It is a type of prayer that is characterized by having a strong meditative dimension. Contemplation can be defined as “the set of deep meditations, which go so far as to break all connection of the mind and body with tangible things.”
We can see that, in this definition, the word “meditations” comes to light. Therefore, it can be said that contemplation consists of putting the body, mind and soul in a meditative posture, with the aim of getting as close to God as possible. In fact, contemplation does not only correspond to the last phase of lectio divina, but also to a form of prayer as such. Even the Catholic Church of France considers that “contemplation is necessary in the life of every Christian so that their actions reflect their love for God”. I imagine that you will ask yourself specifically, what is contemplation and how is it done? We explain it to you below:
Contemplation: some tips
Focus on the presence of God
As Mary did, we too can sit at the feet of Christ, and try not to let ourselves be overwhelmed by anxiety, like Martha. “Mary chose the best part”, and when we decide to contemplate God, we are also choosing the best part. Therefore, we must make sure to enjoy it: it is about putting aside any mental or soul agitation, more than the physical one, and meet the Lord.
In fact, as in all meditative prayer, it is advisable to begin our time of contemplation by remaining silent within ourselves. We must allow our being to return to calm, just as when the tide of the sea is expected to ebb. It is necessary that our inner Martha comes to sit with Mary to contemplate Jesus in silence. In the same way that the impurities of the sea go to the bottom, for the water to be clear and transparent, we must allow our sometimes agitated mind and spirit to open up to feel the presence of God within us. To do this, we need to focus our attention on ourselves, because that is precisely where God lives.
Lean on the Word of God
“Yes, I beheld you in the Sanctuary to see your power and your glory” (Ps 62:3). When we enter into contemplation, we can ask the Lord for the grace to see his strength and his glory.
God has revealed himself to us through his Son Jesus Christ. What better way to contemplate God than through the Bible? When we sit down to contemplate God, we can lean on the Scriptures. Let us contemplate his glory through the Gospels, let us read and repeat his words, let us admire his actions. Finally, let us focus our attention on Jesus and the various manifestations of him: his words, his works, his teachings and his presence, so real in the Eucharist.
contemplate with love
It is inevitable that our thoughts wander. Therefore, we must be careful to continually refocus all our attention on God, and drive away any thoughts that are not related to Him. Contemplation is more an exercise in love than in concentration. In fact, if our whole being is oriented towards the love of Jesus for us, and we offer him all the love we have for him, our thoughts will be less distracted and our contemplation will bear more fruit.
Contemplate and be contemplated
Let us not forget that, in our moments of contemplation, we are not alone: we are never alone. If we decide to contemplate God, we must know that He is there, waiting for us, long before we arrive: He is there contemplating us and looking at us with love. Remembering this enriches our own contemplation.
Contemplation according to the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola
Immerse yourself in the scriptures with our senses
In his spiritual exercises, Saint Ignatius of Loyola proposes a way of contemplating God based on the Scriptures: it is about immersing yourself in a passage of the Bible, with your imagination, after having read it. To achieve this end, it is convenient to scrutinize every aspect of the passage with all our senses. For example, with our eyes we visualize the passage as if we were watching a movie. With our ears, we listen to what the characters say to each other, and to the noises around us. With touch, we perceive what the physical sensations are, if it is hot, cold, if the wind touches your skin, if the sand gets into your sandals, etc. And with smell and taste we can discover what is in the environment.
scrutinize our lives
After spending some time immersed in a scene from the life of Jesus, after carefully observing everything that happens and the way he behaves, we can try to analyze our daily life, or a specific episode of our life. Do we behave as Jesus would have done? Do we resemble Christ in most things? This internal review allows us to highlight our weaknesses and shortcomings, and motivates us to become aware of what we need to improve. In this way, we can then rise up ready to act in the best possible way, in the image of Jesus.
Contemplation in our daily life
In our daily life, it is only enough to open our eyes to contemplate the glory of God. What better manifestation of God than his creation? Let us therefore contemplate God when we look at our neighbor: God lives in them, just as he lives in each one of us; when we look at others, we see God.
Let us broaden our horizons and observe (depending on where we live) the trees, the rivers, the fruits and vegetables, the mountains, the sea or the countryside, let us observe the flowers and the fields, the sky and the stars, the sun and the moon, rain, rainbow, clouds, etc. All these are manifestations of God in our life; let us be aware of it when we look around us: God manifests himself everywhere around us, and shows himself in all his splendor. Let us learn to see him and contemplate what he offers us!
Learn to contemplate with
offers you various communities so you can learn more about Jesus, or ask Mary for her help to get closer to Jesus. For example, you can consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, or you can also join this community, and learn to walk as a child of God, following in the footsteps of Jesus. Also, you can click here and discover other prayer communities in .