Fr. Greg Boyle: Everybody is Unshakably Good. No Exceptions.
Dec 3, 2023
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Fr. Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries and author, shares profound insights on compassion and kinship. He discusses the transformative power of Centering Prayer in fostering mental and physical well-being. Fr. Boyle emphasizes the inherent goodness in every individual, advocating for unconditional love and understanding, particularly for marginalized groups. He highlights the importance of community support in healing trauma and the need to embrace life's randomness, fostering meaningful connections over judgment.
Centering prayer serves as a transformative tool that enhances well-being and fosters a compassionate worldview for individuals today.
The principle of unconditional positive regard at Homeboy Industries emphasizes that everyone possesses inherent goodness, facilitating healing and community belonging.
Deep dives
The Importance of Centering Prayer
Centering prayer serves as a transformative practice that enables individuals to connect deeply with their inner selves and enhance their outer interactions. This practice is emphasized as essential for spiritual, mental, and physical well-being, particularly as it evolves from traditional monastic origins to the daily lives of contemporary practitioners. Guests discuss how centering prayer fosters a shift in perception, encouraging a compassionate view of the world and the people around them. The discussions also highlight the significant impact of integrating centering prayer into the routines of everyday life, underscoring its relevance in addressing the changing needs of modern contemplatives.
Unconditional Positive Regard in Community
A central theme within the podcast is the notion of unconditional positive regard, which is a vital principle in fostering community belonging within environments like Homeboy Industries. This organization operates on the belief that everyone possesses an unshakeable core of goodness, regardless of their past actions or circumstances. Attendees share how this concept is instrumental in creating a safe space where individuals feel seen and cherished, encouraging healing and personal development. The podcast articulates that embracing this unconditional regard can transform communities, effectively reducing the trauma and challenges individuals face.
Therapeutic Mysticism and Personal Growth
Therapeutic mysticism is explored as a means to cultivate a mindset that enhances personal growth and fosters positive interpersonal connections. This approach encourages individuals to extend compassion and understanding to themselves and others, which is vital for emotional resilience. The podcast discusses how centering prayer can lead practitioners to a profound sense of joy and purpose, ultimately prompting them to contribute positively back to their communities. It is emphasized that through regular practice, individuals not only strengthen their spiritual lives but also become more attentive to the needs of those around them.
Embracing Randomness and Compassion
The conversation addresses the randomness of life and its inherent challenges, emphasizing that such unpredictability does not reflect a lack of divine care. The speakers highlight the importance of acknowledgment and compassion over judgment, particularly when dealing with individuals living in difficult circumstances. The podcast underscores that love and kindness can profoundly impact those experiencing trauma or hardships, suggesting that genuine compassion can facilitate healing and connection. By letting go of preconceived notions of merit and worth, the audience is encouraged to embrace a more expansive view of humanity's shared struggles and inherent goodness.
Centering Prayer is a practice that changes the way we see the world from the inside out and is important for our well-being both physically and mentally. To help us reflect on this important principle, we are excited to welcome Fr. Greg Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world. Fr. Greg was born and raised in Los Angeles and was a Jesuit priest from 1986 to 1992. He served as pastor of Dolores Mission Church, the poorest Catholic parish in Los Angeles that had the highest concentration of gang activity in the city. After witnessing the devastating impact of gang violence on his community, peaking at 1,000 gang-related killings in 1992, he was inspired to adopt a radical approach at the time, treating gang members as human beings. Homeboy Industries employs and trains former gang members in a range of social enterprises, and provides critical services to thousands of individuals who walk through its doors each year seeking a better life.
Fr. Boyle is the author of the 2010 New York Times bestseller Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. Followed by Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship (2017) and The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness (2021). Most recently, he authored Forgive Everyone Everything, an anthology of writings accompanied by Fabian Debora’s artwork.
Season 2 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer.
This episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.com
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