Anyone practice Centering Prayer?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I’ve never been to a centering prayer meeting (and never will), but my guess is that what Catholics are really looking for is relief from distractions during prayer, a method to focus more deeply on God and not on their shopping or to-do lists. If Centering prayer meetings basically just teach how to do that and give people an opportunity to practice letting go of their distracting thoughts, then it sounds like an ok practice but not what centering prayer is really supposed to be. Kind of like going to yoga that leaves out all the spiritual aspects of the practice and leaves only the poses for stretching and relaxation purposes. It’s fine this way, but it’s not real yoga.
 
Connie Rossini also has written a book about centering prayer, Is Centering Prayer Catholic? It looks like you can read the kindle edition from Amazon for free if you have kindle unlimited. The publication date is October 30, 2018.

She refers to St. Teresa of Avila (a doctor of the church) a great deal in this book as well as Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life, and On Some Aspects of Christian Meditation from the Vatican for sources for her opinion that it is NOT Catholic.
 
Last edited:
I try to divide my prayer time evenly between Yoga and Centering Prayer 😁.

Okay seriously, I do practice Christian Meditation, which is very similar to Centering Prayer. It was formulated by the English Benedictine monk John Main around the same time that the Cistercian Fathers Keating, Menninger and Pennington were developing Centering Prayer. They both use the repetition of a single sacred word or phrase during the time of prayer, while letting all other thoughts simply pass without engaging with them. John Main found this way of prayer in the writings of St. John Cassian, the 4th century desert father. I spend some time praying this way twice a day, once in the morning before Mass starts (during the weekdays), and again in the early afternoon.

I have also read the Vatican documents that are most often pointed to when discouraging these ways of prayer, Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life, and On Some Aspects of Christian Meditation, and I have concluded that my practice is not in conflict with the teachings of the Church, which primarily warns against syncretism.
 
christofirst said:
I have also read the Vatican documents that are most often pointed to when discouraging these ways of prayer
Click to expand...
As have I, and have concluded that they have nothing to do with Centering Prayer. The authors that invoke these documents in their articles are stretching them beyond their breaking point.
 
I think Centering Prayer might be good for me to calm the anxiety and depression, to calm the negative thoughts and focus on God.

I usually find great help and comfort praying in my car while talking out loud. It calms my mind. I imagine the silence will too
 
Last edited:
I have done centering prayer for the last ten years. A year ago I learned TM, so I have been using TM along with the rosary to accomplish interior differentiation.

One difference between TM and Centering prayer is the use of a word. Centering Prayer uses a sacred word and the meaning is known. TM uses a word and the meaning is not known. The word in TM is meant to be phonic and is used for the purpose of holding the attention of the conscious mind. TM produces alpha waves.
Centering prayer is God centered and probably a different level of consciousness for a different purpose. I’m not certain of which brain waves we are accessing in centering prayer. One article mentions going from alpha to theta. Theta would be a suggestive state like hypnosis.
Another phenomena that is mentioned is that people who do centering prayer experience attacks from demons. Or they experience very disturbing thoughts. That might be your mind trying to deal with trauma from one of your life’s experiences. If you experience disturbing thoughts you may need guidance to remedy them and transform them.

In my opinion, anyone can practice centering prayer as long as you have stability and experience the presence of God. If you have an intimate relationship with God then you have the unending presence of God as a lifeline of light in darkness and darkness should not be a problem for you. We can bring life to the, “valley of death.” The rosary, Eucharist(mass), and adoration are the most powerful forms of prayer to establish the unending presence of God within. The liturgy of the hours can be a great method as well.
 
Last edited:
I just did Centering Prayer with an app for the first time, my sacred word was Church. It was a very moving experience, I wrote down in one of my prayer journals about what I felt and reflected on
 
Borderline fraudulent article

I’m surprised it’s still on Catholic Answers

Jim
 
Either method depends in the focus of the intention of the person praying.

Centering Prayer, opens us to Contemplation.

It both cases, when we turn to God dwelling with in, that’s Contemplative Prayer.

Jim
 
Because of misinformation

People were talking about New Age Centering, not Centering Prayer as taught by Fr Keating, which has a rich tradition in the Catholic Church, going back to the 4th century mystics of the desert.

Jim
 
When Fr Keating and Fr Pennington began teaching what we now call Centering Prayer, it was called, “Quiet Prayer.” or “Prayer of Quiet.” Here’s a link to the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia on it.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12608b.htm

It wasn’t until both priest had been teaching Quiet Prayer to religious on a week-end retreat, that they had been covering St John of the Cross’ :“Living Flame of Love.” St John, along with Thomas Merton, used the word, “Center,” so much, that the participants began calling Quiet Prayer, “Centering Prayer.”

The title became controversial to the point that many priest who write about interior prayer, return to calling it, “Quiet Prayer.”

Fr Martin Laird, in his book, “Into the Silent Land,” explains it.

Jim
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top