The Centering Prayer Group: Waiting In Prayerful Silence For God

Catholic speaker Mark Hart once said that “prayer doesn’t ‘help’ our relationship with God — prayer is our relationship with God.” After all, it’s difficult to have a relationship without communication. We all have our favorite ways to pray — for instance, it may be the Rosary, or Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Perhaps you like to pray in the car, or out on a walk. However, for many of us, even if we take the time to pray, we find that we are the ones doing most of the talking.

It can be hard to hear the still, small voice of God in the noise of our everyday lives. However, there is a group of parishioners who faithfully pray at home — and together, when circumstances permit — with the intention of quieting their hearts and minds, to listen for God’s voice.

“I was praying one morning and I realized my prayer seemed to be about me and my family,” says Les Lucht. “I had known a little bit about Centering Prayer and I thought, ‘That’s about the most pure prayer you can say.’ You sit for 20 minutes and you listen with your heart; it’s not about this or that or wanting my prayers answered. It’s just a pure prayer. You go, you ask for nothing, you turn your life over to God and let Him do the work.”

Centering Prayer is a practice that requires sitting quietly and seeking to focus on being open to whatever God wants to speak to you, as an individual, for 20-30 minutes.

“Centering prayer is about clearing your mind and allowing God speak to your heart,” says Les, who started the group a number of years ago after attending a retreat.

When the Centering Prayer group is able to meet in person, they gather at the parish twice a month, on the first and third Mondays. One meeting is to pray together, and the second is for formation on how to grow in their relationship with God through this type of prayer.

“It’s an encouragement when we can get together,” Les says. “People say how they’ve experienced Centering Prayer and what it’s done in their life, and you’re part of a community of centering prayer people who practice as you do.” Although a lifelong Catholic, Les has found that his prayer and spirituality have deepened, since learning to pray in this way.

“God can change your life, and I feel like He has changed mine because of Centering Prayer,” Les says. “It has deepened my faith in God and His love for me, and also helped me to be less in control and to allow Him to be in control.”

Les encourages fellow parishioners to consider expanding their prayer life to include the practice of centering prayer.

“Scripture says, ‘Be still and know that I am God,’” Les says. “That’s what we’re all called to — to take a quiet time, time for stillness. God should be the center of our lives.”

If you would like more information on the Centering Prayer group at Blessed Sacrament, please contact parishioner Les Lucht at 308-380-2587.

Parishioners Les and Diane Lucht practice Centering Prayer in their home.

Parishioners Les and Diane Lucht practice Centering Prayer in their home.