“I am blind and I do not see the things of this world; but when the Light comes from On High, it illuminates my heart and I can see, because the Eye of my heart (Chante Ishta) sees all things.”

– Black Elk

“Blessed are the pure of Heart for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8

This Wisdom School lays the groundwork for understanding the vital role of awakening the eye of the heart and seeing with Wisdom in today’s world. We will delve into the Christian Wisdom tradition, exploring two key spiritual streams: the ancient Benedictine monastic model of “Ora et Labora” and the Gurdjieff Work’s concept of three-centered knowing and presence. We will illuminate how Wisdom serves as a precise and transformative spiritual science, offering both theoretical insights and practical tools for embodying Yeshua’s teachings—to perceive from and

live by way of the Heart.

Cynthia Bourgeault reminds us, “Wisdom Schools are a format for integral learning that’s based in some of the deepest roots for transformation and change in the Christian tradition. Wisdom Schools are about awakening the yearning for a different kind of presence in the world and then developing the skills and the knowledge base to apply that, to transform your own life and the life of people around you.”

Through an integrated daily rhythm, this Wisdom School fosters an embodied “wisdom way of knowing,” incorporating periods of GreatSilence, teaching sessions, Centering Prayer or silent meditation, mindful work, mindful movement, and contemplative free time.

Leaders:

Jonathan Steele, M.A., is a retreat leader, spiritual teacher and companion on the spiritual journey. His work draws deeply upon the transmission of the Christian Wisdom lineage and the Christian

Contemplative and Inner-Traditions. In addition to his lived integration through contemplative

practice, study and service, he leans on the works of Thomas Keating, Cynthia Bourgeault, Valentin Tomberg, G.I. Gurdjieff and J.G. Bennett. Jonathan currently serves as the Devotional Minister at the Church of Conscious Harmony, a Contemplative Christian Community in Austin, TX.

Jonathan also has significant experience working with recovery communities, utilizing the path of the 12-Steps and implementing the work of Bowen family systems theory. He has previously accompanied others in the context of spiritual direction and hospice chaplaincy, as well as guiding groups on pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in Spain where he lived over the course of eight years.

Heather Ruce, M.A. offers Wisdom Circles, Retreats, and Schools grounded in the Christian Wisdom

tradition with practices such as lectio divina, centering prayer, seated attention exercises, sacred movements, conscious practical work, chanting, and silence. A longtime student of Cynthia Bourgeault,

and the Gurdjieff Movements with Deborah Rose Longo, her path has been shaped by the lineage’s

emphasis on embodied presence, surrender, creativity, and the courage to meet the world as it is. Heather holds a deep reverence for the sacredness and interconnectedness of the earth, all beings and ecosystems, and the greater cosmos—an orientation reinforced in her many years of zoological animal care. Drawing from this as well as her background in Family Systems Therapy, Grief Counseling,

Somatic Experiencing, Organic Intelligence, and Spiritual Direction, her work is grounded in a trauma-sensitive, integrative approach that honors the body as part of a larger web of connection and as an essential instrument of transformation.

Cost and Registration: The cost for the retreat is $795, which includes room, meals and materials. Please sign up here and make payment through Venmo to @Daniel-Marx-54. If you cannot make the full payment upfront, please pay a nonrefundable $200 deposit to save your spot, and then send the rest in increments that work for you (total due before March 15, 2026). Contact Daniel at marxdani@gmail.com for questions.

Participants Schedule (subject to change)

Friday, April 10th

6:30pm Dinner

7:30pm Opening Circle and Ritual (Introductions & Sharing of Aim) going

into the Great Silence

Saturday/Sunday, April 11th & 12th

7:00am Church)

Morning prayer with Monastic Community (Optional) (Abbey

7:30am Morning Seated Meditation Exercise (Transfiguration Chapel)

8:00am Silent Breakfast

9:30am Morning Teaching

10:30am Break

10:45 am Conscious Practical Work

12:00pm Lunch with Conscious Conversation

2:00pm Afternoon Teaching and Practice

3:30pm Break

4:00pm Movements

5:30pm Dinner

7:00pm Sunday Vigil with Monastic Community (chanting the Psalms)

(Saturday Only)

Evening Observations & Questions (heart sharing) followed by the

7:45pm Great Silence

Monday, April 13th

7:00am Morning Prayer with Monastic Community (Abbey Church)

7:30am Morning Seated Meditation Exercise (Transfiguration Chapel)

8:00am Silent Breakfast & CHECK OUT OF ROOMS

9:45am Closing Circle and Ritual - Silent walk to Stella Maris Chapel?

11:15am Final Bows and Goodbye