How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Page)
Quote #4
She was so full of holy thoughts and meditations, and holy contemplations in the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and holy conversation in which our Lord conversed with her soul, that she could never express them later, so high and so holy they were. (I.29.107)
Kempe often tells us that her mystical experiences are so "high" or profound that she lacks the language to describe them. This inexpressibility is not unusual for people who experience this kind of communion with the divine. After all, it's difficult to name intangible things with physical language. It's a common theme in mystical literature from all traditions.
Quote #5
They prayed in this way for thirteen days. And after thirteen days the priest came back to her to test the effect of their prayers, and then he understood what she said in English to him, and she understood what he said. And yet he did not understand the English that other people spoke [...]. (I.33.119)
This is one of the everyday miracles that occur in Kempe's life to enable her contemplative practices to continue. In this case, Kempe finally finds a sympathetic confessor at St. John Lateran in Rome, but he doesn't speak any English. Kempe doesn't let this stop her, and she applies prayer to the situation. The success of this experiment is another sign for Kempe that God approves of her and her life.
Quote #6
"And I have often told you, daughter, that thinking, weeping and high contemplation is the best life on earth. You shall have more merit in heaven for one year of thinking in your mind than for a hundred years of praying with your mouth [...]." (I.36.126).
While this declaration may come as a surprise, the idea that contemplation is a higher form of spiritual behavior than saying prayers is a pretty common idea at this time. Contemplation requires true devotion—a lifestyle change, really—whereas prayers can be muttered in a hurry with no real effort. This often pits Kempe against those working-day spiritualists, the priests.