Photo by Victor on UnsplashSA writes: "I was told that the Catholic Church does not approve of the use of labryinths for prayer. Yet I see so many priests and nuns engaged in and teaching this type of practice. When I tell other Catholics this is not a Catholic practice, but New Age, they say it is nobody's business how they choose to pray. I have found confusing data regarding this matter. Would you please enlighten me?"
CF writes: “I started getting these emails and they seemed ok until I got this email from them. Since I was unfamiliar with the "Archangel Asrael, I looked it up and this archangel is the angel of death in Islam. I also found a disclaimer that was odd, claiming they were sending these daily messages for "entertainment only." I have since unsubscribed. Just wanted your take on this as I think they want to send these to people who are true prayer warriors.”
SDM writes: "We have been in California for several months and we have heard this ‘new age’ idea that Jesus was a Buddhist! Do you know who started this absurdity? What would you say to the people that really believe this?"
DV writes: "What did the Pope mean when he said in the Letter to the Bishops on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation that body positions coupled with breathing and meditation could lead to a kind of mental schizophrenia which could also lead to psychic disturbances and, at times, to moral deviations. I would like a deeper understanding of what he was warning about."
RG writes: “At my (Roman Catholic) church today, some women in the narthex were promoting a "prayer shawl ministry" and handed me a brochure promoting this website: http://www.shawlministry.com/. Overall, it sounded like a good idea - providing comforting prayer shawls for the homebound and hospitalized. I thought it odd that there was a reference to "applied Feminist Spirituality." So when I went home, I checked out the website. There are a few troubling non-Christian things discussed there such as where they talk about "chakras" under Symbolism --> Aroma therapy. They also talk about a "mothering God" which sounds a bit New Age-like to me. By the way, they are willing to teach people how to knit and crochet, and I would like to learn (learned as child, but forgot). I just don't want some New Age agenda pushed on me or to do anything contrary to my Christian faith. Would like your comments.”
Anonymous writes: "A friend sent me [information about sun gazing meditation] and right away I thought it sounded too much like a New Age practice. Is my discernment correct?”
Photo by Aleksandra Sapozhnikova on UnsplashManifesting is all the rage these days. It’s about how to use your mind to will your goals into existence by using tools such as meditation, guided visualization, vision boards, and other rituals that many believe can make big things happen for anyone. Is this true, and is this something a Catholic should be get involved in?
Father Laurence Freeman (photo courtesy of Wikicommons Images, Eugenio Hansen, CC BY-SA 3.0)MR writes: “I would like to know if there is any concern with Fr Lawrence Freeman prayer techniques. He proposes to use a mantra which seems to be a little strange. I would like to see if there is any literature to give some good discernment of this.”
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