Preparing for Contemplative Prayer - Meditation - the Purgative & Illuminative Way
During your time of meditation, a person must seek out malice, says St. Bonaventure. Its roots are anger, envy and luke-warmness. Anger is manifested by gestures and speech, envy by sadness of the good of another, and luke-warmness by unfavorable suspicions, and by blasphemous thoughts.
Bonaventure teaches that by looking over these things, a person must always keep in mind his death and that it is imminent. He must always keep in mind that the eyes of the Judge are fixed upon him, and also that the Blood of the Cross has been spilled for him. After examining his conscience in his meditation, he must follow through with correction by acquiring the virtues of generosity, austerity and gentleness. Bonaventrue quotes the prophet Micah (6:8): "I have shown you, man, what is good, and this is required of the Lord, only this, to do what is right, to love mercifulness, and to walk humbly with your God."
In the Illuminative Way, Bonaventrue says, a person thinks about: First, his debt to God - what a price Jesus paid for him - and the sins that God has forgiven and the punishment he merits. Second, he thinks about the favors that God has granted him. And finally he thinks about the promised rewards.
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Saint Bonaventure, La Triple Voie, 1269-1270. Available in French from the internet. http://jesusmarie.free.fr/bonaventure_la_triple_voie.html , (Accessed 12/18/08). Translation my own.
During your time of meditation, a person must seek out malice, says St. Bonaventure. Its roots are anger, envy and luke-warmness. Anger is manifested by gestures and speech, envy by sadness of the good of another, and luke-warmness by unfavorable suspicions, and by blasphemous thoughts.
Bonaventure teaches that by looking over these things, a person must always keep in mind his death and that it is imminent. He must always keep in mind that the eyes of the Judge are fixed upon him, and also that the Blood of the Cross has been spilled for him. After examining his conscience in his meditation, he must follow through with correction by acquiring the virtues of generosity, austerity and gentleness. Bonaventrue quotes the prophet Micah (6:8): "I have shown you, man, what is good, and this is required of the Lord, only this, to do what is right, to love mercifulness, and to walk humbly with your God."
In the Illuminative Way, Bonaventrue says, a person thinks about: First, his debt to God - what a price Jesus paid for him - and the sins that God has forgiven and the punishment he merits. Second, he thinks about the favors that God has granted him. And finally he thinks about the promised rewards.
_____________________
Saint Bonaventure, La Triple Voie, 1269-1270. Available in French from the internet. http://jesusmarie.free.fr/bonaventure_la_triple_voie.html , (Accessed 12/18/08). Translation my own.
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