centering prayer

[DBT]

maggiec:

I think I have experienced something similar. Several times after praying the rosary in front of the Blessed Sacrament I have seemed to realize that I was “lost in meditation”. When I try to reproduce this it doesn’t happen but when I let go in meditation (usually the rosary) it just seem to happen. It is a wonderful feeling.
Maggie

And that, my friend, hits the nail on the head.

You’ve said more in this brief passage about the nature of contemplation (acquired and infused at that!) than many of the long winded posts around here (speaking only of myself of course!).

God is the one who calls us to contemplation and “it just seems to happen” is about as good an explanation that I’ve heard around here. And those who truely understand this are not far from realizing the folly of methods.

Dave.

 

[Halo]

Fr Thomas Dubay is a good resource. EWTN

 

[AlanFromWichita]

DBT:

And that, my friend, hits the nail on the head.

You’ve said more in this brief passage about the nature of contemplation (acquired and infused at that!) than many of the long winded posts around here (speaking only of myself of course!).

God is the one who calls us to contemplation and “it just seems to happen” is about as good an explanation that I’ve heard around here. And those who truely understand this are not far from realizing the folly of methods.

Dave.

 

[virgo]

maggiec:

I thought that centering prayer was considered more of a yoga type exercise that was to be avoided. Any comments?
God bless,
maggiec

Wait a sec–Yoga is to be avoided? I’ve taken it for years and it’s improved my posture and my flexibility. It also helps me empty my mind of the hectic day and start fresh.

I also enjoy meditation–it’s the only thing that brings my anxiety level down so I have the peace of mind to pray. I find my prayer is rambling and distracted if I do not empty my mind first.

Is this evil? I’m confused.

 

[maggiec]

DBT:

And that, my friend, hits the nail on the head.

You’ve said more in this brief passage about the nature of contemplation (acquired and infused at that!) than many of the long winded posts around here (speaking only of myself of course!).

God is the one who calls us to contemplation and “it just seems to happen” is about as good an explanation that I’ve heard around here. And those who truely understand this are not far from realizing the folly of methods.

Dave.

I appreciate so much the advise and information. I will continue my journey, I feel now that I am on the right track.
God bless
Maggie

 

[maggiec]

[/quote]

Fellow Texas, thanks for all your help. You have given me some good resourses,
God bless,
Maggie

 

[maggiec]

virgo:

Wait a sec–Yoga is to be avoided? I’ve taken it for years and it’s improved my posture and my flexibility. It also helps me empty my mind of the hectic day and start fresh.

I also enjoy meditation–it’s the only thing that brings my anxiety level down so I have the peace of mind to pray. I find my prayer is rambling and distracted if I do not empty my mind first.

Is this evil? I’m confused.

If you’ll look on the EWTN audio library site you will find a program by Fr Mitch Pacqa concerning the problems with yoga and the new age movement.
God bless,
Maggie

 

[virgo]

Hmmm…I’ll check it out, but I’m guessing it’s a little anti- anything that’s not christian. I like to keep a balanced view on those topics. Yoga’s done me no harm, even after all these years.

 

[mari1234]

There are articles on Centering prayer on the Catholic answers website…just go to the home page and near the left top under search put in centering prayer and many links on centering prayer should come.

I hope this helps

God Bless,

Mari

 

[AlanFromWichita]

mari1234:

There are articles on Centering prayer on the Catholic answers website…just go to the home page and near the left top under search put in centering prayer and many links on centering prayer should come.

I hope this helps

God Bless,

Mari

There are some articles about it, but the ones that have been pointed out to me (notable Fr. Dreher’s very negative article about it) are unfortunately like many others which take a totally exterior view toward this interior prayer form and, given incomplete information, come up with conclusions that do not flow from the truth.

For centering prayer, THE definitive source (considering centering prayer was invented by the two founders of the organization and specifically to bring mysticism out of the monestaries and into the lives of active religious and laity) is Contemplative Outreach. Reading an article critical of this prayer form is much akin to reading an article by Protestants with scholarly reasons that one should not be Catholic. It cannot be argued with someone who isn’t called to it, never did it, and wishes to believe it is evil. Note that it is based on ancient practices, but the word “centering prayer,” (a bit of an unfortunate misnomer BTW but it stuck) itself the organized practice of it is Post Vatican II.

Since the founder of this technique, a Cistercian monk, is alive and breathing and still authoring information, why not skip the third party reviews and go right to the “horse’s mouth” as it were? Fr. Thomas Keating makes most of his books available online with full text, something very few contemporary writers do. Also they don’t do apologetics, as they are committed to the prayer – that’s one reason you don’t hear more widespread refutation of the rumors.

Horse’s mouth on centering prayer: contemplativeoutreach.org

Alan

 

[AlanFromWichita]

virgo:

Wait a sec–Yoga is to be avoided? I’ve taken it for years and it’s improved my posture and my flexibility. It also helps me empty my mind of the hectic day and start fresh.

I also enjoy meditation–it’s the only thing that brings my anxiety level down so I have the peace of mind to pray. I find my prayer is rambling and distracted if I do not empty my mind first.

Is this evil? I’m confused.

“Yoga” is a very open-ended term, roughly meaning “yoke.”

There are many practices that could be considered a type of “yoga,” Christianity being one of them. I am not expert in these types but have listened to lecture from people who are, so I do not claim* personal* expertise on this subject.

The “yoga” like I used to do, watching TV at 6 am, helped my back. That is one kind of yoga as well.

Medidation, per se, is also not an evil thing either as the Catechism includes “meditative prayer” among its three types of Christian prayer: vocal, meditative, and contemplative.

The problem as I see it, is that mysticism knows no bounds. What works for one human heart often works for another, even if they have different religious beliefs. We all are made the same way by the same God. For some reason, many Catholics become very frightened and confused when introduced to prayer forms that are not externally observable, hence a person cannot be told whether he is doing it “right.” We are so used to being told exactly what to say and do in certain situations, that the freedom of mind involved in deeper prayer forms is scary to some. Thus I think there are fear reactions triggered by the mere mention of vocabulary words to the degree that people hear the word “meditation” and automatically assign various eastern types – thinking of some dude smoking a hooka between periods of sitting in lotus position, I suspect.

In summary, anything that sounds “eastern” seems to be scary to Catholics. There are certainly dangerous forms of meditation, just as there are poisonous liquids – if someone does not drink at all due to this fear, one will surely die.

Alan

 

[pappagena]

This document may help:

ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDFMED.HTM

I do not believe that it mentions Centering prayer specifically, but about practices that seem close to Centering prayer. Remember prayer is supposed to be a lifting of the heart to God, who is distinctly other than ourselves.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

pappagena:

This document may help:

ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDFMED.HTM

I do not believe that it mentions Centering prayer specifically, but about practices that seem close to Centering prayer. Remember prayer is supposed to be a lifting of the heart to God, who is distinctly other than ourselves.

Thank you for the article. One paragraph I found particularly interesting was this one. I think it makes a couple good point about contemplative prayer “methods,” of which centering prayer is one:
Joseph Card. Ratzinger:

1. Therefore, one has to interpret correctly the teaching of those masters who recommend “emptying” the spirit of all sensible representations and of every concept, while remaining lovingly attentive to God. In this way, the person praying creates an empty space which can then be filled by the richness of God. However, the emptiness which God requires is that of the renunciation of personal selfishness, not necessarily that of the renunciation of those created things which he has given us and among which he has placed us. There is no doubt that in prayer one should concentrate entirely on God and as far as possible exclude the things of this world which bind us to our selfishness. On this topic St. Augustine is an excellent teacher: if you want to find God, he says, abandon the exterior world and re-enter into yourself. However, he continues, do not remain in yourself, but go beyond yourself because you are not God; he is deeper and greater than you. "I look for his substance in my soul and I do not find it; I have however meditated on the search for God and, reaching out to him, through created things, I have sought to know ‘the invisible perfections of God’ (Rom 1:20)."2 “To remain in oneself”: this is the real danger. The great Doctor of the Church recommends concentrating on oneself, but also transcending the self which is not God, but only a creature. God is "deeper than my inmost being and higher than my greatest height."22 In fact God is in us and with us, but he transcends us in his mystery.23

I found it particularly interesting that St. Augustine speaks about “re-enter into yourself” and as Card. Ratzinger said, “concentrating on oneself.” I find it interesting because those are the sorts of things that anti-CP arguments have used against CP – but it is strikingly similar to what this article claims to be a good thing.

Of course, it shows there is danger in doing it wrong. That would be in not transcending oneself, which is of utmost importance. The point to centering prayer is not to “find oneself” or “search oneself” but to deny oneself so that one may move on beyond self and into the Cloud of the Unknowing, as it were.

Therefore, from what I read of the article, a good point of clarification is made here that may help understand the difference between CP as taught by Contemplative Outreach, and CP as characterized by those who are not entirely familiar with it. The goal of CP, as with all contemplative prayer, is to present oneself willingly in God’s presence, not just a quiet time to sort out our thoughts or to examine our own humanity or anything bizarre like that.

Alan

 

[brandy101]

Personally speaking I find “centering prayer” or “meditative prayer” or whatever you wish to call it my most effective and fantastic times to converse WITH The Holy Spirit.

“Clearing you mind” means NOT to kick God out but to rid all extraneous human worries and concerns from bouncing around in your head so that you can listen clearly for God’s word.

Others have mentioned the Rosary as methods to this experience and it has also happened for me - I feel that its not just going through the motions of “saying” the Rosary but the exercise in dedication, focus and prayer clears out all the stress in my brain and allows me to listen more clearly for the Spirit. I feel this is an important part of my prayer life as opposed to solely “asking” God for things; I feel God certainly DESERVES my full attention to listen!

I can only image that countless Saintly “hermits” or cloistered persons through the ages spent time in deep, silent prayer of this type. It is very difficult to do amidst the noise and distraction of a crowd, I will admit, although its possible once you are practiced at it.

 

[Lorrie]

Our Bishop has pretty much let us know that he doesn’t support centering prayer. I also agree with m134e5.