Digging Deeper

 


Contemplation is not an excuse for laziness because a life centred on prayer motivates us to do more, as Mother Teresa and others demonstrate. 

We are accountable for our actions, even for those we do our best to ignore. Rather than fear, this warning intends to awaken us from our inertia, which is balanced by a criterion: ‘Ora et Labora’ (Prayer and Work).

Origen points out that praying ceaselessly merges prayer with work (Treatise on Prayer). This is verified by the Prayer of the Heart, which insists that we become prayer so that work becomes its visible sign. Unless our actions are imbued with a listening heart, our doings mirror our subjectivity, not our willingness to witness the Magister. 

Focused on who we are in God's eyes, we are aware that our attitude can either enrich or impoverish our prayer and doings. This is clearly emphasised by Paul’s insistence: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what the will of God is, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12,2). 

When our heart is shattered by the unwillingness to let go of ourselves, we can hardly realise our responsibility towards others. Responsibility is not fortuitous: it underlines prayer because prayer identifies with love, which is always interrelated. 

Contemplation mellows our hardened hearts, enabling us to comprehend Jesus as our way, truth, and life (John 14,6). Stripping off our ego-centrism, we are free to embrace others because ‘all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3, 27-28).

As members of the faith community, widening our horizons, we realise that everyone is called to holiness (Lumen Gentium, 5). Inclusiveness, therefore, determines our identity (Gaudium et Spes, 1-2) as we learn to respond to the Good News (Gaudium et Spes, 4). Contemplation highlights this maturing: it challenges us to be self-critical as we measure ourselves not with what we desire or imposed self-understandings, but with our conversion. 

Martin



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