Please Define...

[Edward_J]

There are a few words that I come across often that I would like to have defined and/or clarified and how they relate to our Catholic faith. They are: mortification, aridity, consolations and favours. Also what is the difference (if any) between meditation and contemplation?
Thank you.

 

[Neil_Anthony]

There are a few words that I come across often that I would like to have defined and/or clarified and how they relate to our Catholic faith. They are: mortification, aridity, consolations and favours. Also what is the difference (if any) between meditation and contemplation?
Thank you.

Hi Edward,
For future reference, the catholic encyclopedia is a good place to look up terms like this. For example, here is an article on mortification:

newadvent.org/cathen/10578b.htm

Mortification is self-denial for spiritual reasons. The root word has to do with dying to self. It is about training yourself to stop being attached to worldly comforts and things. It could range from things like controlling your imagination, to giving things up for lent, to corporal mortification which includes things like self-flaggelation.

Aridity means dryness, it refers to when you pray and you don’t get a sense of closeness to God, or any obvious benefits from the prayer. These benefits from prayer, which can be positive feelings, special graces or inspirations, new insights into problems, are called consolations or favours.

Meditation means different things to different people. In eastern spirituality it means something closer to what catholics call contemplation. Here’s an article on it:

newadvent.org/cathen/04324b.htm

 

[paduard]

There are a few words that I come across often that I would like to have defined and/or clarified and how they relate to our Catholic faith. They are: mortification, aridity, consolations and favours. Also what is the difference (if any) between meditation and contemplation?
Thank you.

Meditation is acquired through your own efforts; contemplation is ‘infused’ by Almighty God alone. The former is devotional, the latter mystical.