Centering Prayer

[AlanFromWichita]

Re: Cloud of the Unknowing download

Hey, I almost forgot I posted an .rtf version of Cloud of the Unknowing on a website I haven’t updated in a while. This is a public domain copy I got from the British Museum; I have not read it myself so I don’t know how the translation compares to the version I previously recommended. It is at:
wordsfree.org/

The one I had recommended, again, is at:
amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0385030975/qid=1093790681/sr=8-3/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i3_xgl14/002-0901643-1718463?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Alan

 

[Joysong]

In the Secular Carmelite thread, Jenlyn expressed concern about “emptying the mind.” I became alarmed, for I am deeply familiar with the ways of prayer taught by both Carmelite Doctors, Teresa and John of the Cross.

Neither saint was an advocate of emptying the mind as a prelude to contemplation, and St. Teresa wrote about it in Chapter XXII of her Autobiography (Life).

I am not familiar with centering prayer, which seemed to be what Jenlyn was wary about, so looked up this thread, and noted some red flags expressed in post #16 & #52:

1. Centering prayer is totally passive, and attempts to clear the mind of any thoughts at all. That’s the trick – trying to think about nothing at all, on purpose.
2. The centering prayer technique itself is very closely modeled after the prayer form in “The Cloud of the Unknowing” so Keating didn’t really make it up; he just put it in a package to sell it to people with busy lives.

This commentary expresses the true intent of the Cloud, and assumes that one far advanced in prayer is reading the work:
Commentary on the Cloud

Of all the writings of 14th century mystics explored on this site, I would say that the Cloud is the most difficult to understand. Much of the terminology, which assumes knowledge of ascetic and mystic theology, can be taken entirely incorrectly in a time when meditation is seen as a technique. As well, and as the author of the Cloud makes very clear, the work described not only assumes divine grace but that the “reader” is already at an advanced state of prayer

. There is strong emphasis on discipline, guidance, wariness of deception and renunciation of sin.

The author’s caution not to think of theological concepts, etc. refers to the time of meditation. It does not discredit use of our intellect, but admits to its limitations.

The mantra was greatly confused! Chapter 36) The author assumes that one has reached a point where one has reached contemplation (intuitive awareness), is guided by grace, and has been judged by the Christian equivalent of the Zen master to be at a point of praying without words. The mantra is not the means to that end.

In my next post, I want to share excerpts of what St. Teresa found in her own life that supports the errors of this type of prayer form.

 

[Joysong]

As I mentioned previously, this is from Chapter XXII of Life of St. Teresa of Avila. I have printed excerpts and not the entire text.

To come now to the second point: we are not angels and we have bodies. To want to become angels while we are still on earth, is ridiculous. As a rule, our thoughts must have something to lean upon

, though sometimes the soul may go out from itself and very often may be so full of God that it will need no created thing to assist it in recollection. But this is not very usual: when we are busy, or suffering persecutions or trials, when we cannot get as much quiet as we should like, and at seasons of aridity, we have a very good Friend in Christ.

There are some, of course, whom God leads by a very exalted road; and these think that others can make progress in the same way – by quieting the understanding and making no use of corporeal aids to devotion – but if such persons act thus they will remain as dry as sticks. There are others who have attained a certain degree of quiet and at once think that, as they have done this, they can do everything else. But, instead of gaining in this way, they will lose, as I have said. So experience and discretion are necessary in everything.

And these books advise us earnestly to put aside all corporeal imagination and to approach the contemplation of the Divinity. For they say that anything else, even Christ’s Humanity, will hinder or impede those who have arrived so far from attaining to the most perfect contemplation.

But these writers think that, as this work is entirely spiritual, anything corporeal may disturb or impede it, and that what contemplatives must contrive to do is to think of themselves as circumscribed, but of God as being everywhere, so that they may become absorbed in Him.

I do not contradict this view, for it is held by learned and spiritual men, who know what they are saying, and God leads souls along many roads and by many ways, as He has led mine. It is of mine that I now wish to speak, without interfering with the souls of others, and of the danger in which I found myself through trying to fall into line with what I read.

When I began to gain some experience of supernatural prayer – I mean of the Prayer of Quiet – I tried to put aside everything corporeal, though I dared not lift up my soul, for, being always so wicked, I saw that to do this would be presumption. But I thought I was experiencing the presence of God, as proved to be true, and I contrived to remain with Him in a state of recollection. So Thou, in Thy goodness, wert pleased to bring it to an end by giving me one who would cure me of this error, and afterwards by permitting me often to see Thee, as I shall relate hereafter, so that I might clearly realize how great my error was and tell many people of it, as I have done, and set it all down here and now.

This withdrawal from the corporeal must doubtless be good, since it is advised by such spiritual people, but my belief is that it must be practised only when the soul is very proficient: until then, it is clear, the Creator must be sought through the creatures. All this has to do with the grace which the Lord bestows on every soul: into that matter I will not enter. What I should like to make clear is that Christ’s most sacred Humanity must not be reckoned among these corporeal objects. Let that point be clearly understood: I wish I knew how to explain it.

But that we should exert care and skill to accustom ourselves to endeavour with all our strength not to have always before us this most sacred Humanity, it is that, I say, which seems to me not to be right. The soul is left, as the phrase has it, in the air; for it has nothing to lean upon, however full it may think itself to be of God.

 

[Joysong]

I should have given a “concluding” notice in post #61, for otherwise #60 may be missed. The reader might think that I was speaking of the Secular Carmelite thread when I wrote, “As mentioned previously …”

So that I do not offend those who find real worth in centering prayer, it seems important to note that it is for those who are very advanced spiritually, and are able to do this without spiritual harm. For spiritual babes, I believe it is essential to use the orthodox methods taught for centuries in the Church by saints who “been there, done that.”

 

[buzzcut]

On relating Centering Prayer to the framework of lectio, meditatio, oratio and contemplatio, someone once asked Fr Keating:

St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa advised that one should only discontinue discursive meditation when God takes away one’s ability to practice it. How does centering prayer fit in with that tradition?

This was his reply:

“A certain amount of reflection on the truths of faith to develop basic convictions, which is the work of discursive meditation, is a necessary basis for contemplation. To the objection that we might be introducing contemplative prayer too soon, my answer is that our contemporaries in the Western world have a special problem with discursive meditation because of the ingrained inclination to analyze things beyond all measure, a mind-set that has developed out of the Cartesian-Newtonian world view and that has led to the repression of our intuitive faculties. This conceptual hang-up of modern Western society impedes the spontaneous movement from reflection to spontaneous prayer and from spontaneous prayer to interior silence (wonder and admiration). I think you could do all three in tandem and still be in the tradition of lectio divina. If you are practicing lectio divina, you don’t have to follow any particular order or time schedule. You can follow the inspiration of grace and mull over the text, make particular acts of the will, or move into contemplative prayer at any time. Obviously discursive meditation and affective prayer will predominate in the beginning. But this does not exclude moments of interior silence. If people were encouraged to reflect on scripture and be fully present to the words of the sacred text, and then practice a period of centering prayer, they would actually be in the tradition of lectio.”

Quoted from Thomas Keating, Open mind open heart: The contemplative dimension of the Gospel, p. 30.

 

[Mysty101]

Thanks, Buzz

 

[Joysong]

Dear Buzzcut,

I see from other posts of yours that you are in RCIA, and also that you are eager to learn what the Lord requires of you to enter into a deep intimacy with Him. Glory and praise for these earnest desires! Somewhere along the way, you stumbled upon Abbot Keating’s works and it seems to me that you are trying to discern whether this may be for you (?).

In another thread, you posted a beautiful work that had in its contents this question:

*Q. “Are there any other conditions which I should fulfill, so that I may abide in the secret of His Presence?”

*A. *Be pure in heart. *Every permitted sin encrusts the windows of the soul with thicker layers of grime, obscuring the vision of God. But every victory over impurity and selfishness clears the spiritual vision, and there fall from the eyes, as it had been, scales. In the power of the Holy Ghost deny self, give no quarter to sin, resist the devil, and thou shalt see God.

The unholy soul could not see God even though it were set down in the midst of Heaven. But holy souls see God amid the ordinary commonplaces of earth, and find everywhere an open vision. Such could not be nearer God though they stood by the sea of glass. Their only advantage there would b that the veil of their mortal and sinful natures having been rent, the vision would be more direct and perfect.

*Keep His commandments. Let there be not one jot or tittle unrecognized and unkept. He that hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me, and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My father, and I will love him, and will manifest My self to him. *(Jn. 14:21) Moses the faithful servant was also the seer, and spake with God face to face as a man speaketh with his friend.

As was noted in several posts, and again in this treatise above, the condition for receiving the manifestation of God is holiness, purity of heart, and keeping His commandments. All of the saints throughout many centuries have born the same witness. Though I have not read Keating’s book, I have observed in several posted links that his guidance is for anyone, irrespective of holiness, and it relies on techniques - techniques that abort a focus upon God, but stress instead, a focus upon a chosen word and elimination of all other thought. This is very contrary to the author’s direction in the Cloud of Unknowing, and also distorts the teachings of both Carmelite Doctors, Sts. Teresa and John of the Cross.

I see a kindness in you that finds the good points in Keating’s work, together with a desire to see how it equates with traditional teachings of the saints. You are very wise in exercising caution and prayerfully discerning the way God would have you walk.

You brought our attention to this statement in the book, ***St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa advised that one should only discontinue discursive meditation when God takes away one’s ability to practice it. ***

---

******Keating’s answer fails to admit or point out that this was a directive to souls very advanced in spirituality, and completely omits the other two accompanying signs mentioned by St. John that are imperative before one “discontinues discursive meditation.” If you would like, I can provide the text for this later.

Continuing …

 

[Joysong]

. . . continued from previous post:

As for Keating’s reply, “This conceptual hang-up of modern Western society impedes the spontaneous movement from reflection to spontaneous prayer and from spontaneous prayer to interior silence (wonder and admiration),” I would have to ask how many spiritual persons he interviewed to form that conclusion; i.e., that one who practices prayer has this peculiar hang-up. Oh my! As if those who read scripture or other eminent spiritual works fail to move from meditation to prayer. So, in my understanding of his methods, he has gratiously accomodated our hang-ups by teaching us to despoil the intellect from thoughts of God, and choose a word, instead, which for twenty minutes keeps our thoughts centered on nothingness — and this empty mind will bring us to contemplate God.

There are just too many scriptures that teach us God will not be mocked. One that comes to mind is the prayer of Jesus, “Father I praise You for hiding these things from the wise and crafty, and revealing them to little ones.”

Techniques and methods will not force God into manifestation, especially for one who is a beginner in prayer and has not even begun the journey into purification from sinfulness. This is what I observed from a C.P. workshop I attended. The method was advised indiscriminately to “anyone” in the audience who felt they would like to experience contemplation, but failed to consider the spiritual level of those who were not even remotely ready for it.
I admire your steadfast searching, Buzzcut, and I believe you will find the Truth you seek. God is guiding you.

---

 

[gnome]

Joysong:

As for Keating’s reply, “This conceptual hang-up of modern Western society impedes the spontaneous movement from reflection to spontaneous prayer and from spontaneous prayer to interior silence (wonder and admiration),” I would have to ask how many spiritual persons he interviewed to form that conclusion; i.e., that one who practices prayer has this peculiar hang-up. Oh my! As if those who read scripture or other eminent spiritual works fail to move from meditation to prayer. So, in my understanding of his methods, he has gratiously accomodated our hang-ups by teaching us to despoil the intellect from thoughts of God, and choose a word, instead, which for twenty minutes keeps our thoughts centered on nothingness — and this empty mind will bring us to contemplate God.

Techniques and methods will not force God into manifestation,

Thanks Joysong, this is also my understanding of CP but my understanding is limited so I also base on assessment of the great spiritual mind of Fr.Hardon and other clergy.

 

[mtr01]

Joy, I found some thoughts from Fr. Dubay concerning the relationship between centering prayer and infused prayer. Interestingly, his comments are very similar to the ones you made above. He doesn’t spend much time on centering prayer, but throughout he considers it as a type of technique to bring about contemplation. Here’s what he thinks about it:

Living, as we do, in a consumerist age that looks to technology to solve most of its problems, we will, unless immersed in a serious prayer life ourselves, assume as obvious that prayer is mainly something produced in a human manner. This is partially true of beginning discursive meditation, but the trouble begins when the assumption is uncritically extended to all mental prayer. That it is so extended is made clear when one reads books and articles on the subject of contemplation, or if one simply reads advertisements to see what is being sold. The literary and audio markets are replete with techniques and methodologies, oriental and occidental: methods, ways, mantras, centering, ashrams, gurus, koan excercises, yoga techniques, discursive procedures. These are presented and promoted in streams of articles, tapes, books, workshops and courses. While some of this is good for some people at some times, the extension of it to most people at most times is more than misleading. Extended indiscriminately, it becomes a dead end and more than a dead end. It blocks real prayer growth.

What we find in Ss. Teresa and John and in Scripture is a very different message. Though I shall detail this statement as we go along, we may note at the moment that the inspired pages have, as far as I can find, not a single sentence that speaks of methodology as a means to deep communion with the God of revelation. Contemporaries rarely recognize this obvious fact, which is in itself indicative of inattention to Scripture and the lives of those who do in fact enjoy profound contemplative prayer. One can only wonder if some current writers actually know what infused prayer is.

Fire Within, p. 111.

In a similar vein, Fr. Dubay writes:

St. John of the Cross is uncomparable. While ordinary spiritual writers go on and on in their descriptions of meditative methodologies, oriental and occidental, discursive and centering, this saint so on fire with love cannot hold himself back from jumping almost immediately into the I-don’t-know-what of lofty mystical communion. And he is right, of course: people who live the gospel as saints do, that is, without compromise and corner cutting, do soon find the infused flame being given to them. God does not delay. When we are disposed, He gives immediately and open-handedly.

Fire Within, p. 51

This, I think is the most distinct contrast: genuine infused prayer is a gift from God as the result of living the Gospel uncompromisingly…not from the practice of a technique.

 

[buzzcut]

Joysong, thank you for your good wishes. Yes, that’s exactly it, I would like to know how Centering Prayer fits in with what St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross say. I know well the passage you refer to about the three signs. Here it is:

“The first sign is his realization that he can no longer meditate or reason with his imagination, neither can take pleasure therein as he was wont to do aforetime; he rather finds aridity in that which aforetime was wont to captivate his senses and to bring him sweetness. But, for as long as he finds sweetness in meditation, and is able to reason, he should not abandon this, save when his soul is led into the peace and quietness which is described under the third head.”

“The second sign is a realization that he has no desire to fix his mediation or his sense upon other particular objects, exterior or interior. I do not mean that the imagination neither comes nor goes (for even at times of deep recollection it is apt to move freely), but that the soul has no pleasure in fixing it of set purpose upon other objects.”

“The third and surest sign is that the soul takes pleasure in being alone, and waits with loving attentiveness upon God, without making any particular meditation, in inward peace and quietness and rest, and without acts and exercises of the faculties – memory, understanding and will – at least, without discursive acts, that is, without passing from one thing to another; the soul is alone, with an attentiveness and a knowledge, general and loving, as we said, but without any particular understanding, and adverting not to that which it is contemplating.”

That’s from the Ascent of Mount Carmel 2.13.2-4 AMC BOOK 2

I am not wholly satisfied with Fr Thomas Keating’s response to the objection that he was prematurely bypassing the early stages of prayer. But, on the other hand, I’m not wholly dis-satisfied either! I simply don’t know. I will write a bit more later in the day if I have time.

 

[Joysong]

Dear Mtr01,

Thank you so much for providing these comments from Father Dubay’s book. I really appreciate it. He is eminently esteemed by many for his teachings on mystical prayer.
Mtr01 from Father Dubay:

One can only wonder if some current writers actually know what infused prayer is.
St. John of the Cross is uncomparable. While ordinary spiritual writers go on and on in their descriptions of meditative methodologies, oriental and occidental, discursive and centering,** this saint, so on fire with love**, cannot hold himself back from jumping almost immediately into the I-don’t-know-what of lofty mystical communion.

Ah, yes. One has only to read the first sentence of this seraphic Doctor’s poem, Dark Night of the Soul, to see the profound depth of love that burns in the person that is brought to this state by God:
On a dark night, kindled in love with yearnings . . .

We find this ardent longing also in the Song of Songs as the beloved searches the city, but does not find her lover, “I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my lover — what shall you tell him? — that I am faint with love!”

It is utterly incomprehensible to understand how techniques can produce this yearning of love, without anyone doing the preliminary work of discovery - a slow, gradual process. Perhaps a person may receive something they believe is a “touch” from God as they empty their mind and focus on nothingness, but whatever they receive, I personally doubt it is a living flame of God’s love.

St. John writes further in Chapter IX:

1. In this sense we may understand that which the Spouse said to the Bride in the Songs, namely: 'Withdraw thine eyes from me, for they make me to soar aloft." For in such a way does God bring the soul into this state, and by so different a path does He lead it that, if it desires to work with its faculties, it hinders the work which God is doing in it rather than aids it; whereas aforetime it was quite the contrary. The reason is that, in this state of contemplation, which the soul enters when it forsakes meditation for the state of the proficient, it is God Who is now working in the soul; He binds its interior faculties, and allows it not to cling to the understanding, nor to have delight in the will, nor to reason with the memory. For anything that the soul can do of its own accord at this time serves only, as we have said, to hinder inward peace and the work which God is accomplishing in the spirit by means of that aridity of sense.

We note from this chapter that it is God who does the work of initiating contemplation, and not man through a process of techniques.

 

[Joysong]

Dear Gnome,

I agree. It troubles me why anyone would search out novel doctrines when the safety of their eternal soul is at stake; especially, when God has sent his servants throughout the centuries, who carry the official authenticity of “Doctor of the Church.” Incidentally, they all say the same thing, for God is the same yesterday and today.

Thanks for your support!

Dear Buzzcut,

I am deeply impressed that you who are new to our faith and in RCIA, have found such rich treasures as the Ascent! You are in excellent hands with St. John of the Cross, dear friend - never will anyone catch you unaware!

 

[springbreeze]

Joysong:

Dear Mtr01,

Thank you so much for providing these comments from Father Dubay’s book…

Dearest Carole

We also note that this is not a soul devoid of itself or of God …a mind thinking of nothing but it’s own breathing!!!

We note it is a soul burning with LOVE of God and this is the key to contemplation, the focus on the exchange of love between created and Creator. This brings many thoughts and many silences but never a void.

Most different to the prayer of quiet which is not quiet because in this prayer we listen and hear, so is not quiet as we describe it but is a time for the human soul to be ‘quiet’ and listen to what God speaks to it. Prayer is a conversation, we need to listen as well as talk.

This is not the same as CP, which is in itself centered upon the self. Prayer is a constant exchange whether it is of emotion, love, or words, mental or spoken. There is never quiet in totality. When we speak of the prayer of quiet we are actually saying’shut up and listen’ to ourselves!

To make God silent is to limit Him. God is the God of the WORD. Jesus is the WORD incarnate and this word is either exchanged by us speaking, God speaking to us or… the exhange of love in prayer which is contemplation, the flight of the heart.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

 

[buzzcut]

Hi Joysong

Joysong:

never will anyone catch you unaware!

I’m not sure that’s true, but thank you anyway!

So I started looking bits up in Open mind open heart.

First, I don’t think CP is about making the mind a blank. Please don’t make your faculties a blank we read on p. 38. Thoughts are a normal part of centering prayer Fr Keating says on p. 140.

As I read it, it’s all in how we respond to the thoughts. When you become aware of thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word he says on p. 140.

So this does read like a speeded up method of what St John of the Cross implies will happen in its own time anyway. Sign #2 and sign #3 talk about a naturally-occurring lack of interest in thoughts and imaginings. Fr TK just wants to go to this point immediately.

I don’t, though, think that Fr Keating is asserting that we can force God to do anything. He talks about the chosen word as representing an intention to consent to God’s presence and action within (p. 139).

So that is very much a surrendering rather than an assertion.

I’m sure you’re familiar with St Teresa of Avila’s remarks about that the will being held captive during contemplative prayer. She reports a realization: “The soul sees more clearly that it did neither little nor much, other than consent to the Lord’s favors and embrace them with its will” (Life, 17.3).

So actually Fr TK’s intention to consent to God seems quite similar to St T’s observation that all she had really done was consent to God.

And at this point I think I’ve taken it as far as I can. Never having taken a class in Centering Prayer, anything else I might say would be speculative on my part, so I’ll stop here!

 

[springbreeze]

buzzcut:

Hi Joysong

I’m not sure that’s true, but thank you anyway!

So I started looking bits up in Open mind open heart.

First, I don’t think CP is about making the mind a blank. Please don’t make your faculties a blank we read on p. 38. Thoughts are a normal part of centering prayer Fr Keating says on p. 140.

As I read it, it’s all in how we respond to the thoughts. When you become aware of thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word he says on p. 140.

So this does read like a speeded up method of what St John of the Cross implies will happen in its own time anyway. Sign #2 and sign #3 talk about a naturally-occurring lack of interest in thoughts and imaginings. Fr TK just wants to go to this point immediately.

I don’t, though, think that Fr Keating is asserting that we can force God to do anything. He talks about the chosen word as representing an intention to consent to God’s presence and action within (p. 139).

So that is very much a surrendering rather than an assertion.

I’m sure you’re familiar with St Teresa of Avila’s remarks about that the will being held captive during contemplative prayer. She reports a realization: “The soul sees more clearly that it did neither little nor much, other than consent to the Lord’s favors and embrace them with its will” (Life, 17.3).

So actually Fr TK’s intention to consent to God seems quite similar to St T’s observation that all she had really done was consent to God.

And at this point I think I’ve taken it as far as I can. Never having taken a class in Centering Prayer, anything else I might say would be speculative on my part, so I’ll stop here!

Dear friend

We know that prayer is a gift whatever form of prayer we are gifted with and yes the soul can make strivings and the Almighty will take pity and help the woker by working for the soul and moving into that soul and taking up some of the burden of that soul

The point about CP is that it is so very brave to short-cut to God and in my expereince of people who have swept themselves up in CP is they just ‘feel’ but are not growing. This is very different from the teachings of St Teresa and St John of the Cross. The soul tends to be held at this point in CP and secure here does not drift from it because it is not a gift and not the aid of the Divine, but a plateau.

I must sound very negative and if a soul though not wise in prayer find comfort in CP then I would be sorely received to say stop this form of prayer so that you may develop. But I would say just that very thing because prayer is not about comfort and if that is all we seek in prayer we are misleading ourselves and others. In prayer we are seeking the Divine and invite the Divine to our hearts and souls and this by the very nature of the Cross does not always bring comfort and we are asked of just as much as we may plead with the Almighty.

God bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

 

[Joysong]

Dear Buzzcut,

As I read it, it’s all in how we respond to the thoughts. When you become aware of thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word he says on p. 140.

So this does read like a speeded up method of what St John of the Cross implies will happen in its own time anyway. Sign #2 and sign #3 talk about a naturally-occurring lack of interest in thoughts and imaginings. Fr TK just wants to go to this point immediately.

It might help you to look at St. John’s in-depth description of these signs, Buzzcut, in Dark Night, Chapter IX . This is far more a ligature of the faculties than merely a “lack of interest.” [You know, Buzz? I think in both cases, the person loses. But it is not for me to direct anyone, for there are many saints, and wonderful Shepherds in the Church who are gifted for this. Our purpose in this discussion was not to tear down, but to build up. I am perceiving that this way of C.P. is beginning to attract you, for you return to the book and find good in it. It takes a long time to understand Carmelite teachings, so I ought not be surprised that you misunderstand certain points. Nevertheless, I have every confidence that God will lead you into the fullness of His truth, and for this I truly pray.

May God bless you always.[]Dark Night of the Soul](http://www.catholicfirst.com/thefaith/catholicclassics/johnofthecross/dark_night/darknight1a.cfm[/url)

But holy souls see God amid the ordinary commonplaces of earth, and find everywhere an open vision. Such could not be nearer God though they stood by the sea of glass.

While some of this is good for some people at some times, the extension of it to most people at most times is more than misleading. Extended indiscriminately, it becomes a dead end and more than a dead end. It blocks real prayer growth.

everywherenot](http://www.catholicfirst.com/thefaith/catholicclassics/johnofthecross/dark_night/darknight1a.cfm)

 

[buzzcut]

Hi, Joysong and Teresa, After all this discussion I find myself in the same position as FelixBlue who started this thread – I still don’t know what to make of Centering Prayer.

 

[Mysty101]

Joysong:

As was noted in several posts, and again in this treatise above, the condition for receiving the manifestation of God is holiness, purity of heart, and keeping His commandments. All of the saints throughout many centuries have born the same witness. Though I have not read Keating’s book, I have observed in several posted links that his guidance is for anyone, irrespective of holiness, and it relies on techniques - techniques that abort a focus upon God, but stress instead, a focus upon a chosen word and elimination of all other thought.

I don’t have time right now to read through all these great posts, but I would like to try to clarify something.

First of all, while it is true that anyone can attempt centering, it is also true that anyone can attempt contemplation—very few will achieve full contemplation.

Keating always refers to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit----never a “Higher Power”
First instruction
Be with God within

As far as the word–“let it be gently present, supporting your being to God in faith filled love.”
“Choose a word as a symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within.” (Most people choose “Jesus”)

“When you become aware of anything, return ever so gently to God, using the sacred word”

End with the Lord’s Prayer or another prayer.

Anyone who is not striving for Catholic holiness will probably not even pick up the book, and will even less probably get through it.

I do not center regularly, but I did find many beneficial prayer aids in this work. It has a wonderful chapter on ways to schedule more prayer time into your day. It is wonderful to center during adoration time. I would definitely include more centering in my prayer life, if I had more time—it is very soothing. Right now I prefer the hours.

 

[RThomas]

There have been some very good responses to this question. It is true that the good intention of centering prayer has been abused by some - pirated in a sense by the New Age movement.

The good intention of centering prayer is for those who have progressed in the traditional Catholic development of prayer up to the very threshold of the mystical life - and there, at the door, so to speak, of infused contemplation, centering prayer gives the person a possibly helpful way of waiting upon the Lord.

The danger - which is not well understood by some practitioners of centering prayer - is that it can be taught and learned as some sort of short-cut to contemplation. It is not. There is no such short-cut, because blessed contemplation is a precious gift of God, not a human work, although our devout participation in prayer is essential.

The traditional grades of ascetical prayer are the path to contemplation: vocal prayer leads into meditation, meditation grows into affective prayer, affective prayer simplifies and develops into the prayer of simplicity (also named recollection, and acquired contemplation, and other names as well).

It is there, for a person who has faithfully grown in his prayer life to the prayer of simplicity, that “centering prayer” might be helpful. At that development of the life of prayer, the soul must wait upon God. God alone can initiate the wellspring of grace that the soul desires - the gift of infused contemplation. While faithfully waiting, and perhaps while enduring the darkness of that waiting, which will bring a Dark Night described by John of the Cross, centering prayer can be a way of waiting. In a sense, it is something to hold on to - something to do - a way to look to God who alone can be held in the time of dark waiting.

The danger is that centering prayer can be received as an avoidance of what is needed - a substitute that “we can do”, for something only God can do. Only God can work the purgations and purifications of the night of darkness. What is necessary in such spiritual darkness is faith - not a “program”.

The link in my signature leads to two book on spirituality in the traditional Catholic perspective.

Thomas