The following comes from a Sept. 22 story in the Daily Journal (San Mateo County and northern Santa Clara County).
If you’re looking for a chance to truly relax, the Mercy Center in Burlingame has the event for you Sept. 26.
Elizabeth Murray of Monterey is visiting the center for a daylong retreat called Harvesting The Gifts of Autumn focused on mindfulness. Murray wrote the book Living Life in Full Bloom, which was released in April and covers “120 daily Practices to deepen your passion, creativity and relationships.” She suggests gardening, art and other paths to happiness.
“It’s a time to slow down and go inward and spend some time in the gardens,” she said.
Activities for the retreat include making wind wishes, making positive affirmations, walking in silence, drawing, poetry reading and gardening.
“What I have found is when we have really busy lives, if we can have some time in silence in a quiet place that’s beautiful it makes time go longer and deeper; it’s really healing,” she said. “I’m hoping we will have some humor, reflections, a combination of play, spontaneity and delight. Whether someone is a busy executive, a mother or retired, it’s good to give ourselves time to have spiritual renewal.”
Meditation is going mainstream, she said.
“Being busy even online, it’s very different than relaxing by unplugging and sitting in nature,” she said. “It really gets us more attuned. Even Google is offering meditation; the most high-strung people are realizing how silence and time in nature really helps them reboot themselves. … A lot of times people are so tense and cramped up and they don’t even realize their bodies are in pain. It’s kind of like if you want to put flowers in a vase; you want to clean it up first.”
Murray lives in a historic house in Monterey with cottages on her property that she rents out to artists. She teaches workshops on photography, painting and life mapping and hosts an art show every year. She also travels around lecturing. Additionally, in 1985, she helped restore Monet’s garden in France. For the past 30 years, she’s gone back to France every year and photographed it. She wrote the best-selling book Monet’s Passion: Ideas, Inspiration, and Insights from the Painter’s Gardens featuring these photographs.
Murray has local ties to the area. Although she grew up in Tiburon, her cousins lived on the Peninsula. She was raised Catholic and her uncle Frank is a retired priest in Burlingame. She’s explored different religions since.
“The tradition of Catholicism gives you a lot of ritual,” she said. “I’ve also had a lot of death in my life. It teaches you about the cycle of life and teaches you to live fully.”
As a child, she said she was taught to garden by little old ladies.
“I grew up in Marin County and was able to run around as a kid,” she said. “It becomes a sanctuary for you and I used it for renewal and for a spiritual place.”
The upcoming retreat is the perfect time of year, she said, as everyone is getting ready for the harvest. Even though it is a workday, Murray says it’s a way of giving oneself a mini vacation to renew and get in touch with his or her soul.
“It’s a time for someone to give themselves a gift of reflection,” she said. “As they prepare to go into the holidays, rather than go into it with franticness, they can go in with a little more depth and clarity. It’s a time to really reflect on the gifts given and received.”
The Mercy Center is pleased to have Murray onboard for the retreat. Mercy Center Director Suzanne Buckley notes the Sisters of Mercy opened their doors to everyone 33 years ago.
“Even though it’s a Catholic retreat center, we welcome people from all faith traditions and no faith traditions,” Buckley said. “What Elizabeth is about – creativity, art, nature – those are the values of the Sisters of Mercy. It’s about finding the creative part of you as a way to be enriched. … We made short programs because we know the Bay Area is really fast paced and we are trying to accommodate people who want a break.”
To read the original story, click here.
“The tradition of Catholicism gives you a lot of ritual,” she said. “I’ve also had a lot of death in my life. It teaches you about the cycle of life and teaches you to live fully.”
What does she mean by this? Gives a lot of rituals? Sounds like a person who does not understand her Catholic faith. So now people need retreats on how to garden? Wow, last I heard, our local gardening store had some free classes on gardening and such. Lets pray that Miles Christi will grow and use their facilities to hold their wonderful silent retreats using the spiritual exercises of St, Ignatius.
Monterey is a lovely area but sorry to say, its a very liberal area. Not surprised about the tone of this article. Maybe I’m understanding it wrong, If I am, my apologies.
Abeca, I don’t think she is Catholic although she has an uncle that is a Catholic priest. This is not a religious retreat. Here is a page with her “Spirit Weaver” ideas.
https://www.organicgardening.com/living/21-ways-to-live-life-in-full-bloom?page=0,3
From the article above: “Even though it’s a Catholic retreat center, we welcome people from all faith traditions and no faith traditions,” Buckley said. “What Elizabeth is about – creativity, art, nature – those are the values of the Sisters of Mercy. It’s about finding the creative part of you as a way to be enriched.”
(Notice how they did not include spirituality in that list.)
I find this article curious…my parents, grandparents, myself, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, neighbors etc. all love or loved gardening, creativity, praying (what she renames meditating) and relaxing..it’s what people have done for thousands of years. Why is it when some air head in California discovers these common activities they feel compelled to have seminars, meetings, form esoteric cults and retreats? It’s like a teenager discovering sex for the first time…no one’s ever done it before!! What goes around comes around…ho hum.
PS I don’t mean to imply that Ms. Murray is an airhead! I was speaking metaphorically, naturally!!
The Sisters of Mercy of the Americas are SOME but not all of the ringleaders in the
LCWR (Leadership Conference of Women Religious), and
NETWORK (related to Nuns on the Bus).
These women could be teaching your children (who in this case would be better off in public schools).
The idolatry of the RSM is placed in’ creativity, art, nature’ above God.
The Bible and the CCC are insignificant to them, and they do not teach from them.
They should not be allowed to call themselves ‘Catholic’.
Athiest George Soros has been funding some of the heretical nuns activities.
https://www.laetificatmadison.com/2012/07/soros-funded-faith-in-public-life-handling-pr-for-nuns-on-the-bus/
and see:
“Obama’s Counterfeit Catholics” – https://www.churchmilitant.tv/cia/02fake/
with documentation.
Melody H thanks for the information.
The Sisters of Mercy are heretical, counterfeit “Catholics!” When questioned, after Vatican II– many religious orders stated that they had to expand their schools and retreat centers, to accommodate current liberal “hippie” fads and fancies, because they could no longer operate as Catholic– they no longer had the strong support of the Church– and risked bankruptcy!! Once, I inquired at Mercy Center, many years ago, about their advertised Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius (19th Annotation version)– and I was told by the nun (wearing no religious habit) who led the program, that I probably wouldn’t qualify for their Exercises, if I was a real, practicing Catholic! I must be a feminist, or a lesbian, or “struggling misfit,” to be in her group! She pointed to the crucifix on the wall above her desk, and said grimly, “Well, don’t you just hate Jesus, because He was a man?” I left her office in uncontrollable, hysterical laughter, later reported it to the Archbishop and his auxiliary bishop, who laughed, too– but did nothing about it, of course!
One of my older sisters studied Reiki at a Bay Area religious retreat. Catholic nuns ‘taught’ her how to practice Reiki and so she went full bore with it and, while not practicing the Catholic Faith, believes full well that she is attuned with Jesus thanks, in part, to this wonderful power.
It seems that now both in civil government as well as in the Church, anything and everything is encouraged and acceptable EXCEPT traditional values. Put another way, anything and everything is acceptable EXCEPT Jesus Christ, the Bible, and the US Constitution. On the other hand, Jesus Himself predicted this when He asked… Will I find any faith at all in the world when I return…?
I to thought this was weird. We need to take our church back. By going to this retreat and others like it, you are giving up the gift God gave us. Those “nuns” are the people who leading the blind sheep astray. Remember that some “nuns” can be wolves in sheep clothing as well.
I attended St Catherine’s School in Burlingame for 6 years,and during that time,the Sisters of Mercy were going strong….From each of my teachers, I learned how to pray,I learned about the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Real Presence of Jesus,I learned about the Saints, and about the Church, The Sisters of Mercy taught me and my classmates to be reverent at Mass,and to love making daily visits to be with Jesus. One Sister in particular always reminded us to look carefully at a beautiful round stained glass window in the church…”Children…that is a window into Heaven….pray that you will be worthy to enter Heaven some day.” Please don’t diminish or discount the good works done by the Sisters of Mercy for many many years.
I also had the Sisters of Mercy prior to their making the earth their idolatry.
They were good back in the day, but those days are gone for most of them.
They did not call themselves “Sisters of Mercy of the America’s” at that time, and they also wore a habit.
P. Lahey, a long time ago, before Vatican II, the Sisters of Mercy were a traditional religious order of good nuns! But after Vatican II, they changed! So sad! They told me, when they transformed their Mercy Center, in Burlingame, into a very “hippie liberal” (and heretical!) place, that they did this due to financial failure, like so many other similar religious orders! It was so sad, to see once-excellent religious orders, completely fall to pieces in terms of Faith and Morals, and also go to financial ruin!
Yep, let’s get out in that old garden; nope, not much time (or need, to the good Sisters of Mercy) for praying, sacrifice, mortification, attending to the sick, teaching, assisting priests (oops, that sounds sexist), and that kind of stuff. And, shout out to “Happy George” (Soros) for his deep pockets helping our various bomb-throwing nuns. (Do you notice how much smiling the Catholic Left does? You always see Cardinal Chuckles-Bravo Dolan smiling so much it hurts your checks just to watch! What is the point with Ms.Murray, and with the Sisters of Mercy? Their “Center” should be reserved only for Catholic events or teachings that lead to salvation. Everyone enjoys a lovely garden, as well as the act of gardening; but why detract from being centered on Christ while at a Catholic nuns’ center? Why not teach ballroom dancing in large Catholic Churches, or how to yodel, or Jiu-Jitsu, as there is plenty of room (and accoustics) for all of these activities (and more: such as dog training, or car repair, or training for the NFL punt, pass, and kick competition — the list is pretty long). Why, the Sisters of Mercy could really be on to something. And, you know, being that they are Sisters of “Mercy,” a trait that Pope Francis really and truly admires, all Churches should have Sunday afternoon “Mercy Contests” where any sort of idea could be introduced — maybe even during Mass, say after the Gospel is read — showing the congregation that there is fun, and competition, in “bestowing mercy”! You could start with “Mercy in sports,” with some vignettes of “The Mercy Rule” (the “slaughter rule” is too graphic), or “The Fine Points of Tapping Out” (to show true sportsmanship in the Octogon, where two fit young men are trying to beat the living daylights out of each other). Well, you get the idea.
I hope the Sisters of Mercy will share our Catholic Traditions with Ms. Murray.
As Catholics, gardens are central to our beliefs. We believe that the One who Created all things, planted a garden for his creature Man, the creature made in the image and likeness of the Holy One. The Creator allowed Man full access to all His Garden except for one tree. When Man (and Woman) violated The Creators command, they were expelled from the garden and the Man’s punishment was to till the soil. Now the Man had been a gardener in the Garden of the Holy One, but now outside the Garden thorns and thistles sprung up, the work was hard and tiresome and Man could only get food by the sweat of his brow. One of the sons of the Man and Woman was a gardener but in jealousy he killed his brother and his punishment was that the earth would no longer bring forth fruit for him. He became a wanderer. He could no longer garden.
I graduated from Mercy High in Carmichael way back in the mid seventies. There were only 68 girls in my graduation class. Most of the teachers were sisters, but during my four years there were a few who left the order. It is sad to read this, because it means they have lost their purpose of their vocation. Originally Sisters of Mercy were leaders of hospital care and education with the intent of bring Jesus to the poor and sick. I don’t know why when you have the richness of the Catholic faith available and so many who do not understand it their desire is to teach in new age principles. The beauty of nature, great art and music have always been expressions of the awe and wonder of Our Father and Creator.
Yeah, yeah.
People thought Saint Francis was a kooky heretic, too — until he became Saint.
Not everyone needs to memorize the Summa Theologica, or the Cathechism, to be a good Catholic.
Anonymous, by your posts we all know that you hate the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” (CCC of 1997, in USA has a dark green cover) which all Catholics are required to adhere to in entirety.
For those who do not know, the CCC is part of the Apostolic Constitution, and has been provided to each of us by the Magisterium of the Church.
The CCC insures that we know the truth, and not be lead astray by those who accidentally or purposely propagate error.
From the Vatican web site: https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm
“….. let us ask ourselves if we have actually taken a few steps to get to know Christ and the truths of faith more, by reading and meditating on the Scriptures, studying the Catechism, steadily approaching the Sacraments.” – Pope Francis, May 15, 2013.
“….the CATECHISM has raised throughout the world, even among non-Christians, and confirms its purpose of being presented as a full, complete exposition of Catholic doctrine, enabling everyone to know what the Church professes, celebrates, lives, and prays in her daily life.” – Pope John Paul II (CCC pg xiv)
For more info and quotes from our Popes about the CCC see:
“What Catholics REALLY Believe SOURCE”
https://whatcatholicsreallybelieve.com/
With regard to Fr. Piers Lahey’s comments. Yes, at one time, the Sisters of Mercy at St. Catherine’s were “real” Catholic Sisters. Then they took a left turn in their thinking. They did leave St. Catherine’s School and a wonderful order of Italian Religious Sisters started teaching there and are still there to this day. They are the real thing and adhere to the teachings of the one, true, holy, Catholic Apostolic Church. It is obvious, Father, that the Mercy Sisters were “on track” when you had them as teachers. You were truly blessed. But if you visit the Mother House in Burlingame, you will have difficulty in finding the tabernacle in their chapel. But you will find a Zen Buddhist meditation room.
It seems that those that call themselves today “Sisters of Mercy of the Americas” are the heretics. They do not wear habits. And their leadership is a an active member of the heretical LCWR (which also supports NETWORK and Nuns on the Bus).
They do not adhere to the teachings in the Bible and CCC in entirety.
https://www.sistersofmercy.org/
There is a Sisters of Mercy which is Faithful to the Church. They do wear habits, etc. https://rsmofalma.org/
This article is clearly about the unfaithful Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.
Unfortunately, both groups use RSM after their names.
Look for the habits/clothing to tell them apart.