I’ve recently returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. What makes a pilgrimage different from travel for tourism is, of course, that it’s undertaken for religious purposes. Of all the holy places, the places where Jesus was born, ministered, died and rose from the dead are the most holy. You therefore see a lot of pilgrims there.
They come from all over the world. They come alone or with groups. They come in thanksgiving. They come with their petitions. They come primarily for that tangible connection with Our Lord; to walk where He walked and to stand in the places where He performed such wonders.
As I walked those places myself – from the grotto where Jesus was born to the tomb where He conquered death – I saw many people praying: a group of Catholics praying the rosary, an evangelical couple asking God to bless and protect their family, Orthodox pilgrims prostrating themselves in reverence. I, myself, did many of those same things. But I mainly stood in those holy places in silence.
‘Lord, it is good to be here’
I would see others around me praying and think, “I should be praying, too.” I felt at times negligent, but any words I might say to God seemed … not insufficient, but unnecessary. I found myself walking that hallowed ground with an interior quietude, recalling the events of Christ’s life that happened there and resting in that awareness like a ship floating on the water. The only words to sometimes enter my mind were Peter’s words to Christ at the Transfiguration: “Lord, it is good to be here” (Mt 17:4).
We frequently conceive of prayer in terms of words spoken to God, either out loud or in the silence of our hearts. The English word “pray” means “to ask,” so this makes sense. But prayer takes many forms, petition being only one of them. St. John of Damascene defines prayer as that which raises our minds and hearts to God. Words are not always necessary. Being in the presence of holy things does this quite nicely without them.
Various authorities have categorized prayer in different ways depending on form, method and intent. The Catechism describes five forms of prayer: adoration, petition, intercession, thanksgiving and praise (CCC 2626-2643). It also identifies three expressions of prayer: vocal, meditative and contemplative (CCC 2700-2719). Of these, contemplative prayer is considered the highest.
The mystical language frequently used to describe contemplation can make it seem out of reach for most Christians. Consider this passage from the Catechism:
“Entering into contemplative prayer [we] … recollect our whole being under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, abide in the dwelling place of the Lord which we are, awaken our faith in order to enter into the presence of Him who awaits us. We let our masks fall and turn our hearts back to the Lord who loves us, so as to offer ourselves over to Him as an offering to be purified and transformed” (CCC 2711). It goes on to describe contemplation as “a gift, a grace” (2713), “the pre-eminently intense time of prayer” (2714), “a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus” (2715) and “a communion of love” that “consents to abide in the night of faith” (2719).
Those are beautiful and poetic words, but I am sure I’m not alone in reading them and thinking I’m not there yet. This sounds like the prayer of a cloistered Carmelite, not a working parent or even a busy parish priest. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Contemplation is not a goal attainable only by a privileged few spiritual masters. If you peel back the mystical language, it’s the simplest thing in the world.
Finding joy in the presence of God
There is a story told of a conversation between St. John Vianney and an elderly farmer who would spend time silently sitting before the tabernacle in his parish.
When the priest asked the farmer what he was doing, the old man replied, “I look at Him and He looks at me.” It really can be as simple as that.
Contemplation is about fostering an awareness of being in the presence of God. If the goal of prayer is relationship with God, then simply being present to Him is the most important thing we can do. Even in our human relationships we find this to be true. Silence is only awkward between strangers. A comfortable silence can exist between close friends. It’s a joy simply to be in their presence. This is what heaven will be like. While the scriptures show angels bringing the petitions of the saints before God (Rev 5:8), those closest to His throne simply proclaim, “Holy, holy, holy” (Rev 4:8). Our life’s goal is to share in their song.
Words in prayer come easier at some times in our lives than at others, and sometimes words won’t come at all. Then it is good to remember that “we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings” (Rom 8:26). Whether we find ourselves standing in the Holy Sepulchre, kneeling at the altar in our parish, or sitting quietly in the inner room of our heart, the most important prayer we can offer to God is to simply be present with an attitude of holy reverence, a silent saying with Peter, “It is good, Lord, to be here.”
Deacon Matthew Newsome is the Catholic campus minister at Western Carolina University and the regional faith formation coordinator for the Smoky Mountain Vicariate.