- The term “Centering Prayer” is new, having been coined by the Monks of Spencer, who used it to describe what was long in the Christian tradition called “contemplative prayer” or even “mystical prayer.” They purposely changed the terminology because many lay persons felt that they could not do “contemplative prayer”; that it was for priests, monks, and nuns only! They took the term from the constant use of Thomas Merton’s writings, where he described this type of prayer in more modern language, mostly referring to “going down to one’s center”, where one also meets “the ground of God.”
Whereas the classical description of this type of prayer was worked out by the Carthusians and Cistercians, it was well known and described by many Fathers and Mothers of the Church in all periods of history. The monastics taught about “contemplation” as beginning with “lectio divina” (Latin for divine reading).
How Centering Prayer is Done
- The person takes a sacred text, usually the Bible, and reads a passage.
- Reflects upon it.
- Responds to the text in his own feelings or words.
- In this last step which is the most important, the goal is CONTEMPLATION now being called “Center Prayer.”
St. Ignatius of Loyola made this part of monastic prayer famous throughout Europe and beyond in his SPIRITUAL EXERCISES. As such, it became common practice in all Religious orders and institutes. In this last step, which can and should eventually be entirely separated from the 3 former stages, the person chooses a “prayer-word” like God, Jesus, Love, or a very short formula, as “Come, Holy Spirit”, God-Love, etc. This prayer-word is going to act like a lightning rod, that is, to defuse any and all thoughts, ideas, and reflections, no matter how holy or biblical, or liturgical. Centering Prayer insists that the one who prays wants to meet God as God is, directly, immediately= not mediated by any thought, prayer, reflection, or reading. And so the eyes are closed, the pray-er shuts down completely all the operations of normal consciousness, not allowing any idea, thought, or image. Thus the normal facilities of intellect, imagination, memory, and will are closed down, inoperative, and the person goes to his “center”, his spirit, his deep and true Self, his personhood, where he is made into the image of God, spirit to Spirit, a wordless union, communion, the lover with the Beloved (God Triune) beyond all mediations. And there he simply rests in God as Pure Spirit, indeed, in God as Triune: “If anyone loves Me, my Father will love him, and we will come and make our dwelling with him.”
The Challenge of Centering Prayer
As simple as this sounds in theory, it is very difficult, rather, challenging, to achieve; for modern people are so addicted to the use of their normal human faculties, that they find it extremely arduous to quiet them down completely, so as to maintain a “dark silence” (a favorite expression of Merton’s) in which to encounter God Triune. It is the discipline of the prayer-word that is so necessary at this level. It is used as soon as one notices in consciousness some thought or image or idea. One does not even allow into consciousness, thoughts or words to God or about God, Jesus, or the saints: just a dark waiting upon the Lord. One can call this an “altered state of consciousness: because it is so different from the normal state of using one’s faculties. It could best be called “transcendent consciousness” for it is the state of being in direct contact with the God who dwells within: “mystical or contemplative consciousness”, in the former terminology. Of course, Jesus, the incarnate Son of God is the one and only mediator of this encounter. Jesus does his work without the mediator calling upon Him or talking to Him. Let Jesus do his “thing”, and the pray-er do his, that is, total receptivity!
Of course, one can practice all the other traditional forms of public and private prayer, each in its own time and place. However, we do hope that this form of contemplative prayer will be practiced every day, even twice or more times a day!
