During the1980’s agroup ofTrappist monks, among them Thomas
Keating, setoutto recover the contemplativedimension of the Gospel.
Drawing on thewritings oftheDesert Fathers, the Christian mystics,
and - inparticular – the anonymous 14thcentury English classic on
prayer, The Cloud of Unknowing, they distilled amethodof silent
prayersuitablefor the presentday. It has becomeknownas
CenteringPrayer. It can be used by itself,or alternativelymanyuse
it in associationwithotherformsofprayersuchalectiodivina.
CenteringPrayer - unlike the concentrativemethod (based on the
repetitionof amantra) developed by John Main – is a receptive
method in which we consent, inever-renewed interiorsilence,to the
presenceandtransformative actionof theHolySpiritwithinus.
Resourcesandcontacts
Keating,Thomas(1987)OpenMind,OpenHeart.
Contemplative Outreach istheworld-wide association established
byThomasKeating toteachandfosterthepracticeofCentering
Prayer:ContemplativeOutreachInternationalOfficeContemplative
Outreach
LtdButlerNJ,USA+1973-838-3384office@coutreach.orgwww.contemplativeoutreach.orgContemplative
Outreach EastandSoutheast
[email protected]
Frontcoverimage:www.Pixabay.com
CenteringPrayer
SilenceisGod’sfirstlanguage…
The Prayer Pack
ThiswayofprayingcancentreusandgroundusinGodaswemoveintootherprayersorprayerpractices.
ChooseasacredwordasthesymbolofyourintentiontoconsenttoGod'spresenceandactionwithin.
ThesacredwordexpressesourintentiontoconsenttoGod'spresenceandactionwithin.
Thesacredword ischosen during abriefperiod ofprayer totheHoly
Spirit.Useawordofoneortwosyllables,
suchasGod,Jesus,Abba,Father,Mother,Mary, Amen.Other possibilities
include Love, Listen,
Peace,Mercy,letGo,Silence,Stillness,Faith,Trust.
The sacred word is not sacred because of its inherent meaning,
butbecause of the meaning we give it as the expression of our
intention andconsent.
Havingchosenasacredwordwedonotchangeitduringthetimeofprayerasthatwouldbetostartreflecting.
Sitting comfortablyand with eyes closed, settle briefly and
silentlyintroduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to
God'spresenceandactionwithin.
‘Sitting comfortably’means relatively comfortableso as not to
encouragesleepduring theprayer time.Whatever sitting
positionwechoose,wekeepthebackstraight.
Wecloseoureyesasasymboloflettinggoofwhatisgoingonaroundandwithinus.
Weintroducethesacredwordinwardlyasgentlyaslayingafeatheronapieceofcottonwool.
Whenyoubecomeawarethatyouareengagedwithyourthoughts,returneversogentlytothesacredword.
‘Thoughts’ is an umbrella term for every perception, including
bodilysensations, sense perceptions, feelings, images, memories,
plans,reflections,concepts,commentariesandspiritualexperiences.
Thoughtsareaninevitable,integralandnormalpartofCenteringPrayer. By
‘returningeverso gentlyto the sacredword’a minimumof
effortisindicated. This is the only activity we initiate during the
time of CenteringPrayer. During the course of CenteringPrayer the
sacred word may disappear orbecome vague. This is itself also part
of the practice of letting go of all ourthoughts.
Attheendoftheprayerperiod,remaininsilencewitheyesclosedforacoupleofminutes.
Theadditional2minutesenablesustobringtheatmosphereofsilenceintoeverydaylife.
