St. Ignatius and Ignatian Spirituality: Your connection to Ignatius (Part 3 of 7) – Video

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St. Ignatius and Ignatian Spirituality: Your connection to Ignatius (Part 3 of 7)
"He had been wounded, not only physically but spiritually and I can relate to that. He found God in everything around him and I feel the same way." The Ignat...

By: Ignatian Spirituality Project

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St. Ignatius and Ignatian Spirituality: Your connection to Ignatius (Part 3 of 7) - Video

Holy Cross Village Senior Assisted Living Resident Appears On WNITs Mystics of the HeartLand

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South Bend, IN (PRWEB) September 12, 2014

On Thursday, September 11, 2014, Holy Cross Village resident Cecilia ODonnell appeared on Mystics of the HeartLand in the episode entitled Spirituality and Healthy Living.

The series, which airs on WNIT Public Television, explores the intersection of spirituality with science, nature, the arts, and more.

ODonnell is a resident of Shubert Villa, the senior assisted living neighborhood within Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame. The continuing care retirement community features services and amenities designed to keep the mind, body and spirit young.

One of our goals at Holy Cross Village is to create an environment that allows seniors to live an enriching, empowering and holistic lifestyle, said Susan Griffin, marketing director. We are well known for our strong sense of community and spirituality.

It is no wonder, then, that ODonnell was interviewed for the TV program, which focuses on ordinary people and everyday spirituality.

Mystics of the HeartLand is a locally produced program that focuses on spirituality and various topic that many seniors find interesting, explained Andrew Brent, producer at Gentle Fox Productions, the shows producer. Several Holy Cross Village residents have contributed to the making of this series. We hope to expand Mystics in order to serve a national audience.

Two other Holy Cross Village residents have been integral members of the Mystics of the HeartLand production team. Montel Menting, an independent living villa resident, has been contributing behind the scenes, researching materials. And Carolyn Scheibelhut, who resides in the senior independent living Andre Place, has been involved in writing scripts for the show.

All of our residents are encouraged to become active in the communityas much as they feel comfortable, Griffin continued. Not only do we sponsor countless on-site activities, a variety of opportunities exist outside our property, too.

For example, Holy Cross Village seniors have access to wellness programs, a state-of-the-art fitness center, computer center, and creative arts center as well as a comprehensive library and lifelong learning opportunities offered through neighboring educational campuses. Thanks to the continuing care retirement communitys affiliation with Holy Cross College, residents can even enroll in special continuing education classes.

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Holy Cross Village Senior Assisted Living Resident Appears On WNITs Mystics of the HeartLand

Can atheist Sam Harris become a spiritual figure?

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Can a hard-charging atheist become a spiritual figure?

That question may be imminent in the case of celeb-author Sam Harris, whose recent books attacking religion became bestsellers and fueled a deeper new look at secular ethics. The post-Sept. 11 revival has been dubbed the New Atheism.

But a decade after his best-known book The End of Faith the uber-skeptic this month comes out with a new one that is rocking his many fans and his many critics. Waking Up, whose cover is emblazoned with a dreamy-looking (heavenly?) sky of puffy clouds, makes Harris case for a secular spirituality built around meditative practices he believes makes people happier and more ethical.

Seeing their atheist leader crank out a whole book about his spirituality has set off some non-theistic allies who feel such language is a slippery slope to the supernatural while some say hes selling religion short by stealing its ideas. But some non-theists are loving the new side of Harris, even seeing something of a spiritual guide in a writer usually known as a professional contrarian.

I interviewed Harris this week before 700 people at an event sponsored by the secular advocacy group Center for Inquiry, and a good number of hands shot up when he asked who in the crowd had meditated. They happily complied as he instructed them to close their eyes, and then led them in a brief meditation. Multiple audience questions were posed as if to a spiritual mentor, including one about anger: I am hoping your book will teach me patience, read one. Another asked how to plan a spiritual expedition to the East: Where should I go and with whom? What age would be best?

I asked Harris at the event how he feels about the concept that some might see him as a spiritual figure.

I hadnt really thought about that. I guess Ive sort of stumbled into that possibility. I dont think of myself as a figure at all. Occasionally I come out on stage but I dont think of myself as an atheist figure. Im writing books, Im having conversations in a more or less public context. But Im certainly not inclined to set myself up as a classic spiritual teacher. I am teaching meditation to some degree by the act of discussing it. But..Im not operating in that mode.

While a tiny percentage of Americans pick for themselves the label of atheist, doubt and religion-shopping are more prevalent perhaps than ever. The question is: Can this Ben Stiller-lookalike with degrees in philosophy and neuroscience be a successful salesman for secular spirituality? Seven percent of Americans call themselves spiritual but not religious a much bigger group than Jews, Muslims, Episcopalians and other faiths. Will atheists be open to such language? Will religious people embrace someone who calls religion a dunghill? Influential blogger and Catholic Andrew Sullivan Thursday namedWaking Up his book of the month, saying it is a place where the atheist, the spiritual and the religious can meet and argue.

And is it inherently challenging to focus on spiritual guidance from someone who writes as much political policy as on human consciousness? Harris marked the anniversary of Sept. 11 Thursday with a post arguing that overcoming ISIL means a confrontation with Islam. A hatred of infidels is arguably thecentralmessage of the Koran, he wrote.

One aspect of the book likely to prompt discussion is Harris comparison between meditation and drugs. Since the book focuses on non-religious ways to transform consciousness, it leads inevitably to psychedelics. Harris opens with an anecdote about how experimenting as a young man with the drug ecstasy allowed him to see himself in a different perspective and says later that some of the most important hours of my life were spent under their influence. He closes the book by urging meditation as a much safer route, but noted the new research being done with psychedelics.

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Can atheist Sam Harris become a spiritual figure?

International Space Station (Time-lapse footage of Earth as seen from the ISS) – Video

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International Space Station (Time-lapse footage of Earth as seen from the ISS)
Many wonders are visible when flying over the Earth. A compilation of such visual spectacles was captured from the International Space Station (ISS). Passing...

By: Jorge Serra

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International Space Station (Time-lapse footage of Earth as seen from the ISS) - Video

Space Station Live: Model Organisms and Rodent Research Hardware – Video

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Space Station Live: Model Organisms and Rodent Research Hardware
NASA Public Affairs Officer Brandi Dean interviews Expedition 41/42 Lead Increment Scientist Dr. Vic Cooley about new and ongoing science taking place inside and outside the International Space...

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Space Station Live: Model Organisms and Rodent Research Hardware - Video

NASA Coverage Set for Fourth SpaceX Mission to Space Station

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The fourth SpaceX cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract is scheduled to launch Saturday, Sept. 20, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The one-day adjustment in the launch date was made to accommodate preparations of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and was coordinated with the stations partners and managers.

The company's Falcon 9 rocket, carrying its Dragon cargo spacecraft loaded with more than 5,000 pounds of scientific experiments and supplies, will lift off at 2:16 a.m. EDT. NASA Television coverage of the launch begins at 1:15 a.m. If for any reason the launch is postponed, the next launch opportunity is Sunday, Sept. 21 at approximately 1:53 a.m.

The mission, designated SpaceX CRS-4, is the fourth of 12 SpaceX flights NASA contracted with the company to resupply the space station. It will be the fifth trip by a Dragon spacecraft to the orbiting laboratory.

The spacecrafts 2.5 tons of supplies, science experiments, and technology demonstrations includes critical materials to support 255science and research investigationsthat will occur during the station's Expeditions 40 and 41.

Science payloads includethe ISS-Rapid Scatterometer tomonitor ocean surface wind speed and direction; new biomedical hardwarethatwill help facilitate prolonged biological studies of rodents in microgravity; and a study of a small flowering plant related to cabbage that allows scientists to study plant growth and adaptations in space.

New technology demonstrations aboard the Dragon spacecraft include theSpecial Purpose Inexpensive Satellite, orSpinSat, to test how a small satellite moves and positions itself in space using new thruster technology andthe 3-D Printing In Zero-G Technology Demonstration, thefirst 3-D printer in space.

NASA will host a series of prelaunch news conferences Thursday, Sept. 18 and Friday, Sept. 19 at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which will be carried live on NASA TV and the agency's website.

During panel discussions Sept. 18 at 9, 10, and 11 a.m., scientists and researchers will discuss the various science and research studies, including RapidScat, 3-D printing in Zero-G, technology to measure bone density, and model organism research using rodents, fruit flies and plants.

NASA senior leaders will host a briefing Sept. 19 at 9 a.m., followed by a prelaunch news conference at 10 a.m. at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. All these briefings, which are subject to a change in time, will be carried live on NASA TV and the agency's website. A post-launch briefing will be held approximately 90 minutes after launch.

If launch occurs Sept. 20, NASA TV will provide live coverage Monday, Sept. 22, of the arrival of the Dragon cargo ship to the International Space Station. Grapple and berthing coverage will begin at 5:30 a.m. with grapple at approximately 7:30 a.m. Berthing coverage begins at 9:30 a.m.

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NASA Coverage Set for Fourth SpaceX Mission to Space Station

Space Station Expedition 40 Crew Returns To Earth, Lands Safely In Kazakhstan

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September 11, 2014

Image Caption: Ground support personnel are seen at the landing site after the Soyuz TMA-12M spacecraft landed with Expedition 40 Commander Steve Swanson of NASA, and Flight Engineers Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014. Swanson, Skvortsov and Artemyev returned to Earth after more than five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 39 and 40 crews. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ Three crew members from the International Space Station (ISS) returned to Earth Wednesday after 169 days of science and technology research in space, including a record 82 hours of research in a single week, which happened in July.

http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnvar/20081007/38461LOGO

Expedition 40 Commander Steve Swanson of NASA and Flight Engineers Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) touched down southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan at 10:23 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Sept. 10 (8:23 a.m., Sept. 11, in Dzhezkazgan).

[ Watch the Video: Expedition 40 Undocks, Ending Mission ]

During their time aboard the space station, the crew members participated in a variety of research focusing on Earth remote sensing, human behavior and performance and studies of bone and muscle physiology.

One of several key research focus areas during Expedition 40 was human health management for long duration space travel as NASA and Roscosmos prepare for two crew members to spend one year aboard the orbiting laboratory in 2015.

During their time on the station, the crew members orbited Earth more than 2,700 times, traveled more than 71.7 million miles and welcomed five cargo spacecraft. Two Russian ISS Progress cargo spacecraft docked to the station bringing tons of supplies in April and July. The fifth and final European Space Agency (ESA) Automated Transfer Vehicle also launched to the station in July with the spacecraft bearing the name of Belgian physicist Georges Lemaitre, who is considered the father of the big-bang theory.

SpaceX launched a Dragon cargo spacecraft to the station in April, the companys third of at least 12 planned commercial resupply missions. In July, Orbital Sciences Cygnus spacecraft completed its third of at least eight resupply missions scheduled through 2016 under NASAs Commercial Resupply Services contract.

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Space Station Expedition 40 Crew Returns To Earth, Lands Safely In Kazakhstan

NASAs Orion Spacecraft Nears Completion, Ready For Fueling

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NASA is making steady progress on its Orion spacecraft, completing several milestones this week at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for the capsule's first trip to space in December.

Engineers finished building the Orion crew module, attached it and the already-completed service module to the adapter that will join Orion to its rocket. The assembly was transported Thursday to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will be fueled ahead of its December flight test.

"Nothing about building the first of a brand new space transportation system is easy," said Mark Geyer, Orion Program manager. "But the crew module is undoubtedly the most complex component that will fly in December. The pressure vessel, the heat shield, parachute system, avionics -- piecing all of that together into a working spacecraft is an accomplishment. Seeing it fly in three months is going to be amazing."

Finishing the Orion crew module marks the completion of all major components of the spacecraft. The other two major elements -- the inert service module and the launch abort system -- were completed in January and December, respectively. The crew module was attached to the service module in June to allow for testing before the finishing touches were put on the crew module.

The adapter that will connect Orion to the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket was built by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. It is being tested for use on the agency's Space Launch System rocket for future deep space missions.

NASA, Orion's prime contractor Lockheed Martin, and ULA managers oversaw the move of the spacecraft Thursday from the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy, where it will be fueled with ammonia and hyper-propellants for its flight test. Once fueling is complete, the launch abort system will be attached. At that point, the spacecraft will be complete and ready to stack on the Delta IV Heavy.

Orion is being built to send humans farther than ever before, including to an asteroid and Mars. Although the spacecraft will be uncrewed during its December flight test, the crew module will be used to transport astronauts safely to and from space on future missions. Orion will provide living quarters for up to 21 days, while longer missions will incorporate an additional habitat to provide extra space. Many of Orion's critical safety systems will be evaluated during December's mission, designated Exploration Flight Test-1, when the spacecraft travels about 3,600 miles into space.

(Image provided by NASA)

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NASAs Orion Spacecraft Nears Completion, Ready For Fueling

Brian Lewis – Skimming the Lunar Surface for Science: The LADEE Mission – Video

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Brian Lewis - Skimming the Lunar Surface for Science: The LADEE Mission
NASA Ames Research Center Director #39;s Colloquium, July 15, 2014, presented by the Office of the Chief Scientist, Moffett Field, California. NASA #39;s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer...

By: NASA Ames Research Center

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Brian Lewis - Skimming the Lunar Surface for Science: The LADEE Mission - Video

Birds on Mars & Dinosaur Fossils – Rover Curiosity – Nature’s Lullaby – Video

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Birds on Mars Dinosaur Fossils - Rover Curiosity - Nature #39;s Lullaby
If we believe NASA, Mars has human bone shaped rocks. This image shows bird and snake shaped rocks if NASA is interpreting. When I am outside, I know the difference between a rock and a bird....

By: Natures Lullaby

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Birds on Mars & Dinosaur Fossils - Rover Curiosity - Nature's Lullaby - Video

ALERT | Strong Solar Storm Heading to Earth [updated NASA Enlil & Multiple News Reports] – Video

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ALERT | Strong Solar Storm Heading to Earth [updated NASA Enlil Multiple News Reports]
STORM WARNING: A pair of CMEs is heading for Earth. The two solar storm clouds were launched on Sept. 9th and 10th by strong explosions in the magnetic canopy of sunspot AR2158. http://spaceweathe...

By: earthspace101

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ALERT | Strong Solar Storm Heading to Earth [updated NASA Enlil & Multiple News Reports] - Video