Centering Prayer Retreat?

[CarolAnnLyon]

Greetings!

I heard a comment several months ago on Catholic Answers Live radio about centering prayer, and that it is not proper for Catholics. Now just this month I received my Western Kentucky Catholic newspaper, and found a large ad for a centering prayer retreat to be given at Mount St. Joseph, which I presumed was a conservative institution. The description is as follows:

"Centering prayer practice is a way of life, a commitment to
a new life, to be a new creation, to become the true self
which is God’s idea of who we are; to let God act and
bring us little by little to the integration of all reality and
into our understanding of God; and to see all things in
God and God in all things." --Father Thomas Keating

If this practice is, indeed, improper or harmful for Catholics, I can’t understand why it would be encouraged by a Catholic publication and a Catholic institution. If this type of prayer is to be discouraged, how can I or others handle a situation like this? Should I voice my concern to the publication or the institution, if it is a matter to be concerned about?

Please educate and inform me on this subject, and advise me as to what course to follow.

Thanks and blessings for all your help.

Carol

“Jesus, I Trust In You”

 

[ncjohn]

You will find numerous threads on the forum on this subject if you do a search. All of them will have some of the “stock” quotes from people who don’t like the practice, and many from people who claim it to be “new age” or worse.

I participated in one of Thomas Keating’s workshops and have found the practice, as taught by Contemplative Outreach, to be immensely helpful, both as a prayer discipline and in helping me quiet myself before God.

It is probably not a suitable practice for all, as no prayer practices are, for no other reason that we approach prayer in different ways. Some are drawn to repetitive prayer such as the rosary; some to Ignatatian or Augustinian prayer styes; others to prayer that may manifest itself as poetry or song.

Properly taught by qualified people, I find it to be a valuable prayer tool. I will acknowledge though that there are groups out there using the term in ways that have nothing to do with the approach that Fr Keating uses.

Peace,

 

[Tantum_ergo]

John is absolutely right: Centering Prayer done in the tradition of the Holy Catholic Church, such as done by St. Teresa of Avila or St. John of the Cross, and with a reputable director, while certainly not for all, is for some a beautiful and useful way of prayer.

And he also correctly and clearly notes that there are some who do not use this great tool properly. Well, that is the case in just about every devotion or prayer; there is always a chance for corruption, sad to say.

John, would you recommend some of Father Keating’s works for Carol to look at? That way she’ll know what is the ‘reality’, so to speak, and can use it as a reference point and be ‘grounded’ in authentic knowledge. We can certainly hope the retreat will be authentic as well. But if it’s not, Carol will not only have an idea of what isn’t so ‘kosher’ (forgive the term), but may be able to help others discern as well, should she choose to attend.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

I used to live in Western Kentucky. I never thought of Mount St. Joseph as especially conservative. My favorite retreat place in Western Kentucky is with the Passionist Nuns in Whitesville (St. Joseph Monastery). If you know anyone looking for a good place for a private retreat, suggest Whitesville. Even though I now live in Pennsylvania, I still go back there once a year. passionistnuns.org/

 

[ncjohn]

John, would you recommend some of Father Keating’s works for Carol to look at? That way she’ll know what is the ‘reality’, so to speak, and can use it as a reference point and be ‘grounded’ in authentic knowledge. We can certainly hope the retreat will be authentic as well. But if it’s not, Carol will not only have an idea of what isn’t so ‘kosher’ (forgive the term), but may be able to help others discern as well, should she choose to attend.

It looks from the quote that she gave of Fr Keating’s that it may well be the Contemplative Outreach program, which I trust completely if the trainers have been well trained.

As far as his works, I would most strongly recomment “Open Mind, Open Heart”, which I found to be beautifully written and explains the process well.

Peace,

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Greetings!

I heard a comment several months ago on Catholic Answers Live radio about centering prayer, and that it is not proper for Catholics. Now just this month I received my Western Kentucky Catholic newspaper, and found a large ad for a centering prayer retreat to be given at Mount St. Joseph, which I presumed was a conservative institution. The description is as follows:

"Centering prayer practice is a way of life, a commitment to
a new life, to be a new creation, to become the true self
which is God’s idea of who we are; to let God act and
bring us little by little to the integration of all reality and
into our understanding of God; and to see all things in
God and God in all things." --Father Thomas Keating

If this practice is, indeed, improper or harmful for Catholics, I can’t understand why it would be encouraged by a Catholic publication and a Catholic institution. If this type of prayer is to be discouraged, how can I or others handle a situation like this? Should I voice my concern to the publication or the institution, if it is a matter to be concerned about?

Please educate and inform me on this subject, and advise me as to what course to follow.

Thanks and blessings for all your help.

Carol

“Jesus, I Trust In You”

I’ve been doing Centering Prayer, as Fr Thomas Keating teaches it for the past 30 years, and it is indeed in-line with the Catholic faith. It is throughout the works of St. Teresa of Avila, and St. John of the Cross, although the actual title, “Centering Prayer,” is not used, the method is.

Jim