The seventene chapitre. That a verrey contemplatiif list not medel hym of active liif, ne of anything that is doon or spoken aboute him, ne yit to answere to his blamers in excusing of himself.
Mary's Contemplative Stillness
Mary sits at Jesus' feet, absorbed in the hidden wisdom of His Godhead through the cloud of unknowing, ignoring all outward busyness.
In the Gospel of Saint Luke it's written that when our Lord was in the house of Martha, her sister, the whole time Martha kept herself busy preparing His meal, Mary her sister sat at His feet.✦ And as she listened to His word, she didn't look to her sister's busyness, even though that busyness was wholly good and wholly holy—for it's the first part of the active life; nor yet to the preciousness of His blessed body, nor to the sweet voice and the words of His humanity, even though that is better and holier—for it's the second part of the active life and the first of the contemplative life; but to the highest wisdom of His Godhead wrapped in the dark words of His humanity: there she looked with all the love of her heart.✦12 For she wouldn't leave that place for anything she saw or heard spoken or done around her; but sat completely still in her body, with many a sweet, secret, and eager impulse of love cast upon that high cloud of unknowing between her and her God.34
The Cloud That Never Parts
The author declares that no creature can be so rapt in contemplation as to be without the cloud of unknowing, and Mary's refusal to answer Martha exemplifies the contemplative's absolute absorption in that cloud.
For I'll tell you one thing: there has never been a mere creature in this life, nor will there ever be, so highly ravished in contemplation and love of the Godhead that there is not always a high and wonderful cloud of unknowing between him and his God.5 It was in this cloud that Mary was occupied, with many private loves fixed upon it.6 And why? For it was the best and holiest part of contemplation that is possible in this life. And from this part she would not move for anything; so much so that when her sister Martha complained to our Lord about her and asked Him to tell her sister to get up and help her, and not leave her to work and labor alone, she sat quite still and did not answer with a single word, nor showed so much as a grumbling look at her sister for any complaint she could make. And no wonder: for she had another work to do that Martha didn't know about. And therefore she had no leisure to listen to her, nor to answer her complaint.
Mary and Martha as Perpetual Patterns
The Lord's interaction with Mary and Martha is set as an enduring example for all contemplatives and actives in the Church until the end of time.
Look! Friend, all these deeds, these words, and these looks that passed between our Lord and these two sisters are set as an example for every active and every contemplative who has lived in Holy Church since then, and who will live until the Day of Judgment. For by Mary all contemplatives are meant, because they should shape their way of life after hers; and by Martha, the actives, in the same way and for the same reason of likeness.
Read the original Middle English
In the Gospel of Seinte Luke it is wretyn that when oure Lorde was in the hous of Martha hir sistre, al the tyme that Martha maad hir besy aboute the dightyng of His mete, Mary hir sister sat at His feet. And in heryng of His worde, sche beheeld not to the besines of hir sister, thof al hir besines was ful good and ful holy, for it is the first party of actyve liif; ne yit to the preciousté of His blessid body, ne to the swete voyce and the wordes of His Manheed, thof al it be beter and holier, for it is the secound party of actyve liif and the first of contemplatyve liif, bot to the sovereynest wisdom of His Godheed lappid in the derk wordes of His Manheed: theder beheeld sche with al the love of hir hert. For fro thens list hir not remowe for nothing that sche saw ne herde spoken ne done aboute hir; bot sat ful stille in hir body, with many a swete privé and a lysty love put upon that highe cloude of unknowyng bitwix hir and hir God.
For o thing I telle thee: that ther was never yit pure creature in this liif, ne never yit schal be, so highe ravischid in contemplacion and love of the Godheed, that ther ne is evermore a highe and a wonderful cloude of unknowyng bitwix him and his God. In this cloude it was that Marye was ocupied with many a prevé love put. And whi? For it was the best and the holiest party of contemplacion that may be in this liif. And fro this party hir list not remowe for no thing; insomochel that when hir sistre Martha pleynid hir to oure Lorde of hir and bad Him bid hir sistre rise and help hir, and lat hir not so worche and travayle by hirself, scho sat ful stylle and answerid not with o worde, ne schewid not as moche as a grucching contenaunce agens hir sistre for any pleynte that scho couthe make. And no wonder: for whi scheo had another werk to do that Martha wist not of. And therfore scheo had no leiser to listen to hir, ne to answere hir at hir pleynte.
Lo! freende, alle theese werkes, thees wordes, and theese contenaunces, that weren schewid bitwix oure Lorde and theese two sistres, ben set in ensaumple of alle actyves and alle contemplatyves that han ben sithen in Holy Chirche, and schal be to the Day of Dome. For by Mary is understonden alle contemplatyves, for thei schuld conforme here levyng after hirs; and by Martha, actyves, on the same maner, and for the same skil in licnes.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Luke.10.38-Luke.10.42 — Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. Luke.10.39 — She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his word. Luke.10.40 — But Martha was distracted by much service. She came up and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." Luke.10.41 — But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.' Luke.10.42 — Few things are needed, or only one. For Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.
- ↩Luke.10.38-Luke.10.42 — Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. Luke.10.39 — She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his word. Luke.10.40 — But Martha was distracted by much service. She came up and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." Luke.10.41 — But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.' Luke.10.42 — Few things are needed, or only one. For Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.
Notes
- 1 ↩party of actyve/contemplatyve liif: the Cloud’s graded scheme—Martha’s outward service as first active part; attention to Christ’s bodily presence and spoken humanity as second active / first contemplative part; gazing into the Godhead as the higher contemplative aim.
- 2 ↩lappid in the derk wordes: rendered wrapped/enfolded in the obscure words of His humanity; derk keeps the Cloud’s apophatic sense of darkness/obscurity, not mere gloom.
- 3 ↩love put: Cloud technical idiom for a sudden thrusting impulse/dart of loving desire toward God; rendered impulse of love cast upon to keep the kinetic sense of put without archaic jargon.
- 4 ↩lysty: from list (desire/pleasure); rendered eager to capture glad, desiring force rather than mere liveliness.
- 5 ↩ME 'pure creature' = a creature purely as creature (a mere created being), not necessarily a morally spotless one.
- 6 ↩ME 'prevé love put' is elliptical for private/secret love directed or set upon the cloud, picking up the prior section's phrasing.
The Cloud of Unknowing companion
A daily portion of stillness
Chosen Portion delivers one short contemplative reading and a guided moment of silence each day — the ascent, one step at a time.
Chosen Portion is the paced doorway into this collection: it portions the dense mystical treatises into one daily reading plus guided silence, exactly as the 14-day plan teaches.
- Daily bite-sized excerpts from the contemplative classics, never a wall of text
- A built-in timed stillness practice that grows from 2 minutes to 10
- Gentle progression through the tradition — the app remembers where you are on the ascent