Study Guide: The Cloud of Unknowing, Chapter 21

Relatively speaking, Chapter 21, consisting of five paragraphs, is one of the longer chapters in The Cloud.  Writing in Middle English, Anonymous gives us this question as his chapter heading:

The trewe exposicion of this Gospel worde: Mary hath chosen the best partye.

Alluding to the story of Jesus’ visit to the house of Mary and Martha as Luke presents it (10.38-42), Anonymous is aware that grammatically his 15^th-century Latin Bible (translated into English and known today as the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible) concludes the story with these words:

[41] And the Lord answering, said to her: Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and art troubled about many things: [42] But one thing is necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Anonymous sees a problem with the word best. For something to be best, there must be at least three things: something good, something better, and something best. Obviously, however, in Luke’s story only two things (actually two persons) are being compared: Martha and Mary. So how can there be a best choice? Fully aware of the problem, Anonymous works toward a satisfying answer in paragraph one.

In paragraph two, Anonymous reminds us that he’s already laid the foundation for a satisfying answer. He briefly reviews what he’s said in Chapter 8, and you may wish to revisit that chapter to see how Anonymous lays out a tri-partite schema describing the relationship between the active and contemplative life. By following his logic in paragraphs two through four, you can how his “three-part” schema makes the “best” part possible?

In paragraph five, Anonymous, addressing us as “active” Christians, encourages us “to work as hard as [we] can in the first and second stages.”  Then he tells all “active” Christians who may have a tendency to criticize “third-stagers”—that is, contemplatives—to leave us along.  After all, we’re chosing “Mary’s third and ‘best’ part, and play” (56). Look at Butcher’s note on the word “play” (in Middle English pley) and work toward answering this question: “In what way(s) is Centering Prayer “play”?

A hint.  Those who play musical instruments generally do not describe such activities as "work." We really don't "work" a violin, piano, guitar, or any musical instrument; instead, when we practice and make music, we say that we are "playing" our instruments. How then can it be that Anonymous suggests that contemplative prayer, our doing Centering Prayer--is, as the last word in this chapter puts it--pley?