Contemplate!

"He who neglects contemplation is deprived of the vision of the light of God; he who is carried away with worry and allows his thoughts to be crushed by the tumult of the things of the world is condemned to the absolute impossibility of penetrating the secrets of the invisible God."

Blessed Maurus Magnentius Rabanus


It's getting hotter, the grass is green…and then brown, the trees are green, the pool is open, the beach/mountains/river beckon. Family vacation plans are being finalized as life shifts from the busy-ness of the school year to the busy-ness of the summer. Even for those empty-nesters who are not driven by school trends, summer affords a special opportunity for down time.

Down time takes many forms. An added block of “me” time, sleeping later, day trips, and full-blown vacations are a time to clear the mind and spirit, to reset the system with what really matters—love and family. Christian or not, the summer season adds a measure of rest and relaxation to our lives. This is why summer is the perfect time to shift into a contemplative mode to calmly consider the presence of God. The celebrations of Christmas and Easter have been wonderful, but all too often the Emmanuel (God with us) of Christmas is convoluted by wrapping paper and tape, and the Messiah of Easter is obscured by eggs and bows and retired as the season passes.

When Blessed Maurus Magnentius Rabanus, an 8th century French Benedictine Monk, theologian, poet, encyclopedist and military writer, Abbot of Fulda and ArchBishop of Mainz (central West Germany), wrote about contemplation in his treatise De videndo Deo (On Seeing God), he too was afflicted with much to do, and he understood that even the most devout can find the simple presence of God elusive amidst the busy-ness of life (even a Holy life!). The words above and here were aimed at his Benedictine Brothers, but they are appropriate for us today: “to contemplate God is to be open to the mystery of God’s presence.”

Summer is for relaxation and release, a time to slow down, to vacate, but don’t go on vacation without God. Contemplate! Don’t just take a good book, take The Good Book! Don’t just think about your life, think about His! Don’t resolve what to do, resolve who to be in His company! Ask God the big questions and contemplate God’s presence, and you will know God’s answer. 

"He who neglects contemplation is deprived of the vision of the light of God.”

Make it an enlightening summer vacation! Contemplate God!


Resolved and thinking,
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Fr. Bill+