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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
New Age curriculum in Church Leadership Institute	Matthew	Friday, August 10, 2007
Question: Brother Ignatius or Mr. Joe, This passed year i signed up for a course in the Church Leadership Institute of the Archdiocese of Baltimore (http://archbalt.org/ministries-offices/minform/CLI/index.cfm) The course that i signed up for was on Spirituality and Prayer. I wanted to deepen my prayer life and understand how God wants us to pray. Instead of this i got all sorts of stuff about "Centering Prayer" and "Transcendental Meditation" and Thomas Keating and "Mantras" and the woman even had us do a "Mandala!" I sent a letter/packet to Bishop Madden in the Archdiocese and he responded by saying something to the effect of "There are many different types of prayer and we need to be open-minded to them." This bothered me alot, especially since i have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. I start getting these terrible, imaginative thoughts such as "What if the Catholic Church is really some occult institution in disguse?" Then i feel terrible for thinking that, I feel like God is upset with me for even letting that thought cross my mind. Where do i go if i need to go above the Bishop? Thanks in advance. God Bless. Matt
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Matthew: Sorry for the delay in responding; I have been in the hospital. You are right to be disturbed by what the Archbishop said to you about "Centering Prayer" and, for pete sake, Transcendental Mediation (which is Hindu) and its mantras (which are prayers to Hindu gods), and the like. If the Archbishop had no concerns about this then he is flatly wrong. Shame on him. How can his flock be protected against these inappropriate activities when the bishop has no concerns? As to your "what ifs" as soon as your mind says "WHAT IF" you need to immediately say, "What ifs are not real." "What ifs" are, in essence, rash judgements based upon imagination and not facts. You need to repeat to yourself that "what ifs" are exaggerations and imagination and NOT real. Perhaps this prayer may help too: In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, strengthened by the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Blessed Michael the Archangel, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the Saints and Angels of Heaven, and powerful in the holy authority of His Name, I reject this thought and feeling of [list for describe thought/feeling] which causes me to doubt the church or my Faith or that is otherwise contrary to God’s will. I choose only thoughts in harmony with the Holy Spirit, and I cover my thought life with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. As for going above your Archbishop, you can try writing the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. They are the ones that issued the letter, On Some Aspects of Christian Meditation. The address is: William Joseph Cardinal Levada, Prefect Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Piazza del S. Uffizio, 11 00193 Roma, Italy God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

New Age curriculum in Church Leadership Institute

Matthew

Friday, August 10, 2007

Question:

Brother Ignatius or Mr. Joe,

This passed year i signed up for a course in the Church Leadership Institute of the Archdiocese of Baltimore (http://archbalt.org/ministries-offices/minform/CLI/index.cfm)

The course that i signed up for was on Spirituality and Prayer. I wanted to deepen my prayer life and understand how God wants us to pray. Instead of this i got all sorts of stuff about "Centering Prayer" and "Transcendental Meditation" and Thomas Keating and "Mantras" and the woman even had us do a "Mandala!"

I sent a letter/packet to Bishop Madden in the Archdiocese and he responded by saying something to the effect of "There are many different types of prayer and we need to be open-minded to them."

This bothered me alot, especially since i have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. I start getting these terrible, imaginative thoughts such as "What if the Catholic Church is really some occult institution in disguse?" Then i feel terrible for thinking that, I feel like God is upset with me for even letting that thought cross my mind. Where do i go if i need to go above the Bishop? Thanks in advance. God Bless.
Matt

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Matthew:

Sorry for the delay in responding; I have been in the hospital.

You are right to be disturbed by what the Archbishop said to you about "Centering Prayer" and, for pete sake, Transcendental Mediation (which is Hindu) and its mantras (which are prayers to Hindu gods), and the like. If the Archbishop had no concerns about this then he is flatly wrong. Shame on him. How can his flock be protected against these inappropriate activities when the bishop has no concerns?

As to your "what ifs" as soon as your mind says "WHAT IF" you need to immediately say, "What ifs are not real."

"What ifs" are, in essence, rash judgements based upon imagination and not facts. You need to repeat to yourself that "what ifs" are exaggerations and imagination and NOT real.

Perhaps this prayer may help too:

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, strengthened by the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Blessed Michael the Archangel, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the Saints and Angels of Heaven, and powerful in the holy authority of His Name, I reject this thought and feeling of [list for describe thought/feeling] which causes me to doubt the church or my Faith or that is otherwise contrary to God’s will. I choose only thoughts in harmony with the Holy Spirit, and I cover my thought life with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

As for going above your Archbishop, you can try writing the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. They are the ones that issued the letter, On Some Aspects of Christian Meditation.

The address is:

William Joseph Cardinal Levada, Prefect
Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Piazza del S. Uffizio, 11
00193 Roma, Italy

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.