Cate Reid

I rest in God…

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In reflecting on A Course in Miracles Lesson 109, I’m drawn to the idea of resting in the peace of God. The lesson invites us to be still and unafraid, but I know that understanding this fully takes time. When I take time to rest in God’s presence, I realise that this rest is not just for me—it’s shared with others. The peace I receive becomes complete when I offer it to my brothers and sisters.

The lesson reminds me that this peace isn’t limited by time. When I take time to rest in God, I am giving peace not only to those around me but also to those who came before and those who will come after. It’s comforting to think that each time I say, “I rest in God,” I’m joining in a timeless act of giving and receiving peace with all of creation.

I don’t claim to fully understand how this works, but I’m learning that this practice opens me to a deeper connection with the divine. Each moment of rest in God is an opportunity to remind myself—and the world—that our true home is within God’s peace, always available to us.

As I continue to reflect on this lesson, I hope that by taking time to rest in God, I’m contributing to a sense of shared peace for all. So today, I will gently remind myself, “I rest in God,” and trust that this simple act has a ripple effect, touching others in ways I may not fully grasp yet.

With love,

Cate 

Love is the Nature of the Soul

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Reflections from Anam Cara by John O’Donohue

I recently immersed myself in the profound wisdom of John O’Donohue’s Anam Cara: Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World, and a particular chapter titled “Love is the Nature of the Soul” deeply resonated with me.

This chapter beautifully explores how love is not just an emotion or state of being but an essential element that the soul needs to thrive, much like air for the body. O’Donohue reminds us that love awakens hidden dimensions of who we are, opening pathways to discovering and fulfilling our deeper human potential.

One of the most striking aspects is the concept of the Anam Cara—the “soul friend.” O’Donohue describes a friendship that transcends the boundaries of time, space, and even persona. In this friendship, the unity of souls defies separation or distance. The connection remains alive even when friends are far apart because they’ve connected at a soul level, breaking through the superficial barriers of ego and identity.

When we open ourselves to love and allow love to envelop us, we begin to access the eternal. This love has the power to transform turning fear into courage, emptiness into fullness, and distance into intimacy. The soul-friend relationship, as O’Donohue presents it, reflects the eternal nature of love—an enduring connection that isn’t easily severed by physical space or the limitations of the ego.

In our fast-paced, modern world, it’s easy to lose sight of these deeper connections, but this chapter offers a profound reminder: true love, at the soul level, is eternal, transformative, and essential for our well-being.

Do you have an Anam Cara—a soul friend—who touches your life in this profound way?

With love, Cate 

Celtic Daily Prayer

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A few weeks ago, I came across Farther Up and Farther In (Book 2), a part of the Celtic Daily Prayer series. The book’s daily readings and reflections have been deeply moving and inspiring. One particular EATA Reading from August 17th emphasised that contemplative prayer is more about being than doing – it’s about simply being present rather than striving for outcomes. This insight, along with the reflections on Psalm 130:5-7, Isaiah 30:18, and Romans 15:13, created a rich tapestry of contemplation and hope that resonated deeply with me.

Moved by these reflections, I felt compelled to explore more of what the book has to offer. A few days later, I purchased a copy and have since found it to be a treasured addition to my daily routine. It has been guiding me towards a more mindful and hopeful perspective.

If you’re seeking spiritual nourishment and inspiration, I highly recommend diving into this remarkable book.

With love, Cate x

Authentic Communication: 7 Keyways to Transform Your Relationships

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In today’s fast-paced world, where information inundates us and distractions abound, the essence of authentic communication is more vital than ever. Genuine communication is all about being truthful, open, and vulnerable when we engage with others. It serves as a conduit to deeper connections, enhanced understanding, and personal growth.

In this blog post, I explore the seven keyways to authentic communication that have the potential to nurture more profound and authentic bonds with those in your life.

The seven keyways to Authentic Communication are:

  1. Willingness:

Willingness is the initial step toward authentic communication. It entails being open and receptive to the exchange of thoughts and emotions, even if they challenge your existing beliefs. By approaching conversations with an open heart and mind, you create an atmosphere of trust and acceptance.

  • Accountability:

Accountability is the act of taking responsibility for your words and actions. Owning up to your mistakes or acknowledging when you’ve hurt someone is essential. Authentic communication hinges on recognizing your role in conflicts and working towards resolution.

  • Defencelessness:

Being defenceless should not be confused with becoming a doormat. Instead, it’s about letting go of the compulsion to protect your ego at all costs. When you shed defensiveness, you become more open to constructive criticism and can engage in conversations without becoming defensive or confrontational.

  • Vulnerability (Emotional Transparency):

Vulnerability is a potent tool for forging connections. It involves being open about your emotions and revealing your genuine self. When you practice emotional transparency, you encourage others to do the same, nurturing a deeper level of understanding and empathy.

  • Radical (Self) Honesty:

Radical honesty revolves around speaking the truth, even when it’s challenging or uncomfortable. This doesn’t mean being hurtful but rather being forthright in a manner that’s respectful and compassionate. It entails being honest with both yourself and others.

  • Trust:

Trust is an implicit but crucial aspect of authentic communication. It involves having faith in the sincerity, honesty, and reliability of those you communicate with. Trust creates a safe environment in which individuals feel comfortable being vulnerable, practicing radical honesty, and expressing gratitude. It underpins many of the keyways to authentic communication.

  • Gratitude:

Expressing gratitude is another pivotal component of authentic communication. It entails acknowledging and appreciating the positive aspects of your interactions and relationships. Gratitude can elevate a conversation from a mundane exchange to a heart-warming connection.

By embracing these keyways—willingness, accountability, defencelessness, vulnerability, radical honesty, gratitude, and the power of silence—you equip yourself to navigate the complexities of human interaction more effectively. 

Authentic communication has the potential to bring more joy, understanding, and meaning to your relationships, ultimately enriching your life.  To realign our intentions using the 7 Keys to Authentic Communication. 

I encourage you to join me on this liberating journey, and watch this overview on YouTube: 

Remember, authentic communication isn’t a destination; it’s a lifelong voyage of self-discovery and connection. Embrace these keyways and savour the profound impact they can have on your relationships and your life as a whole.

Enjoy the journey of authentic communication!

Cate

Reference

A Course in Miracles (ACIM) offered by the Foundation for Inner Peace

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As I make my way through the profound teachings of A Course in Miracles (ACIM) offered by the Foundation for Inner Peace, I find that each day brings its unique set of challenges and revelations. Some lessons flow easily, while others, like Lesson 128, “The world I see holds nothing that I want,” can present quite the conundrum. In my quest for understanding, I turned to YouTube, hoping to discover videos that would illuminate the depth of these teachings.

Lessons 128 and 129, “Beyond this world there is a world I want,” beckoned me to delve deeper into their meanings, and this quest led me to an intriguing discovery. In my online exploration, I stumbled upon the work of Nouk Sanchez and Coreen Walson, who offer a unique perspective on ACIM’s holographic messages and the profound significance. 

Their commitment to this metaphysical journey is evident in their approach, filled with love and laughter.

What they share goes beyond a mere explanation of lessons; it’s a metaphysical feast for the soul. I invite you to join me on this voyage of exploration and understanding, guided by Nouk and Coreen’s insights. 

In my next blog post, I plan to delve into Authentic Communication and the 7 Keyways to Transform your relationships and journey towards the world we truly desire.

For more resources and information, including the Total Transformation Course (TTC) and the Holy Relationship Journey (HRJ), you can visit their YouTube channel here…

Let’s embark on this voyage of self-discovery and enlightenment together.

Cate 

“The Power of Humility and Unconditional Love”

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In a world that often values ego and self-promotion, the virtues of humility and unconditional love stand out as beacons of light. These qualities, rooted in the core of our spiritual selves, have the ability to transform our lives and our relationships.

Humility: The Art of Selflessness

Humility is the gentle art of recognising our own limitations and imperfections. It’s not about self-deprecation or putting ourselves down but rather an honest acknowledgment of our humanity. When we embrace humility, we open the door to personal growth and deeper connections with others.

By letting go of our need to be right or to prove ourselves, we create space for understanding and empathy. Humble individuals are open to learning, adaptable to change, and willing to admit their mistakes. In doing so, they nurture an environment of trust and authenticity in their relationships.

Unconditional Love: The Purest Expression of Compassion

Unconditional love is a love without conditions or boundaries. It’s a love that extends to all, regardless of their actions or circumstances. When we love unconditionally, we accept others as they are, without judgment or the need to change them.

This type of love is not just reserved for our closest relationships but extends to all living beings. It’s the love that sees the divinity in every person, recognizing that we are all interconnected and deserving of love and respect. Unconditional love is a powerful force for healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

The Beautiful Symbiosis

When humility and unconditional love come together, they create a beautiful symbiosis. Humility helps us recognise our own imperfections, making it easier to extend unconditional love to others. Unconditional love, in turn, nourishes humility by reminding us that we are all in this human experience together.

In this symbiotic relationship, we discover that we don’t need to be perfect to love and be loved. Our imperfections become part of our shared humanity, and we become more compassionate and understanding toward ourselves and others.

As we journey through life, let us remember the transformative power of humility and unconditional love. By embracing these spiritual virtues, we can cultivate deeper, more meaningful connections with others, heal wounds, and contribute to a more compassionate and harmonious world.

So, let us practice humility in our daily lives, and let our love be a beacon of light that shines unconditionally on all we encounter. For in the fusion of these two virtues, we find not weakness, but strength; not separation, but unity; and not judgment, but boundless compassion.

With love, Cate 

“Remembering Donald: A Tribute to a Good Man”

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In my three heartfelt encounters with Donald before his passing, I was struck by his gracious and humble spirit. Together, we meticulously planned his funeral service, from newspaper announcement, music to the eulogy. 

His legacy was simple yet profound—to be a good man. Donald’s contentment in recounting his happy life served as a testament to the depth of his character. 

In his quiet way, he reminded us of all that a life lived with kindness and humility leaves a lasting impact, far greater than any accolades or possessions. 

Donald’s memory continues to inspire us to be better, to be good people, just as he was.

‘Hear beyond words’

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In this second offering exploring our motto we are considering the line `hear beyond words`. We are told that only 8% of all communication is speech. However most of us give much more credence to the words we hear than the manner in which they are spoken or the context in which they are said. Not forgetting `hearing` the words that are unspoken.

It is easy for us to remain at the level of words. It can be so easy to hear the words and then judge and respond from our judgement  keeping both the speaker and ourselves trapped at the level of words. Words à  miss-interpretation à reaction : which is invariably experienced as a `lose, lose` situation. 

Sometimes our non-listening can be  disguised as the polite chat we engage in with others, it might be at work, shopping or just seeing people  in passing. We have all done it, walking into Tesco ( other supermarkets are available) we pass someone we know and ask how they are without breaking step…as for the answer, how often do they or we call “fine thanks” over our shoulders. How are they really? How are we really? Might it be nice to spend a few minutes being honest and real with someone?

In this state of rush we can,  and often do, miss the subtext, the context, the body language, the subtleties of cadence, pitch and vocabulary.  As it is wisely said, hear what is not said, or, as Rumi said 

“There is a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen”

Listen to the tone of the voice,  the timbre, the hesitations,  sighs and what is left unsaid. Herein lies the truth. 

In the Open Sanctuary our aim is always to have time to listen, to stop and hear how the other truly is, to listen more deeply and tune into their language. To hear when ` I am fine` really means I am lonely/drowning/confused/help me and any number of subtle truths the other is desperate to say but has no place to utter the words.

In these modern times there is no `acceptable` place to go to be heard by a truly open mind. Yet there you are, in the post office queue, at work, with family or friends, a walking Sanctuary. 

It sounds so easy, to just listen, however to do so consciously is another matter. Have a conversation with a friend  and commit to listening to your inner motivation and see how it plays out. You may become aware of your desire to join in,  to fix, to cure, to sort out, to advise, to know more, to diffuse, to make a joke, to cheer up etc. In other words not listen to the other as there is too much focus on your part in the conversation…when lost in these thoughts we are not hearing the other and, in truth, doing a form of what politicians do. Answering what we want to say rather than truly hear the other.. Discovering who you are when in communication  is a huge step . For this self-knowing  alone opens the door to hearing more 


In the Open Sanctuary  we aim to listen , just be there,  we do not speak as the other feels our listening and is enveloped in the sanctuary we offer. Everyone has their own inner voice guiding them, we are just safe, gentle sounding boards offering a sanctuary for verbal release allowing them to hear their own story…. And their own solutions.   Breathe, just breathe.

Jude

Self-awareness

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One of the remits of the Open Sanctuary is in supporting each other discern their core truth and live their spiritual belief to best of their ability. Deepening understanding of the values that support living in close alignment with that core belief. 

To further this, I offer an expansion on the motto of the Open Sanctuary in the next couple of blogs. Taking a line at a time what does it mean to see through masks? 

“Sees through masks

Hears beyond words

Loves unconditionally”

Do you remember the last time you held the gaze of a baby, that unflinching open look of pure innocence. The feeling that they, in their purity, see into the heart of us, know our true self and still maintain the gaze. Perhaps this is a form of Divine connection… in that gaze we are seen, we are not judged but accepted, loved and held.

As we grow older, we engage with more of life and the masks begin to appear. The smiles in order to please, be liked, needed, or a haughty look to protect a fear of inadequacy, or being found out; the masks of daughter or son, sibling or friend, partner or workmate etc. There are as many masks as there are emotions that we will interchange as and when we feel the need.

But who are we really?

This is a huge question and is worthy of much honesty, time and percolation as only when we recognise a mask can we gain awareness in which the need for the mask dissolves away. 

We won’t tackle that here, but it is an important part of growth in self-awareness as it   from here, our current state of self-awareness, that we engage with the `outside world`.

The desire to be truly see is the ultimate Catch 22 situation, as much as we desire being fully seen we are equally terrified of being seen and then rejected. It all links back to a deep belief we are not worthy. 

Here in the Open Sanctuary our motto reminds us what we are offering each person we encounter; the gift of being seen, truly seen, seen beyond the masks of protection, or the image that they project; we see beyond to their inner gentle innocence that is who they really are. In seeing the other at this depth, we remind them of their Divine inheritance.

Start this journey by looking into your own eyes in the mirror…and bless who you see.

Jude

A beautiful harbinger of 2023

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Welcome to our blog.

Recently the Open Sanctuary had a community meeting, the first in our new community formation. It felt timeous that it happened so early in the new year,

A beautiful harbinger of 2023. 

Having been absent for a while it was a heart warming experience to return to the fold and feel held. Not just in smiling faces and warm words, which are received by a tender heart, thank you; also in witnessing and sharing in the respect given and received by all members of the community.

A perfect reminder of how these values that we explore as a community can share in our personal spiritual journeys; through designated gatherings, speakers, short and long courses committing to deepening personal growth. Simultaneously being creative in our openness to others through offering more in our website, in our prayers as well as physically planting more trees in our Grove honouring nature and the planet.

It is an exciting time enhancing the Open Sanctuary website and community with so many community members offering experience, wisdom and creative skills both relevant for the present and also looking ahead to the future.

These offerings will appear as they are addressed and made manifest.

The meeting ended up over-running yet the attention remained focussed throughout reminding me of the depth of commitment this community holds in maintaining its ethos. 

“See through masks

Hear beyond words

Hold in  unconditional love.”

Being a part of a community like ours means you are never alone.

I have always seen convents, monasteries, communities like ours as beacons of light shining love and peace upon the world through our intention to, as Mahatma Gandhi would say….

“Be the change you want to see”

Join us, we have many different ways in which to engage.

Have a blessed day

Jude