It reaches out to knowledge, as a gift of God in ourselves, for we are touched by God. Contemplation is, at the same time, an awareness of the question and awareness of the answer given by the Spirit. Contemplation is a pure gift and is a sign of the goodness of God. It enables us to believe more firmly in his goodness, to trust in him more, and provides growth in our friendship with him. God completes in us the awareness that he dwells in us and we in him.
Contemplation can spring out of emptiness, in poverty, dereliction and spiritual night.
Contemplative prayer, as defined by St. Teresa of Jesus, is a close sharing between friends. It means taking time frequently to be alone with God who we know loves us. We seek Jesus, and as love grows, we seek him in more prayer, in more service, to honor him and the memories of his awesome love. Meditation opens the window to inner prayer, but in contemplative prayer we come as children who welcome his love and who want to respond to it by loving him even more. Contradiction in Contemplation Before true faith can become a source of spiritual comfort, it must involve us in struggle.