The special intention for August is “Back to School!” We will be lifting up prayers for all teachers, educational assistants, students, students of teaching, school counselors, school administrators, school staff, homeschoolers, parents of teachers, students, counselors, administrators, etc. If you are an educator or work in the school system, student, teacher-in-training, parent, mentor, and/or life-long learner, join us on August 17 at 7:30pm at Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey!

Leave the noise of modern life behind for an evening of prayer at Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey (5825 Coors Blvd. SW, Albuquerque, NM 87121)! Build your relationship with Jesus Christ through song, scripture, silence and contemplation with other young adults of the Archdiocese! Attend the next prayer service in the spirit of Taizé, a French monastic community.

All are welcome!
This is an ecumenical and interdenominational form of prayer. Taizé is a spirituality that is easy to experience and hard to describe. Invite your friends and family.

Bringing Holy Order to Busy Lives: How to Write a Rule of Life

Rev. Charles LaFond

Often we intend to do things such as rest or diet or exercise or prayer or the nurturing of friendships, but
life gets busy and our intentions become overwhelmed with life’s business. In this presentation, we will
explore the ancient tradition of using a “Rule of Life,” which can help you to identify areas of your life
which need more structure. By creating a small “rule,” you can bring order to the chaos which gets in the
way of your hopes, and honor that part of you which seeks intimacy with God.

No registration is necessary. Free-will offerings are greatly appreciated.

Charles LaFond is an Episcopal priest and the Advancement Director for Heading
Home, a social profit agency in Albuquerque seeking to make homelessness rare,
short-lived, and non-recurring. The author of four books and a Master Potter of 35
years, Charles lives in Albuquerque’s South Valley on an apple, peach, and alfalfa
farm with his black Lab “Kai.”

In these challenging times in which we live, we may find it difficult to simply make it through the day, let alone practice letting life flow gracefully. But there is a way in which we can move gracefully through each day by letting go trustingly, letting be hopefully, and letting grow lovingly. In this meditative writing retreat, we will have an opportunity to explore how these practices enable us to live gracefully in each moment, by connecting with our own life experiences and recognizing what they have to teach us.

The offering for the retreat is $55.00, which includes lunch.