tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12629468.post292082889677428968..comments2023-05-12T04:28:28.504-05:00Comments on Daily Bread: Centering PrayerPrior Peter, OSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04955043134006446842noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12629468.post-79259880657671259992007-10-04T14:57:00.000-05:002007-10-04T14:57:00.000-05:00Centering prayer in a self absorbed and self cente...Centering prayer in a self absorbed and self centered culture stewing in the New Age movement and neo-paganism of "ancient mystery cults" is not a good idea. <BR/><BR/>Prayer according to the early church fathers centered upon purity of heart, the imitation of Christ on the Cross and the good, merciful love of God who loves us (as He did the good thief) if we but recognize and acknowledge that we are sinful monsters on our own with nothing to give but what He has given us - Love.<BR/><BR/>In the Vatican's document "Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life: A Christian Reflection on the "New Age" we read: "All meditation techniques need to be purged of presumption and pretentiousness. Christian prayer is not an exercise in self-contemplation, stillness and self-emptying, but a dialogue of love, one which “implies an attitude of conversion, a flight from 'self' to the 'You' of God”.(61) It leads to an increasingly complete surrender to God's will, whereby we are invited to a deep, genuine solidarity with our brothers and sisters."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12629468.post-21070865914165338832007-09-09T18:51:00.000-05:002007-09-09T18:51:00.000-05:00I do not mean to attack centering prayer, i just t...I do not mean to attack centering prayer, i just think a good case can be made that it is not rooted in the catholic tradition. as a technique of self hypnosis or relaxation it may work for some and in our modern life it is necessary to learn some good relaxation techniques. but these techniques that use a mantra type of meditation are more rooted in the spiritual/world views of authors like Eckhart Tolle and Ken Wilbur and the importance of Jesus, his person and unique mission don't have a place in their theories. and this is why CP can be such a detour in one seeking to deepen his life in Christ. catholic prayer is rooted in our broken humanity that opens to the healing mercy that comes in Christ. too many priests and others make meditation some esoteric or gnostic path to God and get all caught up in the methods and techniques. Pope John PaulII made a profound observation in his letter on the rosary, that for many vocal prayer can be a valid path to the heights of contemplation....again it is the existential encounter of our humanity through faith that is important. sorry for these long posts.....but i think the points are valid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12629468.post-61368932220212332082007-09-09T12:11:00.000-05:002007-09-09T12:11:00.000-05:00I do not see how you can have it both ways with ce...I do not see how you can have it both ways with centering prayer (the pros and cons)....any prayer that is not centered in Christ and the trinity is not really Christian, IMHO.<BR/><BR/>My opinion is that Centering Prayer is too far out of the Christian and monastic tradition.<BR/>One of many examples: the use of the "sacred word" is seen as a "mantra" to help free the mind from thoughts and images. and authors like cassian are used to show that even early monks did something like this. but i do not think this is the case at all. with the early monks (especially cassian) real conversion and true humility were the goal of all prayer. when early monks cried out to Jesus for mercy (as in the Jesus prayer) or for help ("God come to my assistance")this was a cry "de profundid" from the depths of their povery and misery that cried out to God in real humility. this is a much more existential faith that is raw and rooted in our weakness and poverty.<BR/>it is a whole different dynamic from the one used in centering prayer.<BR/><BR/>also the idea that each person can just pick his own 'sacred word' goes against the whole tradition of invocatory prayer. picking a word is more a technique of self hypnosis. Invocatory prayer is based on the tradition that God is uniquely present in his Holy name that he has revealed. To call upon the name of the Lord out of our poverty and sinfulness in faith is the key to invacatory prayer as a true path of the spiritual life. It is an existential encounter with the Lord who is present in his name, so that a deeply personal encouter is truly possible.<BR/><BR/>it is almost like centering prayer does not really see how deep and profound the tradition really is and just offers a more impoverished way to people who are hungry for God and who really need to find the person and grace of Jesus Christ who comes to call who call on him in faith from the heart.<BR/><BR/>It is really hard to see how monks and monasteries take centering prayer as something serious...one could say that this acceptance of the technique of centering prayer is systemic of the superficiality of much of the current monastic spirituality.<BR/><BR/>an excellent book on all this in a way that stays closer to tradition and human experience is IN THE SILENT LAND.....i can find the author if anyone is interested.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com