Daily Primer — August 17, Flight home from Glasgow

William H. Shannon, who has served as president of the International Thomas Merton Society, general editor of his letters, and has written about Merton’s approach to spirituality, has defined contemplation in the following way:

...true prayer, especially contemplation, means going inside ourselves, going inside reality, going into “the temple” if you will, to find God and to find ourselves and all reality in God.

He continues:

This notion of prayer as “going inside” is borne out by the rather curious etymology of the word “contemplation.”  A dictionary will tell you that contemplation means “to gaze attentively at something.”  The etymology takes us a big step further.  At the heart of the word “contemplation”  the Latin word templum, which means “temple.”  Templum, interestingly, is a diminutive of the word tempus.  Generally tempus is translated as “time,” yet its primary meaning is a “division or a section of time.”  Among the Romans the templum was a space in the sky or on the earth that was sectioned off or set apart for the augurs to read the omens.  It was, therefore, a sacred spot marked off from other space, and generally in this spot the augurs would examine the entrails of birds.  In other words, the temple was the place where certain sacred persons looked “inside animals, inside things,” to find divine meanings and purposes.  Looking attentively at the “insides” of things might well be a way of describing contemplation.  It is looking at ourselves, looking at reality, from the “inside.”  It is looking into the temple, where the “insides” of reality are to be found.  If we go deeply enough into the “insides” of reality, we find that of themselves they are — nothing.  They are only because at the very deepest level of reality we find a Source which is their Origin and the Ground in which they find their identity and their uniqueness.  And that Source which is their Origin and Ground is God.

Florilegium is the Medieval Latin word for bouquet, or more literally flowers (flos, flor-) which are gathered (legere). The word florilegium was used to refer to a compilation of writings, often religious or philosophical. These florilegium are literary flowers—beautiful words/prayers/thoughts I have gathered.  During my sabbatical they will give me something to ponder each day. — PHL.

The path I walk, Christ walks it. May the land in which I am be without sorrow. May the Trinity protect me wherever I stay, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Bright angels walk with me — dear presence — in every dealing.  In every dealing I pray them that no one's poison may reach me. The ninefold people of heaven of holy cloud, the tenth force of the stone earth. Favorable company, they come with me, so that the Lord may not be angry with me. May I arrive at every place, may I return home; may the way in which I spend be a way without loss. May every path before me be smooth; man, woman and child welcome me. A truly good journey! Well does the fair Lord show us a course, a path.

In Thy name, O Jesu who wast crucified,
I lie down to rest;
Watch Thou me in sleep remote,
Hold Thou me in Thy one hand;
Watch Thou me in sleep remote,
Hold Thou me in Thy one hand.

Bless me, O my Christ,
Be Thou my shield protecting me,
Aid my steps in the pitiful swamp,
Lead Thou me to the life eternal;
Aid my steps in the pitiful swamp,
Lead Thou me to the life eternal.

Keep Thou me in the presence of God,
O good and gracious Son of the Virgin,
And fervently I pray Thy strong protection
From my lying down at dusk to my rising at day;
And fervently I pray Thy strong protection
From my lying down at dusk to my rising at day.