Quotes About Contemplation

This is great wisdom, not to be hasty in action, or stubborn in our own opinions.

Be faithful to your secret place, and it will become your closest friend and bring you much comfort. In silence and stillness a devout person grows spiritually and learns the hidden things of the Bible. Tears shed there bring cleansing. God draws near to the one who withdraws for a while. It is better for you to look after yourself this way in private than to perform wonders in public while neglecting your soul.

O quam salubre, quam iucundum et suave est sedere in solitudine et tacere et loqui cum Deo!

How came it to pass that many of the Saints were so perfect, so contemplative of Divine things? Because they steadfastly sought to mortify themselves from all worldly desires, and so were enabled to cling with their whole heart to God, and be free and at leisure for the thought of Him. We are too much occupied with our own affections, and too anxious about transitory things.

It is better for you to live privately and take care of yourself than it is to neglect your soul even though you could work wonders in the world.

No man can safely speak, unless he who would gladly remain silent.

let the love of the pure Truth draw thee to read. Ask not, who hath said this or that, but look to what he says.

2. How came it to pass that many of the Saints were so perfect, so contemplative of Divine things? Because they steadfastly sought to mortify themselves from all worldly desires, and so were enabled to cling with their whole heart to God, and be free and at leisure for the thought of Him. We are too much occupied with our own affections, and too anxious about transitory things. Seldom, too, do we entirely conquer even a single fault, nor are we zealous for daily growth in grace. And

My Son, make it no matter of thine, if thou see others honoured and exalted, and thyself despised and humbled. Lift up thine heart to Me in heaven, and then the contempt of men upon earth will not make thee sad.

Seek a suitable time for thy meditation, and think frequently of the mercies of God to thee.

If, with a single glance, you could see everything in the world spread out before your eyes, how fruitless a sight that would be! Raise your eyes to God on high and pray for your sins and deficiencies.

La suprema sabiduría consiste en aspirar a ir a los reinos celestiales por el desprecio del mundo. Luego,

The spiritually-minded man putteth care of himself before all cares; and he who diligently attendeth to himself easily keepeth silence concerning others. Thou wilt never be spiritually minded and godly unless thou art silent concerning other men's matters and take full heed to thyself. If thou think wholly upon thyself and upon God, what thou seest out of doors shall move thee little. Where art thou when thou art not present to thyself?

To walk inwardly with God, and not to be held by any outer affections, is the state of a spiritual man.

For a spiritual person, it is commendable to rarely venture out, avoid being seen, and have no desire to see others.

The best thinking has been done in solitude.

The highest perfection of human life consists in the mind of man being detached from care, for the sake of God.

Those who are more adapted to the active life can prepare themselves for contemplation in the practice of the active life, while those who are more adapted to the contemplative life can take upon themselves the works of the active life so as to become yet more apt for contemplation.

It is necessary for the perfection of human society that there should be men who devote their lives to contemplation.

A song is the exultation of the mind dwelling on eternal things, bursting forth in the voice.

The truth can be perceived only through thinking, as is proven by Augustine.

If, then, the final happiness of man does not consist in those exterior advantages which are called goods of fortune, nor in goods of the body, nor in goods of the soul in its sentient part, nor in the virtues of practical intellect, called art and prudence, it remains that the final happiness of man consists in the contemplation of truth.

Now this relaxation of the mind from work consists on playful words or deeds. Therefore it becomes a wise and virtuous man to have recourse to such things at times.

So if the ultimate felicity of man does not consist in external things which are called the goods of fortune, nor in the goods of the body, nor in the goods of the soul according to its sensitive part, nor as regards the intellective part according to the activity of the moral virtues, nor according to the intellectual virtues that are concerned with action, that is art and prudence – we are left with the conclusion that the ultimate felicity of man lies the contemplation of truth.