Spirituality - Pilgrims in Search

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience;

             we are spiritual beings having a human experience."               

The above quotation from Teilhard de Chardin is at the root of much of what is offered by Thornhill Ministries.  In the journey of life, we hunger for God, hunger for meaning.  We embrace and are nourished by the wisdom of others who have been committed to the search and  have discovered a roadmap for the journey.  We form and shape a spirituality by imbibing the learnings, following the examples, assimilating the truths of life.  Through this spirituality, we find our particular way of relationship to our God, to others and to our world.

Thornhill Ministries is committed to helping pilgrims who are searching . . . by  providing laneways and pathways, stepping stones and milestones that will give meaning to the journey and bring us to our ultimate destination with integrity and wholeness.

Pilgrim Road 

Setting out on the road I take with me the giveness of life

the fingerprint of parents who were the first

to mould me and to offer me a compass

- And on the way I climb I fall I walk I rest

I stop I stumble I catch a breath

that through reflection I come to know

how joy and pain and love and hurt

collaborate to subtly mould and shape

- I make connections.

    Sister Perpetua McNulty

As one who has found your way to this website, maybe you might also find a stopping-point at one of our programmes, where your soul might sing a song and your heart will  sense an inner prompting of the Spirit. . . . . . .   

MEDITATION

Meditation and Contemplation are core components of true prayer.  Committed  to finding pathways for spirituality, Thornhill Ministries provides distinctive programmes that assist growth in the capacity for meditation.  The context for the meditation programmes is a group situation but the experience is individual.  In many other aspects of the work here, meditation is the gentle thread woven into the bigger fabric of reflection and formation.

Moments of Meditation

Thornhill Ministries offers meditation evenings,  making use of art, poetry and classical music.  Pieces from each of these creative/expressive genres are chosen to speak to the particular theme for a meditation evening.  As the series progresses, the capacity of the participants to enter into the silence increases.  The evenings are held termly and usually last for 4 to 6 weeks.  As 'Moments of Meditation' is one of our more popular courses, it is advisable to book early.  The nature of these evenings, which ensure that individuals have their own space, means that numbers have to be restricted.

First Steps in Meditation

For those hearing the call to stillness, a short course on the beginnings of meditation is on offer from Thornhill Ministries.  Each session in this initial course is comparatively short but allows for incremental increase in time as the weeks unfold.

SCRIPTURE MEDITATION

A course using Scripture verses for meditation is offered from time to time by ourselves.  It provides a structured method that leads into meditation.  This course is usually held in the morning and lasts no longer than 50 minutes.  The programme for each session oscillates between a reading of the Scripture verses and extended periods of stillness.  Many who participate in the Scripture meditation are attracted to it because of the nourishment they receive from God's Word and the opportunity to allow that word to take root in their hearts.