concept of mystical contemplation.
Let's take a step in the progress of the prayer, leaving established that all these stages or successive steps are independent of man but of God's free. While we must not forget that grace works in the place where the soul is prepared.
And as we stepping on a spiritual level is just to explain our confusion when writing on these topics. As a man who does not know a foreign language, it is difficult to express in that language, and the man is very difficult to explain, much less outline what are the movements of the soul, especially when these movements, as we shall see, are caused by God. "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him" \u200b\u200b(1 Cor 2, 9).
We start with the various existing definitions of contemplation. That there contemplation is the product of human intellect, where the man reaches the object of contemplation through the use of its powers. You can see a landscape and we were amazed at his beauty. Thus, we have reached the object referred to, beauty, through our faculties, the sense of sight, hearing and reflection on these images and sounds we made in our minds. Can be also intellectual contemplation in which the mind contemplates and reaches its target, the study of a subject, a mathematical problem and contemplation is achieved through the application of mental faculties. We can speak of contemplation from the spiritual point of view where the object can be a gospel scene, the examples of Christ's life. The mind contemplates and takes possession of such objects, but always through their faculties.
a summary If we would say that the natural contemplation is seeing an object with admiration. This natural contemplation may be sensitive, imaginative and intellectual, depending on the object to contemplate.
mystical contemplation is something else. This is a gift from God in which man participates little or nothing. We'll explain it better, to describe the various types of mystical contemplation can be: acquired or infused. To give a definition of Tanquerey help us with the understanding that he uses different terms may be comparable to those of different authors mystics. "The word contemplation implies, strictly speaking, a simple act of the intellect, abstracting the various emotional or imaginative elements that accompany it, but when the object referred to is beautiful and kind, the act is associated with admiration and love. By extension it is called contemplation, prayer that special quality is the predominance of this look simple. Where it is not necessary that this act will last all the time prayer. Just as a common and accompanied by emotions. Contemplative prayer is distinguished from discursive prayer because it excludes the large number of long arguments. And unlike affective prayer, contemplation excludes the multitude of acts that qualify affective prayer. You can define contemplation (mysticism) as a simple and loving gaze of God and divine things. "
Tanquerey still makes a division between acquired contemplative prayer, infused and mixed. Learned that prayer is a predominantly affect only a single act of will. We can therefore say that is a simplified affective prayer, where the faculties of man are still working but are aided by the grace to keep the simplicity of affection and unity among themselves.
infused mystical contemplation is one in which the vision we have of the object referred to does not depend on the faculties of man, but a grace of God and more specifically the Holy Spirit . It is the Holy Spirit that allows this unique vision of unity. Is the fruit of a special action of the Holy Spirit upon the soul.
There is also what Tanquerey mystical contemplation called mixed and Charles André Bernard called "pieces of contemplation." These are moments that God gives the soul of infused contemplation. Not drag on for long time and alternate with acquired contemplation.
The purpose makes the difference.
consider these concepts that try to explain what is mystical contemplation, It should be noted the difference with oriental contemplation, especially in a time when Western society, "which means the maximum, want it fast and he wants without effort" looking for a satisfying their hunger for infinity. Contemplation of Eastern court, whatever it may be, intends to empty the man himself to get in tune with the universe. Is not feeling, not wanting, not like to be in tune with creation. Create a vacuum, a state of Nirvan reports to peace and tranquility. "Some Eastern methods (...) do not hesitate to put the absolute without image or concept, characteristic of the theory Buddhist, on the same level as the majesty of God revealed in Christ, which rises beyond all finite reality, and to that end, use one that transcends any statement about God (...) We propose abandoning not only meditation saving work that the God of the old and the new alliance has taken place in history, but even the very idea of \u200b\u200bthe triune God who is love, for <> immersion. "
Far from being a destruction of being, the Christian mystical contemplation seeks to empty itself, to achieve a greater love of God. We Furioli say that the man of prayer has been prepared through a long way. By controlling the instincts mortification disordered passions, and inclinations of the sensitivity, reading, meditation and prayer correcting their way into God's will, desires and aspirations are becoming more and more perfect to search only God. This is a movement that many have identified as a time when the soul wants to free himself of all created to look only to God. "To seek God is tending to all the forces to be God, God lives in us and always give greater momentum, greater development of this life."
However, the soul begins to be aware that God is greater than her. Although paradoxically seeks to love God, you realize you can not do it alone. Realize that two is greater than its own strength, their love is bigger than love and that alone can achieve nothing more than sin and misery. It is in these moments when God gives the soul the special grace of being able to contemplate. "God sends His Spirit to fulfill the man a new act of love, and the Holy Spirit, beyond the theological virtues infused, <> infuses grace," is a gesture of the Spirit, not the effort man man raised in an act of love and living faith infused, penetrating. And the man under the new inspiration, envisages loves and enjoys a new light on the mysteries of faith and mind with a new strength and intuition than in the heart of the Father. "
"The difference seems to be very subtle but very profound. This state of consciousness in which the meditator tries to reach the deification of self, is very different from the abandonment of self that makes the Christian contemplative prayer, in which the soul is open and surrender to God who dwells in within man-are "living temples of the Spirit Ghost "(1a.Cor.3, 16)-if we are in a state of grace. (...) The mystical experiences induced through meditation pagan East or" metaphysical "have nothing to do with the state of union with Triune God: God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit of Christian contemplation, in which the True and Living God is doing in the soul of the potter's work praying for shaping it according to His Will go (cf. Jer. 18, 1-6). really what do we have the methods of "meditation" pagan? The exclusive focus on "me." What does the so-called "metaphysical"? Your mind is "god" you can accomplish anything you want, just as you want, your mind can do anything. This is the contemplation that the man is the result not of his effort, his life of grace, of prayer, but a grace received from God through the Holy Spirit. Contemplation not seeking the stillness of being, as East contemplation, but is produced by God to fulfill the yearning for love of man. We can therefore say that the oriental contemplation is the result of human action to reach a total passivity, the Christian mystical contemplation is given by God that you love him with all your soul and with all your heart, with your whole being. "
What is mystical contemplation?
Contrary to what we think, mystical contemplation is not seeing apparitions of angels and have the privilege of seeing Jesus Christ on this earth. We talked about the power to contemplate, love and enjoy a new light the mysteries of faith. If we point out their main characteristics can say that the mystical contemplation is not the natural order, so it depends entirely on the grace that God wants to give the man. "It's a simple and loving knowledge of God and his works, the result not of human activity aided by grace, but a special inspiration of the Holy Spirit." God is light and strength that illuminates and moves in the gifts of man Spirit, particularly those of the intellect and wisdom so that the soul can know God experimentally and their works.
An image often used to express the concept of contemplation is used by St. Therese of Lisieux in saying that the tension to perfection can be likened to loo efforts, vain, which makes a child to climb the first step of a long staircase. The mother is touched by these efforts and in a blink of an eye load the child in his arms and takes him to the top of the stairs. Thus he can represent the mystical contemplation and action of God to lead the soul to the end of the ladder.
can add mentioned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: "Contemplation is also intense time of prayer par excellence. In it, the Father grants that we vigorously strengthened by his Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell by faith in our hearts, that are rooted and Comments in love. "
activity and passivity of the soul in mystical contemplation
God and man.
should be clear that in mystical contemplation of man operations, especially the intellectual operation continues to operate. Receive the grace of contemplation does not mean that human activities are canceled. This would so as to be already talking about a rapture or paranaturales phenomena. The man continues to act with its powers and operations for mystical contemplation. What happens is that God's grace that sends allow you to see a new light with its mysteries and plays, acting in their faculties, so that the powers cease to be human, to become superhuman. The intellect, which is the operation most affected during contemplation, it acts in different ways for mystical contemplation.
The natural action of the intellect is to proceed through the formation of ideas el juicio y el razonamiento, bien pudiendo ser este último deductivo o inductivo. Estas operaciones la aplicamos en la oración yendo del visible al invisible, de la percepción de los sentidos a la reflexión intelectual y a los afectos de la voluntad. En cambio, en la contemplación es Dios quien actúa, infunde en nuestro espíritu una gracia que nos lleva “ahora a arriesgar nuestro espíritu, ahora a inflamar nuestra voluntad, ahora a fortificar nuestro corazón, ahora a darnos un tiempo de luz, ardor, y fuerza sobrenatural o a dejarnos percibir sola la distinción de nuestro modo humano de actuar, nuestra impotencia, nuestro nada.”
difference between meditation and contemplation
The main difference is highlighted and pointed out several times before is that meditation is the result of man and contemplation is a gift of God.
In meditation he begins to know God through human faculties and their willingness to comply with removable begins only with his will. In contemplation, God gives man a new knowledge and allows its powers to act in supernaturally. "We are with God, we join him in a light and love that are in us, but not ours, not ours, and leads us to know God, to love in a way that goes beyond a process reflection, detachment and exalting the human way of seeing and feeling the truth, which is no longer act that our human activities, not helped by the ordinary grace. "
signs or criteria for passing from meditation to contemplation.
The importance of signs or criteria.
So far, the soul that was honestly engaged in prayer, depends on its efforts to meet God. Reading, reflection, acts of the will were merely human means to better prepare to encounter the grace of the Lord to hear His voice and follow his will.
When the soul moves and wants to give himself completely to love, if God gives the grace of contemplation mysticism, are no longer human criteria to determine if the guide is on the right track. Must be careful not to be deceived by the devil or not by herself.
For the devil, because often the dark angel is clad in light and where it is believed to have mystical contemplation and may be just a game away from the devil for the soul a journey of conversion, believing now completely converted.
She can also deceive and what she thinks is contemplating may be an imagination or an excuse for not trying in discursive prayer.
Several authors mystics like St. Teresa and San Juan de la Cruz have left us or sign criteria in which the soul can be trusted to know the price point that God calls grace contemplation, meditation leaving.
First sign: the difficulty in doing meditation.
The soul can do as a meditation discursive as he used to do at the beginning of his prayer life. As God would give her the gift of contemplation and as the soul wants to love God above all things and purified and its weaknesses, is ready to go with where God instructed. Discursive meditation being a basic fare to meet the love of God, the soul is lost, that affection is not found before. Quickly leads to acts of will (emotions, decisions, questions) that most resemble or more closer to infused contemplation.
spiritual director, says San Juan Cross, must be very careful not to ask these souls to continue doing an exercise that keeps them away from God instead of closer. Directed should ask their great trust in God, that He may proceed to give the gift of mystical contemplation.
Second sign: the soul finds no pleasure or satisfaction in any particular thing, interior or exterior
This sign is attached to the first . It may be that the soul will find meditation difficult for several reasons such as distraction, physical or mental fatigue, laziness or sloth. In these cases we can not speak of a sign that calls for contemplation. But when it is God who is inviting the soul to move to contemplation, to give him an experimental knowledge of Him and his stuff (purpose of mystical contemplation) then we can understand that the soul, moved by God, seeking only his pleasure in things of God.
third sign: the soul finds pleasure and satisfaction only in the affectionate intimacy with God.
And by extension we can say that this soul is not only comfortable in the internals of discursive prayer, but also do not know and things like outside, then begins to understand experimentally the greatness of God against all creatures.
This realization of the greatness of God from all creatures necessarily lead to happy to find no more than being with God, which is the third sign. The soul can and look lovingly to God and to enjoy the emotions without the need to go through discursive acts and exercise the powers of intellect, will, love. God the call themselves and the soul is happy in this event. "This loving general cognition is so delicate, subtle, especially when it is most pure, simple, perfect and more spiritual and internal, that the soul, but is itself busy, do not realize and do not feel it. "
concomitance of the three signs.
is necessary to give these three signs, to be sure that God is inviting the soul to mystical contemplation. Failing to do meditation, without being accompanied not finding a home in the internal and external things just met and enjoy God, could be understood as a deficiency of the soul who will not or can not or do not know strive to do well in meditation.
Therefore, the spiritual director or the same person, you make a complete review of the life of the soul to see that these signs are given at the same time and be sure that may be happening, because God invites the soul, prayer, discursive and affective mystical contemplation. Without the presence of these signs, the step would be reckless and endanger the true improvement spiritual soul.
The alternation of meditation and contemplation .
We have a schematic analysis of affective prayer and mystical contemplation. We also noted the signs for the passage of a type of prayer to another. However we must not forget that we are always trying to spiritual realities, the soul, God's design for that soul, human freedom, the grace of God. Expect that the steps occur automatically or to be given at certain times and under certain circumstances is to pigeonhole God.
While that may alternate moments of meditation with moments of contemplation, the soul must be attentive to God's action on itself. And to be sure not to miss, not where not to walk with a privileged to be able to seek advice on spiritual guidance. As progress in prayer is not the work of human effort alone, but of the free cooperation of man with the grace of God and knowing, as we shall see in the last chapter of this essay, the sentence also affects the whole life the soul, the signs I come across a person would have to be verified with life. And, as one is a good judge of his own cause, you can confront these signs with their spiritual director, so that will be sure to walk according to God's will and not according to itself.
It often happens that the soul can be influenced by a reading by an event in life or a strong desire for holiness, sometimes poorly expressed or misguided. The spiritual director's work will help to discern these circumstances and weighed as true grace of God or human desires.
The desire of contemplation.
For the foregoing reasons, we realize the importance and excellence of mystical contemplation. Since this type of prayer a Grace from God might ask whether it is legitimate to ask whether such grace and all souls are called to obtain this grace.
consecrated souls, by their very nature, are called to follow more closely Christ, to imitate him in all his actions. We can therefore establish that the desire of contemplation is concomitant to the nature of the consecrated life, because if Christ is the first viewer of the Father, His closest followers, consecrated persons are therefore invited to mystical contemplation. Furthermore, without this mystical contemplation of little or no action in Edmundo would therefore seek to reflect the souls enshrined in action what they have referred to in prayer. "The religious men and women must continue in each period following the example of Christ the Lord in prayer, feeding a deep communion of feelings in him (cf. Phil 2: 5-11), so that his life is imbued with an apostolic spirit and all their apostolic action is sustained by the sight. "
And not only is lawful and desirable to desire, but this desire is very healthy. However, as is a gift we must prepare ourselves to receive grace. And here we must be very cautious. Not ready to receive the same grace that we know we will be given the grace to prepare to possibly will be given. Who is prepared to receive the grace of forgiveness through the sacrament of confession is prepared with appropriate acts, knowing that receive grace to the extent that the soul is open to receive it. However, the grace of mystical contemplation is God alone donate it to the souls that He has so. The soul may be made, but not ready to receive that grace. "The man should be made, be prompt and docile to the action of sweet guest living in it. "
is not through continuous prayer or ejaculations how the person has to follow the inclinations of the Spirit. Should engage itself in dialogue with God must begin a friendship with the "sweet guest of the soul" and become docile to his inspirations. The Spirit speaks to all people. The important thing is to listen. Do nothing without consulting the Spirit. Follow their motions. And all this to meet the more docile the will of God for yourself.
For this dialogue can take place and so the soul can be arranged to receive the gift of contemplation, some mystics have advised the experience of some virtues of mortification, simplicity, purity, humility and selflessness, and obedience.
Mortification .
The consecrated soul glimpses the benefits it can bring to their lives and their spiritual and apostolic work the gift of contemplation, you realize that contemplation is an enjoyment of God without any mixture of other creatures . May therefore be available to contemplate the extent that learning to use the creatures as only help you fulfill your purpose. Here we recall the maxim of St. Ignatius of Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises, of using creatures "as long as" necessary for my salvation.
This application is followed by a dedication to learn to give up those that are not useful to his own salvation, do not go according to the will of God. In consecrated life has been accustomed to use the mortification in a negative sense as not to see, let alone, not to say. Mortification is better to look to God, not ignoring or underestimating the things He created, but giving them their fair value. Is waived what is not God's will to choose what is the will of God. Without a positive vision of mortification, that is, the choice joyful best and good for the glory of God, mortification is reduced a negative exercise of will. It takes hold of mortification to live more joyfully union with God.
Simplicity.
Somehow the detachment of the creatures under the mortification gives souls, helps to practice the virtue of simplicity, which is nothing to see things with an objective reality see "through the eyes of God." The virtue of simplicity is a manifestation of the real attitude of the person, requires clarity, intelligence and uprightness of the will. The person no es sencilla (o) cuando hay una complicación y doblez en sus pensamientos y en sus deseos. Esta virtud cuida la concordancia entre el actuar y las intenciones de la persona, es opuesta a la doblez.
Prepara de esta forma a la contemplación mística que es la visión sencilla y única de Dios. Para vivir esta virtud el alma debe enseñarse a contemplar todo el acontecer cotidiano de su vida bajo la óptica de la voluntad de Dios, sin detenerse en las complicaciones que trae una visión mundana de las cosas y de los aconteceres.
Purity
perfect purity of mind and heart are the human spirit supernatural penetration which allows us to contemplate God's beauty, the sublime harmony of the divine perfections. The mind of the pure of heart, being detached from any inappropriate affect, can see better things of God.
San Antonio says that this virtue is a prerequisite for contemplation as it leaves the soul free from all inordinate affection, allowing a new vision to see things from God.
humility and selflessness.
Humility and selflessness to live with God and love people. As the soul begins to live detached from earthly things, will find satisfaction in the people we should try and yet, you must have an exquisite charitable to them.
Obedience
No is servile, but supernaturalize obedience to man, because it relieves the pride and put it in truth. In the obedience of faith illuminates and reinforces the vision of the mind, purifies the heart, prepares intuition and love of God in contemplation.
The exercise of this virtue increasingly purifies the person, detached from every creature, the correcting deep and ready to make the motions of the Holy Spirit.
Let's take a step in the progress of the prayer, leaving established that all these stages or successive steps are independent of man but of God's free. While we must not forget that grace works in the place where the soul is prepared.
And as we stepping on a spiritual level is just to explain our confusion when writing on these topics. As a man who does not know a foreign language, it is difficult to express in that language, and the man is very difficult to explain, much less outline what are the movements of the soul, especially when these movements, as we shall see, are caused by God. "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him" \u200b\u200b(1 Cor 2, 9).
We start with the various existing definitions of contemplation. That there contemplation is the product of human intellect, where the man reaches the object of contemplation through the use of its powers. You can see a landscape and we were amazed at his beauty. Thus, we have reached the object referred to, beauty, through our faculties, the sense of sight, hearing and reflection on these images and sounds we made in our minds. Can be also intellectual contemplation in which the mind contemplates and reaches its target, the study of a subject, a mathematical problem and contemplation is achieved through the application of mental faculties. We can speak of contemplation from the spiritual point of view where the object can be a gospel scene, the examples of Christ's life. The mind contemplates and takes possession of such objects, but always through their faculties.
a summary If we would say that the natural contemplation is seeing an object with admiration. This natural contemplation may be sensitive, imaginative and intellectual, depending on the object to contemplate.
mystical contemplation is something else. This is a gift from God in which man participates little or nothing. We'll explain it better, to describe the various types of mystical contemplation can be: acquired or infused. To give a definition of Tanquerey help us with the understanding that he uses different terms may be comparable to those of different authors mystics. "The word contemplation implies, strictly speaking, a simple act of the intellect, abstracting the various emotional or imaginative elements that accompany it, but when the object referred to is beautiful and kind, the act is associated with admiration and love. By extension it is called contemplation, prayer that special quality is the predominance of this look simple. Where it is not necessary that this act will last all the time prayer. Just as a common and accompanied by emotions. Contemplative prayer is distinguished from discursive prayer because it excludes the large number of long arguments. And unlike affective prayer, contemplation excludes the multitude of acts that qualify affective prayer. You can define contemplation (mysticism) as a simple and loving gaze of God and divine things. "
Tanquerey still makes a division between acquired contemplative prayer, infused and mixed. Learned that prayer is a predominantly affect only a single act of will. We can therefore say that is a simplified affective prayer, where the faculties of man are still working but are aided by the grace to keep the simplicity of affection and unity among themselves.
infused mystical contemplation is one in which the vision we have of the object referred to does not depend on the faculties of man, but a grace of God and more specifically the Holy Spirit . It is the Holy Spirit that allows this unique vision of unity. Is the fruit of a special action of the Holy Spirit upon the soul.
There is also what Tanquerey mystical contemplation called mixed and Charles André Bernard called "pieces of contemplation." These are moments that God gives the soul of infused contemplation. Not drag on for long time and alternate with acquired contemplation.
The purpose makes the difference.
consider these concepts that try to explain what is mystical contemplation, It should be noted the difference with oriental contemplation, especially in a time when Western society, "which means the maximum, want it fast and he wants without effort" looking for a satisfying their hunger for infinity. Contemplation of Eastern court, whatever it may be, intends to empty the man himself to get in tune with the universe. Is not feeling, not wanting, not like to be in tune with creation. Create a vacuum, a state of Nirvan reports to peace and tranquility. "Some Eastern methods (...) do not hesitate to put the absolute without image or concept, characteristic of the theory Buddhist, on the same level as the majesty of God revealed in Christ, which rises beyond all finite reality, and to that end, use one that transcends any statement about God (...) We propose abandoning not only meditation saving work that the God of the old and the new alliance has taken place in history, but even the very idea of \u200b\u200bthe triune God who is love, for <> immersion. "
Far from being a destruction of being, the Christian mystical contemplation seeks to empty itself, to achieve a greater love of God. We Furioli say that the man of prayer has been prepared through a long way. By controlling the instincts mortification disordered passions, and inclinations of the sensitivity, reading, meditation and prayer correcting their way into God's will, desires and aspirations are becoming more and more perfect to search only God. This is a movement that many have identified as a time when the soul wants to free himself of all created to look only to God. "To seek God is tending to all the forces to be God, God lives in us and always give greater momentum, greater development of this life."
However, the soul begins to be aware that God is greater than her. Although paradoxically seeks to love God, you realize you can not do it alone. Realize that two is greater than its own strength, their love is bigger than love and that alone can achieve nothing more than sin and misery. It is in these moments when God gives the soul the special grace of being able to contemplate. "God sends His Spirit to fulfill the man a new act of love, and the Holy Spirit, beyond the theological virtues infused, <> infuses grace," is a gesture of the Spirit, not the effort man man raised in an act of love and living faith infused, penetrating. And the man under the new inspiration, envisages loves and enjoys a new light on the mysteries of faith and mind with a new strength and intuition than in the heart of the Father. "
"The difference seems to be very subtle but very profound. This state of consciousness in which the meditator tries to reach the deification of self, is very different from the abandonment of self that makes the Christian contemplative prayer, in which the soul is open and surrender to God who dwells in within man-are "living temples of the Spirit Ghost "(1a.Cor.3, 16)-if we are in a state of grace. (...) The mystical experiences induced through meditation pagan East or" metaphysical "have nothing to do with the state of union with Triune God: God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit of Christian contemplation, in which the True and Living God is doing in the soul of the potter's work praying for shaping it according to His Will go (cf. Jer. 18, 1-6). really what do we have the methods of "meditation" pagan? The exclusive focus on "me." What does the so-called "metaphysical"? Your mind is "god" you can accomplish anything you want, just as you want, your mind can do anything. This is the contemplation that the man is the result not of his effort, his life of grace, of prayer, but a grace received from God through the Holy Spirit. Contemplation not seeking the stillness of being, as East contemplation, but is produced by God to fulfill the yearning for love of man. We can therefore say that the oriental contemplation is the result of human action to reach a total passivity, the Christian mystical contemplation is given by God that you love him with all your soul and with all your heart, with your whole being. "
What is mystical contemplation?
Contrary to what we think, mystical contemplation is not seeing apparitions of angels and have the privilege of seeing Jesus Christ on this earth. We talked about the power to contemplate, love and enjoy a new light the mysteries of faith. If we point out their main characteristics can say that the mystical contemplation is not the natural order, so it depends entirely on the grace that God wants to give the man. "It's a simple and loving knowledge of God and his works, the result not of human activity aided by grace, but a special inspiration of the Holy Spirit." God is light and strength that illuminates and moves in the gifts of man Spirit, particularly those of the intellect and wisdom so that the soul can know God experimentally and their works.
An image often used to express the concept of contemplation is used by St. Therese of Lisieux in saying that the tension to perfection can be likened to loo efforts, vain, which makes a child to climb the first step of a long staircase. The mother is touched by these efforts and in a blink of an eye load the child in his arms and takes him to the top of the stairs. Thus he can represent the mystical contemplation and action of God to lead the soul to the end of the ladder.
can add mentioned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: "Contemplation is also intense time of prayer par excellence. In it, the Father grants that we vigorously strengthened by his Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell by faith in our hearts, that are rooted and Comments in love. "
activity and passivity of the soul in mystical contemplation
God and man.
should be clear that in mystical contemplation of man operations, especially the intellectual operation continues to operate. Receive the grace of contemplation does not mean that human activities are canceled. This would so as to be already talking about a rapture or paranaturales phenomena. The man continues to act with its powers and operations for mystical contemplation. What happens is that God's grace that sends allow you to see a new light with its mysteries and plays, acting in their faculties, so that the powers cease to be human, to become superhuman. The intellect, which is the operation most affected during contemplation, it acts in different ways for mystical contemplation.
The natural action of the intellect is to proceed through the formation of ideas el juicio y el razonamiento, bien pudiendo ser este último deductivo o inductivo. Estas operaciones la aplicamos en la oración yendo del visible al invisible, de la percepción de los sentidos a la reflexión intelectual y a los afectos de la voluntad. En cambio, en la contemplación es Dios quien actúa, infunde en nuestro espíritu una gracia que nos lleva “ahora a arriesgar nuestro espíritu, ahora a inflamar nuestra voluntad, ahora a fortificar nuestro corazón, ahora a darnos un tiempo de luz, ardor, y fuerza sobrenatural o a dejarnos percibir sola la distinción de nuestro modo humano de actuar, nuestra impotencia, nuestro nada.”
difference between meditation and contemplation
The main difference is highlighted and pointed out several times before is that meditation is the result of man and contemplation is a gift of God.
In meditation he begins to know God through human faculties and their willingness to comply with removable begins only with his will. In contemplation, God gives man a new knowledge and allows its powers to act in supernaturally. "We are with God, we join him in a light and love that are in us, but not ours, not ours, and leads us to know God, to love in a way that goes beyond a process reflection, detachment and exalting the human way of seeing and feeling the truth, which is no longer act that our human activities, not helped by the ordinary grace. "
signs or criteria for passing from meditation to contemplation.
The importance of signs or criteria.
So far, the soul that was honestly engaged in prayer, depends on its efforts to meet God. Reading, reflection, acts of the will were merely human means to better prepare to encounter the grace of the Lord to hear His voice and follow his will.
When the soul moves and wants to give himself completely to love, if God gives the grace of contemplation mysticism, are no longer human criteria to determine if the guide is on the right track. Must be careful not to be deceived by the devil or not by herself.
For the devil, because often the dark angel is clad in light and where it is believed to have mystical contemplation and may be just a game away from the devil for the soul a journey of conversion, believing now completely converted.
She can also deceive and what she thinks is contemplating may be an imagination or an excuse for not trying in discursive prayer.
Several authors mystics like St. Teresa and San Juan de la Cruz have left us or sign criteria in which the soul can be trusted to know the price point that God calls grace contemplation, meditation leaving.
First sign: the difficulty in doing meditation.
The soul can do as a meditation discursive as he used to do at the beginning of his prayer life. As God would give her the gift of contemplation and as the soul wants to love God above all things and purified and its weaknesses, is ready to go with where God instructed. Discursive meditation being a basic fare to meet the love of God, the soul is lost, that affection is not found before. Quickly leads to acts of will (emotions, decisions, questions) that most resemble or more closer to infused contemplation.
spiritual director, says San Juan Cross, must be very careful not to ask these souls to continue doing an exercise that keeps them away from God instead of closer. Directed should ask their great trust in God, that He may proceed to give the gift of mystical contemplation.
Second sign: the soul finds no pleasure or satisfaction in any particular thing, interior or exterior
This sign is attached to the first . It may be that the soul will find meditation difficult for several reasons such as distraction, physical or mental fatigue, laziness or sloth. In these cases we can not speak of a sign that calls for contemplation. But when it is God who is inviting the soul to move to contemplation, to give him an experimental knowledge of Him and his stuff (purpose of mystical contemplation) then we can understand that the soul, moved by God, seeking only his pleasure in things of God.
third sign: the soul finds pleasure and satisfaction only in the affectionate intimacy with God.
And by extension we can say that this soul is not only comfortable in the internals of discursive prayer, but also do not know and things like outside, then begins to understand experimentally the greatness of God against all creatures.
This realization of the greatness of God from all creatures necessarily lead to happy to find no more than being with God, which is the third sign. The soul can and look lovingly to God and to enjoy the emotions without the need to go through discursive acts and exercise the powers of intellect, will, love. God the call themselves and the soul is happy in this event. "This loving general cognition is so delicate, subtle, especially when it is most pure, simple, perfect and more spiritual and internal, that the soul, but is itself busy, do not realize and do not feel it. "
concomitance of the three signs.
is necessary to give these three signs, to be sure that God is inviting the soul to mystical contemplation. Failing to do meditation, without being accompanied not finding a home in the internal and external things just met and enjoy God, could be understood as a deficiency of the soul who will not or can not or do not know strive to do well in meditation.
Therefore, the spiritual director or the same person, you make a complete review of the life of the soul to see that these signs are given at the same time and be sure that may be happening, because God invites the soul, prayer, discursive and affective mystical contemplation. Without the presence of these signs, the step would be reckless and endanger the true improvement spiritual soul.
The alternation of meditation and contemplation .
We have a schematic analysis of affective prayer and mystical contemplation. We also noted the signs for the passage of a type of prayer to another. However we must not forget that we are always trying to spiritual realities, the soul, God's design for that soul, human freedom, the grace of God. Expect that the steps occur automatically or to be given at certain times and under certain circumstances is to pigeonhole God.
While that may alternate moments of meditation with moments of contemplation, the soul must be attentive to God's action on itself. And to be sure not to miss, not where not to walk with a privileged to be able to seek advice on spiritual guidance. As progress in prayer is not the work of human effort alone, but of the free cooperation of man with the grace of God and knowing, as we shall see in the last chapter of this essay, the sentence also affects the whole life the soul, the signs I come across a person would have to be verified with life. And, as one is a good judge of his own cause, you can confront these signs with their spiritual director, so that will be sure to walk according to God's will and not according to itself.
It often happens that the soul can be influenced by a reading by an event in life or a strong desire for holiness, sometimes poorly expressed or misguided. The spiritual director's work will help to discern these circumstances and weighed as true grace of God or human desires.
The desire of contemplation.
For the foregoing reasons, we realize the importance and excellence of mystical contemplation. Since this type of prayer a Grace from God might ask whether it is legitimate to ask whether such grace and all souls are called to obtain this grace.
consecrated souls, by their very nature, are called to follow more closely Christ, to imitate him in all his actions. We can therefore establish that the desire of contemplation is concomitant to the nature of the consecrated life, because if Christ is the first viewer of the Father, His closest followers, consecrated persons are therefore invited to mystical contemplation. Furthermore, without this mystical contemplation of little or no action in Edmundo would therefore seek to reflect the souls enshrined in action what they have referred to in prayer. "The religious men and women must continue in each period following the example of Christ the Lord in prayer, feeding a deep communion of feelings in him (cf. Phil 2: 5-11), so that his life is imbued with an apostolic spirit and all their apostolic action is sustained by the sight. "
And not only is lawful and desirable to desire, but this desire is very healthy. However, as is a gift we must prepare ourselves to receive grace. And here we must be very cautious. Not ready to receive the same grace that we know we will be given the grace to prepare to possibly will be given. Who is prepared to receive the grace of forgiveness through the sacrament of confession is prepared with appropriate acts, knowing that receive grace to the extent that the soul is open to receive it. However, the grace of mystical contemplation is God alone donate it to the souls that He has so. The soul may be made, but not ready to receive that grace. "The man should be made, be prompt and docile to the action of sweet guest living in it. "
is not through continuous prayer or ejaculations how the person has to follow the inclinations of the Spirit. Should engage itself in dialogue with God must begin a friendship with the "sweet guest of the soul" and become docile to his inspirations. The Spirit speaks to all people. The important thing is to listen. Do nothing without consulting the Spirit. Follow their motions. And all this to meet the more docile the will of God for yourself.
For this dialogue can take place and so the soul can be arranged to receive the gift of contemplation, some mystics have advised the experience of some virtues of mortification, simplicity, purity, humility and selflessness, and obedience.
Mortification .
The consecrated soul glimpses the benefits it can bring to their lives and their spiritual and apostolic work the gift of contemplation, you realize that contemplation is an enjoyment of God without any mixture of other creatures . May therefore be available to contemplate the extent that learning to use the creatures as only help you fulfill your purpose. Here we recall the maxim of St. Ignatius of Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises, of using creatures "as long as" necessary for my salvation.
This application is followed by a dedication to learn to give up those that are not useful to his own salvation, do not go according to the will of God. In consecrated life has been accustomed to use the mortification in a negative sense as not to see, let alone, not to say. Mortification is better to look to God, not ignoring or underestimating the things He created, but giving them their fair value. Is waived what is not God's will to choose what is the will of God. Without a positive vision of mortification, that is, the choice joyful best and good for the glory of God, mortification is reduced a negative exercise of will. It takes hold of mortification to live more joyfully union with God.
Simplicity.
Somehow the detachment of the creatures under the mortification gives souls, helps to practice the virtue of simplicity, which is nothing to see things with an objective reality see "through the eyes of God." The virtue of simplicity is a manifestation of the real attitude of the person, requires clarity, intelligence and uprightness of the will. The person no es sencilla (o) cuando hay una complicación y doblez en sus pensamientos y en sus deseos. Esta virtud cuida la concordancia entre el actuar y las intenciones de la persona, es opuesta a la doblez.
Prepara de esta forma a la contemplación mística que es la visión sencilla y única de Dios. Para vivir esta virtud el alma debe enseñarse a contemplar todo el acontecer cotidiano de su vida bajo la óptica de la voluntad de Dios, sin detenerse en las complicaciones que trae una visión mundana de las cosas y de los aconteceres.
Purity
perfect purity of mind and heart are the human spirit supernatural penetration which allows us to contemplate God's beauty, the sublime harmony of the divine perfections. The mind of the pure of heart, being detached from any inappropriate affect, can see better things of God.
San Antonio says that this virtue is a prerequisite for contemplation as it leaves the soul free from all inordinate affection, allowing a new vision to see things from God.
humility and selflessness.
Humility and selflessness to live with God and love people. As the soul begins to live detached from earthly things, will find satisfaction in the people we should try and yet, you must have an exquisite charitable to them.
Obedience
No is servile, but supernaturalize obedience to man, because it relieves the pride and put it in truth. In the obedience of faith illuminates and reinforces the vision of the mind, purifies the heart, prepares intuition and love of God in contemplation.
The exercise of this virtue increasingly purifies the person, detached from every creature, the correcting deep and ready to make the motions of the Holy Spirit.
