5 December, Antonio Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day

The Contemplative and the Active Life

1. We ought not to imagine that contemplation is a privilege exclusive to monks and nuns. In fact, it belongs to all Christians. It is the privilege of the peasant, artisan, or clerk, who on his way home from work pays a visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. "Here I am, my God," any one of them may say. "I am very tired. Please give me some rest for my soul. I am weary and worried both in body and in soul. I wish to love You more and to be faithful to You until I die. I wish to think only of You, but there are so many other things which I must think about. I have so many temptations and disturbances which cause me to forget You and which often lead me into evil. O God, be the light of my soul, the peace of my heart, the divine strength of my weak will. . . ." Murmuring words like these, they listen to God and seem to see Him bending down towards them.

Then there is the student who has spent the day poring over books, searching for the truth. He goes into the church for a moment and kneels down. His mind is full of the tumult of thoughts, calculations, and problems never completely answered or explained in the books written by men. He asks God for the light which he has not found, for the answer which he has not discovered, for the peace and calm which only He can give.

At least for a moment, all these workers and students are contemplatives. They have left behind the noise of the world in order to listen to the voice of God. But this voice, which does not speak in words, but in silence and in peace, is the voice of contemplation. Prayer comes afterwards, when God makes His presence felt in the soul. In this way, no matter who or what we are, we should all be contemplatives. In other words, we should seek in quiet conversation with God the truth and tranquillity which the world cannot give us.

2. There have always been in the Church both contemplatives and active apostles, and there have always been people who combined both kinds of life. The contemplatives seek solitude, avoid contact with the external world, and preserve a constant intimacy with God. The men of action, on the other hand, fight for the glory of God and for the salvation of their neighbour. Finally, there are those who strive to unite both forms of spirituality in their work For God. The first group lead the life of Mary, the second that of Martha, while the third imitate both Mary and Martha.

It is this last group which St. Thomas prefers. It is better, he says, to enlighten than merely to shine; it is better to pass on to others the fruits of our contemplation than merely to contemplate. (S. Th., II-II, q. 188, a. 6, 3) If we understand and practise his teaching, we can achieve both our own sanctification and the welfare of our neighbour, and can combine the interior life with the external apostolate.

3. The man is heading for disaster who becomes obsessed with the necessity for external activity to the exclusion of the vital source of the apostolate, which is to be found in prayer and contemplation. He will sow much and will gather nothing. He will make a great deal of noise wherever he goes, but his work will not be blessed by God. Those who are overactive and think that they can conquer the whole world, says St. John of the Cross, would do well to remember that they would be more useful to the Church and more pleasing to God if they spent at least half their time with God in prayer.

Unless neighbourly love and external charity are inspired by the love of God, they are a useless sham and are often no more than the outward expression of personal ambition. On the other hand, there is something lacking in prayer and contemplation if they fail to produce good works. Love cannot be idle and contemplation should not be mere daydreaming. If a man loves and contemplates God, he will love and contemplate his neighbour. Then he will feel the urge to dedicate himself, no matter what the sacrifice, to charitable activity on his neighbour's behalf.