“What is contemplative prayer? St. Teresa answers: “Contemplative prayer [oracion mental] in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.” Contemplative prayer seeks him “whom my soul loves.” It is Jesus, and in him, the Father. We seek him, because to desire him is always the beginning of love, and we seek him in that pure faith which causes us to be born of him and to live in him. In this inner prayer we can still meditate, but our attention is fixed on the Lord himself”. Catechism of the Catholic Church # 2709
Lately, I have been meditating upon prayer. There are so many forms of prayer out there, almost as many as the grains of sand on the beach. I’ve never considered myself as a Contemplative Pray-er though.
Contemplative prayer presupposes our effort. Contemplative prayer is “hearing the Word of God” (2716), Contemplative prayer is silence, the “symbol of the world to come” or “silent love.” (2717), Contemplative prayer is a union with the prayer of Christ (2718), Contemplative prayer is a communion of love (2719). But, what rang in my heart is that contemplative prayer is a ‘gaze of love.”
“Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus. “I look at him and he looks at me”: this is what a certain peasant of Ars in the time of his holy curé used to say while praying before the tabernacle”.
Then, I read these words from paragraph 2715 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and my view started to change. And, I thought of all those times I’ve knelt before the Lord in Eucharistic Adoration, not saying or praying a word. Just kneeling and staring at Jesus in the Eucharist. I have felt guilty in the past but, came to love the silent times of just being with Him. Suddenly reading 2715, I see how much contemplative prayer seems to be the core of who I am. Outside of praise at least haha.
“Words in this kind of prayer are not speeches” (2717).
It isn’t about fancy words, not about saying the right thing or feeling bad because one said the wrong thing or forgot something. It’s simply about being in His presence. Martha was angry at Mary for doing exactly this (Luke 10:38-42). Yet, the Lord commends Mary for having “chosen what is better.”