Centering Prayer is dangerous!

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**Hi Y’All . . . 👋 **

I hope you’re enjoying your Labor Day Holiday! I spent mine laboring - outside, painting - ugh! I just had to come here for a bit of refreshment from all you good people.
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Augustine:
“In the mystical theology which I began to describe, the understanding loses its power of working because God suspends it. What I say we must not do is to presume or think we can suspend it ourselves, nor must we allow it to cease working; if we do so, we shall remain stupid and cold and shall achieve nothing whatsoever.”
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Augustine, thanks for providing that good quote from St. Teresa!

Isn’t it interesting that Dave zeroed in on one part to remind us of God’s sovereignty and initiative in all of this, while I noticed another part, equally important, which confirms my previous quote from St. John. Those two saints really thought alike, huh?

Anyway, the idea is that the understanding must do its labor, if we want to grow close to God and follow His will. We are not angels, where spirit thoughts are instantaneously transmitted. God gave us f aculties, and they must do their work as He ordained – until God suspends it for us. And when He does, the understanding is not void or empty, but God causes it to be well occupied with the manifestation ordained by Him, according to His momentary purpose for that soul…

Which brings me back to the question I posed - is it possible for a beginner, those of the type Dave described in the first 3 mansions, to practice both mental prayer and also allot time to CP without harm? If this person would suspend their mental prayer (the work of the faculties) and opt solely for CP, that is where our saints seem to forewarn us.

I am continually amazed at how wonderfully God is working in this thread with all those contributing. It seems He is anxious to have us learn the truth about this entire issue. One thought leads beautifully to another!

🙂 Carole
 
Hi Everyone,

As I read through the other thread where I referenced some things for Mike, I realized that we have truly exhausted this topic There is more than enough information for the reader who has struggled along with us to make a godly decision whether or not CP is for them.

I can think of three types of people who may be inclined to practice it:

  1. *]Those whose attraction to it has formed after reading that it offers the practitioner a mystical experience of God, possibly visions, and very great graces of contemplation. Their focus is on receiving something beyond what ordinary faith provides, and they are anxious to test the esoteric waters.
    *]Those who are genuinely ready in spirit, having prepared their spirits through regular meditation, coupled with growth in virtue and abhorence of sin. Their affections predominate in a simple gaze of love. Despite good will, one finds it difficult to pursue considerations or to draw profit from them, and when convictions are so firmly rooted in the soul that it takes but a moment to recall them.
    *]Beginners who may have stumbled on this in a workshop, and decide to give it a try, and have not been properly instructed with regard to God’s leading. Should this cause havoc in their spirits, may they return quickly to the modes of prayer taught by the saints.

    One needs only to examine where the heart’s true intent lies and where they sense God is leading their spirit. What some people erroneously conclude from the their perceptions of CP is that this is the #1 guarantee for spiritual growth that has laid hidden throughout the ages. They are the most likely to fail and fall, for prayer alone, no matter how exalted, is not the sole essential for holiness. I thnk we have said quite enough, and I would ask to be excused from further posting on this topic.

    God bless each of you,

    Carole
 
While I don’t myself practice centering prayer (yet) I do, as a sufferer of ADHD, need a way to concentrate on praying so that I’m not pulled this way and that by distractions. Hence I use the (mantra?) Jesus, the “Jesus Prayer.” I have only briefly skimmed the article recommended by one of the other repsondents and it seems that if everything you’re doing in this centering prayer business is concentrated on Jesus there can’t be anything bad happeneing, unless Satan is trying to get you to stop. Thatr one you’d have to ask your pastor or another sapiritual advisor about if it happens.

I am about to make full Oblation as a Benedictine Oblate and courses on cnetering prayer are taught at our monastery. But I think I would rather peruse the books on the subject in our local Catholic store as well as talk to others who practice this if I want further info on the subject. For those of you who do have hallucinations and the like, please obtain a medal of St. Benedict and have it blessed and exocised. It is the most highly blessed medal in all of Christendom, including the Miraculous Medal. One comes with most scapulars that you purchase and the blessing/exorcism is easily obtained if not already included with the scapuolar/medal.
 
Centering Prayer, if done correctly and not by new age hoopla, is a modern method of an ancient Christian prayer practice of contemplative of prayer that is described by the early Church Fathers, as well as John Cassian. a holy word or phrase is selected by the monk to be repeated throughout the day to keep his attention to God, purify his daily work with prayer, and to fight temptations. what is different is that Centering Prayer method asks of a person to take some time out during the day to just sit and repeat this holy word as frequently as necessary, until you can let go of distracting thoughts and “Be still and know [that the Lord is] God.”

just like any kind of method of praying, you must keep it Christ-centered and have spiritual discernment and spiritual direction and be very careful not to veer off into left-field, coming up with beliefs and ideas that are contrary to Catholic teaching.

but if you don’t take caution, yes, it can be just as dangerous as Charismatic Prayer that veers off into Pentacostalism.
 
also to note, certain phrases used in meditational practices can have vastly different meanings, depending on the tradition you consider. in buddhism, yes, “centering oneself” means going within the self into nothingness, and that is dangerous for a Christian.

but within Christianity, the Christ-centered meaning could mean 1) the “self-knowledge”/“interior castle” that St. Teresa of Avila speaks of, and/or 2) being one’s true self in the presence of God, according to the practice as taught by Blessed Lawrence of the Resurrection, another Carmelite.

VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

no matter what kind of contemplative/meditational practice, there is always a spiritual danger if one undergoes it without a Christ-centered orientation and without seeking any spiritual guidance from an experienced, mature director or a pastoral minister. St. Teresa of Avila also warns about this! the Inquisition nearly arrested her in fear that she was veering off into the heresy of “quietism,” but she continued to be obedient and sought good spiritual directors.
 
Have you all consulted the vatican website?

In the "SYNODUS EPISCOPORUM BULLETIN of the Commission for information of the SPECIAL ASSEMBLY FOR AMERICA OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS 16 November-12 December 1997:

vatican.va/news_services/press/sinodo/documents/bollettino_17_speciale-america-1997/02_inglese/b13_02.html

American Bishops said the "Church can represent the presence of God in modern day man who thirsts for Him (144). To this end, the Pastors should acquire the proper means to foster an authentic experience of God in the lay faithful (99). We might ask what has happened to all these desires, announcements and proclamations. In order to favor the personal encounter with the Living Christ, I would like to propose the following measures.
  • To make certain forms known, both traditional and current, of Christian contemplative prayer, as for instance, in centering prayer. These forms of prayer allow many Christians to encounter, in their own spiritual tradition, what they find in other eastern traditions."
It’s not necessarily a strong endorsement for CP but it certainly doesn’t recommend against it either.
 
Morgan2375 said:
Have you all consulted the vatican website?

In the "SYNODUS EPISCOPORUM BULLETIN of the Commission for information of the SPECIAL ASSEMBLY FOR AMERICA OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS 16 November-12 December 1997:

vatican.va/news_services/press/sinodo/documents/bollettino_17_speciale-america-1997/02_inglese/b13_02.html

American Bishops said the "Church can represent the presence of God in modern day man who thirsts for Him (144). To this end, the Pastors should acquire the proper means to foster an authentic experience of God in the lay faithful (99). We might ask what has happened to all these desires, announcements and proclamations. In order to favor the personal encounter with the Living Christ, I would like to propose the following measures.
  • To make certain forms known, both traditional and current, of Christian contemplative prayer, as for instance, in centering prayer. These forms of prayer allow many Christians to encounter, in their own spiritual tradition, what they find in other eastern traditions."
It’s not necessarily a strong endorsement for CP but it certainly doesn’t recommend against it either.
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Hi there Morgan and welcome to CAF:thumbsup: …Discussions on Centering Prayer can get so heated and lengthy that such discussion on this subject is banned…but it takes a while to catch up with all rules and regulations when a new member of anything, I think, and get into the swing of things as normally done etc…so dont be perturbed:)
Here is the thread re the ban:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=246038

I hope you will enjoy your time on CAF and find it rewarding…Barb:)
 
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