Centering Prayer is an ancient spiritual practice which dates back to at least to the 14th century, but could in fact be much older. There are references to sitting in silent prayer as early as the 3rd and 4th centuries in the sayings of the desert fathers and mothers. But the first very clear reference to something that looks like centering prayer is in the 14th century anonymous work, The Cloud of Unknowing.
In modern Christianity, the practice was all but lost until it was revived and popularized by modern mystics such as Thomas Merton and Thomas Keating. It has seen a resurgence of interest in recent decades. Cynthia Bourgeault, a contemporary teacher of the practice, describes centering prayer as “consent to the presence and action of God within.”
The Four Guidelines to Centering Prayer
- Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within.
- Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God’s presence and action within.
- When you find yourself engaging with your thoughts*, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word.
- At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of moments.
For more information
www.centeringprayer.com
www.contemplativeoutreach.org
For further reading
Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, by Cynthia Bourgeault