The Heart at Rest
About the event
What does it mean to become still enough to recognize the presence of God?
In a world filled with noise, distraction, and constant demands on our attention, the Christian tradition offers another way: a return to the heart.
The Heart at Rest invites you to step away from the noise and encounter Hesychasm, an ancient tradition of the Christian East that seeks a deeper awareness of God through stillness and prayer. Led by Paniel Reyes Cárdenas, PhD, and Fr. Valentin, this contemplative experience offers time to learn, reflect, pray, and simply be present to God.
Whether contemplative prayer is already part of your spiritual life or completely new to you, you are welcome to come, slow down, and discover what this ancient path might offer your life today.
The Journey
The program unfolds in three movements, leading participants from an understanding of stillness into the practice of prayer and, ultimately, its meaning for Christian life.
Movement 1 | The Stillness and the Storm
Explore the roots of Hesychasm in the Desert Fathers and Mothers, the Christian understanding of the heart, and the inner distractions that can keep us from attentiveness to God.
Movement 2 | The Prayer of the Heart
Experience the Jesus Prayer and its movement from spoken prayer to interior prayer. This session includes practical guidance and a period of guided silence and prayer.
Movement 3 | The Uncreated Light
Consider the ultimate horizon of this spiritual path: theosis, the Transfiguration, and communion with God—and how an interior life of prayer can shape the way we encounter and serve others.
Together, the three movements take the participant from stillness, to prayer, to transformation.
Event Details
Saturday, December 5, 2026
9:00 AM–1:30 PM
Whitley Event Center
Oblate School of Theology
In Person Only
Registration: $40
Your registration includes the full 4½-hour program and guided prayer experience. Brief breaks will be provided throughout the morning.
No previous experience with Hesychasm or contemplative prayer is necessary. All are welcome.
Please note: Meals will not be provided. Participants may wish to bring a water bottle and a light sweater or covering for their comfort, as room temperatures can vary.
Presenters
Paniel Reyes Cárdenas, PhD,
Paniel Reyes Cárdenas (Orizaba, Mexico, 1981) earned his bachelor's degree in Philosophy from the Universidad Panamericana (Mexico) and obtained his master's (MPhil) and doctoral degrees in Philosophy from the University of Sheffield (UK). In his doctoral thesis, he investigated the role of scholastic realism within Peirce's pragmatist philosophy, under the supervision of Professors Christopher Hookway and Steve Makin. Although his focus lies in the pragmatist tradition, he possesses a wide range of philosophical interests; he has published articles on the philosophy of mathematics, metaphysics, medieval philosophy, the philosophy of religion, and German idealism. He has actively participated in academic conferences in various countries and is the founder of the Mexican Society for Metaphysics and Philosophy of Science, as well as a founding member of the Latin American Peirce Society. Following a postdoctoral stint at the University of Nottingham under the guidance of Jonathan Tallant and Jules Holroyd, he joined UPAEP (Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla, Mexico) as a professor and researcher, teaching there until 2023. He is a Level 1 member of Mexico's National System of Researchers (SNI) in recognition of his research work. In 2017, he was appointed an honorary researcher by the Department of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield, a distinction he holds to this day. During the 2021–2022 period, he was a visiting professor at the Oblate School of Theology (San Antonio, Texas), and since 2023, he has served as both a professor and a doctoral student at that institution.
Fr. Valentin
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
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