"Contemplation is for the Birds?"

Sayings of Light and Love, #122

Over the years, I have met many people who have taken an interest in what is called "birding." I never would have known that such a hobby, as bird watching, could be so fascinating and enjoyable. Birding is not just for the experts. In fact, it is something which is quite prayerful and even contemplative. At the monastery there are many occasions for delighting in the sight and song of these little, winged creatures of God. As we will see, it seems that John of the Cross spent a great deal of time watching birds.  He would often draw lessons from nature in order to teach about the spiritual life. The following saying is just such an example:

"The traits of the solitary bird are five: first, it seeks the highest place; second, it withstands no company; third, it holds its beak in the air; fourth, it has no definite color; fifth, it sings sweetly. These traits must be possessed by the contemplative soul. It must rise above passing things, paying no more heed to them than if they did not exist. It must likewise be so fond of silence and solitude that it does not tolerate the company of another creature. It must hold its beak in the air of the Holy Spirit, responding to his inspirations, that by so doing it may become worthy of his company. It must have no definite color, desiring to do nothing definite other than the will of God. It must sing sweetly in the contemplation and love of its Bridegroom."

- Sayings of Light and Love #122

John uses the image of a bird on the rooftop (in my imagination a song sparrow which, according to his description, fits the bill perfectly… pun intended) to describe a soul and the necessary elements characteristic of lofty prayer - what he names as highest contemplation. In summary, contemplatives are supposed to be high flyers. The only way to soar to God is by trying to become like the bird that he has in hand. The traits of the contemplative are five like that of the solitary bird and they are: detached, silent and alone, open to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, mortified in desire and wanting only the will of God, singing always the praises of the Beloved.

The question is: how does one reach the heights of union with God? Detachment, mortification, silent love, and the movements of the Holy Spirit are all common themes of John's discussion on prayer and union with God. These are the elements of flying off to the heights of God and Christian perfection. The image of the bird perched in the highest place is expressive of the entire journey which is made in his ascetical treatise, the Ascent of Mount Carmel. The bird is the soul, its flight is contemplation, its song is the joy and delight of the experience of union with God. The sight of the bird in its lofty perch vividly illustrates the dynamism of detachment and freedom of spirit. John wants us to fly like this little bird and to sing his song. This means we have to take on the qualities of that sparrow which John of the Cross is describing. Take time to think about those qualities and ask God to give you wings, pointing you in the right direction by the inspirations of his Spirit. Learn to live in the company of the Holy Spirit and to be borne up by his breathings - that is his inspiration.

Here are a few more sayings which complement the present analogy and further illuminate the instruction of St. John of the Cross:

"A bird caught in birdlime has a twofold task: It must free itself and cleanse itself. And by satisfying their appetites, people suffer in a twofold way: They must detach themselves and, after being detached, clean themselves of what has clung to them."

- Sayings of Light and Love, #22.

In order to enjoy highest contemplation, purification of the soul is necessary. It will not fly until it has freed itself from all attachments. The things of this earth know how to cling to us. We have to learn how to shake off the bonds of these attachments. This kind of detachment leads to that feeling of being "as light as a feather." Everyone knows what I'm talking about. It's that feeling when something which the mind and heart have been bearing with great heaviness but has now finally been relieved. Our attachments create those burdens! Who wants to hold onto all that weight? St. John is telling us to throw off all the burdens of our desires and to take on lightness of soul. It feels good to shake off all that unnecessary weight and to fly like a bird. It is the desire for God that will make us fly, every lesser desire is just dead weight and will hold us back. Hence, the following observation:

"Those who do not allow their appetites to carry them away will soar in their spirit as swiftly as the bird that lacks no feathers."

 - Sayings of Light and Love, #23.

Perhaps, when composing these sayings, John was watching a bird at the bird bath splashing around in the water and taking the time to preen its feathers before it took off with great speed, swiftly ascending in its flight towards the sun in the skies.

St. John of the Cross has also noted the following in his experience as a spiritual birder: 

"It makes little difference whether a bird is tied by a thin thread or by a cord. Even if it is tied by thread, the bird will be held bound just as surely as if it were tied by cord; that is, it will be impeded from flying as long as it does not break the thread. Admittedly the thread is easier to break, but no matter how easily this may be done, the bird will not fly away without first doing so. This is the lot of those who are attached to something: No matter how much virtue they have they will not reach the freedom of the divine union."

 - Ascent of Mount Carmel I, 11, 4 

Here in the Ascent, John explains that you can have all the virtue in the world and yet it will not be enough to reach union with God so long as a single attachment remains. That attachment is the thread which holds the bird back from flying. His strong recommendation: "beat your wings as hard as you can and break that thread!" John wants all of us to be high flyers and he does not want anything, however small, to keep us from reaching the heights of union with God. Who doesn't long for the freedom that we see in the birds as they fly with lightness through the air?

Without being too lengthy in the present reflection (it would take time to unpack each of the features of the little bird perched in John's thought), it is worth just watching this bird… that is, to experience for a moment the joy of a spiritual birder. What does the sparrow in its song say to you about prayer? Wouldn't you like to possess his freedom to fly, and the joy of his song?

With these sayings, John of the Cross gives us a birds-eye view of the spiritual life…. Skies the limit! Contemplation is not for the birds; it is for souls created in the image and likeness of God! And God wants to give you wings…