Spiritual Training

[Vouthon]

“…The preliminary condition for contemplation is that the mind has been through a process of spiritual training, whereby it is able to empty itself of images and sense perceptions…”

- Dom Cuthbert Butler, Western Mysticism (1922), p69

What kind of “spiritual training” do you use to help empty your mind of images and sense perceptions in preparation for contemplative prayer, where we encounter the God who cannot be fathomed or contained by any image?

As Evelyn Underhill noted:

“If God were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshipped.”

Contemplation is that “simple gaze of faith” without images of our Lord serving as an intermediary between Him and us.

Do you use, for example:

1. The Rosary
2. The Jesus Prayer
3. Lectio Divina
4. A prayer word (as described by the Cloud of Unknowing)
5. Strive to maintain silence
6. Stillness

etc.

What do you find useful to help focus yourself in this way in preparation for contemplation?

Tell about your chosen practice(s) and your experience with it/them.

And I am, of course, assuming that one already lives charitably and partakes of the sacramental life of the church, so it is more specific prayer practices you find useful that I am interested in

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I use Centering Prayer as taught by Fr Thomas Keating and Fr Basi Pennington.

Here’s the simple explanation.

kyrie.com/cp/guidelines_for_centering_prayer.htm

Jim

 

[billcu1]

What kind of “spiritual training” do you use to help empty your mind of images and sense perceptions in preparation for contemplative prayer, where we encounter the God who cannot be fathomed or contained by any image?

As Evelyn Underhill noted:

Contemplation is that “simple gaze of faith” without images of our Lord serving as an intermediary between Him and us.

Do you use, for example:

1. The Rosary
2. The Jesus Prayer
3. Lectio Divina
4. A prayer word (as described by the Cloud of Unknowing)
5. Strive to maintain silence
6. Stillness

etc.

What do you find useful to help focus yourself in this way in preparation for contemplation?

Tell about your chosen practice(s) and your experience with it/them.

And I am, of course, assuming that one already lives charitably and partakes of the sacramental life of the church, so it is more specific prayer practices you find useful that I am interested in

The Dr. of Prayer Teresa of Avila says there is contemplative and meditative prayer. The adoration is like a contemplative prayer. Rosary is meditative and verbal. HTH

 

[DBT]

Spending my days in a state best described as watching and waiting … Interiorly silent and LISTENING. With St. John of the Cross as my guide:

**Ch 15. Which sets down the general method whereby the spiritual person must govern himself with respect to this sense. **

In order to conclude this discussion on the memory, it will be well at this point to give the spiritual reader an account of the method which he must observe, and which is of universal application, in order that he may be united with God according to this sense. For, although what has been said makes the subject quite clear, it will nevertheless be more easily apprehended if we summarize it here.

To this end it must be remembered that, since our aim is the union of the soul with God in hope, according to the memory, and since that which is hoped for is that which is not possessed, and since, the less we possess of other things, the greater scope and the greater capacity have we for hoping, and consequently the greater hope, therefore, the more things we possess, the less scope and capacity is there for hoping, and consequently the less hope have we.

Hence, the more the soul dispossesses the memory of forms and things which may be recalled by it, which are not God, the more will it set its memory upon God, and the emptier will its memory become, so that it may hope for Him Who shall fill it. **What must be done, then, that the soul may live in the perfect and pure hope of God is that, whensoever these distinct images, forms and ideas come to it, it must not rest in them, but must turn immediately to God, voiding the memory of them entirely, with loving affection.

It must neither think of these things nor consider them beyond the degree which is necessary for the understanding and performing of its obligations**, if they have any concern with these. And this it must do without setting any affection or inclination upon them, so that they may produce no effects in the soul.

And thus a man must not fail to think and recall that which he ought to know and do, for, provided he preserves no affection or attachments, this will do him no harm. For this matter the lines of the Mount, which are in the thirteenth chapter of the first book, will be of profit.

Dave

 

[Phil_Marinus]

All depends on what you want,you can make it as hard or easy as you wish…
for myself, just think positive, and if I can , distance myself from negative people of faith…
and just spending time on this site helps me stay in a positive state of mind
about my faith…

 

[Vouthon]

The Dr. of Prayer Teresa of Avila says there is contemplative and meditative prayer. The adoration is like a contemplative prayer. Rosary is meditative and verbal. HTH

:tsktsk:

You need to speak to Nutym. The rosary is an eminently contemplative practice. See this post:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=10804396&postcount=54

 

[Vouthon]

Spending my days in a state best described as watching and waiting … Interiorly silent and LISTENING. With St. John of the Cross as my guide:

Dave

Wonderful as always DBT I learn something new every day with you, what a blessing your contributions are. I love that cool, Carmelite wisdom, practical yet profound

 

[Vouthon]

So here is my “spiritual workout”. I suffer from the demon of “laziness”, so my constancy is not always as it should be, let me tell you. He’s a right little blighter that one I maintain that nothing is more deadly to the spiritual life than laziness!

Anyways…

I try to sanctify most aspects of my life in the way St. Josemaria Escriva explains. I do try to sanctify my work. I think the most important thing is not so much what we do, as what we are. If our thinking is good, our actions will naturally flow.

I often pray the Jesus Prayer. As I’m going about my business, I say “Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me”. Its like a constant mantra. I say it for long periods throughout the day, inwardly, as I’m doing things. This gives me a steady remembrance of God that I can take with me throughout the day. Everything I do becomes part of this prayer, almost sanctified by it.

So I try to be mindful of my thoughts. I often watch my thoughts. I notice them and then let them go. I sit for periods of stillness, with my will focused towards God, and watch. I see what comes and look for patterns. If I’m perceptive enough, I find certain “traits” and “underlying things” which fuel them. This helps me address the problem at the core. “I think, therefore I am”. So I try to help make sure my thinking is as positive as possible. I just call it watching.

I find Lectio Divina, which I mentioned in my initial post, to be particularly helpful. I like the way it pulls together reading of a holy text, pondering it for meaning, reflecting on its meaning and then “contemplating”, just resting in silence and opening yourself up wordlessly to the Holy Spirit without images or thoughts. So all in the one practice I find a “fitness workout” for the soul. Reading, reflection, discursive meditation, vocal prayer and silent contemplation are pulled together in one.

I likewise find use of a prayer word to be useful. Such as simply “God”. I will sit still. If a thought comes, I notice it and then let it go, returning to my “Word”. This helps clear the clatter of my thoughts, and also helps me notice those “distracting patterns” that crop up. It is in silence that God is heard, in silence worshipped best - that inner silence where our loving attention and will is directed to God alone and we let everything else “go”. Just go. We don’t suppress it, we just answer to God’s call of grace and allow Him to help us let it pass away as we ease into a state of simplicity. It is undivided attention we must give, spurred on by our impulse of love but without being attached to any images, ideas or thoughts. God cannot be contained by any of our concepts, even our purest ones. He is inexpressible and beyond understanding. So I think that this practice helps me to have a “pure” focus directed towards “God”. When thoughts come, I can let them go and simply cleave to God. The whole point of the exercise is less me and more God. Passivity is indeed a salient part of my acquired contemplation. However my time is not wasted. It is spent listening to God who is above the senses, rather than my own thoughts about God which however pure, noble and gracious, are limited naturally on account of His inexpressible, transcendent being and my finitude. In normal discursive prayer, I am focused upon my own thoughts of love to the Lord. “I praise you for that, I thank you for this” and so on. In contemplation I silence myself to let God speak. Him alone, without me doing any talking. In this respect, even the most sublime images and thoughts should - not be “suppressed” - but rather gently noticed and then let go. Nothing, no matter how good and pure in itself, can be allowed to come in the way of an undivided, absolute attention directed towards God and Him alone. Nothing, no matter how beautiful and good and graceful in itself. Only God can be allowed to do the “talking”. I mentioned some of this to a poster on the other thread already.

I could go on but I think that will do for now

 

[billcu1]

:tsktsk:

You need to speak to Nutym. The rosary is an eminently contemplative practice. See this post:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=10804396&postcount=54

Oh maybe I read wrong then. I hate to confuse anyone. I need to be corrected then because I really want to get into the rosary. I read the verbal parts are the body and the contemplative then parts are to be contemplated on. There are 10 things to think about you can concentrate on one but I seem to contemplate on all 10 after the other. When saying the hail Marys I think of Mary’s face or the Gesthemene prayer. Would that be better?

 

[fred_conty]

In recollection, the mind is absorbed in the reality of the real presence of Christ in our soul, of the Holy Spirit dwelling in our body since the soul is the priciple that is in every part of our body. Just knowing he is there one with us and realizing his presence is a constant meditative prayer tho it dosen’t have to be in words but just in the appreciation of it.

How do you fit this in with contemplation or making oneself ready by silence for contemplation when recollection is going on?

Just a thought.​

“As a deer longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for O God.” (hymn)

 

[nuntym]

+JMJ+

Contemplation is that “simple gaze of faith” without images of our Lord serving as an intermediary between Him and us.

I do not believe that contemplation is that simple. The Catechism itself says:

2715 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.

From this, you can see that images and imagination can still form part of contemplation. However, it goes deeper than meditation. You see, when you meditate, you try to understand what the images mean. But in contemplation, you surrender your intellect and reason, and just “gaze”, understanding that your intellect cannot go further, and even that your imagination may not be able to fully grasp the veracity of the images themselves, but trusting God that He will, somehow, still show Himself truly.

From what I am discerning in my prayer life, the three levels of prayer—vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplation—are like reading a book. Vocal prayer is reading the book and understanding what the writer is trying to say. Meditation is understanding the hidden meanings of the book, when you try to “read between the lines,” as the saying goes. Contemplation is when the writer himself/herself shows up and talks to you while reading the book.

And thus, this is how the Holy Rosary and Lectio Divina can help in contemplation, for these prayers truly focus on the “mysteries of the life of Christ.”

I can also recommend the Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary as taught by St. Louis de Montfort. I will attest that the Consecration can really jumpstart contemplation. You see, in the Consecration, you surrender everything to Mary, including your prayer life. You still pray to God, but Mary will take those prayers and make them her own. And when you contemplate, it is she who will bring God to you. But please discern whether you are being called to this kind of Consecration first.