A very dangerous activity

[…] contemplation is a very dangerous activity. It not only brings us face to face with God, it brings us, as well, face to face with the world, and then it brings us face to face with the self; and then, of course, something must be done.

Something must be filled up, added to, freed from, begun again, ended at once, changed, or created or healed, because nothing stays the same once we have found the God within. . . . We become connected to everything, to everyone. We carry the whole world in our hearts, the oppression of all peoples, the suffering of our friends, the burdens of our enemies, the raping of the earth, the hunger of the starving, the joyous expectation every laughing child has a right to.

Then, the zeal for justice consumes us. Then, action and prayer are one.

[. . .]  To be contemplative, we must have zeal for the God of love in whom all things have their beginning and their end. Fortunately, you will know when that happens to you, because you will find yourselves consumed with love not only for God but for everything and everyone God has created and who lives and is shaping this world right now. There is no clearer sign of real contemplation.

~ Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB

See also:  Nano we give thanks

An idea for somewhere to visit this summer to find out more about Nano Nagle – ‘A Woman of Welcoming Heart’ HERE

(The text above is an extract from  a Centre for Action and Contemplation (CAC.org)  piece by Sister Joan Chittister (it appears here as part of CAC’s daily meditaton texts).  In it she is  exploring the relationship between prophetic witness and contemplation.  Source: ‘Prophets Then, Prophets Now’ by Joan Chittister.  See link to full mediation piece HERE).