St. Ignatius Martyr Parish

About Us

Centering Prayer is a method of Christian prayer, which prepares us to receive the gift of God's presence, traditionally called contemplative prayer.

Our broader Christian tradition and our specific Catholic tradition teach that all Christian prayer, including contemplative prayer, is an aspect of the relationship with us that God, in unconditional love, has already initiated by --

• bringing us into creation and maintaining us in creation,

• giving us scripture so that we can know about our relationship with God and

• giving us the person of Jesus Christ so that we can have the special relationship available to us through the grace of baptism and Christian life.

Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop
begins January 27, 2007

Schedule September 2006 - January 2007
for regular meeting times

Within this understanding of Christian prayer as relationship, contemplative prayer can be understood as consenting to being drawn into an ever deepening intimacy with God, intimacy which is so deep that it is beyond words, thoughts, feelings - or more simply, intimacy which is Love. One of the images which comes to mind when considering contemplative prayer is that of Mary of Bethany sitting as Jesus' feet gazing lovingly at Him as He speaks to her and Martha.

Centering Prayer is a method of prayer, which prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer. It does this by quieting our faculties to cooperate with the gift of God's presence.

The practice of Center Prayer involves sitting comfortably in silence, with eyes closed, silently introducing a sacred word as the symbol of our consent to God's presence and action within. Centering Prayer is most beneficially practiced for two periods, of not less than 20 minutes each, daily.

Facilitated Centering Prayer sessions occur at St. Ignatius Martyr Centering Prayer on

Tuesdays from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Thursdays from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.

in Fr. John Payne House

see September 2006 - January meeting schedule

first half hour - welcome / intro to Centering Prayer & 20 minute period of Centering Prayer; second half hour - reading / video from Centering Prayer library or Lectio Divina.

All levels of Centering Prayer experience
(including no experience)
welcome at any session.

If you have questions or want additional information concerning Centering Prayer or the St. Ignatius Centering Prayer group, contact: Mike Richardson
telephone: (512) 440-8840
email: pmike@mail.utexas.edu

LINKS:

For an overview of Centering Prayer, see:

http://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/cntrgpryr.htm

For description of the Centering Prayer method, see:

http://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/methodcp.htm

For information on other Centering Prayer groups meet in Central Texas, see:

http://www.contemplativeoutreach.org

click on "Links" and scroll down to "Texas" and click on "Austin"