To the Editor:
In response to the letter by Marcia Moore in the Oct. 18 edition, this is what I know about Centering Prayer: I have practiced it for years; many Benedictines, Franciscans, Carmelites, Jesuits, Dominicans and other orders of men and women have practiced it for centuries.
However it is not specific to the ordained or professed, or even Catholics; many Christian people practice Centering Prayer. It is not about “mind-emptying.” Every time my mind wanders is an opportunity for me to return to God, to return and be present to the One who wants only to spend time with me. When negative emotions or memories bubble up, I assume it is God’s work, bringing them forward so he can heal them.
Trappist Father Thomas Keating teaches Centering Prayer, but he did not invent it. Contemplative Prayer is an ancient part of our rich tradition of prayer. “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) “Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.” (Psalm 91:14)
Helen Schiltz, M.A.P.S.
Davenport
