These two forms of the spiritual life stand in a peculiar relationship to the inner reality of the human being, to the outer rind, to the dark layer, and the good core. The level around the rind presents the sphere of pre-contemplative prayer. Within the rind lies the sphere of contemplation.

This means in the concrete, that outside the rinds the laws for changing the world are valid; we have to think actively and reach goals. our reactions in daily life are like this. If something disturbs us, we immediately ask ourselves what is the cause, and try to change it. Within the rind, in the dark layer and in the good core, we can neither think or act. The moment we begin to think or to act, we are already outside the rind.

How are we to behave in the contemplative sphere? First of all, look and gaze. This is purely spiritual activity with which we do not aspire to reach anything. To look, always implies letting go being directed toward something. Secondly, we can trust.

Thirdly, we can love. This is not love as we usually understand it. It is the pure love that no longer expects anything from the other. It is like the sun which always shines and does not cease to shine even when its ray are not received or reflected. This love comes from looking and cannot be made. If we remain in looking, in contemplating, it grows in a natural way. Fourthly, we can suffer, Sin that is suffered in contemplating and loving is redeemed and never returns.

In meditation, we gradually grow calm. This leads us to the rind we mentioned, our resistance to our sin. If we continue to devote our attention to awareness, the rind breaks open, and we enter the zone we called the layer of darkness. We experience our negative feelings which separate us from God and from others. Our spontaneous reaction is to think and do. We ask ourselves from whence this darkness comes, why it is there and how we can remove it. Thus we become active and fallen back into our old habits of thought and action.

On the contemplative level, however, we neither think nor act, and so we have left the contemplative sphere through our reaction. and find ourselves again outside the rind, in the pre-contemplative sphere. If we want to stay in contemplation, we must stay looking. Looking means, in our case, directing our attention to the sensation of our hands, and through this to the awareness of the present. It is looking in the direction of the good core, the presence of God. We enter more into depth, into the dark layer, which causes pain.

To remain in contemplation we need to admit the pain and bear it. But whatever is suffered through in this way, while looking toward God, is redeemed. It does not return. So much light and strength comes to meet us from the good core, that we find the courage to continue.

BY REV. FR. FRANZ JALICS  S.J.

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -