I suppose we are all familiar with Francis view of Creation by which he contemplated Christ in all things – as St. Bonaventure wrote in his Major Life of St Francis (IX:1):
He was no ‘nature mystic’ but celebrated
the presence of God beneath the outer forms of creation. But did Francis practice what we would call
‘contemplative prayer’, or did he live contemplatively? What is contemplative prayer? Is it desiring and gazing and allowing
ourselves to be held in the compassionate gaze of God whilst treating all those
logismoi – distracting thoughts – that come to us as so many children
wanting to distract or gaze? Or is it
certain practices – Centring Prayer, for example, or spending time before the
Blessed Sacrament or an icon or candle and seeking to be still? Do our contemplative prayer-practices ‘stand-alone’
or do we find that they begin to affect the rest of life? Do we want to ‘perfect’ our prayer, or are we
content to let our desire for God be all we cling on to? Are we beginning to
live contemplatively’? What do we mean
by ‘contemplation’?
Contemplation
The
root of the word concerns a space reserved for sacred purposes from the Latin
word templum, a piece of ground consecrated for the taking of auspices,
or a building for worship. At one time
it was associated with a long thoughtful look at something but has come to be
concerned with simply taking a ‘long, loving look at the real’ (Walter
Burghardt SJ). It could be described
as a way of offering a balance to activism for it invites us to stop and focus
our distracted attention. It is a way to
realise a sense of being at one with an-other and can be practiced by anyone. The Swiss-born German artist Paul Klee
observed: ‘In a forest I have felt, many times over, that it was not I who
looked at the forest. Some days I have felt that the trees were
looking at me … were speaking to me … I was there listening … I think that the
painter must be penetrated by the universe and not want to penetrate it.’
Be still and know that I am God. (Ps.46.10)
Contemplative
prayer
Contemplative prayer is one of
the classic forms of Christian prayer.
Whilst Discursive prayer is a prayer using words where we talk to
God and meditation a type of prayer where we think about God,
contemplation is a type that does not use words or thoughts but a
prayer-practice where we are simply with God or, rather, that we are fully open
to God: ‘Deep contemplative prayer is not so much learning how to contemplate
God by some method or practice as it is becoming aware that it is God who
contemplates us’ (Bp. Rowan Williams).
For some it is exemplified in the English tradition by the medieval work of an unknown author, The Cloud of Unknowing: ‘Lift up your heart to God with humble love: and mean God himself, and not what you get out of him… Try to forget all created things that he ever made, and the purpose behind them, so that your thought and longing do not turn or reach out to them either in general or in particular’ (Ch.3). The writer then points out what had become clear to all contemplatives: ‘When you first begin, you find only darkness, and as it were a cloud of unknowing. You don’t know what this means except that in your will you feel a simple steadfast intention reaching out towards God. Do what you will, and this darkness and this cloud remain between you and God… Reconcile yourself to wait in this darkness as long as is necessary, but still go on longing after him whom you love’ (Ch.3).
‘For He can well be loved, but he
cannot be thought.
By love he can be grasped and
held, but by thought, neither grasped nor held.’
(The Cloud of Unknowing, Ch.6)
Meditation
Contemplation is sometimes
confused with meditation. Meditation is
a practice which uses a particular technique, such as a mantra, to focus the
mind in order to train attention and awareness.
One mantric prayer used by St. Francis was the simple: “Deus meus et
Omnia – my God and my All”.
“Whatever a monk keeps pursuing
with his thinking and pondering,
that becomes the inclination of his awareness.” (Buddha, Majjhima Nikaya 19,)
Centring Prayer is a name given to various forms of meditation designed to aid the development of contemplative prayer by preparing our faculties to cooperate with this gift. ‘It is an attempt to present the teaching of earlier time (e.g. The Cloud of Unknowing) in an updated form and to put a certain order and regularity into it. It is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer; it simply puts other kinds of prayer into a new and fuller perspective. During the time of prayer we consent to God's presence and action within’ (Contemplative Outreach).
Mindfulness
Rooted in ancient practices of
Eastern and Western meditation this concerns focussing on opening the soul to
God. In secular terms certain practices
are recommended in order to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and
stable state. Mindfulness has been
described as ‘the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we
are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s
going on around us” (What Is Mindfulness?, Mindful.org, 2014). Is Meditation, which usually concerns
openness to God through a loving inclination of the heart, the same as
Mindfulness or is Mindfulness, primarily, a discipline focusing on developing
inner freedom through practising certain techniques? Are mindfulness practices closer to the
ancient practice of ‘recollection’ which is the first step on the contemplative
path? Or are they simply two sides of
the same coin?
All have their pitfalls, especially when we become focussed on perfecting techniques. It’s easy to forget that meditation needs to be understood in the context of the commandment to love God and neighbour – in fact, it’s all about putting self aside to centre on God rather than attaining a particular experience – and repenting of the sins which separate us from them? Living in a society where the self often seems all important Jesus teaching to put self aside, and that those who seek to save their life will lose it – and those who lose their life for his sake will find it – are challenging. As is his observation that whoever wants to follow his way must deny themselves and take up their cross. This seems to make clear that we ought not to be too concerned with the perfecting of techniques but by the loving gift of self through our practice (Matt. 16:25f).
The orans mentale (mental prayer) of which St Teresa of Avila wrote in her Book of the Life (Chs.8-10) seems similar to aspects of Mindfulness. But her practices were motivated by a desire for intimacy and “unknowing” (‘the soul’s profit consists not in thinking much but in loving much’ – Foundation 5.2), not for the benefit of the individual but for the purpose of the exercise of ‘good works’ brought about by loving desire.
Orthodoxy uses the word theoria to indicate beholding God leading to theosis, which is union with God through the ascetic practise of hesychasm, that process of letting the mind be enfolded in the heart to enable the sinful person to be changed, by grace, into a child of God. It is connected with the desire to create a pure heart which enables the vision of God (Matt. 5.8) and, in the Christian tradition, is rooted in the cosmic Christ.
Contemplative
living
For some the practice of
contemplation/meditation is an important part of their prayer life. It is quite possible to develop such a
practice separate from the rest of life – having a ‘quiet time’ can be
important in a hectic life, but I wonder if it’s really possible to have such a
distinction between contemplative prayer and contemplative living? In New
Seeds of Contemplation, Thomas Merton wrote: ‘Contemplation is life itself,
fully awake, fully active, and fully aware that it is alive. It is spiritual
wonder. It is spontaneous awe at the sacredness of life, of being. It is
gratitude for life, for awareness, and for being. It is a vivid realization of
the fact that life and being in us proceed from an invisible, transcendent, and
infinitely abundant Source’ (New York: New Directions Press, 1962: 1-3). So
Merton begins to invite us to consider practice contemplation in action which
will affect the way we look at the homeless as much as the trees.
Later, in a survey (Robert Toth, The Merton Institute) most of those contacted defined contemplative living as ‘leading a less busy, more quiet life or engaging in certain practices such as meditation, centring prayer or yoga. In the popular imagination contemplative living is still influenced by the close connection between contemplation and monks and nuns who leave "the world" and live in monasteries.’
‘There are some profoundly important characteristics in Merton's interpretation of contemplative living that distinguish it from popular notions of spirituality. First, it is specific in its focus on our four essential relationships. Secondly, it asserts that our contemplative/spiritual practices lead us to a clearer understanding of our responsibility in these relationships. Thirdly, it emphasizes that our everyday, active life is our spiritual life and that our contemplation should guide our actions; and fourthly, it provides direction to our actions that deepens and transforms our relationships in ways that are visible and measurable. These distinctive characteristics of contemplative living make it tangible and easy to adopt as a way of life.’ (Contemplative Living, The Abbey of the Arts, https:///abbeyofthearts.com/blog/2007/07/29/contemplative-living/)
That was clearly an impetus to the development of monastic life and would seem the cause for St. Francis’ Rule for Hermitages. Richard Rohr OFM has said that ‘Creation itself was Francis’ primary cathedral, which then drove him back into the needs of the city, a pattern very similar to Jesus’ own movement between desert solitude (contemplation) and small-town healing ministry (action)’ (A Cosmic Mutuality, CAC, October 6th, 2020).
Like others who heard the call to live with a deepening awareness of the presence of God in all things Francis found an example of the contemplative life in Mary the Mother of God. She had listened to the Word, given birth to it in the silence of her womb and contemplated Him with a growing awareness of His identity as she became what she was called to be:
Hail, holy Lady, most holy Queen,
Mary, Mother of God, ever Virgin.
You were chosen by the Most High Father in heaven,
consecrated by Him, with His most Holy Beloved Son
and the Holy Spirit, the
Comforter.
On you descended and
still remains all the fullness of grace
and every good.
Hail, His Palace.
Hail His Tabernacle.
Hail His Robe.
Hail His Handmaid.
Hail, His Mother.
and Hail, all holy Virtues,
who, by grace and inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
are poured into the hearts of the
faithful so that from their faithless state,
Both Francis and Merton show that contemplation affects the one who contemplates and concerns living in true relationship with oneself, God, others – and nature. As Fr. Richard Rohr OFM has written: ‘For Francis, nature itself was a mirror for the soul, for self, and for God. Clare used the word mirror more than any other metaphor for what is happening between God and soul. The job of religion and theology is to help us look in the mirror that is already present. All this “mirroring” eventually effects a complete change in consciousness’ (Contemplating the Goodness of God with St Francis).
Rohr points out that contemplative practices will affect the psyche to the extent that they can lead to a movement of the soul to want to live in such a way. Finally, our own Fr. Gilbert Shaw said in a talk to the Sisters of the Love of God: ‘(God) has brought in the Kingdom. There is nothing static about it: it is not an escape of the soul from the encumbrance of the body; nor is it a mystic consciousness of entities and experiences beyond the temporal. It is the experience of the whole of life lived for the will of God’ (Paper on Contemplative Prayer).
9th October,
2020
