His theology attempted to unify existentialism with the tenets of the Roman Catholic faith. Meditation techniques from Hinduism, Zen, Sufism, and Native American religions are mixed with humanistic psychology, occultism, and modern physics. Both CP and TM use a 20-minute meditation. [web 15], Rev. Is Centering Prayer Catholic? - Contemplative Homeschool John D. Dreher argues that centering prayer is a distortion of the teachings of the Desert Fathers and The Cloud of Unknowing. The soul becomes the center, energy replaces grace, God actually becomes a pantheistic energy. But Father Thomas Keating, one of the three founders of the Centering Prayer, had a desire to bring contemplative practices to the modern layperson, without having to live a life of strict sacrifice. When your ordinary faculties come back again, there may be a sense of peaceful delight."14. Is it a form of New Age meditation, or a thoroughly Catholic prayer method that can lead to contemplation? It is really a beautiful and profound thing, that these three men were able to distill hundreds of years of contemplative practices, usually reserved for those who devote their lives to silence, study of the scriptures, and fasting, and bring the power of these practices to ordinary peopleable to fit this practice into their everyday lives, for just 20 minutes a day! Do not judge it, do not hold onto it, simply let go of it. Finbarr Flanagan, "Meditations on the Tarot is a mix of occult, theosophical, alchemical, esoteric, astrological and reincarnational ideas stirred together with Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Sufism in a manner reminiscent of the works of C.G. physical vibrations that are helpful"5 (Vibrations are common TM, New Age language.) And your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you. Matthew 6.6 (New American Bible).. However, this is not like the sacred word of centering prayer. So, we can meditate on our worries and our problems, or we can intentionally meditate on the truth of Gods Word and what he has done in our lives. In other words, there are no thoughts at all. It is a category containing many methods. Christian Centering Prayer | Rev. Fr. Yes. Until this point, contemplative practices in Catholic traditions were ascetic in natureavoid all pleasure and indulgences, and be rewarded with the presence of God. It enables us to cultivate a deeper relationship to God and we learn to rest in God. Fr. In 2003, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Pontifical Council for Culture published Jesus Christ, the Bearer of the Water of Life: a Christian Reflection on the "New Age". She and her husband live in Lilburn, Ga. She is on the leadership committee for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Atlanta, and is in formation for the Discalced Carmelite Secular Order. They address god as the Source, the Divine Energy, the Divine Love Energy, or the Great Universal Intelligence. In Cardinal Ratzinger's booklet, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation, he quotes the Pope. To take such feelings for the authentic consolations of the Holy Spirit would be a totally erroneous way of conceiving the spiritual life. Thomas Keating and Ken Wilber discuss the remarkable history and importance of Centering Prayer. The July 9 family-friendly event will focus on rediscovering Venerable Fulton Sheens messages for our times, signing a petition to have his beatification Mass rescheduled soon, and several related activities. A person at this stage of prayer may repeat a word now and then to sustain the silence. It is not a time for thinking or for words but for presence. However, even the FAQs page of Father Keatings organization Contemplative Outreach admits, [T]he rest of lectio divina is a different method than that of centering prayer. Lectio divina is loaded with content with respect to orienting our minds and hearts to God, but centering prayer is essentially devoid of content. What Does Pope John Paul II Say About This Type of Prayer? Centering Prayer - The Upper Room Finbarr Flanagan, who was involved in both CP and TM says CP is TM in a Christian dress. Some of the concepts in their books are similar to New Age beliefs and practices. The author also treats the beliefs and attitudes which underlie these prayer methods and shows where they conflict with a proper Catholic understanding of prayer as enunciated by such figures as Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Ratzinger, and St. Teresa of Avila. Order Bulk SubscriptionsGet a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization 24 Thomas Keating, Open Mind, Open Heart, p. 127. Then he says mixing Christian meditation with Eastern techniques can lead to syncretism (the mixing of religions). People who have reached these altered levels of consciousness (ALC's) describe them as a pleasant trance-like state. Fr. 5) Both CP and TM teach you how to reach a mental void or altered level of consciousness. Life. Some are simple. Catholic Church. Choose a sacred word that best supports your sincere intention to be in the Lord's presence and open to His divine action within you. He has written over thirty books, some of which are on Centering Prayer. His interest in contemplative practices started when he was in college, but felt he had no one contemporary to turn to in order to learn contemplative practices from. 3 Finbarr Flanagan, "Centering Prayer: Transcendental Meditation for the Christian Market: (Faith and Renewal, May/June, 1991) p. 2., quoting from Basil Pennington, Daily We Touch Him, (Garden City, N.Y. : Doubleday, 1977, p.68. Is Centering Prayer Catholic? Keating says, "As the Spirit gradually takes more and more charge of your prayer, you may move into pure consciousness, which is an intuition into your True Self. Keep your mind and heart open to the word that the Spirit places on your heart. UBPD teams have also identified 7,600 sites of mass graves in the country. How do you know whether or not the Trojan Horse of new age teaching has crept into your church? What Does Fr. She identifies it as being the same as Transcendental Meditation (TM) which is tied to Hinduism. It is hard to define the Centering Prayer without first defining what a contemplative practice is. Connie Rossini digs into the writings and public statements of Fr. The documents of Vatican II state "the Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in non-Christian religions. Yoga, Centering Prayer, and Mindfulness (Part 1) [web 1] [web 2] This modern movement in Christianity was initiated by three Trappist monks of St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts in the 1970s, Fr. Set aside a set number of minutes to practice this prayer. But anyone who reads these documents with a mind focused on seeking the truth should come away seriously concerned about the orthodoxy of centering prayer. The goal is to reach a mental void or pure consciousness in order to find God at the center. IS BREATHING PRAYER? - Christian Answers for the New Age - Facebook She is also a writer for her parish newsletter. The Jesus Prayer is: "Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Centering Prayer is neither Catholic nor prayer, yet it is offered at most retreat centers. Keating Give a Strange Definition of the Eucharist? Is Centering Prayer Genuine Catholic Contemplative Prayer or Is It 'New Fr. According to this article, meditation is a key component of Christian growth. Isaac, Joshua, and David are all major characters of the Bible whose meditative practices were a key part of their walks with God. Centering prayer, as taught by Fr. A centering prayer is an initial step of a contemplative prayer. Centering Prayer is typical of New Age meditative practices. (This is the way God is addressed by New Agers) Shirley MacLaine calls God the Source and the Divine Energy in her book, Going Within. Centering prayer sees all thoughts and feelings as "the enemy." It rejects the use of the memory, intellect and will in prayer, which are the God-given faculties that make us human. How Can I Practice Biblical Meditation?Centering Prayer: The Very BasicsChristian Centering Prayer | Rev. Thomas Keating is a monk, priest, and abbot of St. Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass, Col. and is the founder of the Centering Prayer movement. Gods very presence transforms us, 2 Cor 3:18 tells us: And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lords glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.. . Keating's book, Open Mind, Open Heart, p. 120, one of his followers commented that he had a hard time coming out of an ALC during Mass and could not concentrate. She has also written a book called, The New Age Counterfeit, and devotes one chapter to the problems of Centering Prayer (CP). We know that the soul is created by God, is inferior to God and is tainted with sin. Any thought that wanders through your mind, let go of it. 2. Fr. The sacred word of centering prayer, on the other hand, is a tool for reaching an altered state of mental consciousness. The Centering Prayer Movement has become very popular in Catholic circles today. He has written over thirty books, some of which are on Centering Prayer. This is often experienced as a suspension of consciousness, a space. 20 Thomas Keating, Open Mind, Open Heart, p.49. Centering Prayer: A Closer Walk with Our God Library : A Closer Look at Centering Prayer | Catholic Culture Because God made us free, we have rights, said Archbishop Sheen. Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening is a complete guidebook for all who wish to know the practice of Centering Prayer. It involves meditating on a single word or thought for the purpose of opening the heart up to communion with God. 2. Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, October 2004. Centering prayer is like lectio divina or acquired recollection. The Danger of Centering Prayer REV. How do New Age Beliefs Compare to Centering Prayer? Cynthia Bourgeault | 2017 Festival of Faiths, Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/KristinaJovanovic. [11], Andrew B. Newberg explained one study that examined the brains of nuns who engaged in centering prayer, which is meant to create a feeling of oneness with God. Centering prayer is a form of Christian contemplative prayer, to center awareness on the presence of God. To do this, one would have to let go of any sentiments of love toward Jesus, the Father, or the Holy Spirit. All these are elements of centering prayer. Basil Pennington, and. Using mantras and reaching a mental void are also New Age, not Catholic. This "not-self" is caught in a world of illusion, ignorance and bondage. Is Gods transformative power through his spirit biblical? Ralph Rath says in his book, Mantras, "In a forward to the book, Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality by Philip St. Romain, Keating calls kundalini "an enormous energy for good" and does not point out that uncontrolled kundalini can kill or drive a person mad or that some cults use kundalini in a extremely debased way. Keating's book, Open Mind, Open Heart, p. 120, one of his followers commented that he had a hard time coming out of an ALC during Mass and could not concentrate. In a homily given on November 1, 1982, he said that the call of St. Teresa of Jesus advocating a prayer completely centered on Christ 'is valid even in our day, against some methods of prayer which are not inspired by the gospel and which in practice tend to set Christ aside in preference for a mental void which makes no sense in Christianity.'"
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