Contemplative Outreach News
Volume 7, Number 1 - Spring, 1993
Clarifications
Regarding Centering Prayer ~ Intensive Days of Prayer
Updates ~ Moonlight Meditation ~
Be Careful What You Pray For
Clarifications
Regarding Centering Prayer
by Father Thomas Keating
Cardinal Ratzinger's Letter to the Bishons of the Catholic
Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation was not directed at Centering
Prayer, which is the traditional form of Christian prayer, but rather at those
forms of meditative practice that actually incorporate the methods of Eastern
meditation such as Zen and the use of Hindu mantras. The Letter is chiefly
concerned with the integration of such techniques into the Christian faith. It
does not forbid their use and indeed, states, 'That does not mean that genuine
practices of meditation which come from the Christian East and from the great
non-Christian religions...cannot constitute a suitable means of helping the
person who prays to come before God with an interior peace even in the midst of
external pressures" (#28).
Having noted this affirmation of the value of Eastern
practices when rightly integrated into Christian faith, may I point out that
Centering Prayer is the one contemporary from of contemplative practice that
does not
make use of any of these techniques. The quotation from the Letter that the gift
of contemplative prayer can only be granted through the Holy Spirit is precisely
what we teach. Nor does Centering Prayer encourage a privatized spiritual
journey or the seeking of spiritual experiences, but rather fosters the complete
surrender of self in faith and love that leads to divine union. There is much
greater danger in concentrating on oneself in discursive meditation and in
intercessory and affective prayer, especially if one is preoccupied with one's
own feelings and reflections. In Centering Prayer one is not reflecting on one's
self or one's psychological states at all.
It is important to situate Centering Prayer in the context of
the monastic tradition of Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina is the most
traditional way of cultivating contemplative prayer. It consists in listening to
the texts of the Bible as if one were in conversation with God and God were
suggesting the topics for discussion. Those who follow the method of Lectio
Divina are cultivating the capacity to listen to the word of God at ever
deepening levels of attention. Spontaneous prayer is the normal response to
their growing relationship with Christ, and the gift of contemplation is God's
normal response to them.
The reflective part, the pondering upon the words of the
sacred text in Lectio Divina, is called meditatio, discursive
meditation. The spontaneous movement of the will in response to these
reflections is called oratio, affective prayer. As these reflections and
particular acts of will simplify, one tends to resting in God or contemplatio,
contemplation.
These three acts--discursive meditation, affective prayer, and
contemplation--might all take place during the same period of prayer. They are
interwoven one into the other. One may listen to the Lord as if sharing a
privileged interview and respond with one's reflections, with acts of will, or
with silence--with the rapt attention of contemplation. The practice of
contemplative prayer is not an effort to make the mind a blank, but to move
beyond discursive thinking and the multiplication of particular acts to the
level of communing with God, which is a more intimate kind of exchange.
In human relationships, as mutual love deepens, there comes a
time when the two friends convey their sentiments without words. They can sit in
silence sharing an experience or simply enjoying each other's presence without
saying anything. Holding hands or a single word from time to time can maintain
this deep communication.
This loving relationship points to the kind of interior
silence that is being developed in contemplative prayer. The goal of
contemplative prayer is not so much the emptiness of thoughts or conversation as
the emptiness of self. In contemplative prayer, one ceases to multiply
reflections and acts of the will. A different kind of knowledge rooted in love
emerges in which the awareness of God's presence supplants the awareness of
one's own presence and the inveterate tendency to reflect on oneself. The
experience of God's presence frees one from making oneself or one's relationship
with God the center of the universe. The language of mystics must not be taken
literally when they speak of emptiness of the void. Jesus practiced emptiness in
becoming a human being, emptying himself of his prerogatives and the natural
consequences of his divine dignity. The void does not mean void in the sense of
nothing at all, but void in the sense of attachment to one's own activity. One's
own reflections and acts of will are necessary preliminaries to getting
acquainted with Christ, but have to be transcended if Christ is to share his
most personal prayer to the Father which is characterized by total
self-surrender.
Centering Prayer is only one method of developing
contemplation and preparing oneself for this great gift of the Spirit. I would
think it would have a strong appeal for people in the charismatic renewal
movement, especially for those who enjoy the gift of tongues. The gift of
tongues is already a form of contemplative prayer since one is fully aware of
the presence and action of the Spirit without thinking about what one is
saying.
The practice of Centering Prayer is basically a waiting upon
God with loving attentiveness, fulfilling the Gospel injunction, "Watch and
Pray." If one can accept the notion of prayer as primarily relationship
with God, it becomes obvious that one's relationship with God can be expressed
without words, simply by a gesture or even by one's silent intention to consent
to God's presence. This is not to deny the value of other forms of prayer which
are normally necessary to prepare one for this level of relating to God. It
simply moves one to a deeper dimension of intimacy with God. Thus, it is a more
personal kind of prayer than discursive meditation and affective prayer. It
enables one to penetrate to a greater degree the meaning of scripture and
liturgical texts and symbols.
The term "pantheistic", often used in connection
with Eastern practices, is ambiguous and misleading. A distinction needs to be
made between "pantheism" and "panentheism", as is
done in inter-religious dialogue. Eastern practices are not necessarily
pantheistic. Many forms of Buddhism and Hinduism are just as devotional as
similar practices in the Christian faith, though directed, of course to their
particular deities. Pantheism is usually defined as the identification of God
with creation in such a way that the two are indistinguishable. Panentheism
means that God is present in all creation by virtue of his omnipresence and
omnipotence, sustaining every creature in being without being identified
with any creature. The latter understanding is what Jesus seems to have been
describing when he prays "that all might be one, Father, as we are
one" and "that they may be one in us." Again and again, in the
Last Supper Discourse, he speaks of this oneness and of his intention to send
his Spirit to dwell within us. If we understand the writings of the great
mystics rightly, they experience God living within them all the time. Thus the
affirmation of God's transcendence must always be balanced by the affirmation of
his imminence both on the natural plane and on the plane of grace.
The practice of Centering Prayer is simply offered to those
who feel called to a deeper life of prayer and who are looking for a method that
will help them to do so in the context of a very active life in the world. These
people should not be deprived of such an opportunity on the basis of false fears
raised by a superficial understanding of Centering Prayer and a failure to
recognize the significant distinctions between traditional methods of preparing
for the gift of contemplation, such as Centering Prayer, and the techniques of
the Eastern spiritual traditions.
Clarifications
Regarding Centering Prayer ~ Intensive Days of Prayer
Updates ~ Moonlight Meditation ~
Be Careful What You Pray For
In our Tampa Bay area, located on the West Coast of Florida,
we come together on the fourth Sunday of the month for an Intensive Day of
Prayer. We start with a Scripture Reading (lectio) followed by three twenty
minute prayer periods, with two contemplative walks in between. After a silent
stretch we continue with one hour of input, followed by a short silent break in
which refreshments are available. After the break we go back to another two
twenty minute Centering Prayer periods followed by a half hour of discussion.
During the first two years we used the last six videotapes
from the Spiritual Journey by Fr. Thomas as input. From these we heard again and
again references to the witnesses of our Contemplative Tradition, and also that
Centering Prayer is an effort to renew the Christian Contemplative
Tradition........the moment of truth hit like lightning: What is our
Contemplative Tradition? Do we know our Contemplative Tradition? Do you?
The inspiration was clear. When I asked the group who would
like to prepare a 35-40 minute presentation on one of the witnesses of our
Christian Contemplative Tradition, everyone said, "I do."
Soon we found out that Fr. Carl was teaching a course on the
Christian Contemplative Tradition. The Superstars, a series of four audio tapes
by Fr. Carl J. Arico helped us to get started. In these tapes, Fr. Carl, with
his gift of humor, sets a wonderful way of how to become acquainted with the
person, the historic circumstances, and most of all the prayer life of the
mystics of the Christian Tradition. Following this inspiration we took an
overview of The Desert Fathers, the Early Church; we went to England to meet
Julian of Norwich, the work of The Cloud of Unknowing. We visited Spain with St.
Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross.
Our second year took us mainly to France with St. Frances de
Sales, St. Jane Chantal, and St. Therese de Lisieux. We also had presentations
on some of the Rhineland Mystics, such as Hildegard V. Bingen, St. Mechtiki, and
Meister Eckhart. From Poland we met Faustina Kowalska.
Now we are in our third year. We started by reading the
document "The Christian Contemplative Tradition", by Fr. Thomas
Keating, July 1991.
It is a joy to be inspired and sustained in our prayer and
practice in everyday life by these people, who in every age, consented to be
transformed by the experiential knowledge of God that comes through LOVE!
Monica Freeman
Tampa Bay, Florida
Clarifications
Regarding Centering Prayer ~ Intensive Days of Prayer
Updates ~ Moonlight Meditation ~
Be Careful What You Pray For
We do not want to be beginners.
But let us be convinced of the fact
that we will never by anything else but beginners,
all our life!
Thomas Merton
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
We are grateful to the Franciscans Friars, Holy Name Province,
for their warm hospitality and excellent publicity for our Introductory
Workshops, which are continuing on a regular basis at both St. Francis Assisi
Church and Holy Name Church, both in Manhattan. The workshops have been well
attended.
Thanks to the members of Contemplative Outreach who have
participated in the "Formation for Contemplative Service" program, New
York City now has a cadre of very qualified people who give of themselves,
readily and generously, in presenting introductory workshops. Intensive days of
prayer are held periodically, and have also been well attended.
As more and more people in the New York metropolitan area are
introduced to centering prayer (and many have responded with ever-deepening
commitment to it), it is obvious that we are blessed to have the national
organization of Contemplative Outreach to support us in offering this prayer to
an increasing number of people.
Doris Curley
~<>~~<>~~<>~~<>~
MIDWEST CLUSTER MEETING
The first Midwest Cluster meeting was hosted by Contemplative
Outreach of St. Louis, Mo. at the Seton Center for the week-end of January 27th.
Marie Howard from Davenport, La., Sr. Christine Parks from Beech Grove, In, Sr.
Joan Scheller from Ferdinand, In, Sr. Audrey Cleary from Bloomington, Il., Msgr.
Olin Murdick from Essexville, Mi., Sr. Joanne Mascha from Cleveland, Oh, Fr. Bob
Aten and five staff members; Susan Komis, Judy Spenner, Barbara Ferrenbach, Enid
McCormack and Suzie Matteuzzi from St. Louis, Mo. and Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler,
National Office representative, gather to meet for networking, planning, prayer,
and community building.
Everyone felt that there was a great value in meeting. It was
an opportunity for sharing on many levels. We explored many ways of sharing our
resources and possibilities for sponsoring future events.
We all agreed to meet as a cluster at the July Coordinator's
meeting, we plan to bring our calendars along for future planning and
scheduling.
It was a great opportunity to meet face to face
and form a group for mutual support.
Enid McCormack
Saint Louis, MO
Clarifications
Regarding Centering Prayer ~ Intensive Days of Prayer
Updates ~ Moonlight Meditation ~
Be Careful What You Pray For
I was walking the beach one moonlit night in awe of our Lord's
magnificence. The moon was full and reflecting on our peaceful ocean. I was
breathless and also thankful for holding fast to this moment.
As I walked alone, my thoughts wandered to my very small, but
devoted centering prayer group, when suddenly I felt as though Jesus beckoned
me. "Why don't you share this experience with your friends?" What a
wonderful idea! On the next full moon I invited them to join me. They were ever
so grateful to spend time with God in all His glory, silently in His presence.
Jesus continued to give me subtle hints as to how more
parishioners and friends could be introduced to Centering Prayer. For our
spiritual growth, our Pastor invites about 35 men or women for a week-end on the
church grounds for a retreat called "Christ Renews His Parish." After
the retreat, the group meets monthly in each other's homes. I invited my "CHRP"
group for moonlight meditation. All were deeply moved and now several join us
weekly in our Chapel for centering prayer.
Soon afterward, another small step became truly a giant step.
By announcing in our church bulletin about the moonlight meditation, more than
30 people came to reap His Goodness in silent prayer. A few other churches in
our area are now inserting a notice in their bulletins as well.
Our Lord planned the evening. Now that I've learned to 'let
go' it was so uncomplicated! We listened to the Gregorian Chant as people
arrived quietly. After everyone was settled comfortably on the beach, I stopped
the chant and gave a short explanation on the method of centering prayer. Then
one in our group slowly read a short passage of scripture. We were one in our
centering prayer for the next twenty minutes. Then, I recited the Our Father
slowly; one phrase with each break of a wave. It was breathtaking.
There is no discussion afterward--only silent gazing at our
Lord's beautiful moon. Some walked the beach, some just sit and are filled with
joy, love and peace.
When they leave, one by one or two by two, deep in their own
thoughts, I thanked God, not only for the moonlight, but for His very real
Presence in our midst.
Lucia Citta
Ft. Lauderale, Florida
Clarifications
Regarding Centering Prayer ~ Intensive Days of Prayer
Updates ~ Moonlight Meditation ~
Be Careful What You Pray For
Be Careful What You Pray For
"Be careful what you pray for ...", said Fr. Thomas
Keating at a Post Intensive Centering Prayer retreat in Amarillo, Texas,
"...you might just get it!" He spoke these words of caution to all of
us there longing to deepen our prayer life with God. As I listened, I thought I
readily understood what he was talking about. Prayer itself is a risk and we
experience difficulties as we learn to grow in trust in the Divine Goodness.
Facing the realities of our woundedness and pain as we cooperate with the Spirit
in the dismantling of the false self is not fun. It is hard work. Too much of
this at one time can be horrible, so, yes, be careful.
Still, deepening our prayer life is good. It is what we long
for and have been called to do through the invitation of the Spirit calling us
to Divine Union. This is God's project--not ours. In accepting the invitation we
inevitably are led to the truth about ourselves, to the recognition of the dark
side of our personality, and the encounter with the emotional damage of a
lifetime lived so much outside of Union with the Divine Lover. However, as we
are led in this direction, a more subtle reality can also be a factor in
hindering our growth. The danger is our ego manifesting itself as religious
zeal, and perhaps an over abundance of it at that.
The desire for a deeper prayer life, the desire for healing,
is in truth, valid. The hitch is that in our zeal and over enthusiasm we try to
project our idea of the experience of the Divine according to how we
envision it; how we desire it to be. Therein lies the spiritual pitfall--and the
challenge--learning how to surrender. Consent is required for navigation of the
Spiritual Journey; it can be facilitated by the regular practice of Centering
Prayer. But if our Centering Prayer consists of what we are projecting, our
desire for what we want to experience, of what we want to feel on this
"heavy date" with the Lord, we are setting ourselves up for
disappointment. That is not surrender. It is a presumption which leads us to
make something happen. Can we really ever know any other way, given the
limitations of the human condition which we share? I venture to say yes. It must
be on God's terms; to go to the Divine, the only way is self surrender.
We must be "careful" for what we pray for. Our
longing to accept the Divine invitation to go toward Union is fraught with the
possibility of facing our dark side, the most necessary part of the healing. If
we pray for an experience of God which is a product of ego, then we will surely
end with only ego. The nature of ego is such that it will try to direct our
prayer. We will have unrealistic expectations about our prayer life which cannot
be met. We will project human qualities on the Divine. We will be left
frustrated by grasping for something which cannot be possessed. But, if we pray
by surrendering, then we will begin to hear that invitation of the Gospel which
is the prescription for healing--to lose the self. The only "self" we
have ever known, so our prayer must also contain hope and trust in the Divine
Goodness and Love. It may not be how we want to go about it. But it is
what we truly long for as our soul yearns to be united to that Source from which
it came. One of the last things Jesus said to Peter is about surrender. It
certainly applies to all of us:
"When you were young, you put on your own belt and
walked where you like; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your
hands, and somebody else will put a belt around you, and take you where you
would rather not go... Follow Me."
John 21:18
David Salamon
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Clarifications
Regarding Centering Prayer ~ Intensive Days of Prayer
Updates ~ Moonlight Meditation ~
Be Careful What You Pray For
