“Why
are you sleeping? Wake up and pray…”
~~ Jesus, Luke 22:46
Charles de Foucauld learned deep contemplative prayer from an intense study of the gospels; he spent time with Jesus in wonder and admiration, and would then imitate the practices of Jesus he found there. In the silence of the desert, Brother Charles often spent 5 hours each day in silent, still meditation before the Blessed Sacrament. At other times, he would go for prolonged retreats, alone, into the Sahara desert.
He kept notebooks in which he recorded his prayer practices and contemplation.
“We
learn from Jesus," de Foucauld wrote. "He himself taught us to 'watch' and to
'imitate' him – to 'come and see'."
“Watch
and imitate him. Jesus himself suggested that very simple method of
achieving union with him and perfection to his apostles. The very
first words he said to them on the banks for the Jordan, when Andrew
and John came to him were: Come and see. “Come” – that is
follow me, come with me, follow in my footsteps; imitate me, stay
with me, contemplate me.”
“All
perfection is to be found in the presence of God and Jesus and in the
imitation of Jesus. It is perfectly obvious that anyone doing as
Jesus did is perfect. So we must throw ourselves whole heartedly into
imitating him (a task sweeter than honey to the loving heart, as an
urgent need for the loving soul, a need that becomes more compelling
as love becomes more ardent) and watching him, the diving Spouse (a
task no less sweet or indispensable
to love).
“Anyone
who loves, loses and buries himself in contemplation of the beloved.”
[Spiritual Autobiography, p. 152]
“When
one loves, one longs to be forever in converse with Him whom one
loves, or at least to be always in His sight. Prayer is nothing else.
This is what prayer is: Intimate intercourse with the Beloved. You
look at Him, you tell Him of your love, you are happy at His feet,
you tell Him you will live and die there.” [Charles de Foucauld, Orbis books, p. 92]
As he searched the scriptures for clues to Jesus' prayer, he discovered several methods of prayer, and suggested that we should imitate Jesus' example.
Jesus often prayed in silent adoration throughout the night, that is, "contemplation, a silent adoration which is the most eloquent of prayes; tibi silentium laus [Silence praises you]. It was that kind of silent adoration which confirms a declaration of love most passionately; just as love, expressed in wondering admiration, is the most ardent love."
Secondly, Jesus would often express thanksgiving and rejoicing, "first for the divine glory, for the fact that God is God, then thanksgiving for graces bestowed on teh world and on all vreated things."
Thirdly, Jesus wouls pray for "forgiveness for all the sins committed against God, forgiveness for those who do not ask for it themselves, and express contrition and sorrow for seeing God offended."
Finally, Jesus would often make petitions for individual people, and for the whole world.
Prayer is very simple; but not easy, he said. “Prayer
is all intercourse of the soul with God."
“It
is also the attitude of the soul when it contemplates God without
words; solely occupied in contemplation, speaking its love with
constant regard, though lips are silent and even thoughts are still.
“The
best prayer is the most loving prayer."
“Prayer,
in the widest sense of the word, may be either a silent contemplation
or one accompanied by words.
“Words
of adoration, love, self-immolation, the giving of all one’s being,
words of thanksgiving for the graces and blessings of God, for favors
shown to one’s self or to others, words of regret or of reparation
for ones sins or those of others, words of supplication.”
“Prayer
is above all to think of me [Jesus] with loving thoughts, and the
more you love, the better you pray. Prayer is to have the attention
lovingly fixed on me. The more loving the attention, the better the
prayer.” [Charles
de Foucauld, Orbis
Books, p. 110]
“Prayer
is primarily thinking of me [Jesus] with love. The more anyone loves
me, the more he prays.”
“Prayer
is the attention of the soul lovingly fixed on me. The more loving
that attention is, the better is the prayer.” ~~ Eight
Days in Ephren, p.
160
“Prayer
is any conversation between God and the soul. Hence it is that state
in which the soul looks wordlessly on god, solely occupied with
contemplating Him, telling Him with looks that it loves Him, while
uttering no words, even in thought.” [Foucauld, Retreat
in Nazareth 1897,
Orbis books. P. 105.]
In his notebooks, we learn that Charles de Foucauld practiced two forms of prayer. First, in Lection Divina, he spent many hours with the four Gospels, memorizing them, and in his imagination, put himself in the scenes in a sort of visualization practice. He would spend time with the Lord Jesus and ask himself these questions: Quis?
Quid? Ubi? Quibus auxiis? Cur? Quomodo? Quando?
Who
took part in this incident?
What
did they do?
Where
was it?
Who
else was present?
Why?
In
what way did things happen?
When?
Secondly, Jesus would enter a pure form of contemplative prayer, in "adoration" with the lord. It was a silent, wordless, loving adoration of Jesus; especially before the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. He sat motionless in the desert silence, for many hours at a time.
How to practice this silent "Interior Prayer"? He explained: "What
do you want to say to me, O God? For
my own part, what I want to say to you? Saying
nothing else, gaze on the Beloved."
“Your
mind, it should be full of the love of God, forgetful of yourself." he said.
“It
should be full of contemplation and joy of my [Jesus’] beatitude,
of compassion, and sorrow for my sufferings, and joy at my joy.
“It
should be full of sorrow for sins committed against me and in ardent
longing to glorify me.
“It
should be a mind full of love for your neighbor – for my sake, for
I love all men as a father loves his children.
“It
should be full of longing for the spiritual and material good for all
men for my sake."
