Thirty years ago, Phil Jackson of Des Plaines, Illinois, was working in a demanding and stressful career. A faithful Catholic, he felt called to find a healthier way to live and knew prayer needed to become a daily part of his life.
“I was leaving a very stressful career, and I ended up having a lot more time on my hands,” shares Phil. “I started looking at different religions. I began with Buddhist meditation, but it was too complicated.”
Discovering Centering Prayer
The answer to Phil’s search ultimately had an unexpected connection to Buddhism. It began at a Trappist monastery located near a Buddhist monastery on the East Coast.
“They were down the road from a Buddhist monastery and in the 1960s, hippies would stop at the Trappist monastery asking if it was the Buddhist monastery,” explains Phil.
The monks wanted to create a meditative form of prayer rooted in Catholic theology. The result was centering prayer—a contemplative practice based on the prayer of the monastery but adapted for people living in the world.
Growing in Relationship with God
Centering prayer follows four simple steps and begins by choosing a sacred word that gently helps refocus attention whenever needed while sitting quietly and opening oneself to God’s presence.
“I pray through centering prayer twice a day. Without it, I do not think I would have a stable life,” Phil says of his 26-year practice.
“I pray through centering prayer twice a day. Without it, I do not think I would have a stable life.”
Phil Jackson
“St. John of the Cross said that God’s first language is silence. I have found that to be an important message in my life. Prayer and silence are an important part of the Passionist way. I feel when I can get myself out of the way, then God comes in, and I can somehow understand more of who I am supposed to be.”
While centering prayer shares some similarities with Eastern meditation, Phil explains that its purpose is not to empty the mind. Thoughts naturally arise, and when someone becomes attached to them, they simply return to their sacred word and renew their awareness of God’s presence.
“I feel like I am in a deeper part of my relationship with God. Prayer is relationship,” shares Phil. “Contemplative prayer is part of a relationship with God that has more intimacy. I can sit in silence and feel connected. These real deep connections do not come from words. Words are limited, and silence seems to be unlimited.”
Letting Go of Control
Centering prayer changed not only Phil’s prayer life but also the way he approached everyday life.
“I only took my prayer life really seriously when I started the centering prayer. That was after a long career of 60-hour work weeks and stress. I was a real Type A personality,” he explains.
“Ironically, I think I am more successful after letting go. Before I started centering prayer, I thought it was gobbledygook when people talked about having a relationship with God. I now think of God as much bigger and more intimate at the same time.”
“Listening to God is the best way to find the best road for us.”
Phil Jackson
Praying Together in Silence
Centering prayer can also be practiced in community. Phil participates in a centering prayer group at Mary, Seat of Wisdom Catholic Church.
He compares praying together in silence to making a silent retreat.
“You really get to know people in the silence,” Phil says. “We meet in the chapel and begin with a vestibule prayer. The idea is to empty the thoughts and emotions bothering you.”
Following God’s Path
Phil believes his relationship with God through centering prayer has been one of the greatest blessings of his life.
“I really believe we are not the best judge of what is best for us,” he shares. “Listening to God is the best way to find the best road for us.”
