New age in Catholicism, what to do?

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mari1234

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Hi!

I recently started volunteering at what I thought was a Catholic retreat center run by this specific order of nuns. Only to find out after volunteering that they sell books and provide seminars, on the enneagram, centering prayer, tarot cards, “Christian yoga”, just to name a few.

I have only continued to volunteer to inform other volunteers of the error of the new age. I have encountered much resistance. I plan on leaving my volunteer position.

I find it very misleading to Catholics and other Christians because it gives the appearance that to participate in the new age is compatible with following Jesus and even more so because the nuns participate in the new age.

Should I continue trying to talk to others at the retreat center?
Should I write a letter to the bishop?
Or should I just leave my volunteering and leave it at that?
Isn’t it a sin to not try and correct this?

I appreciate any advice

God Bless,

Mari
 
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mari1234:
I find it very misleading to Catholics and other Christians because it gives the appearance that to participate in the new age is compatible with following Jesus and even more so because the nuns participate in the new age.

Should I continue trying to talk to others at the retreat center?
Should I write a letter to the bishop?
Or should I just leave my volunteering and leave it at that?
Isn’t it a sin to not try and correct this?
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IMHO you should write a letter to the bishop, listing factual information.

If you can stomach it, stay and talk to others (with charity) until they kick you out. Instructing the ignorant and counselling the doubtful are Spiritual Works of Mercy.

Find some tapes to hand out to people. Here’s a book on Catholics and the New Age by Fr Mitch Pacwa.
crossroadsinitiative.com/resource_info/90.html and an Audio Index of talks he has given on EWTN ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/file_index.asp?SeriesId=842969394&pgnu=
 
Ask the bishop why using tarot cards is a sin when the local nuns are selling them.
 
First, talk to the nun in charge at the center. Discuss your specific objections and have church teaching to back your points.

If changes are not made, write to the Bishop and to the mother house of their order. Give factual information.
 
**There is much information on the net about all of these things that are occult in nature. Mitch pacwa’s book is very good. I have bought the videos from Johnette Benkovic, Fr Silvya and Claire Merkle who was very much involved in yoga and healing touch, etc. Excellent videos to share with others! I have bought them for our prayer group as there are many people who in our group involved in reiki, course of miracles, etc. **
I would approach the nuns with your material and deliberate this stuff with them. Make sure to being good ammunition like John Paul 11 'Jesus Christ, the Water of Life ewtn.com/library/CURIA/PCCPCIDA.HTM…which you can find on the net and print it out if you want but it is about 80+ pages. There is also a document that is written by an archbishop. Here it is:
ewtn.com/library/BISHOPS/ACALL.HTM
You will get the gist of their response and you could just tell them that this will be reported to the local Bishop and the Motherhouse (although I doubt if the Motherhouse will really care…many of our nuns are involved heavily in all of this). And just follow through…then…you have to leave the rest to God…
 
Read “Jesus Christ, the Bearer of the Water of Life: A Christian Response to the New Age”, from the Pontifical Council for Culture.
It may help form your response, but really, many nuns don’t care what the Church teaches. They consider themselves an alternative magisterium.
 
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mari1234:
Hi!

I recently started volunteering at what I thought was a Catholic retreat center run by this specific order of nuns. Only to find out after volunteering that they sell books and provide seminars, on the enneagram, centering prayer, tarot cards, “Christian yoga”, just to name a few.

I have only continued to volunteer to inform other volunteers of the error of the new age. I have encountered much resistance. I plan on leaving my volunteer position.

I find it very misleading to Catholics and other Christians because it gives the appearance that to participate in the new age is compatible with following Jesus and even more so because the nuns participate in the new age.

Should I continue trying to talk to others at the retreat center?
Should I write a letter to the bishop?
Or should I just leave my volunteering and leave it at that?
Isn’t it a sin to not try and correct this?

I appreciate any advice

God Bless,

Mari
Click to expand...
Mary,
I know exactly how you feel. And not only that, I recently received an email from a Religious who told me that some of her Sisters have been influenced by the new age. I think there is little we can do because they are determined to do without Jesus. What they believe in is the theology of the ego. I have a daughter that is very much into it. If I read Catholic doctrine the way she devours heavy books, I would be a PHD in Theology. All of them have read the Da Vinci Code, like the last Coca Cola in the Desert. Ah! And they are taking over the facilities of the Catholic Church, retreat houses, convents, you name it to hold their meetings, and this is happening even in South America. It is a contagious desease, Mary. Do whatever will make you feel better, if you want to write the Bishop do it, but continuing to volunteer at the Retreat Center, it depends on how strong your stomach is. My own experience when talking to these people is being very firm in what I believe and not start a discussion when they start making their point. Just say a few words such as “I believe Jesus is the Word Incarnate” “God is the Absolute Being” and leave them with the doubt on their mind. 👍
 
I don’t have any advice to offer, since there’s already good advice posted. But I am in a similar situation in my parish. I just recently had a discussion with our pastoral associate (DRE), and I found out she practices centering prayer (which is New Age) and leads a contemplative prayer group at our parish that also practices it. I had an article about centering prayer that I offered to let her read (our discussion began over the recommendation of centering prayer in the Sunday School handout I use in the Sunday School class I teach, so I had done some research on centering prayer so I would have something to back up my objections to it). She refused, so I finally talked to our priest this past week. However, he doesn’t have a problem with centering prayer, and I even gave him a copy of the “Jesus Christ, Bearer of the Water of Life” and an article about centering prayer. He seems to see it as something non-Christian that Catholics have “baptized” and made “Christian” and therefore acceptable. I tried to explain why that wasn’t the case, but he seemed very skeptical. I’ve just been praying and fasting for my parish – this is my first experience with New Age in a parish I’ve belonged to.
 
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Veritas41:
I don’t have any advice to offer, since there’s already good advice posted. But I am in a similar situation in my parish. I just recently had a discussion with our pastoral associate (DRE), and I found out she practices centering prayer (which is New Age) and leads a contemplative prayer group at our parish that also practices it. I had an article about centering prayer that I offered to let her read (our discussion began over the recommendation of centering prayer in the Sunday School handout I use in the Sunday School class I teach, so I had done some research on centering prayer so I would have something to back up my objections to it). She refused, so I finally talked to our priest this past week. However, he doesn’t have a probTimes New Romanlem with centering prayer, and I even gave him a copy of the “Jesus Christ, Bearer of the Water of Life” and an article about centering prayer. He seems to see it as something non-Christian that Catholics have “baptized” and made “Christian” and therefore acceptable. I tried to explain why that wasn’t the case, but he seemed very skeptical. I’ve just been praying and fasting for my parish – this is my first experience with New Age in a parish I’ve belonged to.
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Yes, Joan, it seems that for the time being the enemy of God has been given a license to enter into our halls, and even into the altars. But it will not be you who will be asked to account for not speaking out. But as I said, do not become aggravated. Say what you have to say emphasizing your sentences. Remember that these people have arguments that can knock you down. So keep it short while you are given the necessary tools to be more effective. But if you want something powerful go to Vatican and read what the Pope has spoken regarding the totalitarism of Relativism in his homilies, he is a true fighter. If this does not convince the Priest, then leave him, and make sure that Our Lord will handle him. Let us keep praying for the Priests. Perhaps I will be able to find some material for you. My email address is visionii@bellsouth.net.

God bless you,
Ana
 
Hi all!

Thank you for your responses. I will be sure to read the material you have suggested. I think I will have to pray about disputing with the nun in charge. For one I have no idea who exactly is in charge.

I also know that retreat center is run by both nuns and business people.

Just to clarify they don’t sell tarot cards, they sell books on tarot cards and held a seminar on tarot cards where the speaker was this benedictine priest a year ago.----> Tarot: talisman or taboo, I believe is the title. I asked about the book and was told, tarot cards aren’t really voodoo or magic or anything, and its really that God is in all creation and He uses those to talk to us and that tarot cards really started out as playing cards. I was also instructed to check out the book next I came back.

Which doesn’t make sense because if they are just playing cards why do people use them to try and figure out the future? which is clearly prohibited

I feel like to dispute with these people I would need to know the history about all the different new age/occult they provide, which is alot. I am not so sure I should be reading their books to dispute, I feel like it could be dangerous to be reading tarot card books.

So far my argument to the other volunteers has been that Jesus
says
“I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” What am I really saying to Jesus if I part take in all these other religions/new age or occult? That I don’t believe what Jesus said…so either I make Jesus out to be liar or that I am not a follower or Jesus.

I try to explain to them that evil is the lack of God, and that all good things come from God so if we choose to do something that excludes God it is evil. I get responses back like “Well a Christian can murder someone isn’t that evil.” To which I say “yes, it is evil, but that’s not what I trying to explain” I know there is some lack of reasoning when I talk to others at the retreat center. sigh

Again thank you for your suggestions, similar stories and prayers.

God bless,

very annoyed,
Mari
 
Fr Benedict Groeschel mentions in his book 'The psychology, history and theology of the Blessed Sacrament: ‘In the presence of our Lord’…that New Age is very pervasive within Catholciism itself. These manifestations that we are talking about are only the tip of the iceberg.
 
Our parish is beginning to really promote centering prayer more actively. It bothers me they have abandoned all other forms of traditional Catholic prayer (the rosary, novenas, Eucharistic Adoration).

When I asked someone what this was, I was told that you pick a sacred word (Jesus, Savior, etc) or a verse from Scripture and it becomes your focus point. When your mind starts to wander, you return back to this word. For me personally, I can’t think of anything better to focus on than Jesus during Eucharistic Adoration (which I have to go to another parish to do), but the way this was described to me does not sound ‘new age’. Is this typical centering prayer, or is there a ‘new age’ version of it…or is this the ‘new age’ version’ version and I just don’t recognize it?
 
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mari1234:
Hi!

I recently started volunteering at what I thought was a Catholic retreat center run by this specific order of nuns. Only to find out after volunteering that they sell books and provide seminars, on the enneagram, centering prayer, tarot cards, “Christian yoga”, just to name a few.

I have only continued to volunteer to inform other volunteers of the error of the new age. I have encountered much resistance. I plan on leaving my volunteer position.

I find it very misleading to Catholics and other Christians because it gives the appearance that to participate in the new age is compatible with following Jesus and even more so because the nuns participate in the new age.

Should I continue trying to talk to others at the retreat center?
Should I write a letter to the bishop?
Or should I just leave my volunteering and leave it at that?
Isn’t it a sin to not try and correct this?

I appreciate any advice

God Bless,

Mari
Click to expand...
God bless you for recognizing the error!

I don’t have much advice to add as others have given good advice, but I would like to emphasize that the bishop needs to know about this.
 
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mari1234:
Hi all!

Thank you for your responses. I will be sure to read the material you have suggested. I think I will have to pray about disputing with the nun in charge. For one I have no idea who exactly is in charge.

I also know that retreat center is run by both nuns and business people.

Just to clarify they don’t sell tarot cards, they sell books on tarot cards and held a seminar on tarot cards where the speaker was this benedictine priest a year ago.----> Tarot: talisman or taboo, I believe is the title. I asked about the book and was told, tarot cards aren’t really voodoo or magic or anything, and its really that God is in all creation and He uses those to talk to us and that tarot cards really started out as playing cards. I was also instructed to check out the book next I came back.

Which doesn’t make sense because if they are just playing cards why do people use them to try and figure out the future? which is clearly prohibited

I feel like to dispute with these people I would need to know the history about all the different new age/occult they provide, which is alot. I am not so sure I should be reading their books to dispute, I feel like it could be dangerous to be reading tarot card books.

So far my argument to the other volunteers has been that Jesus
says
“I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” What am I really saying to Jesus if I part take in all these other religions/new age or occult? That I don’t believe what Jesus said…so either I make Jesus out to be liar or that I am not a follower or Jesus.

I try to explain to them that evil is the lack of God, and that all good things come from God so if we choose to do something that excludes God it is evil. I get responses back like “Well a Christian can murder someone isn’t that evil.” To which I say “yes, it is evil, but that’s not what I trying to explain” I know there is some lack of reasoning when I talk to others at the retreat center. sigh

Again thank you for your suggestions, similar stories and prayers.

God bless,

very annoyed,
Mari
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Mari, Don´t give your pearls to the pigs. You need your time to grow in your Faith, and to indulge in the company of Jesus. Believe me, run away from that atmosphere which is quite noxious. You do not need to be annoyed or aggravated on account of people who have decided to live in hell even here. Jesus wants you to be happy in this life as an anticipation of Heaven. Visit the page of the Spirituality of the Divine Will to learn about the new and divine holiness that Jesus has been preparing for His faithful and obedient children: www.divinewill.org and you too will learn how to become a Saint.

FIAT VOLUNTAS TUA
 
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Elzee:
When I asked someone what this was, I was told that you pick a sacred word (Jesus, Savior, etc) or a verse from Scripture and it becomes your focus point. When your mind starts to wander, you return back to this word. For me personally, I can’t think of anything better to focus on than Jesus during Eucharistic Adoration (which I have to go to another parish to do), but the way this was described to me does not sound ‘new age’. Is this typical centering prayer, or is there a ‘new age’ version of it…or is this the ‘new age’ version’ version and I just don’t recognize it?
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Elzee, everything I’ve ever been able to find out about centering prayer is that it is incompatible with our Catholic faith, even when trying to Christianize it with Christian sacred words, etc. I found a good article on the Catholic Answers website that is actually from an old issue of *This Rock *magazine. It’s by Father John Dreher and is called “The Danger of Centering Prayer.” There is also a Vatican document, Jesus Christ, Bearer of the Water of Life, that addresses centering prayer (not by that name, but under the title “New Age Mysticism”), and it does not affirm it. I found it on the Vatican and EWTN websites.
 
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Veritas41:
Elzee, everything I’ve ever been able to find out about centering prayer is that it is incompatible with our Catholic faith, even when trying to Christianize it with Christian sacred words, etc. I found a good article on the Catholic Answers website that is actually from an old issue of *This Rock *magazine. It’s by Father John Dreher and is called “The Danger of Centering Prayer.” There is also a Vatican document, Jesus Christ, Bearer of the Water of Life, that addresses centering prayer (not by that name, but under the title “New Age Mysticism”), and it does not affirm it. I found it on the Vatican and EWTN websites.
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Thank you. I guess I need to do some research before talking to my priest, and I think I’ll go to the next workshop our parish offers on how to do this type of prayer so I can have a little more credibility with him when I talk to him. What really bothers me is this is the only tool to our prayer life that seems to be encouraged. ‘Traditional’ Catholic teachings or devotions are not embraced or even talked about.
 
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Elzee:
Our parish is beginning to really promote centering prayer more actively. It bothers me they have abandoned all other forms of traditional Catholic prayer (the rosary, novenas, Eucharistic Adoration).

When I asked someone what this was, I was told that you pick a sacred word (Jesus, Savior, etc) or a verse from Scripture and it becomes your focus point. When your mind starts to wander, you return back to this word. For me personally, I can’t think of anything better to focus on than Jesus during Eucharistic Adoration (which I have to go to another parish to do), but the way this was described to me does not sound ‘new age’. Is this typical centering prayer, or is there a ‘new age’ version of it…or is this the ‘new age’ version’ version and I just don’t recognize it?
Click to expand...
What these people do not know is that Prayer of Union comes from the Heart of Jesus and not from us, no matter how hard we try. He is the origin of our prayer, the motor, the Fountain of Living Water. It makes no sense to “learn” formulas about for something that is beyond our capacity and beyond our control. The New Age is after the exaltation of their own ego, and if they feel good, well, they have prayed.

FIAT VOLUNTAS TUA
 
The tarot cards would concern me, but I don’t think there is any reason to be alarmed about centering prayer. Fr. Dreher may be a good priest, but I don’t think he has a good understanding of centering prayer. This is what he writes:
Centering prayer differs from Christian prayer in that the intent of the technique is to bring the practitioner to the center of his own being. There he is, supposedly, to experience the presence of the God who indwells him. Christian prayer, on the contrary, centers upon God in a relational way, as someone apart from oneself.
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But centering prayer -is- relational. It does not blur the identity of God and us, but
facilitates the movement from more active modes of prayer — verbal, mental or affective prayer — into a receptive prayer of resting in God. It emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God
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contemplativeoutreach.org/cntrgpryr.htm

Here is the link to Jesus Christ: the Bearer of the Water of Life. If you read it, you will see that it doesn’t criticize centering prayer. What it criticizes is the notion that God isn’t separate from ourselves.
Here is a key point of contrast between New Age and Christianity. So much New Age literature is shot through with the conviction that there is no divine being “out there”, or in any real way distinct from the rest of reality. From Jung’s time onwards there has been a stream of people professing belief in “the god within”. Our problem, in a New Age perspective, is our inability to recognise our own divinity, an inability which can be overcome with the help of guidance and the use of a whole variety of techniques for unlocking our hidden (divine) potential. The fundamental idea is that ‘God’ is deep within ourselves. We are gods, and we discover the unlimited power within us by peeling off layers of inauthenticity
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The central idea of New Age thinking is very much contrary to centering prayer, which seeks a closer -relationship- with God. God is not confused with our individuality, nor is our individuality snuffed out by God.
 
Guar Fan:
The tarot cards would concern me, but I don’t think there is any reason to be alarmed about centering prayer. Fr. Dreher may be a good priest, but I don’t think he has a good understanding of centering prayer. This is what he writes:

But centering prayer -is- relational. It does not blur the identity of God and us, but contemplativeoutreach.org/cntrgpryr.htm

Here is the link to Jesus Christ: the Bearer of the Water of Life. If you read it, you will see that it doesn’t criticize centering prayer. What it criticizes is the notion that God isn’t separate from ourselves.

The central idea of New Age thinking is very much contrary to centering prayer, which seeks a closer -relationship- with God. God is not confused with our individuality, nor is our individuality snuffed out by God.
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There are workshops that originated in Spain by Fr. Larrañaga that satisfy many, but not me. The prayer in the Divine Will as taught by Jesus to Luisa Piccarreta is a universal prayer and it links with the last prayer of Adam when he still lived in the Kingdom, in a manner that expressions of love, adoration, praises, thanksgiving, glorification will continue. Those interested in learning about the Divine Will can visit the website www.divinewill.org. It a very serious private revelation, as I have said before coming into the Catholic Church via Archbishops, Bishops and Priests. All too awesome! Luisa´s Cause of Beatification is well under way.

FIAT VOLUNTAS TUA
 
Sir Knight:
Ask the bishop why using tarot cards is a sin when the local nuns are selling them.
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I think that this is the best approach. Otherwise they may try to make it look like you are attacking them.
 
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