Mepkin Abbey 75th Anniversary Symposium Series: "Monastic Wisdom for the World Today," a public lecture event with Kathleen Cahalan

Format
10:00 AM - Public Lecture which is also zoomed
10:45 AM – Silent reflection time
11:00 – 11:45 AM– Reflections and Q & A
Noon – 1:00 PM – Bring your own lunch
1:00 – 1:45 PM – Lecture
1:45 PM – Reflection
2:00 – 3:00 PM – Reflections and Q & A
Registration Fee $25.00

Lecture titles and topics:
Session 1: Contemplative Practice: Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina, once a practice solely for monastics, is now a widespread, ecumenical practice of many laypeople. What is similar and different for lay people as we take up this practice in our contemporary
context? What can we retrieve from early desert monastics that provide us new ways of practicing Lectio that will help anchor our lives in these times?

Session 2: Contemplative Practice: Discernment
John Cassian said that discernment is the mother, guardian, and guide of all the virtues. It is foundational to the spiritual life and to the way we respond to God’s callings. This session will examine
practices of discernment from the monastic tradition, including lectio divina and unknowing, that can
strengthen our life in Christ.

Kathleen A. Cahalan is professor of practical theology at Saint John’s University School of Theology and
Seminary where she teaches courses on pastoral ministry, pastoral care, and spiritual practice. She directed the Collegeville Institute Seminars, a collaborative research project focusing on vocation and
practical wisdom from 2009-2023. She is co-editor of Calling All Years Good: Vocation across the Lifespan (Eerdmans, 2016), coauthor of Christian Practical Wisdom (Eerdmans, 2016), and co-editor of Opening the Field of Practical Theology (Rowman and Littlefield, 2014). She has also authored books for church audiences, including Stories We Live: Finding God’s Calling All around Us (Eerdmans, 2017) and
co-author of A Living Discipleship: Called on the Way (Liturgical Press, 2024). She is currently at work on a book on Lectio Divina.