True Contemplation and its Counterfeit

Normally the word contemplation is used to describe the mystical awareness of God's action in a person, working through the Holy Spirit as they are being gradually transformed into the image and likeness of Christ. It begins not when we so choose, but when he chooses. Although we can prepare for it, it is essentially God's gift. To begin with it is often called 'obscure contemplation', or 'the prayer of faith' or a 'ray of darkness'. This is because at first, the action of the Holy Spirit only highlights all that separates us from the transformation into Christ that he is working to achieve. The 'ray of darkness' suddenly becomes a 'ray of light' when God chooses, giving the believer ever deeper experiences of the presence of God within, as the journey into Christ deepens. read more...