Did the pope undermine contemplative life?

[JReducation]

I read a comment on a site called Creative Minority Report. The author of a particular article raised concern because on July 21 the Holy Father said, **“Prayer that doesn’t lead to concrete action toward our brothers is a fruitless and incomplete prayer.” **

I like the way that this particular writer addresses his concern, because it makes it much easier to understand what bothers him; therefore, much easier to clarify his misunderstanding. Before proceeding, I must say that this particular writer is not the only lay traditionalist who misunderstood. From the statements that I’ve read, he explains his concern in the clearest manner.

Misunderstanding is not a crime. We all misunderstand. At times, it’s very difficult to help someone get past a misunderstanding, because they tell you what they misunderstand, but they fail to tell you what they understood. I chose this person, because he does a very good job at explaining what he understood.

He goes on to quote from New Adventon contemplative life.

Without realizing it, he answers his own concern. The Holy Father said that prayer must lead to concrete action toward our brothers. This is true. It is part of the faith of the Church. Otherwise, we just prattle on and on like the pagans.

What is not true is that the Holy Father undermines or diminishes the call to the monastic life in any way. On the contrary. If we examine the theology behind the monastic life, we find that it models the path to the perfection of charity.

Observe what the St. Benedict and other founders of monastic life say and did.

The contemplative, in his investigation of Divine things, is actuated by love for those things, and to increase this love is his ultimate purpose, as well as the firstfruits of his contemplation; in other words the theological virtue of charity is the mainspring as well as the outcome of the act of contemplation.

In monastic houses the concrete expression of charity takes the form of hospitality and education, in the case of the Benedictines. Evangelization in the case of the Poor Clares. That’s how EWTN came into existence. If we look at the Carmelite tradition, there is great emphasis on detachment, fraternal charity, and self-mortification. One just needs to read the writings of Teresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux The Cistercians, Camaldolese and Trappists follow the Rule of St. Benedict. The Poor Clares also include the perfection of poverty and penance for those who do not do penance into their way of life. These practices are sustained by their life of prayer. The Carthusian embraces the solitude of Christ Crucified for the salvation of the Church, which includes him as well.

We could go on and on. But I don’t think it’s necessary. The point is that the life of prayer must be part of a concrete program that leads to the perfection of charity. One who prays, but does nothing to grow in charity is just prattling.

The Holy Father is not saying that one has to go out and run a school, hospital or an outreach program. Prayer must go hand in hand with some concrete form of charity directed outside of ourselves, be it doing penance for others, being a better spouse, parent or anything else that brings heaven to earth and earth to heaven.

Pope Francis did not undermine the contemplative life at all. On the contrary, he explained that there is a connection between prayer and charity.

I should add that every comment that came from religious communities, monastic, mendicant or apostolic, regarding this statement, has been very positive. The concerns seem to be among a small group of lay people who do not understand the theology of contemplation and who are probably unfamiliar with the rules of Benedict, Augustine, Francis, Albert and Basil. If they were familiar with these, they would have seen that these rules say the same thing that the Holy Father said, obviously in the language of the time when the rule was written.

 

[JReducation]

I read a comment on a site called Creative Minority Report. The author of a particular article raised concern because on July 21 the Holy Father said, **“Prayer that doesn’t lead to concrete action toward our brothers is a fruitless and incomplete prayer.” **

I like the way that this particular writer addresses his concern, because it makes it much easier to understand what bothers him; therefore, much easier to clarify his misunderstanding. Before proceeding, I must say that this particular writer is not the only lay traditionalist who misunderstood. From the statements that I’ve read, he explains his concern in the clearest manner.

Misunderstanding is not a crime. We all misunderstand. At times, it’s very difficult to help someone get past a misunderstanding, because they tell you what they misunderstand, but they fail to tell you what they understood. I chose this person, because he does a very good job at explaining what he understood.

He goes on to quote from New Adventon contemplative life.

Without realizing it, he answers his own concern. The Holy Father said that prayer must lead to concrete action toward our brothers. This is true. It is part of the faith of the Church. Otherwise, we just prattle on and on like the pagans.

What is not true is that the Holy Father undermines or diminishes the call to the monastic life in any way. On the contrary. If we examine the theology behind the monastic life, we find that it models the path to the perfection of charity.

Observe what the St. Benedict and other founders of monastic life say and did.

The contemplative, in his investigation of Divine things, is actuated by love for those things, and to increase this love is his ultimate purpose, as well as the firstfruits of his contemplation; in other words the theological virtue of charity is the mainspring as well as the outcome of the act of contemplation.

In monastic houses the concrete expression of charity takes the form of hospitality and education, in the case of the Benedictines. Evangelization in the case of the Poor Clares. That’s how EWTN came into existence. If we look at the Carmelite tradition, there is great emphasis on detachment, fraternal charity, and self-mortification. One just needs to read the writings of Teresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux The Cistercians, Camaldolese and Trappists follow the Rule of St. Benedict. The Poor Clares also include the perfection of poverty and penance for those who do not do penance into their way of life. These practices are sustained by their life of prayer. The Carthusian embraces the solitude of Christ Crucified for the salvation of the Church, which includes him as well.

We could go on and on. But I don’t think it’s necessary. The point is that the life of prayer must be part of a concrete program that leads to the perfection of charity. One who prays, but does nothing to grow in charity is just prattling.

The Holy Father is not saying that one has to go out and run a school, hospital or an outreach program. Prayer must go hand in hand with some concrete form of charity directed outside of ourselves, be it doing penance for others, being a better spouse, parent or anything else that brings heaven to earth and earth to heaven.

Pope Francis did not undermine the contemplative life at all. On the contrary, he explained that there is a connection between prayer and charity.

I should add that every comment that came from religious communities, monastic, mendicant or apostolic, regarding this statement, has been very positive. The concerns seem to be among a small group of lay people who do not understand the theology of contemplation and who are probably unfamiliar with the rules of Benedict, Augustine, Francis, Albert and Basil. If they were familiar with these, they would have seen that these rules say the same thing that the Holy Father said, obviously in the language of the time when the rule was written.

 

[Indyann]

Hello, Br. JR.

What a coincidence! I just (at 3 o’clock) prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for both you and Friar David. Then I was reading a couple of other pages and came upon the link to that article in your OP. But before I read that article, I read one about contemplation. The author compared contemplation to one’s thoughts after watching a good movie that we just can’t get out of our heads… We continually mull over the plot, the point of the story and various nuances.

Though, probably over simplified, I think it gives us more food for thought when contemplating scripture and the writings of the Church.

As to the article mentioned in your OP, you and I know that there are some who will nit-pick every single word that leaves Pope Francis’ mouth. If the Holy Father says “It is partly sunny today”, some will say “No, its partly cloudy today.” Then someone will chime in with “Look, there are a couple of grey clouds over there”. " Why is he always so vague? Why do we always have to figure out what he is saying? Its just like Vat II. Purposely vague."

Strange, all those who seem not to want to understand are the only ones who do not understand

 

[PaulinVA]

The point is that the life of prayer must be part of a concrete program that leads to the perfection of charity. One who prays, but does nothing to grow in charity is just prattling.

The Holy Father is not saying that one has to go out and run a school, hospital or an outreach program. Prayer must go hand in hand with some concrete form of charity directed outside of ourselves, be it doing penance for others, being a better spouse, parent or anything else that brings heaven to earth and earth to heaven.

Pope Francis did not undermine the contemplative life at all. On the contrary, he explained that there is a connection between prayer and charity.
.

Absolutely! I hope you are well, Brother Jay.

I have been contemplating this as I pray on the way to work. If I continually pray, but interrupt my prayer to curse at other drivers, what does that say about my prayer? ( I know what it says about me )

The result of my prayer should be an increase in love and mercy for my fellow driver. I think sometimes we fight against the grace the Lord wants to give us. We want to hold on to bad habits, but convince ourselves we are still on the right path because we are praying.

 

[YoungTradCath]

I read a comment on a site called Creative Minority Report. The author of a particular article raised concern because on July 21 the Holy Father said, **“Prayer that doesn’t lead to concrete action toward our brothers is a fruitless and incomplete prayer.” **

Then why did he say it? Was it an offhand comment or was it supposed to be a real answer to a real question? If the former and it was simply picked up by media, I understand. If the latter, why didn’t he explain it a little more clearly?

Also, what about hermits?

 

[OraLabora]

Nice to hear from you again Brother.

When I read the comment “Prayer that doesn’t lead to concrete action toward our brothers is a fruitless and incomplete prayer”, as a Benedictine oblate it was instantly clear that this doesn’t undermine the contemplative life at all. The notion that contemplation should mean “navel gazing” isn’t remotely close to what St. Benedict had in mind.

Instead the “contemplative life”, Benedictine flavour, begins with seeking God in a community and any tightly knit community feeds above all on charity towards one another, and support of one another on the common journey. The rule is filled implicitly with the notion that concrete action and charity towards one’s brothers is a form of prayer. Everyone is on a different point of the journey and without this mutual support the contemplative life is doomed to failure. The Rule is full of practical advice on the need to support one another’s infirmities, shortcomings, weaknesses, etc.

Then as you mention there’s hospitality. The abbey I’m associated with does not have an external apostolate like teaching; the monks live in cloister. Yet they treat all visitors as if Christ Himself was walking through the doors, even when that is very difficult.

However, and this is most important, besides praying for those in difficulty, they also provide visitors who seek help with spiritual guidance, and indeed also practical guidance for their issues. These holy men have saved more than one soul, indeed more than one physical life with the gentle counsel they give.

Contemplative prayer is the well at which the monks fortify themselves, but it’s indeed clearly a mistake to think that all they do is sit around and pray all day. A monastery would certainly fall apart very quickly if that were the case!

As an oblate, yes I pray a lot, I pray all of the Divine Office every day. But that prayer is in fact listening to the Word; and from Lauds I go out and try to live what the Word taught me, at the minor hours I refortify myself throughout the day, at Vespers I learn to wind down, leave work concerns behind and concentrate on my wife and children, Compline obliges me to put my trust in God, and Vigils puts me on watch against the inroads from the Evil One.

 

[JReducation]

Then why did he say it? Was it an offhand comment or was it supposed to be a real answer to a real question? If the former and it was simply picked up by media, I understand. If the latter, why didn’t he explain it a little more clearly?

Also, what about hermits?

He said it intentionally.

You have to remember that the Pope is speaking in a setting that is very brief. There is not much time to explain anything in depth.

We must also remember that the idea that a pope “explain” what he means is a rather new “demand”. This was not the norm 25 years ago. No one dared ask a pope to explain himself.

If I’m reading Pope Francis correctly, I think that he’s very much a Jesuit superior. A religious superior is not expected to explain himself.

Observe that when there have been questions about things that Pope Francis has said, he has simply blown off those questions. The typical male religious superior would find such a task daunting, because if you begin to answer one question, you end up answering thousands and you never get anything else done. It’s more practical to let those who teach field the questions.

I realize that there are people out there who are going to say, “But he’s not just a Jesuit; he’s a pope.”

This is true. He is a pope. But you cannot take the religious out of a pope anymore than you can get water from a rock. It is what it is. In this case, this man has been a Jesuit for about 55 years. It’s not realistic to expect him to think differently today. I think that we should admire that fact that he does the best he can given his age and his background.

I put myself in his shoes. I can’t see myself approaching any situation except through Franciscan glasses. That’s all I’ve ever known. I was taught that this was enough to serve God and man. The same is true of a Jesuit, Carmelite, Dominican, Redemptorist, etc. Each has his way of doing things and each has been taught that there is no other way for him. His salvation depends on fidelity to that particular way of living the Gospel and serving the Church. You’ve been programmed to think this way.

 

[Genesis315]

Hermits were’t totally isolated and often preached to those who would listen–which is why communities tended to coalesce around the good one… Their lives were also meant as a call to penance to others.

The Church has generally discouraged truly independent and isolated hermits, as this can easily lead to turning in on oneself.

We see, therefore, that the Church has always been anxious to form the hermits into communities. Nevertheless, many preferred their independence and their solitude. They were numerous in Italy, Spain, France, and Flanders in the seventeenth century. Benedict XIII and Urban VIII took measures to prevent the abuses likely to arise from too great independence. Since then the eremitic life has been gradually abandoned, and the attempts made to revive it in the last century have had no success.
newadvent.org/cathen/07280a.htm

 

[agnes_therese]

Absolutely! I hope you are well, Brother Jay.

I have been contemplating this as I pray on the way to work. If I continually pray, but interrupt my prayer to curse at other drivers, what does that say about my prayer? ( I know what it says about me )

The result of my prayer should be an increase in love and mercy for my fellow driver. I think sometimes we fight against the grace the Lord wants to give us. We want to hold on to bad habits, but convince ourselves we are still on the right path because we are praying.

So very, very true!

 

[JReducation]

Nice to hear from you again Brother.

When I read the comment “Prayer that doesn’t lead to concrete action toward our brothers is a fruitless and incomplete prayer”, as a Benedictine oblate it was instantly clear that this doesn’t undermine the contemplative life at all. .

That’s why I said that this statement is not bothering those of us who are engaged in the contemplative life. It’s bothering those who don’t understand prayer. Which means that we need to do a better job teaching prayer, not just teaching prayers.