Walking the Labyrinth of your Soul: St. Teresa's Inner Castle

Weekly on Tuesday 6:00 PM to Tuesday, March 23, 2021 7:30 PM


I began to think of the soul as if it were a castle made of a single diamond or of very clear crystal, in which there are many rooms, just as in Heaven there are many mansions.
-St. Teresa

You are lovingly invited to embark on this online 8–week spiritual journey to the center of your soul where, like a diamond, all shines forth with beauty and truth. Our way in will be the labyrinth for we know that the way there is not straight but, rather, circular taking us in ways often unexpected yet always ever closer to the center. And, there may even be a pause approaching the labyrinth for our journey for, indeed, the soul knows what’s coming in that very moment of not knowing. Yet, love compels us and so we step. Ah, but this is no ordinary love for, as we move ever closer to our interior center where the diamond shines brightest, we discover that this love will require the ultimate sacrifice: the gift of our self so we may experience our birth in Christ. But we don’t know yet, as the little butterfly in the last mansion, the ecstasy that comes from the death of all that has stood in the way of us walking with our God. We don’t know so we step reverently holding fast to St. Teresa’s assurance, “Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All passes away except God and God alone is sufficient.” 

Come and join our sacred circle for it’s such a blessing to journey with others where we may both give and receive support, care and love. We’ll explore together with interactive reflection, Christian mantra practice, and experiential exercises. Come and catch a glimpse of the butterfly within. It just may compel you to wonder at the joy—the joy St. Teresa says will make the soul forget itself, forget everything, except that which proceeds from this joy—namely the praises of God.

Text: “Interior Castle: St. Teresa of Avila,” Translated and Edited by E. Allison Peers

Tuesday, 6:00 – 7:30 PM, February 2nd through March 23rd .  Cost: $75

About the leader(s)

Stephanie Rutt

Rev. Dr. Stephanie Rutt was founding Minister of the Tree of Life Interfaith Temple in Milford, NH, director of the Tree of Life School for Sacred Living and creator of the Tree of Life Interfaith Seminary. Through the School for Sacred Living she has offered numerous sacred studies courses, classes and workshops locally as well as to national conferences sponsored by World AWAKE (formally The World Alliance of Interfaith Clergy) and the Haden Institute. She has appeared on the TEDx stage and is the author of five books including, Living the Prayer of Jesus: A Study of the Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic released by Wipf and Stock Publishers. All of her work seeks to embody unity within diversity, reveal how the great spiritual truths show up everywhere in daily experience, and to awaken an unchecked ecstatic cry for the One called by many names.

To learn more, please visit the following.
https://www.stephanierutt.com/
https://www.tolinterfaithtemple.org/