What is contemplative prayer? If you’ve ever lost track of time listening to music, watching a sunset or being captivated by another person’s story, you can begin to understand the idea behind contemplation. Contemplation is described by Walter J. Burghardt, SJ as a “long, loving look at the real.” St. Teresa describes contemplative prayer as “…a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.”1
Contemplative prayer seeks the Divine, “whom my soul loves.” It is Jesus, and…”In this inner prayer we can still meditate, but our attention is fixed on the Lord himself.”2
I was once asked, “What’s the purpose of this type of prayer? What’s the goal?” I do not approach contemplative prayer with a specific goal, other than resting in the Divine’s loving presence. Yet contemplation has somehow allowed me to identify and let go of old patterns no longer useful in my life. Contemplative prayer has helped me to offer and accept love, a little bit freer.
I pray that you find something here to inspire you to pause and contemplate the Spirit’s movement in your own life, and it sets in motion an ardent desire to share it with others.
~Lisa Franich Lee
1 & 2, Paragraph 2709. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Doubleday Publishing. New York, NY. 1995.