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VISION / MISSION
HISTORY OF CONTEMPLATIVE OUTREACH
FAQs ON CENTERING PRAYER
ABOUT THE PRAYER
CENTERING PRAYER LIST
CONTEMPLATIVE OUTREACH LOGO & MEANING
   
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A
glimpse of Reality...
“To those who love who
are called in his name all things work out for good.”
‒ Rm. 8:28
My father was born in
a Mormon family. However, he was never a practicing Mormon nor did
he ever impose his belief on us his family. We all grew up as
practicing Roman Catho-lics. I was very close to my father and
although he was a good and upright man, my greatest concern was
that he might die without being baptized in the Church. Time and
again, I would bring up the subject but he always would brush me
aside and gently tell me to just leave him be. So, I took recourse
to prayer. There were two specific things I asked for regarding
this: that he does not die without receiving the sacrament of
Baptism and that when he did that I would be present to assist
him. After I got married, I transferred to Manila where we raised
our family. Still, I persevered in my prayers for his conversion.
A week before he passed away my sister called me to come as they
were afraid he wouldn’t last much longer. At the hospital, I
continued praying unceasingly by his bedside or in the chapel in
the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Then, one day from
out of the blue, a priest came to visit. When my father sensed his
presence, he suddenly said, I am ready and asked to be baptized. I
was with him when it happened and was the one who made the Act of
Faith for him as he did not know the prayer. After he was
baptized, we knew that it won’t be long before he would breathe
his last. And the priest administered the sacrament of Extreme
Unction (as it was called before.) It was Lent, and he died on
Holy Thursday. In spite of our great loss, we had much joy in our
hearts for the miracle of conversion the Lord has given us. It
took eighty-six years for him to come home to the Lord. It was
like a grand celebration of the whole town when he was buried on
Holy Saturday. When I think of all the time I spent in prayer for
him, my heart swells in gratitude for the Lord’s generosity in
granting the greatest desire of my heart.
Thank you Lord, for
granting my father the grace of a happy death.
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A
glimpse of Reality...
“For God so loved the
world that he gave his only son…”
‒ Jn. 3:16
For four years now
since he was widowed, my father had resisted giving up his
independence by insisting that he live in his own home with just
his househelp, a couple and two of their children plus another
maid, his yaya. At ninety-two, he is almost totally
bedridden and yet he preferred to stay where he was rather than be
with any of us, his children. It has always been a source of
frustration to me whenever I visit to see him all alone in his
room just lying there, listening to his radio, or watching the
news on TV. He used to love reading very much but can not anymore
due to his failing eyesight. So, when something happened that made
him decide to come and spend “a few days” with me, I was very
happy.
Today, as I read John and the verse above, God’s love for me
became so real. When I see my father so happy and contented in his
bed with more attention now than he ever had when he was in his
house, my heart swells with gratitude for all the blessings in my
life, especially for giving me the means to welcome and take good
care of my father in my own home. And realizing that for the first
time in my life, I have four generations living in my house, gives
me such complete joy. I thank the Lord for giving me the
opportunity to take care of my father in the twilight of his life,
for a loving husband that has provided me with the means to do so,
my children who are blessed with the presence of a grandfather and
for the little angel, our apo, in our midst.
And as I ponder on
this, the words of the psalm once more becomes alive in me.
“How blessed are those who live in your house; they shall praise
you continually.” (Ps. 84:4)
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In becoming a member
of the human family, Christ became every man and every woman. In
joining the human family to himself, he has taken every member to
himself. The whole cosmos has been transformed by the Word made
flesh. The whole creation has become his body. He is the leaven
that transforms everything into himself. The divine energy of the
God-man is directed to one thing: to win your love. The light of
all the galaxies point to one thing – his love for you! All the
beauty, goodness, and truth in the world is designed to win your
heart to himself. Everything that exists is for you!
The Kingdom of God belongs to those who have let go of their
possessive attitude toward everything including God.
‒ Fr. Thomas Keating
Awakenings
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A
glimpse of Reality...
“Yahweh replied, ‘Are
you right to be angry?'”
‒ Jonah 4:4
One late evening at
Mass, we were subjected to a long-winded “fire and brimstone”
sermon by the priest that for the first time in my Mass-going
years, I had a strong urge to get up and leave right there. It had
put me in such a foul mood, that I felt I would not be able to
approach the Eucharist later on. Coincidentally enough, the
subject of his rambling on was the sacrilegious receiving of Holy
Communion when one was not in the state of grace. It felt like an
hour (mercifully, I forgot to put on my watch) and when at last it
was over, I could hardly pray because I was seething inside. But,
I kept on through the motions as the Mass proceeded telling myself
this is the last time I will ever hear a Mass said by this priest.
Then, during the Consecration, maybe by force of habit, I started
talking to Jesus and suddenly in my heart, I heard him ask me why
I was so angry.
Wasn’t this supposed
to be an evening of reparation? Aren’t you here to offer some
sacrifice in reparation for the sins of the world? So what if you
did not like the way he delivered his homily? Don’t you know that
it was I who sent this priest here tonight precisely to shock
those listening into realizing the gravity of a sacrilegious
communion?
And as I continued listening to His admonition, I felt my anger
dissipating and in its place, a feeling of gratitude enveloped me.
Suddenly, I found myself thanking the Lord for this priest who I
am sure now is also making a big sacrifice coming here to
celebrate this Mass for us. And when communion time came, I was
able to receive our Lord with a peaceful heart.
Thank you, Lord, for
your kindness in making me see your goodness in others.
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A
glimpse of Reality...
“Those of us who
practice Centering Prayer and other forms of contemplative prayer
can trust that such forms of prayer will, little by little,
dismantle our false self with its emotional programs for
happiness. But it is the work of a lifetime."
I find it very
consoling that God gives me all the time that I need to undergo
this process of transformation …no less than a lifetime! He
doesn’t rush me, nor does He get impatient when I slow down, take
detours, or get lost in the journey. Truly, He is the Good
Shepherd, watching over me, waiting for me to come home…Can I be
as patient and compassionate towards people who I think are going
astray? In other words, can I stop judging them, condemning them
for not knowing any better? Can I love my family unconditionally
when it’s so much more satisfying (!) to give them the cold
shoulder for frustrating my plans? Can I step back, give way to
others and love them even if it means “jeopardizing” my security
and honor? Boy, am I glad to hear Father Keating say that
“contemplative prayer is the world in which God can do anything.”
Other-wise, I’d give up feeling defeated even before I started
taking the first step in the journey.
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The resurrection of Jesus is
the first day of the New Creation. The events following the resurrection
and the various appearances of Jesus to his disciples and friends are
used in the liturgy to help us understand the significance of this
central Mystery of our faith…
…The first resurrection
scene is cast in a cosmic context. From the scriptural point of view,
the garden in which the tomb of Jesus was situated reminds us of the
garden of Eden. The two gardens are juxtaposed: in the first, the human
family, in the persons of Adam and Eve, lost God’s intimacy and
friendship; in the second, Mary Magdalene (out of whom Jesus had cast
seven devils) appears as the first recipient of the good news that
intimacy and union with God are once again available.
She came to the tomb in
great distress. The huge stone, symbol of the heavy weight of sin and
the downward pull of the lower levels of consciousness, had been rolled
away…
…The “gardener” says with a
certain irony, “Woman, whom are you looking for? Why are you weeping?”
This question seems to have crystallized Mary’s immense grief, and she
poured out her heart in a jumble of words: “Tell me where you have laid
him, sir, and I will remove him.”
Jesus then spoke her name, “Mary!” Only he could say her name in that
way. Instantly, with the whole of her being, she recognized him and in
that moment knew that he had risen from the dead.
In the scripture, to be
called by name has special significance. To call someone or something by
name is to identity who or what it is. Adam, in paradise, named each
beast and flower according to its essence. God often changed the names
of prophets to fit their roles. By calling her by name, Jesus manifests
his knowledge of everything in her life and his total acceptance of all
that she is. This is the moment in which Mary realizes that Jesus loved
her. This is the first step in her transformation.
In the Christian scheme of
things, the movement from the human condition to divine transformation
requires the mediation of a personal relationship with God. The personal
love of Jesus facilitates the growth of this relationship. The
experience of being loved by him draws the Christian; out of all
selfishness into deeper levels of self-surrender. How could this
movement occur without the conviction of being personally loved by him?
The simple utterance of one word, “Mary!” brought to focus all her
longings. Her response was to throw herself into the arms of Jesus as
she cried out in her joy, “Master!”
The realization of being
loved by God characterizes the first stage of contemplative prayer. It
enables us to see God in all things. Mary’s acceptance of that grace
leads to a further insight; she becomes aware that she loves Jesus in
return. Accordingly, she throws herself into his arms and clings to him.
We are not told how long this embrace lasted, but through that
experience she was raised to the next level of contemplative prayer,
which is the capacity to see all things in God.
In this conversation, Jesus
is raising Mary step-by-step through the progressive stages of
contemplative prayer to divine union. Finally, he says to her, “Stop
clinging to me! I have not yet risen to my Father. But, go and tell my
brothers that I ascend to my Father and to your Father.”
Those words are the manifesto of the New Creation! God is now not only
the Father of Jesus Christ, not just the “Abba” whom Jesus has revealed
out of his own personal experience of divine union. The Abba has now
been given to us! The experience that Christ has of the Father is
completely ours! Thus, the same relationship with the Father that Christ
enjoys is rising up in Mary Magdalene — and in each of us as we
assimilate the grace of Easter.
With these words of Jesus,
Mary is sent to be the apostle of the apostles. What makes an apostle is
divine love, nothing else. Since she now had within herself the
experience of intimacy with the Father, bestowed upon her by Jesus, she
is the one who proclaims to the apostles the message of Easter. “You, my
brothers,” Jesus says through her, “have been initiated into the reign
of God, into my experience of the Father as Abba, the God of infinite
compassion.”
Jesus, in the plan of God,
has opened the way to the highest states of consciousness. The pain and
agony of self-consciousness, with its guilt-ridden sense of
responsibility, has been replaced by the invitation to enter into the
human potential for unlimited growth. The Garden of Eden is both a
memory of what could be and a preview of what is to come. In the Garden
of the Resurrection the full revelation of the Mystery of Christ is
unveiled. And with that knowledge and experience, Mary reaches the third
level of contemplative prayer, the abiding state of divine union, which
is to see God giving himself in everything. This is the transformed
consciousness of inner resurrection. And this is the Good News she was
sent to announce to the apostles.
Adam and Eve were thrown out
of the first garden as a result of the emergence of their
self-consciousness apart from divine union. Mary was so rooted in the
experience of divine union that the Garden of Paradise was inside her
and she could never leave it. The Garden of Eden stands for a state of
consciousness, not a geographical location. She is sent out of the
garden, but with the abiding interior state the garden represents; the
certitude of being loved by God, of loving him in return, and of God
giving himself in every event and at every moment, both within or
without. In this state, outside and inside are in harmony; they have
become one. In the course of this conversation, the Ultimate Mystery
becomes for Mary the Ultimate Presence, and the Ultimate Presence
becomes the Ultimate Reality.
The outpouring of grace that
we see in this first appearance of Jesus after his resurrection is God’s
response to Christ’s sacrifice; it is his glorification in response to
his utter humiliation. Like Mary Magdalene, Christ is also calling us by
name as we celebrate the feast of his resurrection.
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OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY WITH
BR. DAVID
Cultivating the "divine
virtues" — faith, hope, and love — allows us to live life to the
fullest, even through difficult circumstances. Why? Because they connect
us with the deepest reality of life, that spark of life within us.
On a cruise to Alaska in
August 2011, Br. David Steindl-Rast gave a series of talks on this truth
recognized in all religious and spiritual paths. Now you can hear
excerpts from his talks about the first of those virtues — faith —
during this one-month online retreat. These 5 - 10 minute clips will be
posted in our online Practice Circle where you can watch them at your
convenience.
Br. David approaches his
subject from various angles. He discusses how faith works and when, the
relevance of peak experiences, blessings, living forever, and much more.
Emails delivered three times a week underscore key points in the talks
and offer you things to reflect upon.
Then you can visit the
Practice Circle (open 24/7) to share your thoughts and experiences and
read the comments of others in our spiritual community. You are sure to
benefit from the collective curiosity, insight, and wisdom. Leading the
Practice Circle will be Patricia Campball Carlson and Margaret Wakeley,
who work closely with Br. David at Gratefulness.org (Spirituality &
Practice's sister site).
"Trusting in Life with Br.
David Steindl-Rast" begins this Monday, April 16. To join us, click on
the "Subscribe to E-Course" button at this page:
SpiritualityandPractice.com/TrustinginLife
If you've never experienced
Br. David's teaching (and even if you have), don't miss this
opportunity! He is a dear one.
Salaam, Shalom, Shanti,
Peace,
Frederic and Mary Ann
Brussat
Co-Directors, Spirituality &
Practice
NEXT E-COURSES ‒ JUST THE
FACTS
We have two opportunities to
"study with the monks" coming up this month. Here are just the facts
about these special programs. We hope you will join us.
WHAT: Trusting in
Life with Br. David Steindl-Rast —
Subscribe here.
WHO: Led by Patricia Campbell Carlson and Margaret Wakeley of
Gratefulness.org
WHEN: Monday, April 16, through Friday, May 11
COST: $49.95
FORMAT: Emails on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Video Clips,
online Practice Circle.
TALKS: Film clips of talks given by Br. David, recorded during a
cruise to Alaska in 2011, about the virtue of faith.
REFLECTION: Discussion questions and journaling prompts keyed to
each talk, plus further explanation of such themes as how faith works,
when it works, and for whom it works.
COMMUNITY: A worldwide community posting responses in the online
Practice Circle (a forum open 24/7).
TO SIGN UP: Click on the "Subscribe to E-Course button"
at the bottom of this page. You can also give the e-course as a
gift.
WHAT: The Wisdom of the
Desert Fathers and Mothers —
Subscribe here.
WHO: Led by Christine Valters Paintner, Abbess of
AbbeyoftheArts.com
WHEN: Sunday, April 22, through Saturday, May 20
COST: $49.95
Format: Daily emails, online Practice Circle
Wisdom: Short selections from the writings of the desert
monastics of fourth and fifth century Egypt, plus commentaries by
Christine.
Practices: Reflection questions and simple practices to help you
discover the meaning of desert wisdom for today.
Community: A spiritual community posting comments in online
Practice Circle (a forum open 24/7).
TO SIGN UP: Click on the "Subscribe to E-Course" button
at the bottom of this page. You can also give the e-course as a
gift. |
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In Centering Prayer …
little by little, we enter into prayer
without intentionality except to consent
… and consent becomes surrender
… and surrender becomes total receptivity
… and, as the process continues,
total receptivity becomes effortless, peaceful.
… It is free and has nothing to attain, to get, or desire
… So, no thinking, no reflection, no desire,
no words, no thing
… just receptivity and consent.
Thomas Keating, ‘Centering Prayer’ segment, Heartfulness:
Transformation in Christ |
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Fr. William Meninger on
Centering Prayer
 Read this interview with Fr.
William Meninger, one of the founders of the Centering Prayer method and
movement. Here are some excerpts:
“The Cloud of Unknowing says
in many different ways that God, whom the mind cannot grasp, the heart
can embrace. Since God is infinite and we are finite you cannot put an
infinite God into a finite mind. But our hearts are capable of loving
the infinite God.”
“Centering prayer — or
contemplative Christian prayer — is simply loving God and being loved by
God, consciously. It is a work of supernatural charity which can only
come from God.” Read more.Read
more.
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Courtesy of elpopophoto
Faith calls for the total surrender of our faculties and of all our
being to the truth inside and outside ourselves. The Christian tradition
calls this reality God. Christian faith is a leap into the unknown.
Experience confirms the wisdom of every act of trust. The alteration of
the darkness of faith leading to understanding, and understanding
illuminating the darkness of faith is the normal way that leads to the
growth of faith. Like everyone else, God wants to be accepted as he is -
and he happens to be infinite, incomprehensible, and inexpressable.
—
Thomas Keating, The Heart of
the World: An Introduction to Contemplative Christianity |
 EASTER
READING
The Mystery of Christ:
The Liturgy as Spiritual Experience, Thomas Keating. “… There is
a prolonged period of preparation (Lent) for the principal feast which
is Easter. The Sundays after Easter develop the significance and fruits
of Christ’s resurrection, culminating in the crowning feast of the
season which is the Ascension.” A full 53 pages of this book focus on
Easter and the Ascension.$19.95 USD.
Order here.
Journey to the Heart:
Centering Prayer for Children, Frank X. Jelenek. Ideal for ages
3-10 years. The first guide to a contemplative prayer practice for
children, Journey to the Heart both instructs and inspires. Many parents
and teachers will learn from this colorful treasure of a book as well.
An alternative Easter basket treat. $15.99 USD.
Order here.
ON SALE
Year One – “Practice”
series of The Contemplative Life Program, now $90 USD for seven
booklets, was $140.
Read more. E-version available for $70 USD.
Year Two –
“Dispositions” series of The Contemplative Life Program, now $90
USD for seven booklets, was $140.
Read more. E-version available for $70 USD.
Forty Days To a Closer
Walk with God by
J. David Muyskens
 It's been
said that centering prayer is like two friends sitting together in
silence, just being in each other's presence, completely natural and
comfortable. Yet, centering prayer is sometimes viewed as too
mysterious, too escapist, too hard. At first, it even appeared that way
to the author, but events in his life and his further studies about
prayer redirected his views.
Through Muyskens' insightful
guidance, you'll explore a simple, biblical practice of prayer that
leads to a deep communion with God and encourages a way of life
motivated by the divine, perhaps untapped, Presence at the center of
your being. "Your life can be chaotic, scattered, unfocused, but in
prayer you consent to a new orientation," writes Muyskens. "When I am
centered, I open the eyes of my heart to perceive God's presence?. I let
go of my efforts to reach God and simply rest in the love of the
Trinity. I surrender myself to Christ."
A simple 20-minute per day
practice of contemplative prayer over the course of 40 days can lead you
to closer relationship with God. As you progress through the daily
scripture and meditative readings in Forty Days to a Closer Walk with
God, you'll find greater understanding and fresh awareness of Jesus'
promise, "I am with you always."
To order,
click here.
Transformation and Centering Prayer: New Paths in
Science, Education and Spirituality CD set
 CD 1
Science, Evolution and
Divine Union by Fr. Thomas Keating
Evolution is the way that
God seems to have chosen to create. It's a process where everything has
its time and its place and where it takes a long time for the divine
plan to be received and revealed in its fullness in the human family,
through Christ.
Centering Prayer: A
Healing Response to Everyday Stress by Jane Ferguson Flout
In these hectic times of
information overload and fast pace, Centering Prayer can offer a way to
rest in God. This presentation describes some health outcomes of
Centering Prayer on everyday stress and on Christians' approach to
communicating with God.
CD 2
Neuroscientific
Approaches to Centering Prayer: What Can the Brain Teach Us About this
Practice? by Cassandra Vieten, Ph.D, Michael L. Spezio, Ph.D
This presentation provides
an overview of how neuroscientists and clinical psychologists approach
the study of contemplative practices, including Centering Prayer.
CD 3
The Contemplative
Dimension of Centering Prayer: Transforming Obstacles into Aides for
Spiritual Growth by David Frennette, M.A.
The great Jesuit
contemplative, Jean Pierre de Caussade, wrote, "God can turn every
obstacle into an aide for spiritual growth." How can Centering Prayer
lead you to experience every obstacle, everything as an aide, a blessing
on the spiritual path?
Educating Minds and Hearts: Contemplation and the Next Generation
by Vincent Pizzulo, Ph.D
This presentation addresses
the role of evoking wonder, awe and mystery in awakening students to the
contemplative dimension of life. The essence of 'contemplative
education,' lies in one's ability to holistically address both mind and
heart, body and spirit of one's students and instill a sense of the
urgency of God's love for every person. Contemplative silence makes most
sense to the new generation when it is understood as a counter-cultural
response to the experience of 'disconnect' within contemporary society,
and a radical adherence to the Gospel call to love and compassion.
To order,
click here.
Paschal Mystery, A Journey into Redemption and
Grace, CLP Praxis
 This is a 109 page booklet
based completely on the teachings and writings of Father Thomas Keating
on the topic, it is intended to serve as a daily companion to move ever
deeper in trust and intimacy with the living God in the midst of trials,
purification, various forms of suffering or simply within the norms of
everyday life. This 40-day mini-retreat is a journey from the limiting
small self to the fullness of the human being who we were created to be.
Scripture passages are complemented by beautiful images, Fr. Keating's
writings and a mini-practice on which to focus for the day.
This booklet is also part of a package which contains a CD and DVD.
To order,
click here.
Open Mind, Open Heart,
Paperback
 Soft Cover Edition A deep
and thorough overview of the Christian contemplative tradition, a
process of interior transformation, a conversation initiated by God and
leading, if we consent, to divine union. Herein a restructuring of
consciousness takes place which empowers one to perceive, relate and
respond to everyday life with increasing sensitivity to the divine
presence in, through, and beyond everything that happens. Fr. Thomas
gives step-by-step guidance in the method of Centering Prayer, a
movement of divine love designed to renew the Christian contemplative
tradition.
This is the twentieth
anniversary edition of Continuum's best-selling spiritual classic, which
has sold well over half a million copies in the English language and has
appeared in 10 foreign-language editions (Croatian, French, German,
Hungarian, Indonesia, Italian, Korean, Spanish, Polish, and Portuguese).
The new edition consists of a substantial new preface, an expanded
glossary, some changes in terminology, and a reordering of several
chapters. Open Mind, Open Heart is designed to initiate the readers into
a deep, living relationship with God and provides step-by-step guidance
in the method of centering prayer. Centering prayer, says Father
Keating, offers those who practice it place to go to persevere in the
spirit.
To order,
click here.
The Daily Reader for
Contemplative Living - (Paperback)
 by Stephanie Iachetta
Excerpts from the works of
Fr. Thomas Keating, Sacred Scripture, and other spiritual writings -
creating the perfect basis for daily meditation.
From the forward by George
W. Hunt, S.J.:
The book's structure is both
simple and elegant. Each day's text begins with a line of prayer, a
'prayer sentence' that acts as both a theme and an invitation. Each
closes with an appropriate, longer citation from Scripture that is a
biblically based recapitulation of the theme. In between lies a brief
reflection to inspire meditation, each an excerpt from the writings of
the Cistercian monk, Father Thomas Keating . . .
To order,
click here.
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The Christian Contemplative
Tradition
Though it has acquired other
meanings and connotations in recent centuries, the word contemplation
had a specific meaning for the first 16 centuries of the Christian era.
St. Gregory the Great summed up this meaning at the end of the 6th
century as the knowledge of God that is impregnated with love. For
Gregory, contemplation was both the fruit of reflecting on the Word of
God in scripture and a precious gift of God. He referred to
contemplation as "resting in God." In this "resting," the mind and heart
are not so much seeking God, as beginning to experience what they have
been seeking. This state is not the suspension of all activity, but the
reduction of many acts and reflections to a single act or thought in
order to sustain one's consent to God's presence and action.
In this traditional
understanding, contemplation, or contemplative prayer, is not something
that can be achieved through will, but rather is God's gift. It is the
opening of mind and heart - one's whole being - to God. Contemplative
prayer is a process of interior transformation. It is a relationship
initiated by God and leading, if one consents, to divine union.
Christian Contemplatives and
Contemplative Practices Throughout History
Contemplative prayer is by
no means a modern addition to Christianity. Contemplative Christian
prayer has representatives in every age. A form of contemplative prayer
was first practiced and taught by the Desert Fathers of Egypt, Palestine
and Syria including Evagrius, St. Augustine and St. Gregory the Great in
the West, and Pseudo-Dionysius and the Hesychasts in the East.
In the Middle Ages, St.
Bernard of Clarivaux, William of St. Thierry and Guigo the Carthusian
represent the Christian contemplative tradition, as well as the
Rhineland mystics, including St. Hildegard, St. Mechtilde, Meister
Eckhart, Ruysbroek and Tauler. Later, the author of The Imitation of
Christ and the English mystics of the 14th century such as the
author of The Cloud of Unknowing, Walter Hilton, Richard Rolle,
and Julian of Norwich became part of the Christian contemplative
heritage.
After the Reformation, the
Carmelites of St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and St. Therese
of Lisieux; the French school of spiritual writers, including St.
Francis de Sales, St. Jane de Chantal and Cardinal Berulle; the Jesuits,
including fathers De Caussade, Lallemont and Surin; the Benedictines,
like Dom Augustine Baker and Dom John Chapman, and modern Cistercians
such as Dom Vital Lehodey and Thomas Merton, all cultivated practices in
their lives that they believed led to the spiritual gift of
contemplation.
Modern Contemplative
Practices
In the 20th and 21st
centuries, initiatives have been taken by various religious orders,
notably by the Jesuits and Discalced Carmelites, to renew the
contemplative orientation of their founders and to share their
spirituality with laypeople. In addition, several monks, such as Fathers
Thomas Keating and John Main, have pioneered efforts to answer
the call of Vatican II to return to the Gospels and to biblical theology
as the primary sources of Catholic spirituality. The product of these
initiatives is a myriad of modern prayer practices based on historical
contemplative teachings.
Prayer of Faith, Prayer of
the Heart, Pure Prayer, Prayer of Simplicity, Prayer of Simple Regard,
Active Recollection, Active Quiet, and Acquired Contemplation are all
names of modern practices based on historical practices and meant to
prepare their practitioners for contemplation. The practices around
which Contemplative Outreach was built, Centering Prayer and
Lectio Divina, are two such practices. Centering Prayer and Lectio
Divina are closely derived from ancient contemplative Christian
practices and are attempts to present these practices in updated formats
that appeal to the lay community.
In many cases, modern
Christian contemplative practices serve as a bridge in East/West
dialogue as well as a way home for many Christians who have gone to the
East in search of spiritual wisdom.
(From CO e-News Bulletin,
June 2010)
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Contemplative Outreach Circle of
Service
Seated left to right:
David Muyskens, Fr. Keating, Fr. Carl Arico, Mark Novak
Standing left to right:
Ron Barnett, Susan Rush, Marie Howard, Gail Fitzpatrick Hopler, Susan
Komis, Bonnie Shimizu, Mary Ann Best |
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VISION /
MISSION
Fr. Thomas Keating
Fr. William Meninger
Fr. Basil Pennington
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Vision
Statement
Contemplative Outreach is a spiritual network of individuals and small
faith communities committed to living the contemplative dimension of the
Gospel in everyday life through the practice of Centering Prayer. The
contemplative dimension of the Gospel manifests itself in an
ever-deepening union with the living Christ and the practical caring for
others that flows from that relationship.
The
purpose of Contemplative Outreach is to support one another in the
process of Divine transformation through the practice of Centering
Prayer. We also encourage the practice of Lectio Divina,
particularly its movement into Contemplative Prayer, which a regular and
established practice of Centering Prayer facilitates.
In the
Philippines, this mission is being carried out by Contemplative Outreach
Philippines (COP). In addition to conducting workshops, retreats
and other programs on Centering Prayer, COP guides and facilitates
support groups for persons in the practice. Since its
establishment in 1990, the Outreach has shared Centering Prayer with men
and women, religious and lay alike. It has also sponsored
recollections and retreats conducted by the founders themselves- Fr.
Thomas Keating, Fr. William Meninger and the late Fr. Basil Pennington -
all Trappist monks. Commissioned presenters also conduct retreats
and workshops.
Mission
Statement
The
primary purpose of Contemplative Outreach Philippines is to teach the
method of Centering Prayer and to offer practices that bring its fruits
into daily life. The Outreach also teaches Lectio Divina
(Sacred Reading), particularly its movement into contemplative prayer as
facilitated by a regular practice of Centering Prayer. The
ministry offers workshops, retreats, and formation programs designed to
present the richness of the Christian contemplative heritage in an
updated and accessible format.
Contemplative Outreach Philippines is authorized to use the formats of
Fr. Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O., founder of Contemplative Outreach Ltd. In
the United States and one of the three Trappist monks who developed
Centering Prayer. The Archdiocese of Manila recognizes the
Outreach as the official organization authorized to teach Centering
Prayer and its formation programs through its bona fide
commissioned presenters.
Centering
Prayer is a prayer of interior silence and alert receptivity to the
Divine Indwelling, the center of one’s being. Together with the
daily practice of Lectio Divina, growth in Prayer awakens the
spiritual level of one’s consciousness. One’s will is cultivated
to constantly and repeatedly consent to God’s presence and action as one
becomes increasingly aware of them in day-to-day living.
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History of
Contemplative Outreach
Contemplative Outreach has
its roots in the wish of three monks living at St. Joseph's Abbey in
Spencer, Massachusetts in the early 1970s. Inspired by the decree of
Vatican II, the monks wished to develop a method of Christian
contemplative prayer that was appealing and accessible to laypeople.
With no idea that their wish would eventually result in an international
organization, Fathers Thomas Keating, William Meninger, and Basil
Pennington embarked on an experiment. Today their experiment is called
Contemplative Outreach.
As abbot of St. Joseph's
Abbey, Fr. Keating attended a meeting in Rome in 1971. At the meeting,
Pope Paul VI called on the members of the clergy to revive the
contemplative dimension of the Gospel in the lives of both monastic and
laypeople. Believing in the importance of this revival, Fr. Keating
encouraged the monks at St. Joseph's to develop a method of Christian
contemplative prayer with the same appeal and accessibility that Eastern
meditation practices seemed to have for modern people. A monk at the
abbey named William Meninger found the background for such a method in
the anonymous fourteenth-century classic The Cloud of the Unknowing.
Using this and other contemplative literature, Meninger developed a
simple method of silent prayer he called The Prayer of the Cloud.
Meninger began to offer
instruction on The Prayer of the Cloud to priests who came to the
monastery for retreats. The prayer was well received and as word got
out, more people wanted to learn the prayer, so Fr. Keating began to
offer workshops to the lay community in Spencer. Another monk at the
abbey, Basil Pennington, also began to teach The Prayer of the Cloud to
priests and sisters at retreats away from St. Joseph's. At one retreat,
someone suggested that the name of the prayer be changed to Centering
Prayer, alluding to Thomas Merton's description of contemplative prayer
as prayer that is "centered entirely on the presence of God...His
will...His love...[and] Faith by which alone we can know the presence of
God." From then on, the prayer was called Centering Prayer.
In 1983, Fr. Keating gave
the first "intensive" Centering Prayer retreat at the Lama Foundation in
San Cristobal, New Mexico. One of the participants of the retreat,
Gustave Reininger, previously had met with Fr. Keating and a man named
Edward Bednar to discuss starting a contemplative network. After their
meeting, Bednar wrote a grant proposal, which he called Contemplative
Outreach, and received funds to start parish-based programs in New York
City that offered introductions to Centering Prayer. This marked the
beginning of the Contemplative Outreach Centering Prayer Program and a
milestone in Contemplative Outreach's birth as an organization.
Other participants of the retreat at the Lama Foundation also played a
large part in the growth of Contemplative Outreach. In 1985,
participants David Frenette and Mary Mrozowski, along with Bob Bartel,
established a live-in community in the eastern United States called
Chrysalis House. For 11 years, Chrysalis House provided a consistent
place to hold Centering Prayer workshops and retreats. Many Centering
Prayer practitioners and teachers who now carry on the work of
Contemplative Outreach were trained and inspired at Chrysalis House.
In 1986, the three monks'
experiment was incorporated as Contemplative Outreach, LTD., and the
first official board of directors was named. Fr. Keating served as the
first president, Fr. Carl Arico as vice president, Gustave Reininger as
treasurer, and Mary Mrozowski and Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler as directors.
At first, the organization was run from Gail Fitzpatirick-Hopler's
dining room table. After several necessary expansions, the network's
international headquarters now offices in 2000 square feet of space in
downtown Butler, New Jersey with the help of seven full-time employees,
two part-time employees, five volunteers, and, of course, the continued
support and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
̶ From
Contemplative Outreach
E-News, Oct. 2009
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Centering Prayer leads
to bonding with others and with the whole universe, and brings
with it the call to participate in the redemptive adventure that
God has initiated.
‒ Fr. Thomas Keating
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FAQs on
Centering Prayer
Four new FAQs on Centering
Prayer have been posted to help discuss and answer various doubts or
concerns about the prayer practice:
1. What is the overall aim
or intention of Centering Prayer?
2. How is Centering Prayer different from meditation, especially Eastern
meditation practices?
3. How is Centering Prayer rooted in the Christian tradition?
4. A response to then Cardinal Ratzinger’s 1989 “Letter to the Bishops
of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation.” This
was written by Thomas Keating in response to questions about that letter
and Centering Prayer.
See these questions and more
in the FAQ section of the
Contemplative Outreach website.
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ABOUT THE
PRAYER
The intent of Contemplative
Outreach is to foster the process of transformation in Christ in one
another through the practice of Centering Prayer.
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A
glimpse of Reality...
“In truth I tell you,
today, you will be with me in paradise.”
‒ Lk 23:43
Jesus says the word
today, not tomorrow, not yester-day, but today. What an
extraordinary promise to a most unlikely person, a thief. Like the
thief, I have lived in daily battle with my false self, concerned
only with my own desires and looking for happiness only in the
satisfaction of my temporal wants. And yet, after these wants are
met, I find myself more empty and unsatisfied widening the rift
between me and my God.
And just when it seems
that the gap is too big to cross, the silent nudge of the Holy
Spirit gently brings me to my senses and I fall on my knees and
beg the Lord. “Remember me when you come into Your Kingdom.” And
how many times are those words lovingly expressed back: “Today,
you will be with Me in Paradise.”? A silent healing takes place, a
revival occurs, and gentle hands reach out for me. All I have to
do is to take hold of those hands and once again, I am safe. For
this is the true happiness I am searching for, the Paradise on
earth that my soul aches for and is capable of experiencing… to be
in our Lord’s arms once again…to know I am with Him… And a miracle
occurs again and again in my life as I fall and grab for those
hands, fall again and grab for those hands.
Thank you Lord, for
your infinite patience in dealing with me, for your generosity in
loving me in spite of myself…
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When we sit down in
Centering Prayer, we are sitting on the cross with Christ. This
means that the inner resurrection of our true self is assured.
‒ Fr. Thomas Keating
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History of
Centering Prayer
Centering Prayer was
developed as a response to the Vatican II invitation to revive the
contemplative teachings of early Christianity and present them in
updated formats. In this way, the method of Centering Prayer is drawn
from the ancient practices of the Christian contemplative heritage,
notably the traditional monastic practice of Lectio Divina and the
practices described in the anonymous fourteenth century classic The
Cloud of Unknowing and in the writings of Christian mystics such as
John Cassian, Francis de Sales, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross,
Therese of Lisieux, and Thomas Merton. Most importantly, Centering
Prayer is based on the wisdom saying of Jesus in the Sermon on the
Mount:
"...when you pray, go to
your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father in secret. And
your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you."
Matthew 6.6 (New American
Bible)
In the 1970s, answering the
call of Vatican II, three Trappist monks at St. Joseph's Abbey in
Spencer, Massachusetts, Fathers William Meninger, Basil Pennington and
Thomas Keating, looked to these ancient sources to develop a simple
method of silent prayer for contemporary people. The prayer came to be
known as Centering Prayer in reference to Thomas Merton's description of
contemplative prayer as prayer that is "centered entirely on the
presence of God." The monks offered Centering Prayer workshops and
retreats to both clergy members and laypeople. Interest in the prayer
spread, and shortly after the first intensive Centering Prayer retreat
in 1983, the organization Contemplative Outreach was formed to
support the growing network of Centering Prayer practitioners.
Today Centering Prayer is
practiced by people all around the world, creating local and global
networks of Christians in communion with Christ and each other and
contributing to the renewal of the contemplative dimension of
Christianity.
Taken from CO Website
A Meditation on Centering Prayer
We begin our prayer by
disposing our body. Let it be relaxed and calm, but inwardly
alert.
The root of prayer is
interior silence. We may think of prayer as thoughts or feelings
expressed in words. But this is only one expression. Deep
prayer is the laying aside of thoughts. It is the opening of mind
and heart, body and feelings – our whole being – to God, the Ultimate
Mystery, beyond words, thoughts and emotions. We do not resist
them or suppress them. We accept them as they are and go beyond
them, not by effort, but by letting them all go by.
We open our awareness to the
Ultimate Mystery whom we know by faith is within us, closer than
breathing, closer than thinking, closer than choosing – closer than
consciousness itself. The Ultimate Mystery is the ground in which
our being is rooted, the Source from whom our life emerges at every
moment.
We are totally present now,
with the whole of our being, in complete openness, in deep prayer.
The past and future – time itself – are forgotten.
We are here in the presence
of the Ultimate Mystery. Like the air we breathe, this divine
presence is all around us and within us, distinct from us, but never
separate from us. We may sense this Presence drawing us from
within, as if touching our spirit and embracing it, or carrying us
beyond ourselves into pure awareness.
We surrender to the
attraction of interior silence, tranquillity, and peace. We do not
try to feel anything, reflect about anything. Without effort,
without trying, we sink into this Presence, letting everything else go
by. Let love alone speak the simple desire to be one with the
Presence, to forget self, and to rest in the Ultimate Mystery.
This Presence is immense,
yet so humble; awe-inspiring, yet so gentle; limitless, yet so intimate,
tender and personal. I know that I am known. Everything in
my life is transparent in this Presence. It knows everything about
me – all my weakness, brokenness, sinfulness – and still loves me
infinitely.
This Presence is healing,
strengthening, refreshing – just by its Presence. It is
nonjudgmental, self-giving, seeking no reward, boundless in compassion.
It is like coming home to a place I should never have left, to an
awareness that was somehow always there, but which I did not recognize.
I cannot force this
awareness, or bring it about. A door opens within me, but from the
other side. I seem to have tasted before the mysterious sweetness
of this enveloping, permeating Presence. It is both emptiness and
fullness at once.
We wait patiently; in
silence, openness, and quiet attentiveness; motionless, within and
without. We surrender to the attraction to be still, to be loved,
just to be.
Centering Prayer
List
A Contemplative Living
Community in the Christian Contemplative Tradition
CENTERINGPRAYER / A
Contemplative Living Community in the Christian Contemplative Tradition,
is an unmoderated ecumenical (Christian) mailing list grounded in the
Christian contemplative heritage. The list members are committed to the
renewal of the contemplative dimension of the gospel through the
teaching and practice of Centering Prayer and LectioDivina as taught by
Father Thomas Keating, OCSO and his worldwide organization called
Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. It is dedicated to those who are BEGINNERS
and would like a community to teach, encourage and support them in their
practice.
The list was founded on
March 7, 1994, in honor of Abbot Thomas Keating's birthday. Father
Keating is our mentor, friend and inspiration.
We hope to be able to
welcome you to our cyberspace community.
Currently we are presenting
an introductory workshop on Centering Prayer.
Centering Prayer is
patterned on the formula given by Jesus in Matthew 6:6
If you want to pray,
enter your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in
secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
To subscribe to the CENTERINGPRAYER List please write to:
Centeringprayer@listserve.com
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CONTEMPLATIVE
OUTREACH LOGO & MEANING
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Contemplative Outreach Symbol
JOB’S REDEEMER – PATIENT
WAITING
ALPHA AND OMEGA - Symbol of God-the beginning and the end.
THE CROSS - The symbol of our salvation.
THE FLOWERS - Symbol of the abundance of life – the resurrection.
 CIRCLE -
Sign of ongoing process.
©2009
Website designed by Mon &
Lynn Angeles
email us at cophil2009@yahoo.com
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