Because there seems to be a lot of curiosity out there about contemplative prayer, I decided I would create an informational piece based on what I have learned about prayer from Scripture, the Catechism, and the Doctors and Saints of the Church. My intention here is to clarify.
What is contemplation? (CCC 771, 2709-2719)
- A prayerful expression that harmonizes the whole person.
- A pure act of faith but not faith alone.
- An act of pure hope, not vain hope.
- An act of pure love, not perverted or disordered love.
- Teresa of Avila—a “sharing between friends.”
- A heart with complete focus on the Lord.
- The conversation of a trusting child to his Father.
- The response to God.
- Poor and humble surrender to the loving will of the Father.
- Deep union with the Son.
- A gift.
- A covenant relationship.
- Where God transforms man into His own image.
- Grounded in love and uplifted by faith.
- Intense union.
- A gazing upon one another—Jesus upon me, and me upon Him.
- Hearing God in order to do His will.
- Where words become kindling to the silent fire of love.
- A participation in Christ’s mystery—love in action.
- Complete trust in Jesus, even during suffering.
What contemplation is NOT?
- Escape from reality or life (escapism).
- Cutting off emotions, thoughts, people, obligations (nihilism).
- Laziness in or ignorance of vocal and meditative prayer (presumption/acedia).
- Self-absorbed pleasure-seeking (masturbation).
- Indifference to suffering (stoicism/hyper-rationalism).
- Snobbery (arrogance/pride).
- Promiscuous—seeking the advice of “experts” who detract from the teachings of Christ and His Church.
- Ignorance of Jesus and His teachings.
- Prayer without a purpose or goal in God and His good effects (aimless or morally relative).
- A loss of personal identity.
- Bleak or despairing (suicidal).
- A new revelation.
How do I know if I have reached contemplation? (CCC 2725-2751, Gospels, and writings of the Doctors of the Church)
Refer to Jesus as the model of perfect prayer (CCC 2607-2615).
- Bound with human history (CCC 2568).
- Vocal—cries out, speaks, weeps, etc. (2704).
- Sometimes in solitude/sometimes not.
- Participation with others (the Last Supper).
- Sings psalms.
- Our Father and filial boldness.
- Dialogue and the Woman at the Well.
- Insists on conversion of heart.
- Committed to doing the will of the Father.
- Mediation/intercession, praise, thanksgiving, petition, adoration (2626-2643).
- Lives life; embraces the Cross; resurrects after death.
- He is the final revelation.
Refer to Mary.
- Reflects on Him in her heart.
- Listens to Jesus.
- Accompanies Jesus.
- Intercedes for others.
- Tells others about the miracle of Jesus.
Refer to the Saints.
- A gift and our response, which requires effort (diligence and patience).
- A renunciation of sin (CCC 1431, 2015).
- An acceptance of the Cross (responsibilities, insults, suffering, avoidance of sin).
- Love of God (contemplation) always has corresponding acts of love.
What are the obstacles to contemplation? (CCC 2729-2745)
- Bad spiritual advice.
- A lack of focus on Jesus, or trying to serve two masters.
- A lack of vigilance.
- Confusion when reading the works by Catholic mystics.
- Dryness due to a lack of roots, rocky soil, non-conversion.
- Presumption—thinking too highly of self or prioritizing other things above God; coming to God only when in trouble; a lack of belief in the One True God; a misunderstanding of real love.
- Despair—laziness in penitence, prayer, almsgiving; carelessness in heart; fear of discomfort or pain.
- Quitting because prayers don’t seem to be answered.
- Ignoring the fact that God wants our dignity and freedom from sin above anything else.
- Thinking of God as something to use in order to get something rather than as Someone, our Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to love.
- Asking for things with a divided heart, also considered adultery.
- A misunderstanding of prayer, God, Jesus, and self.
What are the effects of contemplation? (CCC 2738-2745)
- Renunciation of sin and acceptance of the Cross (CCC 1430-33 and 2015).
- Can see God’s action today in history.
- Transformation of our hearts.
- Perseverance in the cardinal virtues and the theological virtues.
- The ability to pray always, anywhere.
- Freedom from sin; the Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation.
- Love in action.
- Devotion to the Trinity, Eucharist, then Mary, the Saints, the wisdom of the Saints, etc.
How does authentic contemplation differ from other spiritual movements?
- True contemplation does not take a person away from God and His Church but brings the person closer.
- Spiritual delights, inspirations, feelings or non-feelings can mislead whereas authentic contemplation does not mislead.
- The fruits of contemplation can always be verified by another source from Tradition (Jesus, Scripture, Liturgy, the Saints, etc.).
- Contemplation is an extremely joyful experience, a joy that can be seen outwardly.
- Contemplation can happen at anytime and anyplace and is always with the True God; He wills when and where contemplation occurs; He also wills who will be a contemplative; John of the Cross has said that God wishes many more could reach contemplation but also admits that people more often are misled; Teresa of Avila knew that her sisters needed good confessors in order to reach contemplation; that said, Adoration is a great place to begin in order to understand the dark enlightenment of contemplation as taught by John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila.
If I think I can contemplate God, should I give up vocal and meditative prayer?
- Prayer involves the whole person (body, mind, heart, soul); although dryness can occur during meditation and/or vocal prayer, that does not mean one should give up those expressions of prayer; there is always room for these two expressions of prayer, especially when reading Scripture or when in the community of faith; indeed, even the angels enjoy hearing prayer from the faithful.
- Make sure that you are really contemplating God by reading the works of the Saints.
- Don’t give up the Rosary or the Mass; although you may experience dryness in those prayers, that does not mean that you will not reach contemplation; continue praying with Our Lady and the Eucharist no matter what, just as you are called to love no matter what.
- Although you may need to give up images from previous meditations in order to proceed to contemplation, that does not mean that you should give up praying. True prayer brings you closer to our Lord Jesus and to our Mother Mary and perseveres during dryness.
What are some common misperceptions people have about mystical contemplation?
- It is just another name for meditation.
- It is a simple psychological activity.
- It takes you to a place of mental/emotional void.
- It is necessarily comfortable.
- It can only be done in solitude.
- It happens when I, the pray-er, make it happen.
- It produces material prosperity.
- It can be earned.
- It can be bought.
- It occurs with study and certification.
- It is an escape from reality or life.
- It never involves spiritual battles.
- Anybody can reach contemplation if they practice.
- It can be done without knowing Scripture or the Life, Teachings, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus.
- It is devoid of the Person of Christ and/or the Trinity in part or whole.
- All “spiritual directors” know how to lead people to contemplation.
Who can I trust to tell me about contemplation?
The Crucified (CCC 2015): “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Luke 11: 23). “Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:31). “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16: 24-25). “Many false prophets will arise and deceive many; and because of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24: 11-13) “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24). “I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” (John 17:20-21) Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving but believe.” (John 20:27) “Do you love me?” (John 21:17)
Mary: And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. (Luke 1:28) Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” (Luke 1:46-47) Mary remained with her [Elizabeth] about three months and then returned home. (Luke 1:56). She wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7). All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. (Luke 2:18). The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about Him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. (Luke 2:33-35). He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and His mother kept all these things in her heart. (Luke 2:51) When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. (John 19:26-27). All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. (Acts 1:14)
Peter: “There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will introduce destructive heresies and even deny the Master who ransomed them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their licentious ways, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled. In their greed they will exploit you with fabrications, but from of old their condemnation has not been idle and their destruction does not sleep…But these people, like irrational animals born by nature for capture and destruction, revile things that they do not understand, and in their destruction will also be destroyed.” ( 2 Peter 2: 1-3, 12)
Stephen: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it.” When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:51-56)
James: “For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26)
John: “Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)
Paul: “If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1) “Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes.” ( 1 Timothy 6:3-4)
Thomas a Kempis: “He is not worthy to have the high gift of contemplation who has not suffered some tribulation for God” (Imitation of Christ, 89).
Ignatius of Loyola: “Putting aside all private judgment, we should keep our minds prepared and ready to obey promptly and in all things the true spouse of Christ our Lord, our Holy Mother, the hierarchal Church. To praise sacramental confession and the reception of the Most Holy Sacrament…To praise the frequent hearing of Mass…To praise highly religious life…” (The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, p. 139). “The enemy is accustomed ordinarily to propose apparent pleasure to those persons who go from mortal sin to mortal sin. He thus causes them to imagine sensual delights and pleasure in order to hold them more and more easily and to increase their vices and sins. The good spirit acts in these persons in a contrary way, awakening the conscience to a sense of remorse through the good judgment of their reason. The contrary to the first rule takes place in those who earnestly strive to purify themselves from their sins, and who advance from good to better in the service of God our Lord. Then it is common for the evil spirit to cause anxiety and sadness, and to create obstacles based on false reasoning, through preventing the soul from making further progress. It is characteristic of the good spirit to give courage and strength, consolation, tears, inspiration, and peace, making things easy and removing obstacles so that the soul may make further progress in good works.” (The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, Rules for the Discernment of Spirits, 1-2).
John of the Cross: “When Christ dying on the Cross exclaimed: Consummatum est (It is finished) [John 19:30], He consummated not these ways alone but all the other ceremonies and rites of the Old Law. Thus, we must be guided humanly and visibly in all by the law of Christ, who is human, and that of His Church and ministers. This is the way to remedy our spiritual ignorances and weaknesses. Here we shall find abundant medicine for them all. Any departure from this road is not only curiosity but extraordinary boldness. One should not believe anything coming in a supernatural way, but believe only the teaching of Christ who is human and of his ministers who are human. So true is this that St. Paul insists: Quod si angelus de coelo evangelizaverit, praeterquam quod evangelizavimus vobis, anathema sit (If an angel from heaven should preach to you any other Gospel than that which we humans have preached, let him be accursed and excommunicated) [Galatians 1:8]. …All else is good for nothing, and one may only accept it in faith when it corresponds to the teaching of Christ.” (The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Book Two, Chapter 22, 7-8)
Teresa of Avila: “These are inelegant comparisons for something so precious, but I can’t think up any others. The joy makes a person so forgetful of self and of all things that he doesn’t avert to, nor can he speak of anything other than the praises of God which proceed from this joy.” (The Interior Castle, Dwelling VI, Chapter 6, section 13). “You may think that as a result the soul will be outside itself and so absorbed that it will be unable to be occupied by anything else. On the contrary, the soul is much more occupied than before with everything pertaining to the service of God; and once its duties are over it remains with that enjoyable company.” (The Interior Castle, Dwelling 7, Chapter 1, section 8).
Teresia Benedicta (Edith Stein): “In contemplation, the spiritual faculties, memory, intellect, and will act together.” (The Science of the Cross, 69).”The soul finds herself as though in deep forgetfulness and simultaneously unaware of time. Her prayer seems to be very brief, even when it has lasted for hours. This brief prayer ‘pierces the heavens, because such a soul is united with heavenly knowledge.[Sirach 35:17]'” (69). “…were anything to be revealed that is at variance with revealed truths of faith, one may by no means assent to it.” (75)
Therese of Lisieux: “I have no greater desire to die than to live; if our Lord gave me the choice I would choose nothing; I only will what He wills; it is what He does that I love” (Story of a Soul, Chapter 12). I have read that the Israelites, when building the walls of Jerusalem, worked with one hand and with the other held a sword (Nehemiah 4:17). That is truly a figure of what we ought to do: never give ourselves completely up to the work (Counsels and Reminiscences).
Francis de Sales: “This fixed and absolute resolution never to forsake God, nor to abandon His sweet love, serves as a counterpoise to our souls to keep them in holy equilibrium amid the inequality of the various motions attached to the condition of this life….I would say, then, that devotion does not consist in that sweetness, consolation, and visible tenderness, which provokes tears and sighs, and gives us a certain agreeable savor and satisfaction in our spiritual exercises. No, this is not the same thing as devotion; for there are many souls which experience these enjoyments and consolations, and nevertheless are vicious, and consequently have no true love of God, much less any true devotion….The general rule concerning the passions and emotions of our souls is that we should know them by their fruits; our hearts are as trees, our affections and emotions are the branches, and their actions and deeds, the fruit. The heart is good which is inspired with good affections, and those affections and emotions are good which result in good and holy actions.” (An Introduction to the Devout Life, Part IV, Chapter 13). “Human nature easily loses ground in what is good, through the frailty and evil tendencies of the flesh, which weighs upon the soul and is ever dragging her down, unless she raise herself forcibly by fervent resolution, even as birds would soon fall to the ground if they did not continue in flight by continual effort and the movement of their wings.” (Part V, Chapter 1).
Catherine of Siena: “Holy discretion is a prudence which cannot be cheated, a fortitude which cannot be beaten, a perseverance from end to end, stretching from Heaven to earth, that is, from knowledge of Me to knowledge of self, and from love of Me to love of others.” (The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena, A Treatise on Discretion, p. 26).
Louis de Montfort: “Jesus is the last end of devotion to Mary; we belong to Jesus and Mary; we need Mary in order to die to ourselves; we need Mary as our mediatrix with our mediator, Jesus Christ; we need Mary in order to preserve the graces and treasures we have received from God” (True Devotion to Mary). “My Hail Mary, my Rosary, or my chaplet, is the prayer and the unerring touchstone by which I can tell people who are led by the Spirit of God from people who are deceived by the devil. I have known souls who seem to soar heavenward like eagles by their sublime contemplation and yet were led astray by the devil. I only discovered how deceived they were when I learned they disliked the Hail Mary and the Rosary, which they rejected as beneath them” (The Secret of the Rosary, Seventeenth Rose, 51).
John Paul II: “Because we have been sent into the world as a “people of life,” our proclamation must also become a genuine celebration of the Gospel of life. This celebration, with the evocative power of its gestures, symbols and rites, should become a precious and significant setting in which the beauty and grandeur of this Gospel is handed on. For this to happen, we need first of all to foster, in ourselves and in others, a contemplative outlook. Such an outlook arises from faith in the God of life, who has created every individual as a “wonder” (cf. Psalm 139:14). It is the outlook of those who see life in its deeper meaning, who grasp its utter gratuitousness, its beauty, and its invitation to freedom and responsibility.…This outlook does not give into discouragement when confronted by those who are sick, suffering, outcast, or at death’s door. Instead, in all these situations it feels challenged to find meaning, and precisely in these circumstances it is open to perceiving in the face of every person a call to encounter, dialogue, and solidarity….We celebrate this glory in every human being, a sign of the living God, an icon of Jesus Christ. We are called to express wonder and gratitude for the gift of life and to welcome, savor, and share the Gospel of life not only in our personal and community prayer, but above all in the celebrations of the liturgical year. Particularly important in this regard are the Sacraments, the efficacious signs of the presence and saving action of the Lord Jesus in Christian life. The Sacraments make us sharers in divine life, and provide the spiritual strength necessary to experience life, suffering, and death in their fullest meaning.” (The Gospel of Life, Chapter IV, section 83-84).
Mother Teresa: Just think of almighty God in the womb of Mary, locked in. He had to cling helplessly to His mother. This was the total surrender of Christ. Again, nailed to the Cross, He could not move. Again today, He is bound in the tabernacle. This is total surrender. (Thirsting for God, p. 60).
The prophets and wisdom-seekers: “Every counselor points out a way, but some counsel ways of their own; Be on the alert when one proffers advice, find out first what he wants. For he may be thinking of himself alone; why should the profit fall to him? He may tell you how good your way will be, then stand by to watch your misfortune….Instead, associate with a religious man, who you are sure keeps the commandments; Who is like-minded with yourself and will feel for you if you fall. Then, too, heed your own heart’s counsel; for what have you that you can depend on more?….Most important of all, pray to God to set your feet in the path of truth.” (Sirach 37). Thus says the Lord: This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to me. From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day, I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets. Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed; they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers. When you speak all these words to them, they will not listen to you either; when you call to them, they will not answer. (Jeremiah 7:23-27)
What do I do if I know I have been misled?
- Pray to God in the most earnest way you can; ask Him to bring you back to His Sacred Heart with true and honest devotion. The Psalms and the Rosary are extremely helpful in this case.
- Remember that “extraordinary signs of the mystical life are granted only to some for the sake of manifesting the gratuitous gift given to all.” (2014)
- Analyze why you may have been misled: Is there an attachment to sin? Are you heartbroken? Did you misread a document from a Saint? Are you giving credence to “an expert” who may not really be an “expert”? Are you overly dependent the terms of psychology? Do you need to learn more about your faith? Are you from a generation that was never catechized or from a generation that frowned upon anything that seemed connected with the word tradition and Tradition? Do you know the difference between Tradition and tradition?
- Go to Confession, Mass, and Adoration.
How do I help lead others out of the “false contemplative” movement?
Pray for them.
Find resources on authentic Christian prayer, for example:
Find resources on those who have recovered from New Age errors.
Why do many Catholics fall for this false sort of contemplation?
- Distrust in Jesus and His Church; He promised that the Church could not be overcome by the netherworld.
- Inability to read the signs/movements of the times.
- Low-level reading comprehension.
- Naïve faith in societal movements.
- Low-level of knowledge of the Catholic faith as given by Christ.
- Low-level knowledge of the Creed.
- Low-level of historical knowledge.
- Lack of Scriptural knowledge.
- Misunderstanding of and/or denial of nature.
- Misunderstanding of paradoxes.
- Misunderstanding of translation problems.
- Seeking mental rest from the busy-ness of life.
- Distrust in the authentic counsel of the authentic ministers of the Church.
In honor of Tradition and for the love of Jesus and Mary, I offer this to Holy Mother Church and am willing to accept the responsibility for any mistakes I have made in passing on information about Christian prayer. Please make note and tell me of any errors I have made but know that they were not intentionally made but are due to my own weaknesses.
References:
Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition (1997). Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. Image Books, Doubleday: New York (1955).
Thoughts of Saint Therese (1915). Tan Books and Publishers, Inc.
The Science of the Cross by Edith Stein (1942). ICS Publications, Institute of Carmelite Studies (2002).
The Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis Grignion de Montfort. Catholic Publishing Company: New Jersey (2004).
Spiritual Direction & Spiritual Directors: St. Francis de Sales, St. Teresa of Avila, Thomas a Kempis, and St. John of the Cross by Joseph Paul Kozlowski (1998). Queenship Publishing.
Thirsting for God, A Yearbook of Prayers, Meditations, & Anecdotes, Mother Teresa. Compiled by Angelo Scolozzi (2000). Servant Publications.
New American Bible, Saint Joseph.
Philothea or An Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales. St. Benedict Press, Tan Classics (2010).
Introduction to the Devout Life, 400th Anniversary Edition. Eremitical Press (2009).
The Dialogues of St. Catherine of Siena. Baronius Press Classics.
The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius. Image Books, Doubleday: New York (1964).
The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of Saint Therese of Lisieux. Tan Books and Publishers (1997).
True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis de Montfort. Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. (1941).
The Theology of the Body: Human Love in the Divine Plan by John Paul II. Pauline Books and Media: Boston (1997).
The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross. ICS Publications, Institute of Carmelite Studies (1991).
The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Volume Two. ICS Publications, Institute of Carmelite Studies (1980).
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Single Mothers of Mary 