CONTEMPLATION IN ACTION

1. To think of the Lord in silence, the focus being His presence. To love Him with His love and love Him for Himself.

2. To love the Lord, means to gaze His face. To seek Him with the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

3. To love Him for Himself means not loving Him for any of His gifts. The gifts are only occasions or reminders of His love. He has to treat us like little children who need all these favors to show that He loves us. But the higher form of love is to love and worship Him in "spirit and in truth."

4. To worship God in spirit and in truth means to worship the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the person of Jesus.

5. It is time for intimacy, friendship, sharing and allowing the Lord to reach the deep recesses of your being, to heal, to enlighten, and sanctify.

6. The wandering mind, the curious senses, the desires and passions of the heart, the rebelliousness of our will, the fantasies of our imagination, the hunger and thirst for companionship, friendship and love.

7. Seeking, searching and longing for something deeper.

8. It is journey into the unknown; a journey that has begun without one desiring it and yet it captivates one's mind, heart and soul.

9. It is a gift to know Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life.

10. Contemplation is a desire to be familiar

11. Contemplation means to be present

12. Contemplation means being involved and not letting something just pass by. You are not just a spectator watching a movie, but you are part of this great mystery. It is your love that motivates you to be part of this because you desire to be one with your beloved.

13. The mysteries of the Holy Rosary, are hidden treasures of grace. Look at them as exposing yourself to radiation. The light of grace penetrates into your being, bringing about the transformation that is necessary to uncover these hidden counsels of God.

14. Contemplation is a process of penetrating deeper into the mysteries that to our senses seem so shallow. As you go deeper into these mysteries, you begin to see the beauty that is hidden within.

15. As one commits sins or undergoes various experiences; there are lodged into our memories various images. We understand these images in different ways. Some are familiar, that certain pictures, persons, or places, or situations trigger certain emotions, feelings, or a thought process. It is like dreaming a dream but you are awake. You are in a position that you don't want to be and that can be scary. Or you are in a position you know you will never be in; but it makes you happy because this is what you want.

16. In each vocation there is a grace in keeping with it. With the laity, there is the grace to sanctify the temporal order. So it is in the temporal order that one can find the grace necessary.

17. When God gives us His special graces, He wants us to know that it was because of His love and favor that we were given them and not because of any merit of ours. And so expect to receive the grace of contemplation at moments when you least expect it to happen. God likes to surprise us with His gifts!

18. It is in the simple events or chores of one's life, where one should find hidden the graces that God gives each person.

19. The evil one knows that in the little and insignificant things of life you can obtain many graces; so he leads you to that which appears great.

20. In the Rosary we find a simple form of prayer, through which a soul can reach union and the higher levels of prayer.

21. Hidden in the mysteries of the Rosary are the mysteries of our faith, redemption, salvation and sanctification.

22. The evil one knows that repetition creates a habit, so he encourages us to give in to little sins and then once the habit is formed, he can lead us into serious sins.

23. Repetition in prayer makes one grow strong in virtue. If one seeks to grow in faith, then there are various ways by which one can grow in this virtue. First, the person must ask the Lord the gift of faith and by doing this should exercise trust in God in little things. Therefore it is the constant repetition of faith that will strengthen this virtue.

24. In the Gospels we see various examples of faith. The blind man shouts loudly asking Jesus to restore his sight. The woman begs Jesus to even give her the leavings that fall from the table. The centurion believes in the word of Jesus and expresses his unworthiness that Jesus should come under his roof.

25. The treasures of the Kingdom of God are hidden and only those who seek these treasures with persistence will find them. If you have not made up your mind to give everything up to obtain this treasure, then your seeking will be in vain.

26. Silence of the senses: when all the senses one by one can be focused on the things of God and make Him the center of its attention.

27. Silence of the mind; when the mind is occupied with the thoughts of God, purified by the reasoning that comes from the Gospels; thus free from all forms of judgments, condemnation, or accusation.

28. Silence of the imagination: the desire to know and love God is so great that a person uses every power of its own imagination to be present with the Lord, in the various mysteries that unfold before him or her.

29. Silence of the heart: when a person allows the graces of purgation, illumination and union to penetrate the heart; thus uncovering the evil within and dispelling the darkness present therein. The beatitudes are firmly embedded in the heart, thus leaving the person to abide in truth, justice, and peace.

30. Silence of the soul: seeking that one thing which is necessary, namely, to be in union with the Lord. Not getting attached to any thing, especially spiritual. To abide in truth and live in love.