Centering Prayer vs. Contemplative Prayer?

[maar]

Could someone who has an in-depth knowledge of each of these define the differences? Is centering prayer ever appropriate- say- if you're advanced in prayer or is it something always to be avoided? Is centering prayer when a person tries to "force" contemplation or make themselves "available" for it? Any clarification appreciated! Thank you PMers!

(Forgive me if there is a thread on this somewhere. I'm still a "noob" and learning to navigate this place!) 

[phatcatholic]

I'm not an expert on centering prayer, but, as I understand it, it's all about finding a place of silence deep within yourself where you can find oneness with God. That seems great, at first, but the silence is such that all thoughts are to be banished, and the oneness is such that there is no longer any distinction between you and God.  This is where it goes wrong.

The masters of contemplation, such as St. Therese of Lisieux and St. John of the Cross, would probably say that we don't seek silence for the sake of silence. We seek silence so that we can hear Christ speaking. Furthermore, we don't banish all thoughts. God often speaks to us through our thoughts, and our thoughts can bring us to God and to truth. Finally, contemplation is always of a person -- Jesus -- and the oneness we seek is one of the closest intimacy with Him while at the same time retaining what makes us human, and thus distinct from God. It is the oneness of divine theosis, of "partaking of the divine nature" (2 Pet 1:4), not the oneness of pantheism.

For more on this, I highly suggest reading the Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation, from the CDF:
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19891015_meditazione-cristiana_en.html