Now let us consider what are the hindrances to contemplation. There are four, of which S. Bernard thus speaks: “If it happens to any one to be drawn into the secret of contemplation, into this sanctuary of God ; if he has the blessedness of being hidden therein, where no voice comes, no trouble, no disturbance from without, no anxious cares, no sad remorse, or what is still more difficult, no distracting images of earthly things ; then, when he returns to himself, he may glory and say, ‘ The King brought me to His inner court/”1 Thus S. Bernard.
The first obstacle is, then, the pain of the body. The soul is so closely bound to the flesh, that it cannot enter into and enjoy the delights of contemplation, when any part of the body is in pain. Thus, without a very special grace from God, the time of sickness is not the time of contemplation. It is the same if hunger, thirst, cold, or any other bodily need or suffering is keenly felt
The second obstacle is gnawing care, anxiety as to needs and occupations; this is sufficiently demonstrated by the authorities which have been already quoted. The same writer says, enumerating elsewhere the hindrances to contemplation, that “as dust, cast into the eye, hinders us from seeing, so the anxieties of earthly cares trouble the eye of the soul, and prevent it from contemplating the true light.”
The third obstacle is sad remorse ; that is, the consciousness of sin. And this may happen in two ways : first, when sin is actually present in the soul ; secondly, when the sin has been repented of and forgiven, but yet comes to remembrance. In either way contemplation is impeded, as S. Bernard declares, when he says, “As ‘darkness hinders our corporeal vision ; so sin, when it is in the soul, obstructs the spiritual life, for the soul is overshadowed with darkness, and contemplation requires that the soul be in a state of purity and clearness. Likewise, as blood or any humour, if it gets into the eye, injures the sight; so sin, when it comes into the memory, flows into the soul and hinders its vision, and therefore the memory of past sins is to be avoided in the time of contemplation. Doubtless we ought at all times to regard ourselves as sinners; but we ought not, during contemplation, to fix our attention upon one of or upon all our faults.” Thus S. Bernard says, “Those who fairly represent Mary to us are those who have, by lapse of time and with the aid of Divine grace, made considerable progress in the spiritual life, and who now can commit themselves to Divine Indulgence, so as not to render themselves unquiet by the sad images of past sins, but who can joyously and safely meditate day and night on the law of God. Sometimes even with open face they behold the glory of the Spouse, and are perfectly transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord .”2 Thus far S. Bernard.
The fourth obstacle he describes as the phantoms of corporeal images. This last is more difficult to be overcome than the others, and therefore solitude is especially recommended in contemplation. It behoveth the man who contemplates to be in some sense dumb, deaf, and blind, so that seeing he may not see, and hearing he may not hear, nor take delight in talking ; that is, that he may be so withdrawn from transitory things, and so united to God, that he may not, by hearing, seeing, speaking, cease to contemplate, but that he may avoid interruption as much as possible. And if necessity obliges him to break off, he must not lay up in the soul those images of things which have passed through its windows. Consequently, it is not the duty of one who lives the Contemplative Life, as though he led the Active Life, to observe the conduct of his neighbours, lest he should store up causes of distractions. Much more careful should he be to abstain from conversation with worldly persons, as I have often taught If, however, obedience, necessity, politeness, or recreation require him to do some work or action, let him do it with fidelity ; but let him not cleave to it with his will, nor take such pleasure in it that he cannot afterwards shake off the images of it, and peacefully hold communion with God. Concerning this S. Bernard says, “We must do manual labour, not so much that by delight the soul should be detained thereby, but that all its delight may be reserved for spiritual exercises ; a pause which is not for the purpose of dissipating the mind, but to refresh it. Whence the soul should be able to return to devotion without hindrance, and without any conflict, without resistance of will, without having contracted any pleasure, or retained any image on the memory. As man was not made for woman, but woman for man ; so neither were spiritual exercises made for bodily, but bodily for spiritual. Moreover, to man, when first created, there was made a help like unto himself, drawn from his own substance ; so the help of bodily exercise is necessary for spiritual exercise ; not, however, is there always the same likeness and affinity between them : as, for instance, between meditating on what is written and writing what is read. However, labour in the open air exhausts the mind oftentimes, when, by a too violent and rude exertion, the body is greatly reduced and broken, even to contrition or humility of heart. For the pain of fatigue often is the test of a more vehement devotion. Nevertheless a good and prudent servant will do all, whether labour or devotion, in right proportion; nor will he be dissipated in work, but will be gathered up into himself, because he will have always before his eyes, not so much what he does as his intention in doing it, and will direct all his actions to the last end.,,3 Thus S. Bernard. You see with what care it behoves him to act, lest through manual labour he should allow his mind to become distracted. I know, indeed, what an impediment to contemplation you experience when you allow the mind to be the prey of anxious cares. This will suffice concerning the obstacles of contemplation.
From all which has gone before, you can judge how hurtful is that eager curiosity which infects the whole soul, rendering it unquiet and impure. How harmful, too, are cupidity and avarice ; and how, on the contrary, precious is that poverty which can present the soul ever free and pure before God.
For the rest, be not disturbed, because I have said the contemplative do not give their thoughts to their neighbours ; for such think more of God, and surpass the man of action in the love of God. But the active surpass him, again, in the love of their neighbour. S. Bernard expresses himself thus on this subject : “I say, by the grace of God which is in us, that we have vines and fig trees. The fig trees are those who are most sweet in manners : the vines are those who are most fervent in heart Whoever lives sociably with us, not only avoids disputes in conversation, but endeavours to make himself pleasant by kind offices, is he not most aptly represented by the fig tree ?”4 Again, “Those are the vines who are more severe than complaisant, who are vehement of spirit, sticklers for discipline, declaimers against vice, and who can truly apply to themselves the Psalmist’s words, 4 Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee, and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee ? ’ 1 And, 4 The zeal of Thine house hath even consumed me .’ 8 One shines most with the love of his neighbour, the other with the love of God.” Thus S. Bernard. You see, then, in the matter of zeal for God, the Contemplative are said to outstrip the Active. Understand this, however, discreetly; for the contemplative never omits the love of his neighbour; only he loves God principally, and his neighbour secondarily, within a certain limit. It is the duty of a new beginner to occupy himself as far as possible with God alone, to remain in solitude of spirit, and to be alone, so as even to appear to neglect the active service of God, of himself, and of his neighbour ; since the nature of solitude demands this, especially when he is favoured with a visit from the Spouse; otherwise he may easily become distracted. But when he has become accustomed to the long exercises of contemplative prayer, then will he be filled with a burning zeal for God and for the salvation of souls, as we have before seen in the eighteenth sermon of S. Bernard on the Song of Solomon, in which is described the way the Contemplative precedes the second part of the Active Life. But more than this, in a case of urgent necessity, even the tyro will intermit his spiritual exercises for the benefit of his neighbours. Thus S. Bernard says, “When a man prays, who doubts but that he speaks to God ? Yet how often, charity bidding, are we to be drawn away and torn away from God for the sake of any who may need our assistance or advice ? How often is the pious rest in God to yield to the tumult of business ? How often, with a good conscience, must the book be laid aside for manual toil? How often, for the administration of earthly matters, may we justly omit celebration ? The order is reversed ; but necessity has no law.” Thus S. Bernard.
» Ps. cxxxix. 21. * Ps. lxix. 9.
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