tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627678655315773932.post4661940011029858878..comments2024-01-20T00:43:03.851-07:00Comments on Beginning to Pray: Classical Education, Contemplation and WonderAnthony Lilleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208767782574708168noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627678655315773932.post-17216800424240384032011-11-21T10:13:21.063-07:002011-11-21T10:13:21.063-07:00Thank you for the post, Dr. Lilles.
@Tanya Inter...Thank you for the post, Dr. Lilles. <br /><br />@Tanya Interesting question - "Why is it that contemplation & mystical experience & much at all about prayer are virtually absent from church faith formation classes.." <br /><br />It seems today that many speak about contemplation while very few live it. Some offer workshops on 'contemplation'. The true contemplative is one of witness. Sadly too many today are more concerned about their voice rather than the voice of God. They dismiss the invitation or call to personal holiness that leads the way into authentic contemplative prayer which eventually involves desert time!<br />There's a difference between meditation and contemplation. Meditation is where one goes to God, ie. ponders God and His Word. Contemplation is where God comes to the soul, ie. draws the soul to Himself. Contemplation is not something one can just decide to enter into. It is a gift from God where one is led by God's grace through the trials and tribulations of life into His divine love. Authentic witnesses of such a life may be few today, simply because too many talk the talk instead of walking the walk. The true contemplative is led interiorly and learns that in the gradual process of dying to self, he/she experiences the sweetest of divine love which strengthens and sustains the soul as the journey unfolds.Cló Mhuirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10155705383498778023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627678655315773932.post-51458941669011989772011-11-16T01:45:40.283-07:002011-11-16T01:45:40.283-07:00Here's my question: Why is it that contemplat...Here's my question: Why is it that contemplation & mystical experience & much at all about prayer are virtually absent from church faith formation classes (my own as a child and my children's)- except as exotic Biblical examples? There is no way to combat the narrow-minded scientific definition of "knowledge" without confronting it directly with the viability of other kinds of knowledge. And there is little chance of convincing someone of the viability of mystical knowledge unless they see that they have experienced the tiniest taste of it. My kids' books list what we believe, but the kids ask "how do we know...?" It seems to me that answering the question "how do we know" ought to be at the forefront of any religious education class for any age beyond kindergarten. And the answer needs to involve simple, common examples of natural contemplation. I did not know that classical education had contemplation as its goal. And now you can't even find mention of contemplation in a religious ed class!Tanyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01750136724485791132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627678655315773932.post-7062601387628973232011-11-14T08:31:01.201-07:002011-11-14T08:31:01.201-07:00www.classicalliberalarts.com check it out!www.classicalliberalarts.com check it out!Gretchen Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10935233747269363758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627678655315773932.post-11411977890418953352011-11-14T07:03:01.406-07:002011-11-14T07:03:01.406-07:00You might appreciate this as well: http://jpgacade...You might appreciate this as well: http://jpgacademy.org/index.cfm?load=page&page=2<br /><br />I thank you too for your post. God bless you and your family.Alexander Maximillian Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10253426847909144929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627678655315773932.post-17924076804016788752011-11-12T20:50:13.121-07:002011-11-12T20:50:13.121-07:00Thank you for the post. You will like this story,...Thank you for the post. You will like this story, if you haven't heard it yet: http://www.stjeromes.org/stjeromeschool/classical_education.htmJaredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11228858329853070424noreply@blogger.com