Contemplating Over Coffee
March 13, 2008
con·tem·plate (kòn¹tem-plât´) verb
con·tem·plat·ed, con·tem·plat·ing, con·tem·plates verb, transitive
1. To look at attentively and thoughtfully.
2. To consider carefully and at length; meditate on or ponder: contemplated the problem from all sides; contemplated the mystery of God.
3. To have in mind as an intention or possibility: contemplate marriage; forced by the accident to contemplate retirement.
Imagine Tagaytay. Cool breeze, misty fog in the morning, birds singing… a quiet day just to get inspired and experience your light bulb moments in life. A place of solitude on top of a hill probably, meditating, humming mantras and if your lucky, meeting a old wise man to give you your life’s purpose and direction.
Sigh…such a picturesque place to contemplate over life’s journey. How I wish I can be in such place this instant and just allow my mind to drift away.
But that is the exact opposite of where I am right now. I am currently in a small coffee shop in Manila, with my trusty laptop doing revisions, work’s calling me on the other line and my files scattered over the table. I am in a loud place where people are chatting non-stop not even my mp3 can drown their noise.
I am hungry, stressed out and very tired.
Not a good place to reflect and contemplate right?
Read on…
IN CONTEMPLATION COMES SILENCE
To contemplate is to have silence at least in your surroundings. That’s why people go to the adoration chapel or travel to Tagaytay because of its peace and quiet.
Sometimes we’d wish that we could be in such place everyday of our lives. But reality states otherwise. Some of us live or work on the most chaotic, craziest places in the planet.
Given this circumstance, can we still have our piece of silence? Can I still have mine?
Yes.
The most important silence comes from within. The silence of one’s heart and mind.
Who can put the stillness of our hearts and minds?
“Our hearts are made for Thee O God, and we will always be restless until we rest on Thee.” – St Augustine
How can we silence our hearts and minds?
IN SILENCE WE PRAY
There would come a point in our lives when our verbal prayers would not be enough to answer our questions. Times when we do not get satisfied by the advices given to us by family and friends. Moments when you just feel the world is caving in and there’s nothing that you can do but to allow yourself to be buried alive with all those negativity inside you.
This is where silence comes in. This is where contemplative prayer comes alive. This is where GOD reaches out to us in a deeper and a more intimate way. It is at this time, HE talks, we listen.
IN PRAYING WE FIND GOD
“When a person persists in the prayer life, slowly, the action of GOD will increase. The person will start to become familiar with God’s mysterious way of communicating with him and the oppression that previously gave much pain, becomes a joy. Prayer becomes a quiet sweet rest in God.” - Sr. Mary Niere, OSC
In prayer, slowly we get to understand…to see things in a clearer perspective the way the LORD sees it. Then this is where HIS will and our plans become one.
In prayer, personal struggles become avenues for new opportunities… to love more, to reach out more…to glorify HIM more.
Because GOD takes the lead, if we just let HIM.
GOD calls us to be silent, to be still and to listen.
So we can hear what HIM loud and clear.
Come to think of it, HE never ceases to amaze me, just realizing that this sharing transpired over a cup of coffee.
Have a blessed week everyone.
That in all things, GOD may be glorified!
Jaymee