Rest in the Spirit

 While at the pool the other day, I was struck by an infant's expression of comfort while she was asleep in her daddy's arms.  All the explanations I 've heard and read and seen, about contemplation talk about uniting oneself to God.  In doing that one has to let go of all their concerns, responsibilities, needs, etc.  You imagine resting in God.

After watching that baby, I think that when I contemplate I will imagine myself as an infant resting in my mother's arms. I would have complete dependence upon my mother for my needs and when I sleep I would have no cares because someone who loves me is taking care of everything.  That someone is God.

Impoverished without Contemplation

Impoverished without Contemplation: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in one of his Gulag books tells of how he and other prisoners were kept in buildings without any windows, yet each day, when they were being marched from one prison bloc to another they slowly gazed at the sliver of light from outside...



I hear similar stories all the time from my "cloistered brothers," as they are transported to doctors or the hospital.  They hungrily soak in the views from the windows as they rush by, all too fast.

Read the article; it'll will inspire you to be grateful.

Prayer as a Foundation for Mercy

Peter Schmidt, ocso

The Cistercian monk, Father Peter Schmidt gave a talk today at Fatima Shrine, on prayer.  For the year of Mercy, that Pope France proclaimed, the Xaverians who minister at the shrine, are offering monthly presentations.  Today's was "Prayer as a foundation for Mercy."

Father Peter began by referencing the beatitude, "Blessed are the pure of heart."  We had a hard time pinning down exactly who would qualify as "pure of heart."  The best definition boiled down to "deep humility."

The questions were mostly about distractions during prayer.  And I learned something new in this particular discussion.  I knew that when distractions came, you ignore them.  I also knew that sometimes you can use the distractions in your prayer.  But I never thought that maybe God was trying to tell me something in the distraction.  I will have to discern my distractions.  They just may be important and not just nonsense.  

We discussed centering prayer, the difference between meditation and contemplation.  We did a Lectio Divina on Mark 10: 46-52 and we surprised Father Peter with our choices of Meditatio.  We learned that prayer leads to compassionate mercy.  Prayer is the foundation for mercy.

Inner Vision = Grace

Quissett

The Cape has been a second home to me for over forty years.  For almost forty years, I have been an admirer of the artist Karen Rinaldo.  Karen is known for her Cape Cod scenes, especially Falmouth.  This Friday, Falmouth's newspaper, The Enterprise, did a feature on Karen Rinaldo, which I read with great interest.  The writer, Theresa Pease did a good job in creating a picture (pun intended) of this local artist.  If you need to reference, it's The Enterprise, Friday, August 2014, Page One A and continued onto Page Three A.  The article ended with this paragraph,

"My mother was always deeply involved with what I was doing," the artist said, "and when she lost her sight I found that I could use only words to convey to her what I was working on.  But before she died she taught me about another whole vision that she called the inner vision.  She told me that when I had a problem, or wanted to recall or create something beautiful, I could shut my eyes and find a path to it.  Now, as an artist, I close my eyes and tap into that inner vision almost on a daily basis."

Ms. Rinaldo is talking about meditation. She is doing it without knowing the correct terminology.  Although inner vision is apt.  Whether one is talking about Buddhist or any Eastern meditation, or Christian contemplation, meditation, centering, lectio divina, etc., the result is a clear path to an answer.  Catholics call this grace.

It's the grace of God that leads us.  Anyone who spends time alone and centers himself, knows whereof I speak.  It's very beneficial and I don't know how people live without it.

I wish Karen Rinaldo would write a book of her meditations.  It would be great if she illustrated it, too.  She could even call it, Inner Visions.  I bet it would exemplify the grace of God.

The Best Contemplation

An interesting definition, if not description,  of contemplation, is found in The Secular Journal of Thomas Merton, Farrar, Straus, & Cudahy, New York, 1959.

Merton is looking at the picture above.  This is Fra Angelico's "Temptation of St. Anthony."  This subject, St. Anthony of the Desert's temptation is a common theme, among artists, probably because it's so open to each person's interpretation of "temptation."  In Fra Angelico's, it's the world.  That's a lump of gold, in the lower right side.  I tend to think the temptation was everything (like all of us). However, since he was a consecrated hermit, the temptation was probably theological doubt.

When Merton looks at St. Anthony he notes the background.  The saint is in the middle of dry gullies, yet in the background are trees.  He's in a desert, yet we see a city.  Are you getting the idea?  Anyway, St. Anthony is surprised, look at the way his cape is draped.  His arms are in the "infant startle position."

In the back is a church on a hill.  (Go Anthony, go!)

"Just as prayer leads to stillness, and timelessness in contemplation, so the action of this picture leads to contemplation on an esthetic level.  Therefore looking at a picture demands penetration, understanding, meditation.  If people looked at good pictures more, they would learn more about meditation, and if they meditated more they would learn more about looking at pictures."

Merton goes on about that startle movement of St. Anthony's.  "By realizing what constitutes the action in a good picture, we can get some sort of analogical grasp of what the joys of the blessed are in heaven."  That's because of the joy we receive by looking at good art, listening to good music, reading good books, enjoying the company of good friends, and contemplating the good God.

Contemplation

I equate contemplation with meditation and mysticism. I think it's the same awareness level into which I'm absorbed. It's an experience. I'm having difficulty articulating that experience because, well...it's inexpressable.
Afterwards, I am not the same person. Let me correct that. Actually, I am the same person; only more aware of me.
It is peaceful. Nice. I thank God for this gift.