In the Vatican II document Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, the spiritual life of believers was addressed: “The spiritual life,” we are told, “is not limited solely to participation in the liturgy.... Popular devotions of the Christian people, provided they conform to the laws and norms of the Church, are to be highly recommended....”
What are “popular devotions” and are there any restrictions placed on them by the Church?
You may already be aware of some popular devotions: praying the Rosary, participating in Eucharistic Adoration, walking the Stations of the Cross during Lent, and reciting the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Because the Church is organic, new popular devotions often emerge and ancient devotions make a comeback. Some that have been gaining in popularity in the past decade are centering prayer, labyrinth, and Taizé.
Centering prayer is a form of contemplative prayer shaped by the spirituality of Catholic mystics like Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross. It is inspired by Jesus instruction that "when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret." The goal of centering prayer is to "rest" quietly in God's presence.
A labyrinth is a pattern or design which originated in ancient times and has been adapted over the years by various religious traditions as a means of prayer and contemplation. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has a single path which leads to and from the center. In the Christian tradition, labyrinths became popular in the Middle Ages as a symbol of life's spiritual journey and as a substitute for pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Labyrinth prayer has been revived recently by various groups trying to popularize the mystical and contemplative traditions of Christian spirituality. The labyrinth is walked slowly in silence, with a focus on God's presence.
Taizé Prayer is a meditative style of prayer developed by a community of monks in central France. It is a distinctive style of meditative community prayer which uses the repetition of simple chants with periods of silence, readings from Scripture, prayers of praise, and intercession.
The Vatican II document puts these limits on devotions: “… such devotions should … harmonize with the liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred liturgy … and lead the people to it, since in fact the liturgy by its very nature is far superior to any of them.” So while popular devotions may lead one to a deeper relationship with God, they do not and cannot take the place of the official prayer of the Church that we call the Mass.
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