The Thomistic Institute Sacred Study | Father James Brent, O.P.
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Aug 29, 2023 Fr. James Dominic Brent, O.P., discusses the essence of the contemplative life and the primary object of contemplation: God. He explores the acts of contemplative prayer and the pursuit of divine intimacy, as well as the challenges of distractions and temptations. The virtue of study and the vice of curiositas are also discussed, highlighting the importance of developing the virtue of study and incorporating prayer into academic pursuits. The struggle of a wandering mind and the path to contemplation are explored as well.
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Essence of Contemplative Life
- The contemplative life is fundamentally about gazing upon truth with delight, focusing primarily on God as truth.
- Its fulfillment involves loving the truth deeply, uniting knowledge and love in contemplation.
God as Primary Contemplation
- St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that God is the principal object of contemplation, with all other truth secondary.
- Contemplatives view everything as a manifestation of divine effects, rooted ultimately in God.
Contemplation of Realities
- Contemplating truth means considering the realities themselves, not just theories or ideas about them.
- Many academic settings focus wrongly on words rather than the truth of things themselves.