Contemplation Vs. Meditation

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Hello. I would like to understand the differences between the two.
 
Now that you have asked this question, I am interested in it as well as members’ thoughts! 👍 I’ve generally tended to think of them as synonymous, but now think there might be more to learn
 
Contemplation is like watching a sunset with a quiet heart and tranquil mind. No words or thoughts are needed. Only awareness of God’s presence.
 
rock022 said:
Hello. I would like to understand the differences between the two.
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The two words are synonomous and can be used interchangeably. There is such a thing as a natural contemplative, and that can cause some confusion, but the words contemplation and meditation themselves are interchangeable. When discussing this subject, just emphasize whichever word seems most likely to be understood by whoever it is you’re talking with.
 
Exiled_Child said:
The two words are synonomous and can be used interchangeably. There is such a thing as a natural contemplative, and that can cause some confusion, but the words contemplation and meditation themselves are interchangeable. When discussing this subject, just emphasize whichever word seems most likely to be understood by whoever it is you’re talking with.
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You need to read the link to the catechism on this subject.
 
Contemplation is more profound in my understanding, in that, to the extent that it’s authentic, God grants the experience, of union with Himself; the contemplative state is a matter of the person receiving whatever experience God desires to grant. It’s at His discretion and cannot be forced or otherwise realized or appropriated by mere human will even as we, rightfully, may seek it.
 
Michael_Mayo said:
You need to read the link to the catechism on this subject.
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Contemplation and contemplative are two forms of the same word, and each has a number of different meanings and senses it can be used in, both within a Catholic context and outside of one. But thanks, though; I actually have read the catechism on this subject more than once over the years. However, certain aspects of this subject are strictly off limits on CAF, which I’ve always believed to be quite unfortunate. The Catechism and it’s meaning should be able to be discussed openly, but it simply isn’t.
 
Exiled_Child said:
Contemplation and contemplative are two forms of the same word, and each has a number of different meanings and senses it can be used in, both within a Catholic context and outside of one. But thanks, though; I actually have read the catechism on this subject more than once over the years. However, certain aspects of this subject are strictly off limits on CAF, which I’ve always believed to be quite unfortunate. The Catechism and it’s meaning should be able to be discussed openly, but it simply isn’t.
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The question had to do with the distinction between contemplation and meditation, not contemplation and contemplative. But you are right in that discussion on the subject seems to be troubling to some. To me, meditation involves words, thoughts, and images. Contemplation involves inner silence and stillness of thoughts. In that mental stillness the soul lifts unimpeded. I believe some find that threatening and dangerous.
 
Contemplation and meditation are two very different things.
Meditation includes discursive thinking on some truth of faith, for example, thinking of Jesus’ passion, and then expressing your affections: love for Jesus, sorrow for your sins etc. Contemplation is more simple, includes a simple gaze towards God, an awareness of His presence…one rests more than he works in contemplation. The most important is this: a person can meditate by his own “efforts”, I mean, one can learn to meditate. But contemplation is God’s grace, it is supernatural and one cannot learn to contemplate, but recieves this grace (usually after a person has been spiritually growing for a while and has passed through the dark night of senses…).
In meditation, one seeks God. In contemplation, God gives Himself to the person, He communicates Himself to the person.
Now, term contemplation has been used for two different ways of prayer: acquired and infused contemplation. What I described above refers to infused contemplation. Acquired contemplation is something that can be “learnt”, it isn’t purely supernatural. It is actually a simplified meditation. When a person has been persistent in meditation for a while (a few years usually), it’s meditation becomes more simple. One doesn’t have to meditate discursively anymore, for example on Jesus’ passion, but he can with one glance of soul “see” Jesus crucified and this one glance is enough to cause affections of love, sorrow etc. Also, one affection now lasts longer (one can pass 20 minutes just saying that he loves Jesus, or being contrite for one’s sins etc.). This acquired contemplation prepares soul for infused contemplation, which God may give her when He wishes.
Infused contemplation = prayer of mistics (don’t think it’s not for you, it is a normal path to sanctity, though there can be exceptions)
 
“Acquired Contemplation”. All we need is patience. We seldom notice what is most subtle, right in front of us, with us all the time.
 
rock022 said:
Hello. I would like to understand the differences between the two.
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In the Church’s long spiritual tradition and according to the great masters of the spiritual life such as St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross, the term ‘contemplation’ refers to a supernatural infused gift or grace from God upon the soul. St John of the Cross calls contemplation a loving knowledge. Contemplation as such is something we cannot acquire by our own God given natural powers or abilities. It can only be supernaturally bestowed upon the soul by God or the Holy Spirit. It can be felt or experienced in a number of ways too. St Teresa of Avila teaches of a prayer of quiet, a prayer of union, raptures and ectasies, the betrothal, and the spiritual marriage or transforming union. St John of the Cross writes of a purgative and dark contemplation as well as of delightful contemplation. Infused contemplation is a part of what spiritual writers call the mystical life as contrasted to the ascetical life. The different ways of experiencing mystical or infused contemplation generally or ordinarily follow the kind of stage or age a particular soul is in on the road of the spiritual life towards union with God. Traditionally, the three ages of the spiritual life are the purgative, illuminative, and the unitive. For example, St John of the Cross teaches that ordinarily the passage from the purgative to the illuminative age of the spiritual life commences with the passive purgation of the senses which involves the beginnings of infused contemplation which brings about the passive purgation of the senses. As this is a purgation of the soul’s sensory powers, St John of the Cross calls this contemplation dark
to the soul. Not because infused contemplation itself is dark for it is light from God but because God is purifying the soul from its natural mode and manner of acting and preparing it for a supernatural mode and manner of acting involving the three theological gifts of faith, hope, and charity and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This supernatural mode of acting and being led by the Holy Spirit is as it were dark to the soul and its normal and habitual way of acting and using its sensory powers which involve the body such as the eyes for sight, the ears for hearing, etc., because God is preparing the soul for a spiritual union with Him which the senses cannot reach.

St John of the Cross also teaches of a passive purgation of the spirit which involves the spiritual powers of the soul such as the intellect, will, and memory and this happens ordinarily from the passage from the illuminative to the unitive stage of the spiritual life. This passive purgation of the spirit is accomplished by purgative infused contemplation and various trials which as St John teaches is much more dark and terrifying to the soul than the passive purgation of the senses. Again, infused contemplation is light from God but because of the soul’s sins and defects and its familiarity with its natural mode of acting according to its natural powers, this purgative contemplation is experienced as dark to the soul in its initial stages because God wants to lead it on by a supernatural mode of acting and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. In the transforming union, the soul is led in all things by the inspirations and movements of the Holy Spirit through the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and the theological virtues. Thus the soul’s will is united to God’s will in everything and follows God’s will in everything such as the Blessed Virgin Mary was.

Meditation is whereby we use and make acts of our intellect, will, and imagination in prayer such as when we meditate on some gospel scene of Jesus and place ourselves as it were as sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to his words. We can do this with the ordinary help of God’s actual grace. What is called acquired contemplation is something we can do also by our natural powers and abilities with the help of God’s grace. Infused contemplation is that whereby God is the mover and we are the moved. The Holy Spirit himself moves our intellect and will to their acts or suspends one or the other their operation and we receive this influx of the Holy Spirit passively. We would ruin the work and operation of the Holy Spirit in us if at this time we tried to force ourselves as it were here to make our own acts of intellect, will, or memory instead of just following the lead of the Holy Spirit and consenting to his operation in us. Now even in meditation God is the first mover by his grace in our acts of the intellect, will, memory, or imagination, for we cannot do anything without Him. But here we are more actively involved in cooperating with God’s grace by making use of our natural powers of soul and abilities. We can always pray and meditate using our natural powers with the help of God’s grace. Infused contemplation cannot be acquired by our natural powers and abilities with the help of God’s ‘ordinary’ as it were grace. It is a pure supernatural gift from God.
 
Or try just sitting there listening with inner silence, no inner thought monologue. It generally takes me about 20 to 30 minutes to hold it for more than a few seconds. But it is as if that silent darkness is full of life, energy, light and spirit. Lately the only time I seem to have for it is my weekly hour in the chapel. Maybe when I retire I can be more committed.
 
Michael_Mayo said:
Or try just sitting there listening with inner silence, no inner thought monologue. It generally takes me about 20 to 30 minutes to hold it for more than a few seconds. But it is as if that silent darkness is full of life, energy, light and spirit. Lately the only time I seem to have for it is my weekly hour in the chapel. Maybe when I retire I can be more committed.
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I have had experiences similar to this in my prayer. I quiet myself and the world around me, and just wait in the silence. Usually there is nothing, but every now and then, I will experience a few fleeting seconds that are indescribable. The peace and calm are overwhelming, but then it usually ends rapidly after a few seconds and my awareness of the world and it’s noise comes crashing back in. When I open my eyes, it can be quite jarring to be “back” wherever I am.

I am currently reading “The Power of Silence” by Cardinal Sarah and have found it quite helpful in my prayer life.
 
AveOTheotokos said:
I have had experiences similar to this in my prayer. I quiet myself and the world around me, and just wait in the silence. Usually there is nothing, but every now and then, I will experience a few fleeting seconds that are indescribable. The peace and calm are overwhelming, but then it usually ends rapidly after a few seconds and my awareness of the world and it’s noise comes crashing back in. When I open my eyes, it can be quite jarring to be “back” wherever I am.

I am currently reading “The Power of Silence” by Cardinal Sarah and have found it quite helpful in my prayer life.
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If I am tired the inner silence will bring. Images rather than words. And they are images like one has while on the edge of sleep. If I ever want to fall asleep I clear my mind in this way. But when I am in the chapel, like last night, well after twenty minutes my head nods with those dreamy images. The I go back to some other kind of meditation, like a Gospel theme or Psalm.
 
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