Silence Is More Than Noiseless, Prayer Is More Than Rote

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Contemplative….what images does that word conjure for you?  Maybe you see a monk cloistered spending all his/her time in quiet prayer.  But, what if that image were radically different?  What if the image was of an ordinary person in the every day world being contemplative with each step, each word, each thought?

When I share that I am a practicing contemplative, confusion dances across the face of the other.  S/he is unsure that someone who is not of a religious order and someone who has a child can be contemplative.  Being contemplative in the mundane world is a different yet no less profound path to walk.

What does being contemplative mean to me?  The quick answer is that I experience the world through silence and prayer.  Although silence, for me, can be a cessation of noise that is only a small part of how I sense silence.  Silence creates an environment through which I experience the world with my body, mind, spirit, and heart.

Within the silence, my mind doesn’t stop spinning and my exterior world continues to unfold.  Although my mind may continue to spin like a top, the silence provides the environment where I clearly hear my internal monologue but choose not to be distracted by it.  I am able to participate in my exterior world with an awareness that leads me to respond with compassion and not react from fear.  Each moment I am aware of the distractions but do not respond to them, I am nurturing mindfulness.  Mindfulness is a key component of being contemplative and engaging in prayer.

One of my favorite Merton quotes reminds me of the role of prayer in our lives: The spiritual life is first of all a life.  Everything that I do is part of my conversation with the Sacred. All that I do is part of my conversation with the Sacred.  I can choose to praise, give thanks, make requests, or ask forgiveness with each thought, word, and action. It is often an unsettling revelation when I look back upon my day.  Did the intent of my prayer match my actions?

So, silence and prayer are keys to practicing this way of being. The path of the contemplative is not a path of perfection; rather, it leads us to live moment by moment in mindful joy. As each moment expands into the next, we have another opportunity to rest in the silence and make each action, each word, and each thought prayer.

What prayer are you experiencing this day?

Peace & All Good, Vanessa

www.healingwillow.com