| Sacred Living: Contemplation into Action
“Prayer makes visible the right, and reveals what is hampering and false. In its radiance, we behold the worth of our efforts, the range of our hopes, and the meaning of our deeds… However, prayer is no panacea, no substitute for action. It is, rather, like a beam thrown from a flashlight before us into the darkness. It is in this light that we grope, stumble, and climb, discover where we stand, what surrounds us, and the course which we should choose."
—Abraham Joshua Heschel
Over time, the Benedictine tradition has taken on the motto Ora et Labora, Prayer and Work. These two streams of our life are intricately woven together. As our prayer flows into our work, so our work should lead back into our prayer. Action and contemplation are two rails of the same ladder. Both are necessary for a full and meaningful life.
Prayer
Prayer, in essence, is a transformative process. In prayer, we pay attention to God and try to discern what seems to be God’s will. If we are not on the road God is choosing for us, with prayer, we begin to notice the discrepancy. With prayer, we are called to conversion of heart. We are drawn toward a more life-giving way.
Analysis and Action
As we are drawn toward God’s will for us, we will begin to look around. How do our behaviors and those of wider society fit into what we now sense of God’s love and mercy for all people? Are our actions fitting testament to our status as daughters and sons of God? Do we also acknowledge every other person as God’s beloved child? What are we doing to bring about the reign of God in the world today? Prayer starts with the personal, but eventually it also applies to both the social and systemic aspects of life. This is what should guide our work.
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