Parishioners are invited to share how the Spirit directs our tomorrows and our efforts to be an instrument of peace in the lives of others.  One becomes an Elder when one practices conscious living.  This practice can be rewarding when shared with like-minded people who desire God in all aspects of their lives.

The Elder is a person who attends to life review, one who journeys within to find God anew.  Conscious living is looking into the creases and comers of life, discovering and rediscovering the gifts of life that evoke gratitude.  It is looking at those not-so-good things, which can lead to healing and self-forgiveness.  It is discovering that God loves each one of us!  It is deepening worth and self esteem.  It is rediscovering how God wants us to live out our lives.

So much of the spirituality of aging is invested in storytelling.  This activity brings to consciousness what it means to grow older.  If our life is a drama or a play, then our conscious living is the time when the meaning of the play becomes clear.

What do we "do" at these monthly meetings?

• We look at the cycles of our life and discover the patterns that run through and connect the different stages of our life.  When these patterns surface, memories become sharper and clearer.  Seeing which life experiences remains incomplete, we can take measures to express the unlived life that calls from within.



• We revisit the highlights of our life history.  Reflecting on our "turning points" helps shape our future with optimism and confidence.



• Contemplation can help us reshape our lives in ways we never thought possible.  We can identify and repair a bruised relationship.  We can heal that part of ourselves that is still imprisoned in the past.



• We release feelings of anger and resentment that drain our energy.  We learn to let go of accumulated bitterness and negativity.



• We identify the people from our past who have wronged us in some way.  We walk in their shoes; we acknowledge our contribution to the hurtful relationship, and we forgive the person and ourselves.



• We work on synthesizing wisdom from long-life experience.  We address our "big questions."  What is our purpose?  Where is God working in our lives?  We examine our ultimate values and commitments.



• We acknowledge our interconnectedness with the many people who have contributed to the inner richness of our lives.  We need to communicate what people really mean to us, and how they have nourished our lives.



• We identify and acknowledge our wisdom.  We recognize that we are entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining the well being of our families and communities.  We are mentors.  We are stewards.  We bear witness to excessive consumerism, to enduring values, to planetary concerns.



• Finally, we are a group of ordinary people who come together as children of God, trusting one another, and sharing parts of our lives that, perhaps, cannot be shared anywhere else.

The Conscious Living Group meets on the first Saturday of each month between 10:00 a.m. and noon.  The intent of these monthly meetings is to assist and encourage the members to practice forgiveness of self and others, gratitude for all we have been given, prayer, silence, and storytelling.