St. Francis said of Brother Giles that he more than any other had arrived at the perfection of contemplative prayer. And Brother Giles himself used to say, "The contemplative life is to leave behind all earthly things for the love of God, to seek only the things of heaven, to pray without tiring, to read often and with concentration, to praise God continually with hymns and canticles. To contemplate is to be seperated from all and to be united to God alone."
The Anonymous of Perugia - Chapter 3:14
The Mirror of Perfection - 85
The Golden Sayings of Brother Giles - Chapter XIII
Dearest Marie Cecile-
ReplyDeleteThank you!
The key to what you said is, "and we act upon it." But do we? Do I? I am ashamed to admit that I spend more time flat on my rumplestiltskin than I do carrying on the work of my Savior.
But Marie Cecile, part of the contemplative life is learning, or discerning, what is required of you in terms of "acts"; what is appropriate and desirable from a grace-filled non-contemplative is not the same as for a contemplative. The Lord will help you to discern this, and will show you what He desires you to get involved in and what He would consider excessive for you as a contemplative.
ReplyDeleteI agree, gabrielle. If we never get past Meditatio or Oratio, it is God and God alone who will lead us into His waiting arms.
ReplyDeleteGod places desires in our hearts so that we might better serve Him...so just follow the longings of your heart, marie cecile! He's there! And He's been there all the time!