Contemplation, Commitments and Quiet Moments
exploring a Way of Life
“We must not think that contemplation is an exclusive experience, reserved only for a few saints or for monks and hermits. We can all do it by striving to set aside, amidst the commitments of our daily lives, quiet moments in which to enter into silence before God, to listen to his voice, to entrust our joys and concerns to him and to review our lives in him.”
Pope Leo XIV, Angelus Address
This quotation comes from a recent Substack article by Ian Mobsby reflecting on Pope Leo XIV’s Angelus address on the relationship between contemplation and Christian witness. Ian writes:
“Contemplation makes Christians credible witnesses.”
Contemplation and witness are not always spoken of together. We often imagine contemplation as a private spiritual practice and witness as public action. Yet Pope Leo, drawing on the wisdom of Thomas Aquinas, presents them as inseparable.
Quoting Aquinas, he describes the Christian vocation as contemplata aliis tradere, which translates as “to hand on to others what we have contemplated.”
In other words, Christian witness is not primarily about promoting ideas or defending arguments; it is about sharing with others what we have encountered in Christ.
This very much fits my experience of new monastic approaches and the influence of the Irish monastic movement. Witness is often the fruit of an encounter which pours out of us. People like St Cuthbert would withdraw, meet with God and then launch out into the countryside to share the good news.
Think of the many stories in the gospels when people encounter Christ, and their immediate response is to share their story more widely. One of the best examples is the Samaritan woman at the well, who said:
"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?" John 4:29
In modern examples of spiritual authors, it was Henri Nouwen who said:
“Nobody can proclaim the Word of God unless that Word has first become flesh in his own life.”
Pope Leo explains that our witness flows from “passing on to others what we have contemplated of Christ, that is, his person and his purpose.”
This is a profound challenge for those of us engaged in ministry and leadership. Our effectiveness does not begin with activity but with attentiveness. Before we speak about Christ, we are called to be with Christ. Before we attempt to change the world, we must first allow ourselves to be changed by his presence.
This vision resonates deeply with the Celtic Christian tradition, where contemplation and mission were never seen as competing priorities. Saints such as Aidan of Lindisfarne and Cuthbert moved naturally between solitude and service, prayer and proclamation. Their witness carried authority because it flowed from lives rooted in communion with God.
In many ways, this reflects the pattern we see in Scripture. Jesus repeatedly withdrew to lonely places to pray before returning to teach, heal, and serve (Luke 5:16). The apostles waited in prayer before Pentecost. Paul spent years being formed before embarking on his missionary journeys. Throughout Christian history, faithful witness has always flowed from attentive communion with God.
Perhaps the question for us today is not simply:
What am I doing for Christ? but
What have I truly contemplated about Christ that I can now share with others?
The deepest and most enduring witness is not manufactured through effort; it overflows from a life that has learned to dwell in the presence of God.
This is a challenge in our world of productivity and performance, but with a trellis in place, it can be done.
A Spiritual Exercise
Set aside ten minutes today. Find a quiet place and simply become aware of God’s presence.
Read these words from John’s Gospel slowly:
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4)
Sit with the passage without trying to analyse it. Notice which word or phrase draws your attention. Hold it gently before God.
As you finish, ask yourself:
What have I received from Christ today?
What aspect of his character have I been invited to contemplate?
How might that naturally overflow into my conversations, relationships, and actions today?
You might want to share this experience with a soul friend and exchange ideas.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, teach me first to abide before I attempt to achieve.
Form my heart before you use my hands.
May my words and actions become a faithful witness,
not merely to what I know about you,
but to the life I have encountered in you.
Amen.
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