An Ecology, Education and Eucharist course held in Glenstal Abbey last summer was such a success that a similar event will be held again in August 2009. The aim of the week is to lead participants to an understanding of the world as God’s work of art and our role, as fellow artists, helping to bring this artwork to completion.
Ecology is understanding the world as God’s temple. The abbey gardens and woods are used to introduce participants to the planet as a living and breathing organism, an extension of our selves rather than an object for our use and exploitation.
Education is the key to exchanging our natural biological domineering way of being in the world for a more enlightened appreciation of our appropriate place on the planet. Workshops for developing such attitudes and artistry will include nature walks, approaches to the development of sacred spaces such as gardens, sanctuaries and labyrinths.
The emphasis will be on imagining God’s world as God dreamt it might be. We ourselves are God’s work of art and education should help us to achieve the beauty which is our goal as human beings, alongside maintenance of the heritage we should be handing on to our children.
Eucharist means to give thanks. The goal of education is to teach us to give thanks for everything that exists in the universe, to change what may appear to be drudgery into gratitude, the ordinariness of our lives transformed into the marvellous, water changed into wine. Every fragment of the planet is potentially an element of the Eucharist and every day we should be celebrating a Mass of the universe.
Course directors are Noirin ni Rian, Mark Patrick Hederman, Gregory Collins, Paul Nash and Simon Sleeman.
The course, which costs €350 (including lunch) will run from 17th to 21st August 2009. For further info email [email protected].