Concerning Gospel Contemplation
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There is something about a statement of truth which gives us the impression that it is forever valid and relevant; however, it is never forever new. The attempt to be exact belongs to a definite time and place; it purports to have the quality of the definition. In contrast, the story expresses its truth through the ambiguous, the metaphor, the experiential, the heart. There is something in a story that is forever new. It is not just once and for all. Let me illustrate this. Below, I propose a truth two ways: one by an abstract statement and the other by a story. Read each one separately, and each time reflect on your interior reactions.
Statement
of truth (analytical discourse) -----
Often people become resentful and irritable because they feel rejected
and need love.
Story
(narrative discourse) -----
Once upon a time, there was a little girl. She had parents, naturally!
But one day when she was nine, they went away. So someone from an orphanage
took her and brought her to a large building and put her there with many
other little girls. She was very lonely. She had big eyes. She often would
stare at people. Sometimes she would even get mad at the other little girls
and spit on them. She became a real nuisance in the orphanage. So the administrators
tried to find some way to get rid of her. One day, one of the attendants
saw the little girl putting a note inside a hollow of a large tree that
stood just outside the orphanage. No one was allowed to communicate to
anyone on the outside of the orphanage. So this was the needed excuse to
dismiss her. The attendant brought the note to the administrator and explained
what he saw. The administrator smiled smugly. He took the note and read
it. The note said: I LOVE YOU.(18)
Sacred scripture is basically a story, the story of salvation. As a whole, the bible is made up of many different kinds and styles of literature, like an anthology of readings -- some poetry, some parables, some proverbs, some history. Only a small portion of it is history in the way we have been taught to think of history. If the bible contained only this type of history, it would not be very helpful for touching the lives of all peoples of all cultures. God's revealed truth is recorded for us, for the most part, in story form. The early church kept remembering the events of Jesus' life through preaching and their gatherings for worship. It was only after the apostles began to die that these remembered events were recorded for us in the four gospels. But the recording of them was done with detail, colour, concreteness, and metaphor in the light of the resurrection experience. The authors wrote into their "histories" a theological point of view expressed in story form. Often this can only be grasped if we allow ourselves to be influenced by the more imaginative aspects of the stories; for example, the three wise men and the moving star -- a concrete expression of the universality of Jesus's salvation. It is this concreteness that we use for Gospel Contemplation.Now ask yourself, "Which of the above two presentations of the truth is more effective?"
When our memory, through the vehicle of our imagination, is in contact with the memory of the early church as expressed in these gospel stories, we make contact with the memory of Jesus. Since the events of Jesus' life are all present to him NOW in his memory, these events become present to us. Gospel Contemplation becomes like the remembrance or 'anamnesis' of a eucharistic liturgy in which the THEN of Jesus' death and resurrection become NOW -- time and place are transcended.(19) Thus we do not use Gospel Contemplation on an historical event as past, but we use this method through a story to give us contact with Jesus, the risen Lord, who is present NOW. Therefore, all the events of Jesus' life can influence my life now; they can affect my mystery, my being. They are 'mysteries' -- they transcend the historical and are present NOW in the risen Lord.
Figure 7: Our Memory In Union With Christ's Memory
Some Observations On The Ignatian Text
Before considering the following comments on what Ignatius means by Gospel
Contemplation, it may be helpful to re-read the text of the Nativity [110]-[117]
which contains one of the key places where he demonstrates this method.
Model is not method -- What Ignatius uses in his description of Gospel Contemplation is a model. He uses the example of the Nativity. Each time he asks us to "contemplate," he is referring back to this basic model [159]. If we treat the model as a method and follow it slavishly with a series of steps, we are liable to get into trouble and turn our prayer into a mechanical reflection rather than a Gospel Contemplation. The method is not the 'preludes' and steps; it is prayer primarily using one's imagination on a gospel story of Jesus life. Ignatius' model suggests one way of going about it. No doubt, his model is a concise outline of how Ignatius himself made use of this method.
In order to appreciate my point, transport yourself with your imagination
to the days after Ignatius' conversion. As he began to set down his reflections
in the notebook we now call the Exercises, he no doubt spent time reflecting
upon his own experiences. He did this to help us to be disposed for God's
personal communication with us. He wanted to share the same richness of
God that he himself had experienced. He remembered his personal experiences
in much the same way we would remember our personal experiences....
" ... Oh, yes, what did I do now? ... Oh, I remember. I first began to read the life of Jesus. I read it slowly. I even underlined significant parts! [HISTORY] ... What did I do then? ... Oh, yes, sometimes I got into prayer right away, but often I needed time to compose my being and settle myself. It takes time to settle down and compose oneself for a prayer exercise. How did I do that? ... In most instances, I allowed my imagination to focus here and there on some aspects of the gospel story. I have always been interested in the details of geographical location. So that's probably what most other people would do too. [COMPOSITION] ... Sometimes I moved into prayer right from there, but other times I had to keep asking God to help me get into the contemplation.... Oh yes, asking for what I desire was really important. It opened up my soul and focused my imagination and it further settled me. [GRACE TO PRAY FOR] ..."You can continue to imagine Ignatius writing out the phases he went through when he was led into Gospel Contemplation. It makes more sense to me and is more in keeping with people's experience of making Gospel Contemplation to think of Ignatius' structured presentations in the Exercises as one of many possible dynamic models that could be used for the same purpose. The Exercises contain the model of the method that Ignatius probably used. The method of Gospel Contemplation is primarily the use of one's imagination on a gospel story of Jesus life -- it is as simple as that!
I believe that, among other things, the structure Ignatius gives to explain Gospel Contemplation -- three 'preludes' followed by three 'points' followed by the Colloquy -- is a memory device to help directees who could neither read nor write. Remember that many directees in Ignatius' time could not read nor did they own a bible. Paperback editions of the bible are a relatively new invention! His structure -- prelude, prelude, point, point, point, Colloquy, etc. -- is not only a simple way to explain things, but it is basically a simple way for the directee to remember the prayer exercises without reference to a book afterwards.(20) Notice how notations [261]-[312] usually break up the stories of Jesus' life into three segments -- again an easy way to remember the 'history' and 'points'!
Preludes point to a natural flow -- A good rendition for 'prelude' would be "phase" rather than "step." A step is something that is done mechanically; a phase is something that points to a more or less natural process. A phase does not always have to be done in the right order but a step does. The first phase or First Prelude of this model is the 'history' -- the story. If there is anything that a directee should do first, it would be this. Note how almost immediately Ignatius' 'history' of the First Prelude [111] moves from the past tense to the present in the Second Prelude [112] -- the Composition. In the very reading of and giving oneself to the 'history' of the First Prelude, the story is connected to the realm of the imagination. Through the Composition one becomes more present as the past becomes NOW.
Now is NOW in one's present culture -- Note, too, how Ignatius, who grew up in the Basque country of the early 16th century in a castle home with servants and who often saw peasants with oxen, is now projecting his cultural imagery on the scene (click here). Ignatius is giving a record of his own use of Gospel Contemplation. As the story is being read and prayed over, the person at prayer allows the imagination to grasp the details and so the past becomes present. When a twentieth-century directee is praying this story, she might even see a jeep or two with soldiers pass by as she journeys with Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. The function of the 'history' is to make the past, present. A good way to understand 'history' and to do it, as one begins Gospel Contemplation, is contained in the following illustration describing the practice of monks in the eighth century:
It happened one morning in an Italian monastery. On waking, the monks all dressed in their cells and then filed down the corridors to a central meeting room. There they sat quietly until a monk, standing at a lectern, began to read a passage from the second chapter of the Gospel of John. He read clearly in a leisurely manner the eight or so verses describing the marriage feast at Cana. He paused for thirty or forty seconds. Then he reread the same passage in the same clear, leisurely manner. Again, he paused for half a minute, then read the same passage a third time. When he paused this time, some of the monks began to return to their cells in order to pray over the passage. Others waited for the fourth reading and even the fifth before they, too, left for their cells.What was happening? These repetitive readings saturated their imaginations with a gospel scene of particular energy and colour. This saturation would, of course, minimize distractions and encourage a frame of mind and heart conducive to prayer. Perhaps it would enable a monk to identify with some particular person in the gospel episode, and even to discover the inner feelings of Jesus. The mystery of the gospel event would so take hold of the person at prayer that the past would become present through the instrument of the imagination and memory. The memory of the person at prayer would be influenced by the memory of Jesus present now to the person praying.(21) That is 'history' and that is a way one can settle into Gospel Contemplation -- read out loud ... pause ... read again ... pause ... until the story takes hold of the imagination.
Now is NOW with my total self -- The Second Prelude means that the past not only becomes present, but that the present becomes part of me. Often the Second Prelude is translated "this is a mental representation of the place." But a more literal translation is "the second, a composition, seeing the place." Composition means that as I enter into prayer, I become composed by imagining the place. As I become composed with the scriptural passage, not only does the past become present, but I become part of it.(22)
By the time I settle into the Third Prelude, the story is becoming present to me and I to it. Over and over again, Ignatius asks us to pray for the Grace, "This is to ask for what I desire...." This focuses me. It expresses the particular need I have. It places me in the attitude that all is gift. I am the receiver in prayer, and any growth in prayer comes from God. But no growth is possible unless I make my life available to God's action. This phase makes available to God that particular area of my life where I need to be affected by God's mystery. Sometimes it is helpful to particularize the Grace even more than Ignatius does. Often in the course of Gospel Contemplation, I begin my prayer by asking for what I think I need, but as I am praying, God begins to reveal to me my real need and what I should be asking for. Then I find myself, especially in the Colloquies, specifying more exactly what my heart desires.
Fruit is there during the imagining: "I will reflect upon myself and draw some fruit." -- For many years until the early 1960s, this phrase was often misunderstood. Taken literally as it was in the more rationalistic eras after Ignatius wrote the Exercises, it seems to say that I will stop the flow of the Gospel Contemplation, and I will draw a lesson from it. This is not what it means at all. Rather, it means that as I become more and more involved in the event, my life and my choices are affected. The fruit emerges from the very dynamic; I find myself changing and desiring to change. Without any added mental gymnastic on my part, I begin to know and follow Jesus more in a particular way.
A good example of this natural emergence of the fruit that takes place in Gospel Contemplation happened to me on one of my retreats. I was worried as to whether I should be the middle man in my work relations with my associates. One part of me always wanted to be on top; another part of me always wanted to be a follower. But over and over again in my life, I found myself being in the middle -- not completely in charge, not completely a follower. I had been resenting this role. So when I went to prayer during this retreat, I asked Jesus what he desired for me because I really didn't know even though I had been trying to work through this issue over a long period of time. I decided to use Gospel Contemplation upon the event of Palm Sunday. The following was part of my Review:
At the beginning of this period of prayer, I began to think about the scene and prayed for light. Then as I went over the history again, I began to locate myself with the crowd that was crying, "Hosanna!" and throwing their cloaks and palms on the road. By the end of the prayer, I found myself as the donkey. I was filled with consolation as I stayed there. My confusion about always being the middle man began to evaporate.
During this period of Gospel Contemplation, I came to recognize that I could serve God best in the middle-man position. The issue in this illustration is not that the fruit usually emerges this easily. Rather it is this: if this type of surfacing-within-the-process fruit is not there, something is wrong with the way a directee is using the method of Gospel Contemplation.
First
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Second
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Final
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Endnotes
1. 1. Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, both of the 16th century, represent this tradition. They were outstanding members of the Roman Catholic religious order called the Order of Carmel.
2. 2. Heb 4:12-13, from the first English translation of the Jerusalem Bible.
3. 3. This is certainly true with the disciplines that belong under the category of transcendental meditation. The altered states of consciousness that are achieved in these disciplines have characteristics similar to what happens in those using some Contemplative Prayer Forms. However, transcendental meditation has little to do with the personal relationship with a personal God which is fundamental to Contemplative Prayer Forms.
4. 4. Lectio Divina (Latin, lek-see-o de-vee-na) is the one method of prayer fostered by all traditions of Christian spirituality. Sometimes this method is translated as 'meditative reading' or as 'spiritual reading.' This method would better be called 'Prayer of the Listening Heart' because many people, including the monks who first used this method in early Christian times, could not read! The Lectio of Lectio Divina is a listening with the heart, as one does quite naturally and spontaneously while appreciating a sunset, or when pondering with fondness any touching human experience. One also listens with the heart when one reads slowly, with pauses, and relishes or drinks in the words of scripture or any other special writing. Thus, by listening with the heart, one is led automatically to reflection upon the experience, or writing, or event. From this reflection, one is led automatically to respond, and in time, one becomes more and more open to the influence of God's Spirit.
When you do Lectio Divina while reading, read the material slowly, pausing periodically to allow the words and phrases to enter your heart. When a thought resonates deeply, stay with it, allowing the fullness of it to penetrate your being. Relish the word received. Respond authentically and spontaneously as in a dialogue.
When you do Lectio Divina while remembering a special event, recall the experience and stay with it before God. Let the feelings and thoughts associated with the experience well up in your heart as you ponder to find deeper meaning or understanding or a different way of seeing things. Respond authentically and spontaneously as in a dialogue.
5. 5. In the 1970s, I began to use the phrase "method of contemplation" in order to distinguish this method from the classical use of the word contemplation. I have always disliked the phrase "Ignatian contemplation" because it may give some people the idea that Ignatius did not believe in or know about the classical meaning of contemplation. However, the phrase, "method of contemplation," never caught on. Hopefully, the phrase, Gospel Contemplation, may have more chance of being used to denote what Ignatius means.
6. 6. A long time ago, during one of our team meetings in Guelph, John English, S.J., shared this insight.
7. 7. Consult John Wickham, S.J., The Communal Spiritual Exercises, Volume B, Directory (Montreal: The Ignatian Centre, 1988), p.21ff.
8. 8. The relationship between passivity and the active keeping of oneself within the ambience of the gospel event is sometimes confusing for directees who are just beginning to learn Gospel Contemplation.
9. 9. I am grateful to Marc Muldoon, Ph.D., for many conversations around how our powers of imagination are enmeshed with our powers of intellect.
10. 10. The quotation is taken from Godfrey O'Donnell, "Contemplation," The Way Supplement 27 (Spring 1976), p.28.
11. 11. John Grinder and Richard Bandler, The Structure Of Magic, Vol. 2 (Palo Alto: Science and Behavior Books Inc., 1976), "Part 1 -- Representational Systems," pp.3-26.
12. 12. I am grateful to John English, S.J., for this insight.
13. 13. Thus, metaphorically or by analogy, they may be thought of as "seeing" the event.
14. 14. All this -- seeing, hearing, feeling -- coincides with the experiences flowing from the guided imagery techniques used in many psychological approaches such as Gestalt, Jungian Dream Therapy, Psychosynthesis, etc.
15. 15. This story is adapted slightly from Robert Ochs, S.J., God Is More Present Than You Think: Experiments For Closing The Gap In Prayer (New York: Paulist Press, 1970), p.62.
16. 16. Hence the need for the Guidelines for Discerning Spirits.
17. 17. Historians finally admit that every rendition of history, however scientific, is an interpretation, and thus, dependent on the cooperation of the imagination.
18. 18. Sorry, but I cannot remember the source of this story.
19. 19. Consult John English, S.J., Spiritual Freedom (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1995), pp.135-137.
20. 20. Ignatius had a medieval worldview. In that culture, "three" as a number, was used frequently in expressing a series of examples. Even in our present culture when people tell each other jokes and give examples, we often do so with units of three. Note the importance that Ignatius gives to the Triple Colloquies [63], [147], [156], [159], [168].
21. 21. This is adapted from an article entitled "Prayer Of Christ's Memories" by David Hassel, S.J., from Sisters Today (October 1977) where the article first appeared. It appeared later, in a very summary form, in Catholic Digest. Later again, this article appeared in David Hassel's Radical Prayer (New York: Paulist Press, 1983), p.38ff.
22. 22. This interpretation of the Composition -- the Second Prelude of Gospel Contemplation -- comes from the late William Peters, S.J., who introduced this in the 1960s.
23. 23. For years, particularly in the nineteenth and the first half of this century when the classicist worldview was present, this literal, rationalistic interpretation was in vogue.
24. 24. As corroborative evidence for this statement, consider how, in the Third and the Fourth Weeks, the suggestion is that a prayer guide could omit the Application of Senses for various reasons [209], [226]. Why are these directives consistent with the suggestion that the Application of Senses represents a normal outcome of Repetition?
Also note the last sentences of the directives in notation [227] which concern the Application of Senses. The instructions given are very similar to those for making a Repetition [2], [63].