.
God’s dwelling place
They add that despite threats to human dignity, Teresa’s vision of the person as the “dwelling place of God, open to communion with Him as a friend, able to welcome Him at the center of the Castle, his soul,” can help t he faithful re-evaluate it.
Meanwhile, Carmelites in the Philippines express hope that celebrating St. Teresa of Ávila’s fifth birth centenary through a prayer congress is a providential opportunity which allows them to share with everyone the way of prayer as taught to them by their spiritual mother.
Carmelites et al
Besides members of the Carmelite family (friars, nuns, and seculars), the event’s expected participants include priests and seminarians, members of other orders, professionals and college students, lay associations, parish-mandated organizations, parish pastoral council and commissioned ministers, and transparochial communities.
The congress is programmed to facilitate encounter with Christ through liturgical and contemplative prayer —Liturgy of the Hours, chants, silent prayer, presentations on the prayer of Christ and the Church, Teresian prayer from the point of attraction to intimate friendship, and tracking St. Teresa—capped by Eucharistic celebration.
Free tickets
Admission to the event is free, but interested parties are advised to reserve MOA Arena-issued tickets and register in advance by contacting: (02) 722-46-67, (02) 721-42-52, (02) 710-26-41, 0939-9207-365, 0906-5732-305; Email: teresa500philippines@gmail.com.
Tickets are also available at St. Paul’s stores in the following locations: St. Paul’s Main, SM City North Edsa; SM City Manila; SM City South Mall; SM City Dasmariñas; SM City Bacoor; SM Mega Mall; SM Mall of Asia; SM City San Fernando; and Gateway Mall.
For more information, interested parties may visit: http://teresa500philippines.com/main/. (Raymond A. Sebastián/CBCP News)
