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The rise of the modern practice of mindfulness into the field of therapy has posed a conundrum for many Catholics who want the therapy, but without the Buddhist roots. What are their options and how do they find them?

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RL asks: “Do you know anything about a rosary called the “Rosary of Liberation”. I was given a book with that title. It’s published by Raboni Publishing House. Just wondering if this passes the smell test.”

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BD writes: “I have repeatedly asked my therapist to find something other than mindfulness to help me with my anxiety issues. But he insists that this therapy has no Buddhist roots (even though he admits that it is based on the MBSR) and has been secularized. Is this true?”

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LB writes: “Is praying a novena to this saint okay? I’ve read different things about leaving an offering of pound cake and that some people that practice voodoo pray to this saint. So that concerns me and I don’t want to invite the wrong things into my life. I know he has a huge following in Brazil, but given that I’ve read different things about this saint, I wanted to be sure. Is he not considered a true saint because there is no historical record of an actual date of death? Please advise.”

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MT asks: “Can you please give me a list of the five to ten top reputable authorities you trust for assessing what is the real Catholic Contemplative Tradition.”

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NM writes: “Thank you for providing this forum on New Age. I have been trying to find information about a type of prayer called Theophostic Prayer, a name coined by Ed Smith, a Protestant counselor who began to use this in his counseling sessions with great results and now he offers training in the technique. . .

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EW writes:"I am writing for information about a gift that I received from some Catholic women friends. I have heard them talk about the practice of Reiki and Healing Touch. They are involved with it in the hospital settings. They call it a prayer blanket and they are hand-made from cloth material. It is 17" x 17", the back and front are beautifully quilted. In the front is a centered cross. The prayer blanket comes with a prayer blessing for the one that places it on the part of the body that needs prayer. I heard a priest in his homily that Catholic school children made prayer blankets and sent them to the missions for a school project. Does this have anything to do with the New Age?"

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By Connie Rossini

Former Trappist Abbot Father Thomas Keating passed away Oct. 25. Father Keating was the primary architect of the centering prayer movement, which has thousands of adherents throughout the world. From the beginning, centering prayer has been surrounded by controversy. What is centering prayer? Is it in keeping with the Catholic tradition? Should Catholics practice it?

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Move over Headspace! There’s a new meditation app in town – and this one is 100% Catholic.

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ST asks: "What do you know about 'mindfulness meditation.'™ Is it okay for hospitals to be using it on patients?"

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