On prayer and the contemplative life

Name: On prayer and the contemplative life
Author: Thomas, Aquinas, Saint

Thomas, Aquinas, Saint

Contemplation; Prayer; Thomas, Aquinas, Saint, 1225?-1274

that every operation of the intellect may be termed "thought," 188;
  of the derivation of the term "speculation," 189;
  of our present perfection, 190, 191;
  on the pleasures of sense, 185;
  that the contemplation of God is the goal of all our acts, 193;
  that we must use created things as stepping-stones to the things that
    abide for ever, 193;
  on Mary's "better part," 196, 197;
  on Martha and Mary, 234, 235, 248;
  that in contemplation we do not see God Himself, 199;
  the greater the danger in the battle, the greater the joy in the
    triumph, 212;
  on the transitory nature of our present contemplation, 218;
  on the beauty of the teaching life, 227;
  how the moral virtues remain after death, 230;
  of the repose of Contemplation, 230, 241;
  of his desire for solitude, yet he feels that he must work for others,
    239;
  he dare hope for the Contemplative Life, 240;
  of the higher reason, 249

Basil, St.: on distractions, 127, 128;
  on unheard prayers, 141

Beatific Vision, the, 87, 153, 172, 176, 177, 180, 181, 193, 198-203,
  217

Beatitude, in what it consists, 172, 176, 177, 181, 191, 198, 218, 219,
  229

Beatitude, a prayer for, 192

Beauty, definition of, 185

Benedict, St., the vision of, 202

Bernard, St.: on the meaning of contemplation, 188, 189;
  of the steps in contemplation, 194

Bestial Life, the, 175

Birds, the movements of, 209

Blood of Christ, the, 163

Boethius, on the liberty needful for contemplation, 237


Cajetan, O.P., Cardinal, 19, 20;
  on the meaning of Religion, 50;
  on the meaning of devotion, 53, 54;
  on its causes, 60;
  on devotion as opposed to gloom, 64;
  of the "devout female sex," 62;
  of the need of meditation, 61;
  of prayer as the cause of union with God, 71;
  of prayer as a real cause, 74;
  on three points to be considered in prayer, 78;
  on prayer as a sacrifice, 79;
  of the divisions of the Lord's Prayer, 107, 108;
  how those in Limbo can hear prayers, 118;
  on vocal prayer, 121, 123;
  on the tone to be employed in saying Mass, 122;
  the function of ecclesiastical chant, 122, 124;
  on attention in recitation of Divine Office, 128;
  on attention to the words of Consecration, 149, 150;
  of the need of the moral virtues in the Contemplative Life, 239;
  the Parable of the Ten Virgins, 247;
  on the real object of prayer, 129

Canticle of Canticles, the, 14

Cassian, the Conferences of: on St. Antony and discretion, 254, 257;
  on different kinds of prayer, 148

Cassiodorus on Ps. xxxviii. 13, 68

Cato on respect for parents, 30

Ceremonial, the value of, 35

Chant of the Church, the Public, 122, 123

Charity as the principle of religion, 56.
  _Cf. s.v._ Theological virtues

"Christ, pray for us," why we do not say, 160, 161

Christ, the Name of, on the foreheads of Christians, 219

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

On prayer and the contemplative lifeThomas, Aquinas, Saint

ReligionChristian

On prayer and the contemplative life

Thomas, Aquinas, Saint

Contemplation; Prayer; Thomas, Aquinas, Saint, 1225?-1274

that every operation of the intellect may be termed "thought," 188;
  of the derivation of the term "speculation," 189;
  of our present perfection, 190, 191;
  on the pleasures of sense, 185;
  that the contemplation of God is the goal of all our acts, 193;
  that we must use created things as stepping-stones to the things that
    abide for ever, 193;
  on Mary's "better part," 196, 197;
  on Martha and Mary, 234, 235, 248;
  that in contemplation we do not see God Himself, 199;
  the greater the danger in the battle, the greater the joy in the
    triumph, 212;
  on the transitory nature of our present contemplation, 218;
  on the beauty of the teaching life, 227;
  how the moral virtues remain after death, 230;
  of the repose of Contemplation, 230, 241;
  of his desire for solitude, yet he feels that he must work for others,
    239;
  he dare hope for the Contemplative Life, 240;
  of the higher reason, 249

Basil, St.: on distractions, 127, 128;
  on unheard prayers, 141

Beatific Vision, the, 87, 153, 172, 176, 177, 180, 181, 193, 198-203,
  217

Beatitude, in what it consists, 172, 176, 177, 181, 191, 198, 218, 219,
  229

Beatitude, a prayer for, 192

Beauty, definition of, 185

Benedict, St., the vision of, 202

Bernard, St.: on the meaning of contemplation, 188, 189;
  of the steps in contemplation, 194

Bestial Life, the, 175

Birds, the movements of, 209

Blood of Christ, the, 163

Boethius, on the liberty needful for contemplation, 237


Cajetan, O.P., Cardinal, 19, 20;
  on the meaning of Religion, 50;
  on the meaning of devotion, 53, 54;
  on its causes, 60;
  on devotion as opposed to gloom, 64;
  of the "devout female sex," 62;
  of the need of meditation, 61;
  of prayer as the cause of union with God, 71;
  of prayer as a real cause, 74;
  on three points to be considered in prayer, 78;
  on prayer as a sacrifice, 79;
  of the divisions of the Lord's Prayer, 107, 108;
  how those in Limbo can hear prayers, 118;
  on vocal prayer, 121, 123;
  on the tone to be employed in saying Mass, 122;
  the function of ecclesiastical chant, 122, 124;
  on attention in recitation of Divine Office, 128;
  on attention to the words of Consecration, 149, 150;
  of the need of the moral virtues in the Contemplative Life, 239;
  the Parable of the Ten Virgins, 247;
  on the real object of prayer, 129

Canticle of Canticles, the, 14

Cassian, the Conferences of: on St. Antony and discretion, 254, 257;
  on different kinds of prayer, 148

Cassiodorus on Ps. xxxviii. 13, 68

Cato on respect for parents, 30

Ceremonial, the value of, 35

Chant of the Church, the Public, 122, 123

Charity as the principle of religion, 56.
  _Cf. s.v._ Theological virtues

"Christ, pray for us," why we do not say, 160, 161

Christ, the Name of, on the foreheads of Christians, 219

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

On prayer and the contemplative life

On prayer and the contemplative life

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