The Published Articles of Ernest E. Larkin, O.Carm. St. Teresa of Avila And Centering Prayer St. Teresa of Avila and Centering Prayer Introduction prayer form does not seem to have entered her purview. The purpose of this study is to locate Broadening centering prayer in this St Teresa of Avila in the contemporary terrain fashion is neither arbitrary or pointless. of centering prayer. Centering prayer is a new Teresa’s experience and doctrinal exposition term but an old reality, originating with include elements from both methods; far Thomas Merton’s insight into centering as the better then to put the two under a common movement from the false to the true self and umbrella. The very nature of contemplation developed as a prayer form by the Cistercians and the privileged ways of achieving it are at Basil Pennington, Thomas Keating and others, stake in this inquiry. Contemplation, as the and by the Benedictine John Main. This form obscure, infused, loving knowledge of God, is of prayer seeks to maintain a contemplative beyond images and concepts. But it does not contact with God beyond any particular follow that this gift of wisdom is always images and concepts through the use of the experienced as apophatic, that is, dark, holy word or mantra. The prayer is negative and contentless. Contemplation can contemplative in thrust but active in method, also be experienced as kataphatic, that is, as inasmuch as it is within human possibility and light, positive and concrete. In this case God choice and recommends itself to mature might be experienced in as well as beyond the Christians, who have thought and prayed image. about God enough and now are looking for The classical question of the role of the the “more,” that is, a deeper, more personal Sacred Humanity in prayer enters here. contact with God. Teresa reacted against a widespread opinion Following the suggestion of Thomas of her contemporaries that held that all created E. Clarke, S.J., in a philosophical reflection 1 reality, even the Sacred Humanity, had to be called “Finding Grace at the Center,” I bypassed in the highest mystical union. believe that centering prayer is a broader Teresa wavered on the point and eventually category than the one form described above disagreed. What was her position in this and that it should apply to at least three forms: matter in the active forms of contemplative (1) mantric way of dark faith as above; (2) the prayer, which she called “recollection” and prayer of fantasy or guided imagery; and (3) others subsequently named ‘simplified the prayer of life experience or consciousness 2 affective prayer?” Did she find God in the examen. The latter two forms involve the use Man Jesus Christ, and therefore in image, or of imagery, reflection and affections. Guided was she striving to get beyond image and imagery is designed to evoke God from the concept? In what sense are aspiring mystics unconscious; and consciousness examen, as to “empty” themselves of images and the name suggests, identifies God working in concepts? Are they to leave aside normal one s conscious experience. For the purposes thinking and even the expression of spiritual of this study only the dark faith form and affections, as the mantric form of centering guided imagery will be addressed, since prayer directs? Or is simplified affective Teresa’s practice and reflection veer between prayer a viable bridge from meditation to these two forms. Consciousness examen as a contemplation? The question is how does one best tune into the Reality of Christ, in dark Page 390 The Published Articles of Ernest E. Larkin, O.Carm. St. Teresa of Avila And Centering Prayer faith or in image? We would search out the To this end we shall first examine Holy Mother’s teaching in this matter as a Osuna’s capital teaching on recollection in practitioner and theorist of centering prayer. order to see where Teresa is coming from. Her “method” of centering prayer was Then in the second part we shall examine inspired by Francis of Osuna in his book, The briefly the theory and practice of the two Third Spiritual Alphabet.3 The theme of this forms of centering prayer to provide points of book is recollection, which means presence comparison. Finally we shall examine and in-touchness with the indwelling God; the Teresa’s procedure and her doctrinal way to recollection is the via negativa, statements about this “practice of prayer.” journeying inward beyond all creature competitors. Teresa on reading this book Francis of Osuna “resolved to follow that path” (L, 4, 7).4 At The term recollection (recogimento) prayer her basic thrust was “to keep Jesus was an important one in sixteenth-century Christ, our God and Lord, present within” Spain. It described, not so much a method of herself, using her imagination, not in the style prayer, which it has come to mean from St. of discursive meditation, but by simple Teresa, as a whole way of interiority, a representations of Christ “interiorly,” in some withdrawal from ordinary occupations and mystery of his life, especially the Passion (L, even normal thinking processes in order to be 4, 7). She bolstered up the austere approach caught up in God. It was the way of of relating to the transcendent Reality of the illuminism and of the Alumbrados, both terms living Christ by making simple gospel with questionable connotations now but reflections. Both contemporary methods of originally orthodox and positive. Adherents centering prayer seem to be involved. The sought interiorization and downplayed prayer that resulted was Teresa’s active externalism; eventually they split into an mental prayer, her “practice of prayer” from heretical faction and an orthodox one. The 1538, when she first came in contact with former were the dejados, who cultivated Osuna, to the end of her life. abandon (dejamiento) and so emphasized the How are we to evaluate this prayer of divine action that no place was left for human Teresa? Is it centering prayer, and if so, cooperation. All behavior, however immoral, which form? Does contemporary theory on was accepted as God’s working, and the result centering prayer throw any light on Teresa’s was an excessive, sometimes scandalous experience? Or does Teresa illuminate this quietism. area of spirituality today, helping us to better The other group, the recogidos or understand and appreciate the way of dark recollects remained orthodox. They were the faith and the way of fantasy? vanguard of the revival movements in the Our aim is to examine the way Teresa religious orders. They too emphasized the prayed in her pre-mystical days, especially in divine initiative and action, but they saw the the eighteen-year period between 1538 and need for human collaboration, for 1556 when she struggled to bring more of her concentration on the Sacred Humanity, and for life to the Lord. The method she developed affective prayer. became her normal way of prayer both in the Osuna belonged to the recollects. For liturgy, vocal prayer and in her daily mental him recollection meant getting in touch with prayer for the rest of her life. It is an the indwelling God, the faculties “collected” important area of inquiry both for and attentive to the fountain of living waters understanding Teresa and for spiritual within. Recollection was a way of life, theology today. designed for the perfect or would-be perfect Page 391 The Published Articles of Ernest E. Larkin, O.Carm. St. Teresa of Avila And Centering Prayer (163). The goal was “mystical theology,” that his presentation of recollection as the way to is, infused contemplation, the hidden, loving perfection he does not limit the search to knowledge imparted exclusively by the negation. Along with his decided preference indwelling Christ (161). Ascetical efforts of for seeking God in silence and solitude, “pious love and exercising moral virtues to beyond human props, he is a strong advocate prepare and purge the soul” (162) prepared for of reflection on the Sacred Humanity, this gift. The whole process was best called especially in the mystery of the Passion, recollection out of a whole thesaurus of holding with St Bonaventure that “no one can synonyms, says Osuna, because it gathered call himself devoted to the sacred passion together what was dispersed and achieved a unless he spends most of the day union with oneself with others and with God contemplating it in one manner or another” (169-173). (177). Recollection was the popular word The via negativa for Osuna is then for what is called centering today. Both primarily affective detachment. Effective are a life’s work accomplished by multiple detachment, which means actual by-passing, exercises, attitudes and supernatural gifts. For such as living in silence and solitude, is the Osuna no one method is the prayer of right climate; it is a necessary means to the recollection, the Centering prayer. Teresa freedom that is affective detachment, whereby speaks of recollection in a similarly inclusive one is willing to use or forego the object way, but she also designates two specific according to God’s will. Early in the text he prayer forms that she calls “recollection,” one counsels the developing contemplative to be of them active (W, 28-29), the other passive or blind, deaf and dumb: blind to God by semi-passive (C, 4, 3). Both consist in “holding fast to what is in our hands without silencing the faculties and shutting oneself understanding it” (100) and blind to within oneself. Active recollection is self- “everything that is not God” (103); deaf to directed, passive recollection divinely “imagination and distractions” (104); and induced, as by the shepherd’s whistle.