“Centering
Prayer is Transcendental Meditation and nothing else. It has nothing to do with
relationship with God in growing exercise of the theological virtues. It does
not matter if you take a Hebrew word (Abba or Jesus or Amen …) instead of a sanscrit
one as a mantra, because anyway you do not pronounce it with faith, love or
contrition as in the Jesus Prayer but only as a shield, a meaningless shield
against thoughts.”
“… in the tapes of Father Pennington we hear that in
his house of retreats some “meditators” are so pleased with their “inner peace”
that they ask for more time of “meditation”. If it is considered as prayer why
not? But in fact it is Transcendental Meditation and except under supervision,
for some periods, the rule is no more than half an hour twice a day. Excess
engenders physical and mental disturbances”.
(From a private letter of October 18, 1990 from Mother
Veronica Le Goulard P.C.C. to Fr Finbarr Flanagan OFM. Her autobiography A
Memory of Wonders was published by Ignatius Press, U.S.A. She was raised by
French Communist parents, was converted to Catholicism and founded two Poor
Clare monasteries in Africa).
“Quite simply put, my impression of the centering
prayer movement is that it is a focus on a technique of recollection that many
people have found helpful. However, it is a technique that should only be used
with spiritual direction and guidance because with the rare person with a
serious psychological disorder it might lead them in the wrong direction. I do
not prefer to use it myself because I think Christian meditation, at least for
me, should be more active and focus on the content of Sacred Scripture, divine
revelation and the truths of the Catholic faith”.
(From a private letter of May 13, 1997 to Fr Finbarr
Flanagan from Fr Benedict Groeschel C.F.R. a well known author, psychologist,
T.V. personality and Director of the Office of Spiritual Development for New
York Archdiocese. He founded the Friars of the Renewal in the South Bronx where
he lives).
