Contemplative Prayer

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JimR-OCDS said:
True, the gift of contemplation is from God. However, to receive it, we have to be open to it.

Also, there is acquired contemplation which we can receive through “quiet prayer.”

Either way, if you don’t pray, don’t expect the grow in your spiritual journey.

Jim
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Yes, can’t disagree with that. Humble openness to God, having our hearts turned to and seeking Him in all we do, is the key to “finding” Him. OTOH, it’s ultimately His choice how He’ll respond, what gifts He gives.
 
So Far all the posts make a lot of sence and great advice on contemplaitive prayer. Forme it is also not what I can get from God but to thank Him for being who He is. I do not expect anything from God and just being in His presense is a gift
 
Bookcat said:
Much can be said about Contemplation …and “contemplative prayer”. The CCC is yes a good place to start.
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We are fortunate to have the CCC. It is inspiring.

III. CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER

2709 What is contemplative prayer? St. Teresa answers: “Contemplative prayer [oracion mental] in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.” Contemplative prayer seeks him “whom my soul loves.” It is Jesus, and in him, the Father. We seek him, because to desire him is always the beginning of love, and we seek him in that pure faith which causes us to be born of him and to live in him. In this inner prayer we can still meditate, but our attention is fixed on the Lord himself.

2710 The choice of the time and duration of the prayer arises from a determined will, revealing the secrets of the heart. One does not undertake contemplative prayer only when one has the time: one makes time for the Lord, with the firm determination not to give up, no matter what trials and dryness one may encounter. One cannot always meditate, but one can always enter into inner prayer, independently of the conditions of health, work, or emotional state. The heart is the place of this quest and encounter, in poverty ant in faith.

2711 Entering into contemplative prayer is like entering into the Eucharistic liturgy: we “gather up:” the heart, recollect our whole being under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, abide in the dwelling place of the Lord which we are, awaken our faith in order to enter into the presence of him who awaits us. We let our masks fall and turn our hearts back to the Lord who loves us, so as to hand ourselves over to him as an offering to be purified and transformed.

2712 Contemplative prayer is the prayer of the child of God, of the forgiven sinner who agrees to welcome the love by which he is loved and who wants to respond to it by loving even more. But he knows that the love he is returning is poured out by the Spirit in his heart, for everything is grace from God. Contemplative prayer is the poor and humble surrender to the loving will of the Father in ever deeper union with his beloved Son.

2713 Contemplative prayer is the simplest expression of the mystery of prayer. It is a gift, a grace; it can be accepted only in humility and poverty. Contemplative prayer is a covenant relationship established by God within our hearts. Contemplative prayer is a communion in which the Holy Trinity conforms man, the image of God, “to his likeness.”

2714 Contemplative prayer is also the pre-eminently intense time of prayer. In it the Father strengthens our inner being with power through his Spirit “that Christ may dwell in [our] hearts through faith” and we may be “grounded in love.”

2715 Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus. “I look at him and he looks at me”: this is what a certain peasant of Ars in the time of his holy curé used to say while praying before the tabernacle. This focus on Jesus is a renunciation of self. His gaze purifies our heart; the light of the countenance of Jesus illumines the eyes of our heart and teaches us to see everything in the light of his truth and his compassion for all men. Contemplation also turns its gaze on the mysteries of the life of Christ. Thus it learns the “interior knowledge of our Lord,” the more to love him and follow him.

2716 Contemplative prayer is hearing the Word of God. Far from being passive, such attentiveness is the obedience of faith, the unconditional acceptance of a servant, and the loving commitment of a child. It participates in the “Yes” of the Son become servant and the Fiat of God’s lowly handmaid.

2717 Contemplative prayer is silence, the “symbol of the world to come” or “silent love.” Words in this kind of prayer are not speeches; they are like kindling that feeds the fire of love. In this silence, unbearable to the “outer” man, the Father speaks to us his incarnate Word, who suffered, died, and rose; in this silence the Spirit of adoption enables us to share in the prayer of Jesus.

2718 Contemplative prayer is a union with the prayer of Christ insofar as it makes us participate in his mystery. The mystery of Christ is celebrated by the Church in the Eucharist, and the Holy Spirit makes it come alive in contemplative prayer so that our charity will manifest it in our acts.

2719 Contemplative prayer is a communion of love bearing Life for the multitude, to the extent that it consents to abide in the night of faith. The Paschal night of the Resurrection passes through the night of the agony and the tomb - the three intense moments of the Hour of Jesus which his Spirit (and not “the flesh [which] is weak”) brings to life in prayer. We must be willing to “keep watch with [him] one hour.”

Note that we do not just pray God will give us contemplation. We must be determined to sit and keep watch. “The choice of the time and duration of the prayer arises from a determined will, revealing the secrets of the heart. One does not undertake contemplative prayer only when one has the time: one makes time for the Lord, with the firm determination not to give up, no matter what trials and dryness one may encounter.”

We must be willing to “keep watch with [him] one hour.”
 
Augustine3 said:
I’ve read all kinds of definitions for contemplative prayer including the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I still don’t know fully understand what contemplative prayer is. This “loving gaze” to God (and his returned gaze), is it the warm feeling you get inside? A feeling of peace? Is it a feeling? Is it meant to be more than just a feeling?
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Fairly recently Ive read a few books by Thomas Merton and St. John of the Cross (Dark Night of the Soul) in search of the same answers. They were a VERY big help and I find that when I have some time where I can sit in silence and just…sit… and lightly direct thoughts to God, I can “hear” better and better what is going on in my conscience. More often than not, I feel directed to certain things (bible passages recently read, etc…) and sometimes an “ah-HA!” moment when I understand on a different level…just from silence and not really trying to make anything happen. These seem to be the keys at least in the beginning Hope I made some sense and I highly recommend reading Thomas Merton and St John of the Cross.
 
Reperio said:
Fairly recently Ive read a few books by Thomas Merton and St. John of the Cross (Dark Night of the Soul) in search of the same answers. They were a VERY big help and I find that when I have some time where I can sit in silence and just…sit… and lightly direct thoughts to God, I can “hear” better and better what is going on in my conscience. More often than not, I feel directed to certain things (bible passages recently read, etc…) and sometimes an “ah-HA!” moment when I understand on a different level…just from silence and not really trying to make anything happen. These seem to be the keys at least in the beginning Hope I made some sense and I highly recommend reading Thomas Merton and St John of the Cross.
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I have been reading Thoughts in Solitude

“The ‘eye’ which opens to His presence is in the very center of our humility, in the very heart of our freedom, in the very depths of our spiritual nature. Meditation is the opening of this eye.”
 
Michael_Mayo said:
I have been reading Thoughts in Solitude

“The ‘eye’ which opens to His presence is in the very center of our humility, in the very heart of our freedom, in the very depths of our spiritual nature. Meditation is the opening of this eye.”
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Magnificent…I will certainly add this to my reading list. My thanks!
 
Vouthon, you gave an informed answer. The follow up answer you gave to the man from Kenya (God Bless him, he is from a city with one of the highest crime rates in the world) showed a real sense of the information you gave. I like the use of “whereas”.

You all couild see me as a criminal. I have not been caught yet, but weary should someone be if they think could trust my abilities. We all know that God is the Gift.

Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. wrote a few books on Contemplative Prayer. He was a professor in the Pontifical Acadamy of St. Thomas Aquinas. He denotes generosity as the way that this type of prayer grows throughout each stage that Vouthon enumerated.

As far as feelings are concerned, for the sake of the prayer in its beginnings, St. Teresa of Avila, in her Interior Castle makes a distinction between consolations (contentos) and spiritual delights (gustos). This can be found in chapter 1 and 2 in her explaination of the 4th mansion. She was recently brought to the Church’s consideration in ratihabition as a Doctor of the Church.

ccel.org/ccel/teresa/castle2.viii.i.html
 
Reperio said:
Magnificent…I will certainly add this to my reading list. My thanks!
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You will also like:

All interior prayer, no matter how simple it may be, requires the conversion of our whole self to God, and until this has been achieved - either actively by our own efforts or passively by the action of the Holy Spirit- we do not enter into “contemplation” and we cannot safely relax our efforts to establish contact with God.

If we try to contemplate God without having turned the face of our inner self entirely in His direction, we will end up inevitable by contemplating ourselves, and we will perhaps plunge into the abyss of warm darkness which is our own sensible nature. That is not a darkness in which one can safely remain passive.

On the other hand, if we depend too much on our imagination and emotions, we will not turn ourselves to God but will plunge into a riot of images and fabricate for ourselves our own home-made religious experience, and this too is perilous.

The “turning” of our whole self to God can be achieved only by deep and sincere and simple faith, enlivened by a hope which knows that contact with God is possible, and love which desires above all things to do His will. p. 49-50

I think he speaks well to the heart of contemplation in “conversion of our whole self to God”. It requires effort as well as grace.
 
Michael_Mayo said:
You will also like:

All interior prayer, no matter how simple it may be, requires the conversion of our whole self to God, and until this has been achieved - either actively by our own efforts or passively by the action of the Holy Spirit- we do not enter into “contemplation” and we cannot safely relax our efforts to establish contact with God.

If we try to contemplate God without having turned the face of our inner self entirely in His direction, we will end up inevitable by contemplating ourselves, and we will perhaps plunge into the abyss of warm darkness which is our own sensible nature. That is not a darkness in which one can safely remain passive.

On the other hand, if we depend too much on our imagination and emotions, we will not turn ourselves to God but will plunge into a riot of images and fabricate for ourselves our own home-made religious experience, and this too is perilous.

The “turning” of our whole self to God can be achieved only by deep and sincere and simple faith, enlivened by a hope which knows that contact with God is possible, and love which desires above all things to do His will. p. 49-50

I think he speaks well to the heart of contemplation in “conversion of our whole self to God”. It requires effort as well as grace.
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Excellent ! 👍

Jim
 
Michael_Mayo said:
You will also like:

All interior prayer, no matter how simple it may be, requires the conversion of our whole self to God, and until this has been achieved - either actively by our own efforts or passively by the action of the Holy Spirit- we do not enter into “contemplation” and we cannot safely relax our efforts to establish contact with God.

If we try to contemplate God without having turned the face of our inner self entirely in His direction, we will end up inevitable by contemplating ourselves, and we will perhaps plunge into the abyss of warm darkness which is our own sensible nature. That is not a darkness in which one can safely remain passive.

On the other hand, if we depend too much on our imagination and emotions, we will not turn ourselves to God but will plunge into a riot of images and fabricate for ourselves our own home-made religious experience, and this too is perilous.

The “turning” of our whole self to God can be achieved only by deep and sincere and simple faith, enlivened by a hope which knows that contact with God is possible, and love which desires above all things to do His will. p. 49-50

I think he speaks well to the heart of contemplation in “conversion of our whole self to God”. It requires effort as well as grace.
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Excellent!!! Your thinking is spot on!
 
Michael_Mayo said:
You will also like:

All interior prayer, no matter how simple it may be, requires the conversion of our whole self to God, and until this has been achieved - either actively by our own efforts or passively by the action of the Holy Spirit- we do not enter into “contemplation” and we cannot safely relax our efforts to establish contact with God.

If we try to contemplate God without having turned the face of our inner self entirely in His direction, we will end up inevitable by contemplating ourselves, and we will perhaps plunge into the abyss of warm darkness which is our own sensible nature. That is not a darkness in which one can safely remain passive.

On the other hand, if we depend too much on our imagination and emotions, we will not turn ourselves to God but will plunge into a riot of images and fabricate for ourselves our own home-made religious experience, and this too is perilous.

The “turning” of our whole self to God can be achieved only by deep and sincere and simple faith, enlivened by a hope which knows that contact with God is possible, and love which desires above all things to do His will. p. 49-50

I think he speaks well to the heart of contemplation in “conversion of our whole self to God”. It requires effort as well as grace.
Click to expand...
I most certainly do like…Ive never heard this complex subject so well treated in so few words, in ANY faith for that matter. Ive recently discovered Merton and found a true mentor on the subject. Will be starting your recommendation soon. Again, my sincere thanks…
 
Reperio said:
I most certainly do like…Ive never heard this complex subject so well treated in so few words, in ANY faith for that matter. Ive recently discovered Merton and found a true mentor on the subject. Will be starting your recommendation soon. Again, my sincere thanks…
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I’m gonna pull out my copy of Thoughts in Solitude, to re-read at adoration Chapel.

Jim
 
Your life is shaped by the end you live for. You are made in the image of what you desire.p. 55

I am thinking that often we can be confused and our lives are shaped by what we think we desire. But our only true desire, the only thing that can finally gratify us for good, is the One who made us.
 
Reperio said:
I most certainly do like…Ive never heard this complex subject so well treated in so few words, in ANY faith for that matter. Ive recently discovered Merton and found a true mentor on the subject. Will be starting your recommendation soon. Again, my sincere thanks…
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I am in the middle of his “New Seeds of Contemplation” right now, and it is an excellent book. It was recommended to me by JimR.
 
Deus_tecum said:
I am in the middle of his “New Seeds of Contemplation” right now, and it is an excellent book. It was recommended to me by JimR.
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One of many reasons I love this forum…the vast experience and recommendations of those more learned than myself (which is everyone) and their readiness to share. Thank you for adding another book to my library!
 
Here is a good description of Contemplative prayer:

My life is a listening, His is a speaking.
My salvation is to hear and respond.
For this my life must be silent.
Hence, my silence is my salvation.

The sacrifice that pleases God is the offering of my soul
-and of other men’s souls.

The soul is offered to Him when it is entirley attentive to Him.

Thoughts in Solitude p.72
 
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