A Path of Healing anD Transformation through the Beatitudes
"Jesus left no formal religious rule for his followers. The closest he came was his proclamation of the Beatitudes. [We need] a resolve to take seriously Jesus’ example of self-emptying love; the way of mercy and compassion...a determination to proclaim the Gospel not only with words but with one’s life." Rob Ellsberg
An Invitation to Move Toward Wholeness
Do you want to…
- follow the path of Jesus more closely?
- be a more loving and compassionate person?
- deepen your faith and feel closer to God?
Are you…
- looking for something more from your life?
- feeling stuck or lost?
- seeking clarity or direction?
If you want a deeper and more meaningful spiritual life, then Moving Toward Wholeness is a great place to start. We begin with the truth that you are made in the image and likeness of God and that wholeness is your birthright. Through your human experience, you lose sight of these basic truths and end up feeling separate from God, ashamed of certain parts of yourself and alienated from others.
In the Beatitudes, Jesus lovingly describes the path back to this birthright of wholeness and a way to live in a deep and abiding awareness of God’s presence in your daily life.
This is the hero’s journey; the journey of Adam (from Eden to expulsion to salvation); the journey of Jesus (from birth, to death, and resurrection), and it’s your journey too.
Join me for the life changing experience that is Moving Toward Wholeness. You've learned to cope; now it's time to learn to heal. I look forward to journeying with you.
In love and wholeness,
Mary Beth Thomas
Course Content
Week one - Introduction
- Discover the ways in which the human condition causes you to lose connection with your True Self resulting in pain and suffering.
- Learn about the source of this new translation of the Beatitudes and why it is a trusted source.
- Find out the meaning of the word that was translated as “Blessed” and how this new definition changes everything.
Week two - Being Poor in Spirit
- Discover what it means to be Poor in Spirit and how this is connected to your breath. (Artwork by Hyatt Moore, used with permission)
- Find out the meaning of the phrase that was translated as “Kingdom of God” and how this new translation opens a whole new world of possibility.
- Experience how your breath can help you return to state of serenity so that you can be present to God’s presence.
Week THREE - Mourning
- Find out how your woundedness helps you find your way back to your True Self.
- Learn how to experience difficult emotions like grief, without feeling overwhelmed, and discover why it's critical to healing.
Week FOUR - Being Meek
- Find out what it means to be meek and why it is the birthplace of love and belonging.
- Discover how you can inherit the earth…today!
- Explore how your breath and the way you hold your body impacts the way you feel emotionally.
Week FIVE - Being Hungry and Thirsty
- Learn the meaning of the word that was translated as righteousness and why it is important for wholeness.
- Discover how the “Internal Family Systems” defined by psychotherapist Dr. Richard Schwartz’ is related to this Beatitude and how it can help you move toward wholeness.
- Explore different parts of yourself from a place of compassion and curiosity.
Week SIX - Being Merciful
- Discover how mercy is not a sign of weakness, but rather the powerful, radiating love that created the cosmos.
- Learn how the first four beatitudes are necessary steps to uncover this power within you.
- Engage in a powerful contemplative practice to remind yourself of the depth of God's love.
Week SEVEN - Being PURE in Heart
- Discover how the powerful love of God's Indwelling Spirit supports you in loving yourself and your neighbor.
- Explore parts of yourself that you've been denying or avoiding from a place of curiosity and compassion.
Week EIGHT - Making Peace
- Learn the meaning of the word that was translated as peacemaker and how it is a call to ongoing action.
- Discover how this ongoing action is supported through a daily practice of contemplative prayer.
- Find out how this relates to a “kernel of wheat” falling to the ground and dying.
Week NINE - Being Persecuted and Reviled
- Explore how moving out of your comfort zone leads you back to your True Self.
- Learn how to break free from the tyranny of the False Self, the root of suffering.
- Discover how contemplative prayer provides the support you need in this process.
Week TEN - Rejoicing and Being Glad
- Learn how this conclusion to the Beatitudes is a response to being persecuted and reviled.
- Discover what the “reward in heaven” meant to people in Jesus’ time and what it means for us today.
- Find out how you can experience greater connection and belonging even when other people are criticizing you.
- Consider the ways that you are called to share your light with the world.