My Spiritual Journey

by Barbara Rietberg
I have been a traditional Catholic since childhood, with no real knowledge
of the possibility of an advancing spiritual life. In 1975, the Archdiocese
sponsored a holy year trip to the Vatican. I was interested in art and knew
that Rome and especially the Catholic churches were wonderful places to
view the work of masters, so I signed up with enthusiasm. When we visited
a well-known Marian church, I viewed a relic purportedly of wood from the
manger. Really!! Give me a break! I left Rome deciding that I belonged to
a Medieval cult, and if it had nothing deeper to offer, I was leaving – fast. It
was suggested that I speak to Fr. Ed Prendergast, who recommended that
I join a Charismatic prayer group. Under their influence, I bought my first
Bible and began a more serious prayer life. I discovered a totally new
understanding of a God of love and of the possibility of a real relationship
with my Abba.
That serious commitment to prayer, plus being prayed over for the release
of God’s Spirit in my life, eventually led me to a need to just sit quietly with
the God who I was discovering in a totally new way. You can imagine, after
trying by myself to find instruction regarding quiet prayer, how I felt when I
first heard Fr. Keating speak! I was literally bowled over and soon became
a faithful member of Contemplative Outreach. As part of my faith journey, I
lived at Chrysalis House, our former NY contemplative retreat house, for
almost a year where I learned the additional practices which CO teaches. I
served for about 11 years as the coordinator of CO for South Florida and
continue to share Centering Prayer wherever I can.
My journey continues. I struggle, as I believe we all do, to let God’s Spirit
continue advancing my inner healing. For that to happen and for me to
cooperate with God’s graces, I know that my journey must be one of
humble commitment, not one focused on ‘success’. I have received the
greatest gift of my life, and I am grateful for the friendship of others who
have also committed to this journey. We walk together.