Anthony De Mello - Contact with God

Contact with God was published posthumously by Gujarit Sahitya Prakash, a Jesuit press in India. In undertaking an American edition, the editors had a dilemma of sorts; for example, whether to generalize and formalize the text, or to leave it more or less as delivered orally to a maleand Indian Jesuitreligious audience. In deference to Father de Mello, it appeared the better course was to follow the original text where it served, leaving the reader to adjust to his spoken style and to accept a number of informalities. His paraphrasing of Scripture and some absence of attribution where texts are quoted are examples. It being a posthumous publication, the usual recourse of querying the author was, naturally, not possible. Outside of quotations American spellings are used, and inclusive language was employed where the text permitted it.

Joseph F. Downey, S.J.
Editor ial Director
Loyola University Press

I wish to situate this retreat in the context of the Church and the world today. We have assembled here for a period of silence and prayer and withdrawal at a time when the Church is in crisis and the world in desperate need of peace and development and justice. May we not be rightly accused of escapism? Can we afford the luxury of an eight-day withdrawal when the house is on fire and every available hand is needed to put the fire out?

Are We Escapists?

I want to continue with that comparison. The house is indeed on fire. But too many of us, tragically, have no motivation to put it out; we would rather busy ourselves with our little worlds and little lives. Too many of us are too blind even to notice the firewe notice only what suits us. And even supposing we are gifted with motivation and proper sight, how many of us lack the strength to work perseveringly on this fire; how many of us lack the wisdom and reflection to find the best and quickest means for putting the fire out? And then there is so much selfishness in the way we set about the taska selfishness that makes us come in one another's way even when we have good intentions.

The retreat, on the face of it, does seem like a luxury and an escape. But it is the kind of luxury taken by a general who withdraws from the direct line of firing to give himself time to reflect and to come up with a more effective plan of battle. It is the kind of escape that will enable us to strengthen our motivation, to widen our hearts, to sharpen our sight, to energize ourselves to plunge more wholeheartedly into the tasks that God has assigned for us in the world. Dag Hammarskjld, the mystic who became U.N. Secretary General, was so right when he said in his diary, In our era the path to holiness necessarily passes through the world of action. We contemplate and pray to re-create ourselves and to act more energetically and more effectively for God's glory and the benefit of the world.

The Greatest Need of the Church

The Church is passing through a period of chaos and crisis. This is not necessarily a bad thing. A crisis is a challenge to grow. Chaos precedes creationprovided, and this is a big proviso, the Spirit of God is hovering over it.

The greatest need of the Church today is not new legislation, new theology, new structures, new liturgiesall these without the Holy Spirit are like a dead body without a soul. We desperately need someone to take away our hearts of stone and give us a heart of flesh; we need a fresh infusion of enthusiasm and inspiration and courage and spiritual strength. We need to persevere in our task without discouragement or cynicism, with new faith in the future and in the people we work for. In other words, we need a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.