Contemplation is a profound and transformative spiritual practice that has been cherished and cultivated by various religious and wisdom traditions throughout history. At its core, contemplation is a form of deep, silent prayer or meditation that seeks to bring the practitioner into a direct, intimate encounter with the divine reality. While contemplation shares some similarities with other spiritual practices, such as meditation, reflection, and mindfulness, it has its own distinct characteristics and aims.
In the context of Christian spirituality, particularly within the Catholic tradition, contemplation holds a special place as the highest form of prayer. It is seen as a way of opening oneself to the presence and action of God, surrendering to the transformative power of divine love, and allowing oneself to be drawn into the very life of the Trinity. Contemplation is not so much a technique or a method but rather a gift of grace, a way of being in relationship with God that transcends words, concepts, and images.
The practice of contemplation has been nurtured and developed by countless saints, mystics, and spiritual writers throughout the centuries. Among them, figures such as St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and Thomas Merton have left a rich legacy of teachings and insights on the nature and significance of contemplative prayer. Their wisdom continues to inspire and guide those who seek to deepen their spiritual lives and to enter more fully into the mystery of God’s presence.
Let’s explore the meaning and importance of contemplation, drawing on the insights of the Catholic tradition and the teachings of notable contemplatives such as Thomas Merton. We will also consider some of the paradoxes and challenges that arise in the practice of contemplation, and reflect on how this ancient spiritual discipline can continue to enrich and transform our lives in the modern world.
In the Catholic Tradition
In the Catholic Church, contemplation is considered the highest form of prayer, a grace-filled encounter with God that surpasses all other forms of spiritual practice. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes contemplation as “a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus,” and a “silent love” that attends to the presence of God without the need for words or discursive thoughts.
The Catholic tradition recognizes several key aspects of contemplative prayer:
Infused contemplation: This refers to a state of prayer that is understood to be a pure gift from God, not something that can be achieved through human effort alone. In infused contemplation, the soul is drawn into a profound sense of union with God, often accompanied by feelings of peace, joy, and love.
Silence and stillness: Contemplative prayer requires cultivating a deep inner silence and stillness, creating a space for God’s presence to be felt and heard. This often involves setting aside thoughts, images, and distractions, and simply resting in the presence of God.
Loving attentiveness: Contemplation is characterized by a loving, attentive gaze fixed on God, a gaze that is not so much about thinking or analyzing but rather about being fully present to the One who is always present to us.
Transformation: The goal of contemplative prayer is not simply to have a pleasant experience but to be transformed by the encounter with God. As one perseveres in contemplation, the soul is gradually reshaped in the likeness of Christ, and one’s whole life becomes more aligned with God’s will and love.
While contemplation is often associated with monastic life and the spirituality of religious orders, the Catholic Church teaches that the invitation to contemplative prayer is extended to all the faithful. The Second Vatican Council, in its document on the Church (Lumen Gentium), affirmed that all Christians are called to holiness and to a life of intimate union with God, and that contemplation is one of the chief means by which this union is nurtured and deepened.
At the same time, the Catholic tradition also recognizes that contemplation is a gift that cannot be forced or manufactured by human effort. It requires a humble, patient, and receptive attitude, a willingness to let go of one’s own agendas and expectations and to allow God to work in the soul according to God’s own wisdom and grace.
Thomas Merton’s Insights
Thomas Merton, a 20th-century American Trappist monk, writer, and mystic, is widely regarded as one of the most influential spiritual figures of his time. His writings on contemplation, particularly in his book “New Seeds of Contemplation,” have had a profound impact on the understanding and practice of contemplative prayer in the modern world.
In “New Seeds of Contemplation,” Merton offers a deep and nuanced exploration of the nature and significance of contemplative prayer. He emphasizes several key aspects of contemplation:
Surrender to God: For Merton, contemplation is ultimately about surrendering oneself completely to God, letting go of attachments, self-will, and the illusion of control. It is a radical act of trust and self-abandonment to the mystery of God’s love.
Encounter with the divine: Contemplation is not just a technique or a method but a transformative encounter with the living God. It is a direct, intimate experience of the divine presence that goes beyond words, concepts, and images.
Inner transformation: The goal of contemplation is not just to have a pleasant or peaceful experience but to be inwardly transformed by the encounter with God. As one perseveres in contemplative prayer, the false self (the ego) gradually falls away, and one’s true self, the self that is hidden with Christ in God, begins to emerge.
Solitude and silence: Merton emphasizes the importance of cultivating solitude and silence as essential conditions for deep contemplative prayer. In the stillness and quiet of the heart, one becomes more attentive to the subtle movements of God’s Spirit.
Integration of action and contemplation: For Merton, contemplation is not an escape from the world but a way of being more fully present to it. True contemplation, he argues, should lead to a more compassionate, just, and prophetic engagement with the world and its challenges.
Merton also warns against certain pitfalls and false forms of spirituality that can arise in the pursuit of contemplation. He cautions against spiritual pride, self-deception, and the temptation to use contemplation as a means of escaping from the demands of love and service to others.
Instead, Merton invites readers to approach contemplation with humility, authenticity, and a genuine openness to God’s transforming grace. He encourages a kind of “unknowing” or “darkness” in prayer, a willingness to let go of one’s own ideas and expectations and to trust in the hidden work of God in the depths of the soul.
Ultimately, for Merton, contemplation is not just a personal pursuit but a way of participating in the very life and love of God. It is a path of ongoing conversion and transformation, a journey into the heart of the divine mystery that is always calling us to deeper union and more authentic service in the world.
The Paradoxical Nature
One of the most striking aspects of contemplation is its paradoxical nature. On the one hand, contemplation is about entering into a deep, intimate relationship with God, a relationship characterized by love, trust, and surrender. On the other hand, contemplation also involves a keen awareness of God’s otherness, mystery, and transcendence, an awareness that can be both unsettling and transformative.
At the heart of the paradox is the realization that God’s love for us is utterly unconditional and freely given. We do not have to earn God’s love or prove ourselves worthy of it. In fact, any attempt to do so is a form of self-reliance that can actually hinder our ability to receive the gift of God’s grace. Contemplation, then, requires a profound humility and poverty of spirit, a willingness to let go of our own agendas and to allow God to love us as we are.
At the same time, the very intimacy and intensity of God’s love can be overwhelming, even terrifying. As we enter more deeply into the reality of God’s presence, we may experience a kind of “dark night” or “cloud of unknowing,” a sense of being stripped of our usual supports and plunged into a mystery that surpasses our understanding. This is not a sign that something is wrong but rather a natural part of the journey into divine union.
The paradox of contemplation is beautifully expressed in the writings of Meister Eckhart, a 13th-14th century German Dominican mystic. Eckhart speaks of the “ground of the soul,” the innermost core of our being where God dwells. In this ground, he says, there is no distinction between God and the soul; they are one. Yet, at the same time, Eckhart also emphasizes the absolute transcendence of God, the fact that God is always infinitely beyond our concepts and categories.
For Eckhart, the path of contemplation is a path of letting go, of surrendering our attachment to images, ideas, and experiences, and allowing ourselves to sink into the “desert” of God’s presence. It is a path of radical simplicity and poverty, a stripping away of all that is not God so that God alone may dwell in us.
This paradox of intimacy and otherness, of unity and distinction, lies at the heart of the Christian understanding of contemplation. It is a reminder that God is not an object to be grasped or controlled but a living presence to be encountered and surrendered to. It is an invitation to let go of our limited, dualistic ways of thinking and to enter into the spaciousness and freedom of divine love.
Ultimately, the paradox of contemplation is not something to be resolved but rather a mystery to be lived. As we persevere in the practice of contemplative prayer, we gradually learn to hold the tension of opposites, to rest in the space between knowing and not-knowing, and to trust in the transforming power of God’s grace. In this way, contemplation becomes not just a momentary experience but a way of being, a fundamental orientation of the heart towards the One who is always with us and for us.
The Language of Mystical Theology
One of the challenges of exploring contemplation and mystical theology is the language used to describe these experiences. Mystical writers often employ paradoxical, poetic, and even shocking language to express realities that lie beyond the grasp of ordinary speech and rational understanding. This can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations if the language is not approached with care and nuance.
For example, when mystics speak of “no God” or “killing the Buddha,” they are not advocating for atheism or violence but rather challenging our limited, dualistic concepts of the divine. They are inviting us to let go of our idolatrous attachments to particular images or ideas of God and to open ourselves to the living reality that surpasses all our categories.
Similarly, when contemplatives speak of “emptiness,” “nothingness,” or “darkness,” they are not promoting a nihilistic worldview but rather pointing to the inadequacy of our usual ways of knowing and experiencing reality. They are inviting us to let go of our reliance on sense perceptions, thoughts, and feelings and to sink into the depths of God’s presence, which is often experienced as a kind of luminous darkness or radiant void.
The language of mystical theology, then, is not meant to be taken literally but rather as a kind of “finger pointing at the moon,” a way of gesturing towards a reality that cannot be fully captured in words. It is a language that seeks to awaken in us a sense of wonder, awe, and openness to the mystery of God’s presence.
At the same time, the language of mystical theology is not a matter of mere poetic license or subjective expression. It is rooted in the lived experience of countless contemplatives who have tasted the reality of God’s presence and have struggled to find words to express the inexpressible. It is a language that has been tested and refined in the crucible of spiritual practice and has proven its power to evoke and illuminate the depths of the human soul.
Approaching the language of mystical theology, then, requires a certain humility and willingness to let go of our usual ways of understanding. It invites us to enter into the silence and stillness of contemplation, to listen with the ear of the heart, and to allow ourselves to be transformed by the living word that speaks in the depths of our being.
Ultimately, the language of mystical theology is not an end in itself but rather a means of opening us to the reality of God’s presence. As we persevere in the practice of contemplation, we gradually learn to rest in the space beyond words, to abide in the silence that is pregnant with meaning, and to allow ourselves to be drawn ever more deeply into the mystery of divine love.
In this way, the language of mystical theology becomes a kind of sacrament, a visible sign of an invisible grace. It becomes a way of participating in the very life and love of God, who is always speaking to us in the depths of our hearts, inviting us to let go of our false selves and to discover our true identity in the divine presence.
What is Contemplation?
Contemplation is a rich and transformative spiritual practice that has the power to deepen our relationship with God and with ourselves. By cultivating a quiet, attentive presence and a willingness to surrender to the mystery of divine love, we open ourselves to a profound encounter with the living God who dwells within us and around us.
As we have seen, contemplation is not just a matter of technique or method but rather a way of being, a fundamental orientation of the heart towards God. It requires a certain poverty of spirit, a letting go of our attachments and agendas, and a trust in the hidden work of grace in the depths of our being.
The practice of contemplation is not always easy or comfortable. It can involve a kind of “dark night” or “cloud of unknowing,” a sense of being stripped of our usual supports and plunged into a mystery that surpasses our understanding. Yet, as the mystics remind us, this darkness is actually a sign of God’s presence, a luminous darkness that purifies and transforms us from within.
At the same time, contemplation is not an escape from the world but rather a way of being more fully present to it. As we enter more deeply into the reality of God’s presence, we are called to a more authentic and compassionate engagement with the world and its challenges. We are invited to become channels of God’s love and grace, to work for justice and peace, and to care for the most vulnerable among us.
The language of mystical theology, with its paradoxes and poetry, reminds us that the reality of God’s presence always exceeds our concepts and categories. It invites us to approach the mystery of contemplation with humility, openness, and a willingness to be transformed by the living word that speaks in the depths of our being.
Ultimately, contemplation is a gift and a grace, an invitation to participate in the very life and love of God. As we persevere in this practice, we gradually learn to rest in the presence of the One who is always with us and for us, the One who calls us by name and draws us into ever deeper union with the divine life.
In a world that is often marked by noise, distraction, and division, the practice of contemplation offers a path of deep peace, wholeness, and communion. It is a reminder that we are not alone, that we are held in the embrace of a love that surpasses all understanding, and that we are called to be bearers of that love in the world.
May all who feel called to the path of contemplation find the courage and grace to persevere, trusting in the One who is always guiding us and sustaining us on the journey. And may the fruits of contemplation – the gifts of wisdom, compassion, and unity – continue to enrich and transform our world, drawing us ever closer to the heart of the divine mystery.
Image by SSidde
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