Thomas Merton on contemplation...

This quote was posted on the Shalem Institute FaceBook page this past Friday.  It has caused me to slow down and think, reflect, and contemplate.

The quote:

"Contemplation is life itself, fully awake, fully active, and fully aware that it is alive. It is spiritual wonder. It is spontaneous awe at the sacredness of life, of being. It is gratitude for life, for awareness, and for being. It is a vivid realization of the fact that life and being in us proceed from an invisible, transcendent, and infinitely abundant Source." ~Thomas Merton (New Seeds of Contemplation)

What caught your attention as you read the quote?  For me, it was the "A" words: awake, active, aware, alive, awe.  Then the "S" words: spiritual, spontaneous, sacredness, Source.  It is powerful to think of contemplation as "life itself". 

 This quote led me to find out what more Thomas Merton may have said on the topic of contemplation, so I did a search "Thomas Merton on contemplation" and up came a list of a variety of options.  My first stop was the Merton Institute for Contemplative Living.  Here I found many resources, including a link that explains "We are contemplatively living when..." in 11 sentences.  Check it out here: "We are contemplatively living when:"

The Bridges to Contemplative Living look like a great guide for group study or retreat setting (both and other usages are suggested).  I wonder if I can talk anyone into using this as a study guide in one of my groups?  Or maybe I could offer this as a class in the fall?

For now, I will reflect on the words in the above quote, recognizing that life itself is contemplation and that contemplation is life itself. 

Thanks once again Shalem Institute for helping me center my thoughts, spend some time in contemplation, and thus allow my Spirit to be refreshed and renewed. 

I need to be more intentional about taking more time for contemplation.  What about you?

May there be moments of contemplation along your journey!

~Debra