This and That:
A New Venture in Prayer for Me and for You!
I remember graduation from Boston University in 1977 and my parents coming up to see me receive my Doctoral Degree. Back in the hotel room my mother asked, what seemed at the time, to be the fundamental question, one I had never considered, “With all this education, with all these degrees, with all the expense of eight years of Graduate Studies, what do you make an hour!” “Make an hour?” I responded surprised. “No, really,” she continued, “What do you make an hour?” I sat down and did a bit of figuring and came up with a figure that, as a priest ordained seven years at the time, I made $2.85 an hour. Her response? “Well, you’re worth every penny!” I decided to take that as a compliment! Over the years I have come to realize how much I simply enjoy studying and learning new things in areas of history, theology, software applications, cooking, and spirituality, to name a few. I am what we used to call in education a “self-motivated learner.”
So you’d think, as would my mother, that after three months praying in a Trappist Monastery and three months studying in Israel, “you’d have had enough!” Sorry, Mom, not yet! As of this month, while being full-time in the parish and continuing all my duties as pastor, I have also enrolled at the Shalem Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. The Institute provides in-depth support for contemplative living and leadership – a way of being in the world that is prayerfully attentive and responsive to God’s presence and guidance. The Institute offers a wide variety of programs and resources for spiritual directors, clergy, lay leaders, and individuals who want to open themselves more fully to God in their daily lives and work. I have enrolled in an 18-month program in “Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups & Retreats: Transforming Community.”
One might ask, “What does the word ‘contemplative’ mean?” The word itself has many meanings today. It comes from the Latin roots cum (with) and templum (temple), connoting a sense of the sacred. Stated simply, the classical tradition understands contemplation as a loving quality of presence in which one is open to things just as they are in the present moment. In Christianity and other traditions that understand God to be present everywhere, contemplation includes a reverence for the Divine Mystery, finding God in all things, or being open to God’s presence, however it may appear. When referring to prayer or other spiritual practices, contemplation is classically distinguished from meditation.
Generally this means that meditation seems like something we ‘do’ by means of our own effort and intention, while contemplation always seems to come as a gift. Furthermore, the reverence for mystery implies an openness to unknowing, a willingness to be led and guided by God without having to comprehend what is happening. In this understanding, contemplation is in no way opposed to action. In fact, our sense is that truly effective, responsive action in the world needs to be undergirded and informed by contemplative awareness.
What I learned very well while at the Trappist Monastery for three months was that although silence and solitude play a role in the contemplative life, contemplation does not mean withdrawing from the world. On the contrary, it is a responsive, participative presence in and with God, oneself, one’s neighbors, and all creation. My goal is to assist others in deepening the contemplative life and nurturing their presence for God.
The 18-month program consists of reading a lengthy series of books and articles, networking with others in the program, small group gatherings for discussion, and two one-week “residencies,” one in May of this year and the other in March of next year. This program will help me prepare for my ministry in giving Parish Missions and Contemplative Retreats when I leave Our Lady of Grace in June 2010.
In addition to the requirements already stated, I need to continue with monthly Spiritual Direction and finally, to create a small prayer group for personal support and shared informal prayer and meditation. If you or someone you know would like to be part of a regularly meeting prayer group for 18 months, please let me know by giving me a call (410-329-6826) or emailing me at namato@earthlink.net. It will be an experience of praying and meditating with others that could be a valuable resource for you spiritually.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
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