Contemplative Outreach News
Volume 3, Number 2 - December, 1989

The Spiritual Senses The Ministry of Facilitating
The Cry of the People From the Executive Director

The Spiritual Senses, Part II
by Fr. Thomas Keating

In our tradition there is a wonderful teaching about the spiritual senses that comes down to us from the early Fathers of the Church. The spiritual senses are a precision of what is meant by the awakening of spiritual attentiveness. I can't give you a definition of them because they are spiritual, and spiritual things can only be described negatively or by symbols that point toward them without telling you what they are.

The beginning of spiritual attentiveness--face to face, being to being conversation with Christ--is presented by the Fathers as the spiritual sense of smell. Smell is the attraction or aversion that one experiences when a delightful or disagreeable odor is in the neighborhood. It does not take long for the olfactory apparatus to say yes or no to a particular scent. If it is wysteria or perfume, it is charming; if it is garlic or something unpleasant, you move to another room.

The spiritual sense of smell is manifested by the inner attraction to prayer, solitude and silence--to be still and wait upon God with loving attention. The attraction draws you irresistibly to your heavy date with Jesus even when he does not show up for a long time. The words of the canticle, "Draw me, we will run after you in the odor of your delicious perfume," do not mean that you are going to experience the smell of delicious perfume. Rather, you experience the inner attraction of God as if his presence was a delicious odor arising from within and attracting you to him. The spiritual sense of touch is a further development. This is the inner experience of being embraced by God. The Spirit plants a great big kiss in the middle of our spirit and breathes into our will the breath of life. The will is the mouth of the soul according to the Fathers. When the Spirit pours divine love into that faculty, our whole being experiences God not only as an attraction but as a Presence. A still more profound communication of God is the spiritual sense of taste. The psalmist urges us to open to this grade: "Taste and see that the Lord is sweet." It is one thing to be so close as to touch someone, another to penetrate the spirit of the other. Only God who dwells within can be experienced at such a deep level.

When we taste something, we transform it into ourselves; it becomes a part of us. In divine union the presence of God arises not only as an irresistible attraction or embrace, but as a unifying Presence in our inmost being. It is there that the grace of Pentecost takes place; Christ being to live our life, or more exactly, to live us. When our whole being is finally rooted in God, we see him in everything and everything in him.

(This is Part 2 of a 4 part series on the Spiritual Senses)

The Spiritual Senses The Ministry of Facilitating
The Cry of the People From the Executive Director

The Ministry of Facilitating
A Centering Prayer Support Group
by Mary Mrozomski, Chrysalis House

Facilitating is a ministry that empowers people and enables group process. As a ministry it helps group members to become more aware and more loving. Empowering others in this way is the heart of Christian ministry.

Good facilitating enables the growth of a Centering Prayer support group, empowering the group to feel capable and strengthened for the Spiritual Journey. Support group growth begins with the facilitator's attitude. A successful facilitator should be on the same faith journey as other group members. No one wants to feel divided into classes or levels because of a "leader" who has all the answers. Humility before God and one another creates mutuality in relationship.

A good facilitator needs to be a prayerful person. Prayerfulness is basic to this ministry. It is foundational for the ministry of hospitality--the most important part of facilitating. A facilitator who genuinely offers hospitality creates a warm, welcoming experience and provides the group with an island of safety. This includes the physical setting: temperature, lighting and chairs arranged comfortably.

A support group is generally composed of people who desire to journey together and are oriented toward contemplative prayer and practice Centering Prayer for two twenty minute periods daily. Their values and practice of silence and solitude are integrated into their ordinary daily life experience. They meet regularly (once a week is ideal) to share in the practice of Centering Prayer.

When the Centering Prayer support group has settled in and there is a commitment to Centering Prayer, deep sharing usually begins. Some ground rules are important at this point in the process. Be careful to share time equally. Keep sharing confidential. Don't try to solve problems. With the proper environment members will listen with empathy and affirm one another, each acknowledging the others' contributions. From this mutual affirmation comes growth and the success of the Centering Prayer group.

The Cry of the People...

"The cry of the people is for a deeper prayer life," Grace Padilla said in explaining the huge surge of interest in Centering Prayer among the people of the Philippines. Grace is one of four presenters of Centering Prayer in that country. In a recent visit to the Philippines Father Thomas presented Centering Prayer to overflowing crowds. One workshop was attended by over 1500 people: even then many people were turned away. There simply were not enough seats.

"The Philippines is a poor county;' Grace said. "We've had such tragic events--God is calling us out of our failure, out of our poverty. The poor are natural contemplatives. They are not tied up with what to say or how to say it. The wisdom of these people is so amazing."

Grace said the request for workshops is overwhelming and said there are not enough presenters to accept every invitation. She added a significant ministry is to formation in religious communities. The presentation of Centering Prayer in conjunction with "The Spiritual Journey " tapes is being used in the postulancies and novitiates of both active and contemplative communities and in seminaries.

Spiritual Journey Tapes

The Spiritual Journey series now include 6 additional tapes. The Spiritual Journey is a contemporary presentation by Father Thomas Keating on Christian growth and transformation, and are appropriate for use in a retreat, a course, a workshop or a support group.

Contemporary Communications, in coordination with Fr. Thomas Keating, has published an updated guide book for the series. The guidebook is designed to assist viewers in processing and understanding the conferences. A welcome addition to this new edition are questions, followed by answers by Father Thomas Keating. Also included are Guidelines for Christian Life, a series of guides Fr. Thomas has worked on over a number of years to help those on the spiritual journey.

The Spiritual Senses The Ministry of Facilitating
The Cry of the People From the Executive Director

From the Executive Director

The National Office serves as the steward of the vision of Contemplative Outreach. This vision is a commitment to live the contemplative dimension of the gospel, and to fully enter into the process of interior transformation. It is out intention to keep the simplicity and integrity of Centering Prayer as a means for living the contemplative life, supported by Lectio Divina.

The National Office of Contemplative Outreach consists of three parts. Its administrative arm is located in Butler, NJ, its retreat center, Chrysalis House, in Warwick, NY, and Father Thomas Keating's residence at St. Benedict's Monastery, Snowmass, CO, where the intensive ten day retreats are regularly held.

It has been my privilege to serve Contemplative Outreach as Executive Director for the past 2 1/2 years. During this time I have had the opportunity to observe its growth. I can see the hand of God working in the coordinators, facilitators and volunteers who give generously of their time and talent to support the work of Contemplative Outreach all over the country. For example our mailing list is maintained by a volunteer. Her work was greatly aided by the addition of a Macintosh SE computer this year. One clear indication of our growth is the expansion of our mailing list. In 1986 we had 1,200 on our list. At the present time we have over 12,000 and it is increasing every day.

This year in August at Beechgrove Retreat Center in Indiana we held our first Presenter Training Program conducted by a twelve member National Faculty. Forty-two people participated in the training. The program was both formational and informational, and provided a conceptual background for presenting six hour Introductory Workshops and follow-up programs on Centering Prayer. We now have commissioned Presenters who are able to represent Contemplative Outreach by serving the ever expanding workshop requests in many regions of the country, England and the Philippines.

Our regional areas have grown and include: New England, New York Metropolitan Area, Florida, Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, Indiana, Montana, Michigan, Colorado, Washington, Oklahoma, Texas, Hawaii, the Philippines and England. Introductory workshops and retreats have been conducted in St. Lucia, Jamaica, Haiti, San Domingo, and parts of Canada.

Our second annual fundraising appeal is underway. 

To continue our growth we need to raise approximately $150,000 to cover anticipated costs in 1990. I am happy to report we have been offered a $15,000 challenge grant from a generous benefactor. The grant is only good if we can raise at least $15,000 to match it. We count on your generous financial support to reach our goal. The funds we receive are used to support our work and services including research, resource development of presenter materials, video/audio tapes, schedules of events and newsletters. Other services that we provide are commissioned Presenters, Introductory Workshops, Follow-up Programs, Intensive Days of Prayer, Introductory Retreats, Intensive Retreats, and Presenter Training. Centering Prayer parish missions and retreats are also available. Call for more details.

At present we are preparing a general directory of Centering Prayer groups. To provide us with any information for the directory about Centering Prayer groups in your area, write the National Office.

This year Contemplative Outreach was represented that the U.S. Catholic Conference Convocation on the Laity. The convocation was held to discuss the recent papal document Christifideles Laici: Apostolic Exhortation on the Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World. Contemplative Outreach was also represented at the East/West Foundation, Tenth Contemplative Congress, Harmonia Mundi, by Fr. Thomas assisted by Mary Mrozowski. The conference was a gathering of leaders of world religions to share their contemplative traditions.

Through out work it is becoming more apparent that a deeper understanding of contemplative living is essential to carry out our mission. Our vision, like a diamond solitaire, is one pointed and reflects the center as it radiates with the grace of God. Through single mindedness we can let go of the illusion of control and lean into the mystery of darkness which gives way to sparkle and light. Single mindedness is a disciplined prayer life which provides inner strength and ultimately true freedom.