Centering prayer a way to find God in the silence, say proponents

Published: 2006-03-02

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (CNS) -- Finding God in the silence is often hard to do given the noise pollution that infects the modern world. Television, satellite radio and the Internet travel even to the most remote getaways. And Mass is not immune to cell phones and pagers. Distraction seems to be a clever enemy to prayer. In response, many have rediscovered the ancient Christian practice of contemplative prayer. A centuries-old monastic tradition, this prayer form is expressed without words, thoughts or emotion. It is simply a silent resting in God's presence. Drawing from the writings of the church's contemplative heritage, three Trappist monks from St. Joseph Abbey in Massachusetts developed a modern method called centering prayer in the 1970s. Benedictine Abbot Jerome Kodell of Subiaco Abbey said he has been practicing centering prayer since 1980 and considers "it a very powerful prayer."

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