Meditation Becomes Contemplation: Part 2

For me, it took many years of meditation to move towards contemplation, although I did experience some moments and periods of illumination along the way.

Contemplation began with the longing and burning desire to be with God.  

It is as though my soul was reaching out but could not immediately attain a deeper union with God.  This longing was centered in my very being and as soon as worldly affairs pulled in the opposite direction, the longing intensified until a restful contemplation again gave partial relief.  

There was an innate knowing that only in contemplation would the object of desire be found.  Again and again, I returned to contemplative prayer in lasting hope that my will, the felt source of my burning desire, would become one with the Divine Will.  

My heartfelt prayer became, ”Not my will, but your will, Lord, be done.”

To deny the inclinations toward contemplative prayer would be to deny my very life sustenance. Deep within my being was sought what only God could satisfy; God was drawing my soul into an infinite love so that “I” no longer existed as “self” but was lost in God. 

God may not immediately gratify that which has been given up.  The soul may enter what we and others have described as the dark night of the soul.  

Click to check out Meditation Become Contemplation: Part 1, Meditation Become Contemplation: Part 3, and Meditation Become Contemplation: Part 4, Meditation Becomes Contemplation: Part 5 and Meditation Becomes Contemplation: Part 6