Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Contemplation
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Another quote from Merton, one that I remember from his book New Seeds of Contemplation, which really got me thinking and trying to live contemplatively. And then it was also the quote that was put inside our booklets on the retreat. (I added the emphasis in bold)
"Contemplation is the highest expression of man's intellectual and spiritual life. It is that life itself, fully awake, fully active, 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. Contemplation is, above all, awareness of the reality of that Source."
Throughout the retreat, I continued to hear God say, "I am here. I am here." I feel like that is one of the core messages that I came away with from those four days spent in reflection and seeking. God is here. S/he is everywhere! Even when I don't expect it, look for it, anticipate or even believe it - God is here. Even now. Even here. Praise God!
So I'll just mention it here briefly, (for the very few who read this blog :) This retreat was a real blessing for me, a great opportunity to wonder, to seek, to become awake and aware of the reality of God's Presence. And I suspect that there are others (perhaps many others) who are seeking God, or desire to seek God, but aren't sure they know where or how to look. I'd like to tell you more about contemplation, more about Merton, more about Jesus' barrier-breaking presence that invades us every moment of the day.
And perhaps we could take a retreat together to Gethsemani in KY - to sit, think, wonder, and find God together.
Another quote from Merton, one that I remember from his book New Seeds of Contemplation, which really got me thinking and trying to live contemplatively. And then it was also the quote that was put inside our booklets on the retreat. (I added the emphasis in bold)
"Contemplation is the highest expression of man's intellectual and spiritual life. It is that life itself, fully awake, fully active, 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. Contemplation is, above all, awareness of the reality of that Source."
Throughout the retreat, I continued to hear God say, "I am here. I am here." I feel like that is one of the core messages that I came away with from those four days spent in reflection and seeking. God is here. S/he is everywhere! Even when I don't expect it, look for it, anticipate or even believe it - God is here. Even now. Even here. Praise God!
So I'll just mention it here briefly, (for the very few who read this blog :) This retreat was a real blessing for me, a great opportunity to wonder, to seek, to become awake and aware of the reality of God's Presence. And I suspect that there are others (perhaps many others) who are seeking God, or desire to seek God, but aren't sure they know where or how to look. I'd like to tell you more about contemplation, more about Merton, more about Jesus' barrier-breaking presence that invades us every moment of the day.
And perhaps we could take a retreat together to Gethsemani in KY - to sit, think, wonder, and find God together.
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