Before becoming Catholic and relearning what success and achievement are, I was very much into the self-development and Positive Mental Attitude stuff. Still am to a degree, though I find that I now spend a lot of time picking over the materials and re-thinking it to conform to my faith. Anyway, I still get these emails with cool motivational quotes/pictures once a week and save most for my background and to use in my screensaver. Here is the latest one:
Notice the quote… The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation.
At one time, I would have heartily agreed. Now I don’t. This is such a secular humanist approach to the world and how you live in it. I am not saying that you should withdraw to the local monastery. After all we are called to be light and salt. We have to be IN the world, but not OF the world. Had a similar discussion with some people on our parish council about not competing with the world. That’s not entirely correct I think. We compete with the world, but on our own terms.
Anyway, my point is that the only reality that really matters can only be grasped by deeper contemplation and ultimately applying what we learn or are led to in the actions we take in the world. The world is not the object of our reaching. Or shouldn’t be. We should be reaching for the only Truth, Beauty and Love there is… And that is not a something… That is a SOMEBODY…
Jesus Christ.
In His Name.
Amen.